The moment we’ve all been waiting for. . .

Game of Thrones Episode 2: The Lion & The Rose Reviewed

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(WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

Last weeks premier of season four of Game of Thrones presented us with a great start to our favorite show. In the article I wrote last week, I mentioned how the first few episodes of each season are usually pretty slow and that we shouldn’t expect to much excitement in the series for a while. Boy was I proved wrong this week.

The second episode of the fourth season, “The Lion and the Rose,” aired sunday April 13 and started out pretty strong to begin with. Beginning with a violent, heart-pounding chase that ended with a nice-seeming lady receiving an arrow to the calf and being eaten by dogs, I garnered high-hopes for the rest of the episode.

Strangely enough though, from that point on, I really only had one thing written down in my notes. Over and over again, just the same sentence, “Joffrey is a real bastard.” I like everyone else who tunes into Westeros weekly finds Joffrey more than annoying, but I don’t know what it was about this episode, but everything he did just made me want him dead even more than I usual.

He got the second sword made of valyrian steel. I wanted him dead.

He was a real brat when it came to the entertainers at his wedding and the gifts he received from his friends and family. I wanted him dead.

Dany Targaryen wasn’t in this episode. I wanted him dead (I know that doesn’t really have anything to do with this, but come on, where was Dany?).

Worst of all, he was an absolute jerk to Tyrion. As if Tyrion wasn’t having a bad enough day after telling Shae to leave and that he no longer loves her, then he had to deal with his bratty nephew. There was nothing more on earth I wanted than for Joffrey to be dead.

And then, like a miracle, it happened. How lucky was that?

I know some people are angry at the way he died, albeit poison seems like a lame way to die, but I think those who thought the death was a little lackluster are being ridiculous. If nothing else, Joffrey’s death looked incredibly painful. His blood filled eyes, his pale skin, the blood streaming from his nose, the spit that rolled down his chin, it was beautifully morbid.

And I’m not going to lie, I smiled in disbelief through the whole sequence. The moment I had been waiting for since the first time I saw Joffrey on screen had arrived, and I couldn’t be happier.

But alas, leave it to Game of Thrones to turn a great thing into a terrible one. Looking back at it, I guess it is kind of ridiculous how blindsided I was by Cersie blaming Joffrey’s death on Tyrion. I guess I should have figured it was coming. After all, Cersie is almost as bad as her son.

Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until sunday to see how this unfolds further, maybe Tyrion will be acquitted (I wouldn’t hold my breath). If we’ve learned anything from this though, it has to be that every time there is a Game of Thrones wedding, get ready for a main character to die.