[Book Spoiler] Varys and Shae

[Ser Oromus Locke]

There is a potential Tyrion-whitewash here.

Instead of Tyrion killing Shae, maybe Tywin will discover her relationship with Tyrion (after the Purple Wedding) and hang her, as he so often threatens to do to the next whore he finds in Tyrion's bed, and then this motive of revenge will be why Tyrion kills Tywin.

I hope they don't do it that way, but, in a way it would make sense. In the books, Tyrion thinks about Tysha often (and ultimately this betrayal and the revelation from Jaime is why he kills Tywin), but to the show viewers, it's difficult to convey that (because you don't read Tyrion's thoughts). It's much easier to show Tyrion taking revenge on Tywin for Shae's death (a character viewers are already very familiar with) than for Tysha (a character that has only been brought up two or three times, and only once in a solid way).

The show is always going to make changes like this. This would be a major one. But I'd get over it, if only because I can see it coming.

Honestly, what I 'read' from the scene was Shae being upset about the possibility that Tyrion wants to ship her away - without telling her. She becomes spurned, because Tyrion is trying to make do with Sansa and when the Purple Wedding comes along she'll be done with him because he can't protect her whatever and is forced by herself (Varys' notions?) to testify?

And as for Lord Varys, really? You think Tywin uses Shae for his own pleasures? Overbearing paternalistic, heritage-lunatic Tywin sleeping with a whore that the murderer of his wife has slept with, for his own PLEASURE? BRONN would do Shae for his own pleasure, Tywin would definitely not. If anything, I always assumed that Tywin would kill her if Tyrion didn't get to him first.

I disagree, Jaime drops the Tysha bomb just before the bed-scene, and there has been a Tysha reference at least once in every season and I think people will remember the scene during the night before the Battle of the Green Fork, in which Tyrion divulged in the affairs of his previous marriage.

[Lord Varys]

The show is ideally set up to reintroduce and reassess the Tysha plot line. Jaime is going to spar with Bronn, and Bronn knows about Tysha. When Jaime and Bronn start to talk about Tyrion after the Purple Wedding, Bronn is ideally placed to rub the 'whore story' into Jaime's face, eventually leading to Jaime's decision to free Tyrion.

TV Shae is as much a survivor as book Shae. The people who think she would never 'betray' Tyrion, or never sleep with Tywin really have turned a deaf eye to many of her lines.

And in the show Shae will most likely only testify true stuff, i.e. the Lion of Lannister stories, not necessarily anything legally condemning (i.e. directly connected to Joffrey's murder).

[Naturally Low Highborn]

Tywin is a master strategist, manipulator and planner; he knows his son's weakness and capitalizes on it. So, maybe Shea could not accept bribe/money/payment from any other source than her real benefactor, Tywin. Tywin is not a man that backs down from his promises (he pays his debts), so when he told Tyrion that he would kill the next whore he find in his bed, he meant it. However, if she was Tywin's "whore" to begin with, sent to (1) keep an eye on Tyrion and reporting back, (2) lead him in certain directions by providing Tywin's orders through a mouthpiece Tyrion would listen and heed. During her assignment with Tyrion, she might have begun to develop feelings, but as a hired hand, she is powerless to undertake any actions not directed by her employer. She would fear Tywin's wrath more than desire her freedom or trust Varys. Once her assignment with Tyrion is ended, she returns to the direct supervision and duties serving Tywin which is where Tyrion finds her. He puts the pieces together, and pays his own debt to her. There is a scene that indicates Tywin KNOWS (not just assumes) that Tyrion has not bedded Sansa; the only real way he could know this is if he has eyes in their bedchamber. I draw your attention to the scene where Shae removes the bedlinens the morning after the wedding. She raises an eyebrow to Tyrion when she realizes the are without proof of bedding. This maybe more Game of Thrones than ASOIAF; I will have to re-read it.

[Heidrun]

I think that even though Shae who may have been working for Tywin (wasn't made clear in the TV series) she loves Tyrion and would not betray him. For this reason Tywin hangs her (rather than Tyrion killing her) and this makes cause for Tyrion in killing Tywin. Varys knows Shae is not safe because Tywin must know about her and knows she is Tyrion's weakness so in turns wants to try to protect Tyrion.

I'm kinda wondering if this may go down like this, or Tywin trying to bribe Shae into testifying against Tyrion and Shae refusing, Tywin killing her and Tyrion seeking revenge.