Westeros and all over the World was happy last night because first class bastard King Joffrey died now the question is who killed Joffrey ?

It was a thing of beauty, really. First just a little cough, some garbled speech. Then a strangled wheezing noise bursting out from the back of his throat. Cries of “He’s choking!” and a crazed, panic-stricken Cersei diving onto the ground, screaming in confusion and despair. This is going to sound really sick, but damn it was satisfactory to watch Joffrey as his face turned that delicious shade of purple and tears of blood rolled out of his eyes. The final glimpse of the mad boy king was his distorted, discolored face, with its bulging, blazing green eyes and frothy vomit clinging to his chin and neck.

Joffrey Baratheon, very possibly the most hated man in Westeros, met an untimely end at his own wedding where he was poisoned by an unknown assailant, coughing and spluttering to death in the arms of Cersai Lannister.

The King’s mauve cheeks led to the scene being dubbed the ‘Purple Wedding’, a follow-up to season 3’s rather more sanguine Red Wedding, which saw three Starks bumped off by the Lannisters.

Most fans were delighted by Joffrey’s departure, with one tweeting: “For once, Game of Thrones has caused me happy tears instead of sad ones.”

As many expected, Joffrey was killed during the Purple Wedding.

Joffrey ends up dying in front of the procession.

He was poisoned while eating the wedding feast in his throne room. The poisoning is blamed on Tyrion Lannister by former Queen Cersei.

Tyrion was humiliated in front of a crowd of people by Joffrey, leading many other characters to believe he was involved in the murder plot.

Yes, he was just a child, but in a television show filled with vicious monsters who slice babies in half and sociopathic sickos who flay and castrate their victims just for funzies, King Joffrey was probably the most hated character of them all (which is really quite something when you think about it). And if you think I’m wrong, just let your mind float back to poor crossbowed Ros.

Of course, Joffrey and Margaery’s nuptials aren’t the first on Game of Thrones to dissolve into murder and mayhem. In fact, it’s getting downright dangerous to attend a wedding in Westeros. But unlike the Red Wedding, where the sudden slaughter left viewers speechless and mourning, the writers primed us for King Joffrey’s lolling head, showcasing some of his very worst tendencies in this superbly paced episode.

Most people prepare for their wedding reception by crafting a sweet speech, but Joffrey went out of his way to humiliate his Uncle Tyrion and sicken Sansa. The deadly chalice of wine passed between them both, but with the poisoning of the cup taking place offstage, now it’s time to wonder: What heroic soul is responsible ?

Game Of Thrones Season 4:There are currently four suspects

Tyrion Lannister: OK, let’s get the most obvious candidate out of the way first, because if you’ve watched more than 5 minutes of GoT you know that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in one of the seven hells that the person accused of the crime actually committed it.

But Tyrion had more motive and opportunity than anyone else. On just this day, he’d had his gift hacked to pieces, wine poured over his head, and a troupe of little people brought out simply to shame him. Not to mention the humiliation Tyrion suffered at his own wedding when Joffrey removed the stool, rendering Tyrion unable to complete the simple rite of cloaking his bride.

Smart, fierce, brave Tyrion had truly helped rescue King’s Landing during the Battle of Blackwater and has only his scarred face to show for it, while Joffrey has had a (admittedly hideous) statue erected in his honor. Despite his cowardice, idiocy, and sheer sociopathy, Joffrey is king, while Tyrion serves as his cup bearer. But Tyrion has threatened Joffrey’s life before (“Monsters are dangerous, and just now kings are dying like flies.”) and there is the small matter of his pouring the wine that kills the crazy boy king…

The Tyrells: It’s been clear from the very beginning that the Tyrells are either great fools or great sages to allow their precious Margaery to wed Joffrey. True, as queen she’d hold great power. But Joffrey has openly displayed signs of his cruelty, and Margaery’s recent admissions (see: last week’s sparrow necklace incident) indicate something beyond mere awareness.

The Queen of Thorns is no simpleton, and it wouldn’t surprise this viewer if Joffrey’s death (which conveniently took place before the two could be bed and Margaery’s virtue could be comprised) has been Olenna’s plan from the very beginning. Why else provide her with such deliciously ironic lines: “Killing a man at a wedding. Horrid. What sort of monster would do such a thing? As if men needed more reasons to fear marriage.”

Prince Oberyn Martell: The Red Viper has only been around for two episodes, but his fury at the Lannisters goes back at least a decade, and in the short time we’ve known him, it’s been made rather clear that self-control is not Oberyn’s forte.

(Knife through the wrist for a mere auditory irritation, anyone?) Joffrey’s family was complicit in the murders of his sister and her children, and as he reminded Tyrion in last week’s episode, the Martells also pay their debts. A child for a child? That seems like his style. Why else would Oberyn attend the wedding, if not to seek his revenge?

 

 

Sansa Stark: Sansa has truly been exposed to the worst of Joffrey’s whims. She would have been in her rights to want him dead in Season 1, and now, after 2 years as his abused captive-cum-aunt, even glancing in his direction must fill her with rage.

Fury alone would be enough motive for Sansa. He did have her direwolf slaughtered (despite the fact that it was her sister’s wolf, Nymeria, who had attacked Joffrey on the King’s Road) to cover up his own cowardice, and then, in one of his first public acts as king, had a man’s tongue ripped out right in front of her face.

Then, of course, there’s the small matter of his beheading her father despite promising Sansa that he would show mercy and then forcing her to stare the fly-covered, spiked head in the eyes. There were also the multiple beatings, the threats to have her stripped naked in front of the entire court, and a whole slew of vile, disgusting comments he’d slid in her direction, including the remark at his wedding breakfast that every time he used his new sword, “it’ll be like cutting off Ned Stark’s head all over again.” So might Sansa have poisoned the cup (which, you’ll note, she had ample opportunity to handle)? I’ll almost be disappointed if she didn’t.

Watch King Joffrey’s Dead Video in Purple Wedding

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