Lady Olenna Tyrell - Game Of Thrones Season Four (2014)

Formerly Olenna of House Redwyne, Olenna was engaged to be married to Daeron Targaryen, which was seen to be the most socially acceptable thing to do. However due to finding him to be unappealing to her (with a "twitchy ferrety face and ludicrous silver hair"), she decided that she would instead marry Luthor Tyrell instead, who was to be married to her sister Viola - although he hadn't proposed yet.

Pretending to get lost coming back from an embroidery session, she spent the night with Luthor having sex. After this, Luthor became completely devoted to her, marrying her and taking her back to Highgarden. Although in love with Luthor, she did not like him very much, suffering many years together to bring Mace into the world. She often complained about sitting next to him at numerous banquets, referring to him as a "doughy lump" and an "oath".

After the death of her husband, she was forced to stand over and look at his corpse, which they had recovered from the bottom of the cliffs. She had never really accepted his death, hiding it well beneath her wit and sarcasm.

Still in King's Landing for the wedding of her granddaughter to King Joffrey Baratheon, Lady Olenna Tyrell continued to organise and dictate what needed to be done in order to make it an event to remember.


"Two Swords"

Operating from her usual spot in the gardens of King's Landing, Olenna helped Margery sort through necklaces for the wedding, disregarding them all without even a second glance and telling her granddaughter that "she was a queen not an ox." Spotting a necklace similar to one that Luthor had given her on her fifty first name day, she fondly smiles at it for a moment before throwing it over the wall. She replied to Margery's comment that she couldn't keep refusing everything that was being chosen, with the fact that she could, ordering her nieces to go to the most famous jewellery shops throughout the city and procure more necklaces, promising the winner that they can keep the second best.

Sitting down alone with Margery, Olenna remarked that Margery would inspire songs to be created for her beauty, adding that she would not let her walk into the Sept of Baelor for the wedding (a fortnight later) wearing anything less than the best. She warned Margery not to make jokes about Joffrey, fully aware that Varys and other members had of the court had spies everywhere.

They are interrupted by the arrival of Brienne of Tarth, expressing her amazement at her presence and reputation as one of the only people to defeat Loras Tyrell in single combat, complementing her on the task. Hearing Brienne's request to speak to Margery in private, Olenna consented, adding that she had "dare not refuse."


"The Lion and the Rose"

Reaching the day of Joffrey and Margery's marriage, Olenna stood with Mace and Loras to watch the Wedding Ceremony, looking at Joffrey with loathing. However she kept her face neutral and clasped her hands together with pride as Margery was declared his new wife and queen.

Leaving the Sept and returning to the gardens for the wedding feast, she is met by Tywin Lannister, who regarded the events as being too much. She replied that it was the perfect balance between what it should be and the extravagance of a royal event. Hearing him moan about how people who enjoy money often lose it very quickly after, she advised him to enjoy something before he died. Olenna dismissed Mace as he attempted to address them, barking at him to not interrupt them as they spoke. She went on to add that she was paying for her half of the wedding and therefore did not need to hear his complaining about cost. Sparing with her over how appreciation would be shown for the gesture, Olenna said "heartfelt gratitude" was enough of a gesture, since it was so rarely given. She added that he may be repeating the act now that the war was over, since the Iron Bank of Bravos would call in it's debts. Seeing through his defiant attitude about fearing the bank, she mused that he was too clever not to be wary of them. However they decided to put the topic to rest, with Olenna suggesting that they should celebrate "young love."

Crossing over to speak to Sansa Stark, Olenna compliments her beauty, remarking that the wind had swept her hair out of position though. Attending to it herself, she craftily reached around her neck and tore off one of the ornate jewels. She apologised for the deaths of her family at The Red Wedding, expressing her belief that it was an act of cowardice to murder someone at a wedding, no matter if it was during a war. Acknowledging the arrival of Tyrion, she breezily pointed out that the wedding had turned out better than anticipated. Turning back to Sansa, she extended the latter an invitation to visit them at Highgarden to celebrate the ending of the war. Noting the smile on Sansa's face, she excused herself to return to the banquet, wishing to eat some of the food that she had paid for before it all went.

Throughout the performance of the "War for the Five Kings", Olenna and the other Tyrells and angered and offended by the portrayal of Renly Baratheon (the other kings) and the slur they made on the family's name - particularly against Loras, who was crudely depicted in the play as a mount for Renly. Whilst he was distracted, Olenna poured poison (The Strangler) into his goblet, watching as Joffrey drank the contents to wash down the pidgin pie.


"Breaker of Chains"

Asked by Margery if she was still the queen, Olenna told her that although she wasn't (with the death of Joffrey), she had more right to the title than she did when she was married to Renly. She went on to tell her granddaughter not to inquire while Cersei and the rest of the family was in mourning. She was unmoved by the way in which Joffrey died, remarking that every horrible thing in the world was " tray of comments" when put next to death. She retold the tale of how she had to been made to look at Luthor's body, almost brought to tears as she remembered the husband she had loved and hated in equal measure.

Changing the subject, Olenna explained to her granddaughter that she was lucky that Joffrey died, because she would have been in a violent and abusive marriage. Seeing Margery's desire to be queen, she consoles her by saying that although they find the alliance to be unpleasant, they were still needed. Congratulating her on her efforts to make Joffrey fall for her, she added that the next king she would deal with would not be so demanding and cruel.


"Oathkeeper"

Deciding it was time to return to Hihgarden and avoid Tyrion's trial, Olenna and Margery took one last walk around the gardens, something she would not miss as she threatened to jump from the cliffs if she had to do it again. Asking if Margery had seen Tommen Baratheon since the death of Joffrey, she told her granddaughter about how she and Luthor first met, adding that matches could be made and unmade with the right kind of persuasion and distractions. Recounting the story of how she met Luthor, she complimented her own ability of manipulation, telling Margery that she was even better. However she prompts her to move quickly whilst Cersei was distracted with Tyrion's trial, in order that Cersei (calling her "vicious but not stupid") would attempt to turn Tommen against her, making a side note that Tyrion was completely innocent for the murder. When questioned how she could know, Olenna asked Margery if she had really expected her to sit and do nothing while she married such a dangerous "beast." Silencing Margery before she could react to the news, she fixed her necklace and calmly told her not to worry about anything, instead focus on seducing Tommen.


Appearances:

1. "Two Swords" (First Appearance of the Series)
2. "The Lion and the Rose"
3. "Breaker of Chains"
4. "Oathkeeper" (Final Appearance of the Series)

Played By:

• Dame Diana Rigg