Game of Thrones: Why I'll miss King Joffrey
In a world full of grey areas and characters who flit violently between good and evil, Joffrey was the one character we all universally hated, says Ellie Walker-Arnott
[SPOILERS: DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN EPISODE TWO]
The king is dead.
Horrid little Joffery, the inbred son of brother and sister Cersei and Jaime Lannister, the ultimate enfant terrible is no more. Poisoned at his very own wedding feast, no less.
Arguably the most thoroughly unpleasant character in the whole of Westeros, he made our skin crawl through three whole seasons.
The blonde-haired brute has compelled me to shouted at my telly. And I’m really not a very shouty person - especially when it comes to inanimate objects.
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I've heard gentle souls vow to put his head on a spike. Let's be honest, we all prayed someone would turn that abhorrent crossbow on him.
So there’s no denying we felt a little triumphant when Joffrey breathed his final, terrible last.
But now he’s really gone. I think I might actually miss him.
I actually feel a bit bereft. In a world full of grey areas and characters who flit violently between good and evil, Joffrey was the one character we all universally hated. Who are we going unite in hatred against now?
After all that time in captivity and the whole having his hand cut off debacle, Jaime is a shadow of his former incest-loving, child-pushing-out-of-window self.
Yes, I can still hate Cersei, but she doesn’t quite instil the same venom as her hateful offspring. I guess I don’t especially care for Tywin Lannister, Melisandre, Littlefinger or The Hound. And obviously Walder Fray and the beastly Boltons are beyond contempt.
But we don’t hate them in the same way that we hated petulant, petty Joffrey with his wiggly head movements and his curling upper lip. Because, really, we loved to hate the swaggering little brat.
The world of Westeros might be better off without their spoilt and stroppy king, but I fear Game of Thrones the TV show might not be.
Game of Thrones continues on Mondays at 9:00pm on Sky Atlantic.
