Nice vision breakdown! My first impression was that the figure in the snow was the ice-eyed girl from the first (?) episode...a harbginger of the white walkers, if you will. But I should probably re-watch it once i'm on a computer that will play video.

That's what people were saying on another board. That, apart from the tree, it was all old footage. I am not dedicated enough to check. But let me know if you do verify.

Rewatching now. The shot(s) of Sansa all framed in red, after mummer-Robb gets his head knocked off, is just beautiful. On the level of the shot of Theon surrounded by darkness and lit only by the guttering flame of his warning letter to Robb burning away back from Season 2.

Oh, and I thought Amanda Marcotte's take on the episode was exactly on point: [link]

So I was thinking back on the last episode while I was gardening (because weeding makes me think of GoT, go figure). My first impression was deep appreciation for the handling of the wedding entertainment: the "battle" was so brilliantly insulting to just about every person in attendance at the wedding. Only a Lannister could be so willfully and tastelessly insulting to his bride's family. Way to piss off Loras and all the Martells!

On more thinking, of course I was pondering the political repercussions of no more King Joffrey. Imma gonna completely ignore everything from the future books and work solely off of what we already know, so no spoilers.

It seems the only person who benefits politically from Joffrey's death is Tommen and he's such a boring milksop we haven't heard more than a few words from him. Seems like a total non entity for having the balls to off his older brother so publicly. Plus, due to his age he'd be king in name only, being controlled by the same players attempting to run the land via Joffrey. Easier to control? Most likely. Easier *enough* to control to warrant such a public display of ick and potential destabilization? NSM. Myrcella? Possibly, but she's the youngest and would likely fall behind even Stannis in sucession.

The Tyrells have every reason to want Joffrey out of the picture for Margaery's safety, but have zero benefit politically from him dying at this point. While Margaery has been publically proclaimed queen, that is only in name. In that political melieu she would need to fully consumate that marriage AND produce an heir before she could have any political stability as queen. With no possibility of being yet knocked up legitimately, she has gained nothing but the notoriety of being twice nominal queen and twice widowed yet still a virgin. That's some weird place to be in. I would expect, had Joffrey lived, that she would have made certain that marriage was consumated that evening and then made sure that she became pregnant as soon as possible. I totally can imagine her drugging Jaime in order to beget a proper Lannister baby without having to continue suffering Joffrey in bed. So politically speaking, she would have been far better off had Joffrey survived for another 9 months at least in order to confirm her position as Queen and (better yet) Queen Regent. Without an heir she has nothing but the love of the people and a brilliant mind. One expects her family might not trust Joffrey around her long enough for her to solidify her position and wanted Joffrey out of the picture for Margaery's safety. But heck, every man in Kings Landing would want Joffrey out of the picture WRT his female kin's safety and those Tyrell's know how to play the long game.

Sansa is better off without Joffrey around but has zero cunning. She's the most passive pawn in this game and seem lacking in any ability to help herself.

Since no one seems to benefit from Joffrey's very public death, it looks like more of an elaborate and very staged frame up of Tyrion. But by who? Not Cersei or Jaime. Cersei hates Tyrion like whoa but not enough to go Medea on her firstborn. Tywin loathes Tyrion but again, not enough to destabilize his power base via his grandson (no matter how unstable.) Perhaps someone trying to play Sansa and wanting her (nominal) husband out of the way? It's a possibility, particularly with her absconding from the wedding, but she's not a powerful enough pawn on her own to be worth the trouble with 2 more Lannister/Baratheon kids still in kings landing. OTOH, offing Tommen and Myrcella before Joffrey would clearly put him more on his guard, so perhaps it's a calculated opening move.

Not to mention, who could predict that Joffrey would have forced Tyrion to be his cupbearer? Sure, he was a jerk and hated his Uncle, but that particular move seems unpredictable. Unless someone planted it in Joffrey's head ahead of time. And only close family or counselors could have done that. But Joffrey was rather moody and unpredictable, that would be a (continued...)

( continues...) lot to stake on "maybe he'll bully Tyrion into handling his cup."

If Tyrion had NOT been handling that cup so much, who would have been the primary suspect?

I'm very intrigued to see how this plays out in later episodes.

I totally can imagine her drugging Jaime in order to beget a proper Lannister baby without having to continue suffering Joffrey in bed.

Dude. Duuuuuuude. Dude.

Perhaps someone trying to play Sansa and wanting her (nominal) husband out of the way? It's a possibility, particularly with her absconding from the wedding,

With her leaving KL, the advantage to be had with her may not be there, but, rather, wherever she's going. I doubt Ser Dontos has the brains to come up with this on his own.

who would have been the primary suspect?

I think Cersei would have likely pointed the finger at him anyway, on even the slightest shred of possibility.

erin,

I love the way your mind works. Question (for those of you who have read the books), is it possible the poison was not intended for Joffrey, but for Margaery?

is it possible the poison was not intended for Joffrey, but for Margaery?

It is (book spoilers) profoundly unlikely.