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28th Aug 2017

Here’s why Tyrion looked so conflicted at the end of Game of Thrones

Paul Moore

He drinks and he knows things.

Much like the inevitability of wine in Westeros, spoilers are coming.

We really hope that the dragon and the wolf aren’t howling too much as they continue to get ‘familiar’ with each other on that boat.

After all, other people have to sleep.

Yes, it finally happened. Jon Aegon and Daenerys made the incestuous beast with two backs as the Targaryen history of keeping it in the family continued to flourish.We’re very happy for the new power couple in Westeros.

Actually, scratch that. They’re aunt and nephew and it’s still weird.

One person that didn’t seem overjoyed with this development is Tyrion Lannister because the Hand of the Queen looked very subdued as he watched on from the end of the corridor.

Regarding that scene, various theories have been floating around about that scene and Peter Dinklage has also given his take on the events.

The ‘third treason’ theory

In the second book of the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings, we’re told that Dany will face “three treasons will you know, once for blood and once for gold and once for love.”

The general consensus is that Daenerys has suffered her “treason for blood” at the hand of the blood witch Mirri Maz Durr. In case you need a reminder, she’s the godswife that tried to heal Khal Drogo with blood magic and ultimately killed Daenerys’ unborn child.

Jorah Mormont’s decision to spy on Dany for Lord Varys and King Robert Baratheon is considered to be the “treason for gold”, but what about the final prediction in this prophecy?

Some people argue that Tyrion’s odd demeanor fits in with the prophecy that Daenerys will be betrayed for love.

Tyrion did mention the fact that he loved two of Cersei’s children – Tommen and Myrcella. It’s logical that he’ll love Cersei’s next child also who could take the throne if Cersei dies.

We also learned that Tyrion hates himself for killing Tywin and that he has no intentions of ending House Lannister. Combine all of this with Tyrion’s love for his older brother loves Jaime and you’ve got a very conflicted Hand of the Queen.

The truth from the man himself

Here’s what Peter Dinklage had to say about that scene where Tyrion sees Jon entering Daenerys’ room.

In our opinion, this is the most plausible reason as to why he seemed so conflicted.

Speaking about Jon and Dany’s romance, he said: “It’s dangerous for everyone involved. I’m sure it’s good for both of them – in that moment – but you don’t even get the sense of how beautiful it should be. It should be, but it’s not. This is Game of Thrones, there’s a long history of romance not ending well on this show.”

Take a look.

Cersei’s unborn child

There’s a theory that Tyrion’s subdued nature was due to the fact that he made an off-screen promise to Cersei during their private negotiations. This would require a leap of faith as the audience actually didn’t see this scene happening in the most recent episode.

The general idea is this.

Since Tyrion assumed that Dany cannot have children, some fans have argued that Tyrion has secretly made a promise to Cersei that her unborn child would be the heir to the Iron Throne – provided the temporary truce was adhered to.

On this note, if Tyrion actually made a promise like this then it might be the reason why he looked so worried while standing outside the door.

If this is true, it would require a huge moral and tactical shift from the youngest Lannister – especially since he’s such an ardent supporter of Daenerys ‘breaking the wheel’.

We don’t see that happening.

The pragmatic truth

Tyrion is an incredibly smart man and he can read people better than most.

With Jon and Daenerys getting closer , he knows that their hearts could ultimately rule their heads.

For example, he has frequently clashed with Dany over her tendency to “lose her temper from time-to-time” and he even tried to convince her to not travel beyond the Wall to save Jon from the army of the undead.

With the advantage of hindsight, if Dany had actually listened to Tyrion and not taken Viserion to that frozen lake, the White Walkers would not be marching south of the Wall.

Regarding the Mother of Dragons and the King in the North, love has the ability to cloud their judgments and complicate the correct path to take.

Look at Jon’s track record. He fell into Ramsay Bolton’s trap at the Battle of the Bastards because he wanted to rescue Rickon. He also ‘lost his cool’ after Viserion was speared by the Night King during that epic battle beyond the Wall.

Tyrion is very clever and can always see the ramifications and fallout from decisions like these.

In his mind, the two of them falling in love will only lead to more reckless decisions being made. If either one of them is in danger, it’s going to be extremely hard for the other person to make the right choice. Ultimately, the right decision might involve sacrificing the other. Can Jon and Dany make that call, or will the people of Westeros ultimately suffer from their love?

The wild theory

As for the theory that Tyrion fancies Daenerys and is now jealous of Jon, we’re saying no to that one.

Then again, in an interview with TV Guide, Dinklage did say that there’s some romantic interest there.

Speaking about what to expect in Season 7, he said that: “we’ll deal with how much Daenerys can trust him [to stay on her side against the Lannisters]. But he’s smitten with his employer. How good can he be at his job while having those feelings?”

Throughout the season, we’ve never really gotten that vibe from the two characters, but could Tyrion copy Jorah and become the new Lord Friendzone?

If he does in fact love Daenerys, then this could also tie in with the ‘treason for love’ prophecy that we mentioned earlier.

We seriously doubt this one,  but this is Game of Thrones and as we all know, anything can happen.