Ellaria Sand, who took control of the kingdom after assassinating Doran Martell in the season premiere, sees in Olenna a potential ally, the leader of a great house who now has every reason to devote every fiber of her being to destroying the Lannister grip on King's Landing. However, the scene exists for reasons beyond verbally slapping around a few annoying characters. Only those who understand sacrifice are fit to lead and Littlefinger has never willingly given up a damn thing. The fact that she doesn't want to lead, but knows that she must, already makes her a more competent and able leader than the man who is more than content to burn Westeros down so he can rule the ashes. Sansa rebuffing him, albeit with more politeness than he deserves, is a genuine act of courage. She realizes what Sansa of season four, who willingly embraced a partnership with Littlefinger, could not know: this charming smooth talker, with his grand plans and big promises, is an abuser and an emotional manipulator. But season six has tracked the new Lady of Winterfell as she transformed from a victim into a leader in control of her own destiny. Maybe, once upon a time, she would have considered it. Of course, Sansa turns down his advances. If he can't have Catelyn Stark, he'll just have to settle for her daughter.and all of the Seven Kingdoms, just to teach everyone a lesson. Of course, we understand what's unspoken here. He sees himself on the Iron Throne and he sees her ruling alongside him. With the help of Qyburn and his "little birds," she waits until all of her enemies are in the Sept of Baelor (to see her go on trial, of course) and puts the stockpile of wildfire originally brewed by the Mad King so many years ago to its intended use – she ignites her explosives, destroys the grand building, and kills everyone inside of it.Īnd then Littlefinger spilled his guts to Sansa.
Checkmate, right? However, a lion only gets more ferocious when you cut off its every escape.
The result was her sole surviving son, King Tommen, turning against her and forcing her to go to trial for her crimes against the gods. The past two seasons have seen the relentless but shortsighted Queen Mother get boxed into a corner by the High Sparrow and his minions, the cunning Tyrell family, and key figures of the king's court, including Grand Maester Pycelle and Kevan Lannister. Okay, let's just discuss the lioness in the room: Cersei Lannister changed the game in "The Winds of Winter" not by breaking the rules, but by destroying the board entirely.