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canyonwalker) wrote2022-10-17 10:21 pm
canyonwalker) wrote2022-10-17 10:21 pm
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GoT Season 5: Cersei's Downfall— And Reprieve
In season 5 of Game of Thrones Cersei Lannister suffers a downfall. As I wrote in my predictions at the end of last season it was clear that she was headed for a tragedy of her own making as she was becoming increasingly short-sighted in her desire for revenge against people. So it was very satisfying when, indeed, she was hosted by her own petard.
Spoilers in the discussion after the cut.
In S5E3, "High Sparrow", Cersei meets the High Sparrow, the leader of a zealot movement within the state religion. The Sparrows have embarrassed the religion's high priest for his immoral behavior, dragging him out of a brothel and driving him, naked, through the streets. Cersei sees a way this zealotry can be turned against her enemies, specifically Magaery Tyrell and members of the Tyrell family. The Tyrells are competing with Cersei for influence over her son, Tommen, the underage boy-king. She fears not only has she already lost some of her power to them but will soon lose all of it— because they're frankly smarter than she is.
In S5E4, "Sons of the Harpy", Cersei gets Tommen to appoint the High Sparrow head of the church and empower the church to arrest, detain, try, and punish anyone— commoners or nobles— for immoral behavior. She points the High Sparrow first at Margaery's brother, who in an open secret within the court is homosexual, then at Margaery for lying to protect him.
The smug look on her face in S5E6, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", when the two young Tyrells are dragged away to the dungeon, is insufferable. She's horribly miscalculated, though, because in a palace full of people who sin, hers are arguable the biggest. Not only is it an open secret among the court that she has committed adultery and incest, but she's also guilty of murdering and attempting to murder various nobles. Plus, she's an inveterate liar. And the High Sparrow as a zealot is loyal to his beliefs, not the woman who gave him power.
In S5E7, "The Gift", the tables turn on Cersei. During a visit to the church to taunt Queen Margaery in the dungeon, the High Sparrow arrests her. Cersei in her utter smugness doesn't see it coming until it's too late. Seeing her (finally!) get hoisted by her own petard was the single most satisfying scene in this entire series so far!
Seeing her suffering in prison in short scenes over the next few episodes was so satisfying I hoped that was basically Cersei's end, that she'd go from prison to trial to death for her sins. Alas, the High Sparrow, as a zealot, is also a fool when it comes to how the court works. In S5E10, "Mother's Mercy", Cersei offers to confess in exchange for mercy. She confesses to the sin of adultery in sleeping with her cousin— the least consequential charge— and denies all the other charges. The foolish High Sparrow lets her return to the castle after a walk of shame through the city.
Why was letting her go such a fool move? She'll totally return for trial, right? 🤪🤣 Even though she was welcomed back to the castle with reduced influence— her skeptical uncle, Kevan Lannister, has taken over as Hand of the King, and her toady, Grand Maester Pycelle, now scowls at her in disapproval— she's clearly not out of power. She still has her other toady, ex-Maester Qyburn, and a new member of the Kingsguard, who is apparently a revivified The Mountain, now pledged to "destroy all the Queen's enemies". That's enough power to kill the High Sparrow and destroy his militant order— which a person like Cersei would swiftly do without pausing to consider the consequences.
Spoilers in the discussion after the cut.
In S5E3, "High Sparrow", Cersei meets the High Sparrow, the leader of a zealot movement within the state religion. The Sparrows have embarrassed the religion's high priest for his immoral behavior, dragging him out of a brothel and driving him, naked, through the streets. Cersei sees a way this zealotry can be turned against her enemies, specifically Magaery Tyrell and members of the Tyrell family. The Tyrells are competing with Cersei for influence over her son, Tommen, the underage boy-king. She fears not only has she already lost some of her power to them but will soon lose all of it— because they're frankly smarter than she is.
In S5E4, "Sons of the Harpy", Cersei gets Tommen to appoint the High Sparrow head of the church and empower the church to arrest, detain, try, and punish anyone— commoners or nobles— for immoral behavior. She points the High Sparrow first at Margaery's brother, who in an open secret within the court is homosexual, then at Margaery for lying to protect him.
The smug look on her face in S5E6, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", when the two young Tyrells are dragged away to the dungeon, is insufferable. She's horribly miscalculated, though, because in a palace full of people who sin, hers are arguable the biggest. Not only is it an open secret among the court that she has committed adultery and incest, but she's also guilty of murdering and attempting to murder various nobles. Plus, she's an inveterate liar. And the High Sparrow as a zealot is loyal to his beliefs, not the woman who gave him power.
In S5E7, "The Gift", the tables turn on Cersei. During a visit to the church to taunt Queen Margaery in the dungeon, the High Sparrow arrests her. Cersei in her utter smugness doesn't see it coming until it's too late. Seeing her (finally!) get hoisted by her own petard was the single most satisfying scene in this entire series so far!
Seeing her suffering in prison in short scenes over the next few episodes was so satisfying I hoped that was basically Cersei's end, that she'd go from prison to trial to death for her sins. Alas, the High Sparrow, as a zealot, is also a fool when it comes to how the court works. In S5E10, "Mother's Mercy", Cersei offers to confess in exchange for mercy. She confesses to the sin of adultery in sleeping with her cousin— the least consequential charge— and denies all the other charges. The foolish High Sparrow lets her return to the castle after a walk of shame through the city.
Why was letting her go such a fool move? She'll totally return for trial, right? 🤪🤣 Even though she was welcomed back to the castle with reduced influence— her skeptical uncle, Kevan Lannister, has taken over as Hand of the King, and her toady, Grand Maester Pycelle, now scowls at her in disapproval— she's clearly not out of power. She still has her other toady, ex-Maester Qyburn, and a new member of the Kingsguard, who is apparently a revivified The Mountain, now pledged to "destroy all the Queen's enemies". That's enough power to kill the High Sparrow and destroy his militant order— which a person like Cersei would swiftly do without pausing to consider the consequences.