Sunday saw Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere (You will find our recap of the episode here.) There were a lot of meetings of old characters, friends, enemies, and even maybe a few frenemies. At some point in the episode, we met the person who will finally sit upon the Iron Throne once the Night King and his White Walker zombie army are dispatched.
And it’s also quite likely we saw that same person have a word with their future Hand.
One of the meetings was between Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who were married many seasons before.
Though that nuptial has gone by the wayside, it’s obvious they still hold a great deal of respect for each other, even if Sansa thinks her former husband is a whole lot of fool for believing the armies marching northward under the orders of his sister, Queen Crazy Drunk Cersei (Lena Headey), are actually on their way to help.
Now, even though Sansa is always dismissed ’cause, well, she’s Sansa and everyone thinks she doesn’t understand stuff and things, she should actually be Queen of the North and is a lot smarter than people realize.
Which, if you’ve been paying attention throughout the run of Game of Thrones, is a good way for those who think she’s just another ditsy woman to finish their run at the Iron Throne with their head on a pike. And believe it when I say that Sansa does have her eye on that throne, but in just the same way she played Littlefinger, she’s not showing her true intentions yet.
Tyrion is Hand of the Queen, though the queen in question is Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Bender of Knees and Roster by Dragons. While Dany hasn’t actually shown us that one trait the Targaryens are known for — you know, being crazier than bat stuff in a belfry — the fact that she’ll have her dragon barbecue people if they’re hesitant about bending that knee has been noted and doesn’t seem to sit well with her Hand.
We know Tyrion’s good for two things: drinking and knowing. And he knows all the stories about House Targaryen and their madness — which may or may not have something to do with, you know, “Keeping It In the Family”, as a certain Mommy of Dragons is currently doing with her nephew, the Knower of Nothing.
So Tyrion’s got to know that it may not be long before Dany snaps and decides to go Full Dracarys on any and everyone one standing between her and the Iron Throne.
This is not the sort of action Tyrion wants to ride. He’s good at playing the odds and he’s probably starting to figure out they are turning against him, ’cause let’s face it, if Dany loses it and the mob comes for her, they’re coming for him as well. That’s a scene he wants to avoid at all costs.
Personally, I don’t expect Dany to survive the coming battles. I mean, yeah, she has two dragons, but without them, she’s just another whack job to whom no one is paying attention.
If she makes it to the end of the season and has no dragons, well, have fun being the Queen of House Targaryen. That is, assuming your Hand decides you’re too crazy to keep around and he gets you with a crossbow while you’re ruling from a chamber pot. Which he has done already.
Tyrion has to know that the most stable ruler in all of Westeros is the woman to whom he was already married and as the next few episodes play out, I would not be surprised to see him helping her achieve that goal — just as long as he gets to remain close by as the Hand of the Queen of the Iron Throne.
I mean, that is the ultimate position for someone who was once known for putting the Imp in pimp. As pointed out, Tyrion knows things. He’s not going to crash and burn if he can help it.
Then again, this is Game of Thrones. And the odds are never in your favor…