House Tyrell
With the cunning Queen of Thorns at its helm, house Tyrell has been a commendable game player ever since its introduction in season one. However, after winning a considerable amount of support in King’s Landing, and triumphing against Cersei Lannister for several seasons, this year proved to be a difficult one for house Tyrell. As conniving as they may be, both Margaery and Loras met their match in the High Sparrow after Cersei foolishly weaponised the Faith last season.
Throughout season six, Loras is shown to be mentally and physically broken by the Faith Militant; in the episode finale, he repents his sins (primarily for taking male lovers in a time when homosexuality was considered a sin) and swears that he will dedicate the rest of his life to the Faith. Like Lancel Lannister and the other sparrows, the seven-pointed star is then carved out onto his forehead. Margaery, on the other hand, largely keeps her cool throughout the season – by complying with the Faith and pretending to repent, she slowly regains her power and influence in King’s Landing: Olenna’s granddaughter, through and through.
The fate of house Tyrell is determined in the episode finale. In a devastatingly beautiful sequence combined with a mesmerising piano piece by Ramin Djawadi, Mace, Loras and Margaery Tyrell are consumed by caches of wildfire erupting from under the Great Sept of Baelor, where Cersei’s trial was meant to be taking place. Realising that something was gravely wrong when Cersei failed to arrive, it was heart-breaking to see Margaery urge the High Sparrow to evacuate the sept and die anyway – although it was a rather fitting end.
In the episode finale, we see Olenna Tyrell draped in black, mourning the loss of her son and grandchildren. Varys proceeds to enlist what remains of house Tyrell and house Martell to the Targaryen cause, so they have a hope of exacting vengeance upon house Lannister under Daenerys’ rule. If Daenerys was to take the Iron Throne, it would be wonderful to see Olenna avenge the deaths of Mace, Loras and Margarery by having Cersei executed. We can only hope.
Words by Rose Wolfe-Emery
[Featured compiled by Rose Wolfe-Emery]