Purple wedding crackpot

[Prince of the North]

I like this very much, @Ygrain and @Dohor.  So, while there's absolutely no question that Lady Olenna wanted Joffrey dead to protect her grand daughter Margaery, and set Sansa up as a patsy (if necessary), LF could very well have had other plans for Tyrion to take the fall for the murder...to protect himself, of course.  I think that fits the situation very well.  

[John Suburbs]

15 hours ago, Nevets said:

There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin.

Yes, the Tyrells backed the Mad King despite his actions.  They also remember how his reign ended; with civil war and the death and exile of his entire family.  Given that the Tyrells would be the closest family, I doubt they are anxious to repeat the experience.  And Joffrey is a very unpredictable, moody, and erratic ruler with a serious penchant for cruelty.  Not someone you want as a ruler.

Yes, Tywin has done some pretty bad stuff.  But he is more of a Macchiavellian ruler: ruthless but pretty predictable.  Don't cross him and you'll be fine.  And it takes quite a lot to really anger him.  Unlike Joffrey, who lets his whims take the dya

Sansa's visit would have filled the Tyrells with unease.   Not only does she confirm the stories they have heard about Jorffrey, her demeanor is worrisome as well.  She is scared spitless just to be talking with them.  And that isn't really normal and suggests unpleasant undercurrents.  And as to whether Margaery would be in any danger, they (and we) don't really know.  He could very easily become an abusive husband, and unlike some families, the Tyrells seem quite closely-knit.  I can't quite see hot-headed Loras idly standing by while his sister is used as a punching bag, for example

And there is Tommoen in the wings.  He is sweet and malleable.  This is different from being manipulable.  YOu may be able to manipulate Joffrey, but you don't know what you will get.  (By the way, when did we see Margaery manipulate him?).  Tommen cn be shaped, and they can hope for a years-long regency into the bargain.  

I see plenty of reasons for the Tyrells to want Joffrey dead.  I see few if any reasons for them to want Tyrion, dead, though.  

The Tyrells lost next to nothing following Robert's Rebellion. If they are so concerned about Joffrey, then why agree to the marriage and alliance in the first place? They have more than enough men to take out both Stannis' army and any King's Landing resistance, particularly after the gates have fallen and both sides have bloodied themselves up, plus they have the means to get there quickly and stealthily. All they lack is a legitimate claim to the throne. And it's not like they would have to put up with Joffrey for very long. A few years at best, just long enough for Margaery to produce an heir or two, then off him, and now they can rule directly through Margaery for the next decade or more, rather than wait fives years to rule indirectly through Tommen, and that's even if he turns out to be as pliant and docile as he is now. There is a huge difference between 11 and 15, and we are already seeing how willful and defiant Tommen can be.

Again, a gross misinterpretation of Joffrey. He does not just do things off the top of his head. Ned's execution was planned, as was the attempt on Bran. Sansa's beatings were more about sending a message to Robb than humiliating Sansa. Did he enjoy it? Sure, but it's not like he woke up that day and said "I feel like beating someone today, Where's Sansa?" Robert was winning victory after victory in the Riverlands, culminating at Oxcross. This is Joffrey telling the realm that he does not fear Robb. It may be stupid, but it was not a random beating just so Joffrey could get his kicks out of Sansa's suffering.

To think that someone like Lady Tyrell would not know all about the king and his public statements and actions is ridiculous. She didn't get to where she is today by being stupid and uninformed. She has plenty of sources, even her own family members, who can attest to all of these public events first-hand. She does not need to confirm any of this from Sansa.

When did Margaery manipulate Joffrey? We see very little interaction between them, but what we do see shows us this:

Quote

King Joffrey and his queen met the pie below the dais. As Joff drew his sword, Margaery laid a hand on his arm to restrain him. "Widow's Wail was not meant for slicing pies."

"True." Joffrey lifted his voice. "Ser Illyn, your sword."

So, once again with the Tyrells, we can see the meaning beneath the words, and it shows that Margaery is a master seductress. "Oh mighty king, your sword is so big and powerful." Maegary is in absolutely no danger from Joffrey, and in fact it is the exact opposite: she is going to use her body and all her charms to seduce him, isolate him from his family and then eliminate him when she needs to.

If you can't see the reasons for wanting Tyrion dead then you are not reading carefully enough. This is a Game of Thrones, the only game that matters; it is all about power, how to acquire it, how to maintain it. Tyrion is a direct threat to the centuries-old power concentrated in Highgarden while Joffrey is a threat to nobody, not even Margaery.

[Nowy Tends]

1 hour ago, John Suburbs said:

 Ned's execution was planned, as was the attempt on Bran. Sansa's beatings were more about sending a message to Robb than humiliating Sansa.

Joffrey is unable to plan anything; Robb is in a middle of a war, how could the "message" reach him? (and even if it could it would just show Robb that's his successes grate on the nerves of the little wanker)

[John Suburbs]

3 hours ago, Nowy Tends said:

Joffrey is unable to plan anything; Robb is in a middle of a war, how could the "message" reach him? (and even if it could it would just show Robb that's his successes grate on the nerves of the little wanker)

Joffrey planned the assassination attempt on Bran. Joffrey planned Ned's execution, unless you think that on a whim he decided to up and kill the Warden of the North and the both Janos Slynt and Ilyn Payne would jump to it without even a glance at Cersei. I'm not saying he is a terribly good planner, but he doesn't just go around hurting people just for kicks. There are reasons behind what he does. Not great reasons, but reasons nonetheless.

Tales are spread and messages are sent. Robb will hear of Sansa's beatings soon enough. And it doesn't really matter if Robb gets the message or not -- the rest of the realm will and will see that Joffrey is not concerned about this threat of the north and that they shouldn't even think about joining the rebels.