Why None Suspected Olenna of Being Behind Joffrey's Murder in 'Game of Thrones'

Introduction

Throughout the highly-anticipated series Game of Thrones, the adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, the A Feast for Crows season marked a pivotal moment. Despite being one of the less intelligent characters, Cersei correctly identified the Tyrells as the culprits in Joffrey's murder. This raises an intriguing question: why did no one suspect Olenna Tyrell, who was playing a crucial role in the power game?

Olenna's Motive and Actions

Olenna Tyrell had a strong motive to ensure Joffrey's death. She was fiercely ambitious and calculated in all her actions. Her granddaughter Margaery not only married Joffrey but also orchestrated a masterful coup to secure a significant amount of power for the Tyrell family. Olenna, recognizing the potential for power, went to great lengths to ensure that the guilt for Joffrey's death would fall on someone else, specifically Tyrion Lannister and by extension, Sansa Stark.

Frame-Up and Frame Characters

Olenna meticulously planned to frame Tyrion and Sansa. The poison was ingeniously placed in Sansa's hairnet or necklace, and her disappearance directly after the murder further solidified her involvement. Additionally, Tyrion's repeated threats against Joffrey in front of witnesses made him a believable suspect. This elaborate setup by the Tyrells and Littlefinger ensured that someone else would take the fall.

The Real Culprits: Tyrion and Sansa

While the Tyrells worked to make it look like an accident, Littlefinger had his own agenda. He wanted to frame Tyrion and Sansa to make Sansa single again and completely reliant on him. This strategy involved hiring jousting dwarfs to inflame tensions publicly and ensure that Sansa escaping at that moment would incriminate her.

Motive and Timing

Despite the elaborate setup, the timing and the people involved in the murder were critical. The timing of the murder was meticulously planned to leave Margaery married but a virgin, allowing her to marry the younger and more manageable Tommen. This window of opportunity was very narrow, and if any other person attempted the murder, it could have been unsuccessful. Moreover, Margaery's survival, despite sharing the same food and drink as Joffrey, suggests that she might have been in on it.

Missing the Obvious

Despite the clear motive and the Tyrells' elaborate scheme, many viewers and characters failed to see the obvious. The distance and timing between Olenna's potential involvement and the final events of the episode left a lack of direct evidence that might have pointed to her. It is crucial to remember that the Tyrells had limited time, and any misstep could have resulted in their failure.

Given the strategic brilliance of Olenna in other aspects of the series, it would have been highly unusual for her to be severely off the mark in orchestrating Joffrey's death. Thus, it is intriguing that no one suspected her of being behind the murder, highlighting the complexity and depth of the power game in Westeros.

Conclusion

The mystery surrounding Olenna's involvement in Joffrey's death in Game of Thrones brings to light the complex and intricate power dynamics at play in A Song of Ice and Fire. Despite the obvious signs and motives, the Tyrell family's strategic planning and elaborate frame-up scheme thwarted any suspicion of Olenna. Her strategic brilliance and the intricate plot highlights the genius of George R.R. Martin's narrative and the multilayered nature of power in the series.