The TV show Game of Thrones and the book series A Song of Ice and Fire
The Mad Queen
X-post from reddit here
In this episode, there was an odd scene after Tommen declared that there will be no more trials by combat. Cersei has a whispered conversation with Qyburn and asks about a rumor she had his spies investigate. Qyburn confirms that there is substance to those rumors. So what is the rumor? Wildfire under the Sept of Baelor.
When King Aerys was stabbed by Jaime, his last command to the pyromancers was to "Burn them all". He had, in secret, planted enormous caches of the extremely explosive substance known as wildfire under major buildings all through-out King's Landing. From ASOS Jaime V,
He saw traitors everywhere, and Varys was always there to point out any he might have missed. So His Grace commanded his alchemists to place caches of wildfire all over King's Landing. Beneath Baelor's Sept and the hovels of Flea Bottom, under stables and storehouses, at all seven gates, even in the cellars of the Red Keep itself.
Jaime never told anybody that the Mad King intended to burn King's Landing to the ground, keeping his secret until his bathtime fun with Brienne at Harrenhall. The scene and the information runs the same in the books as the show, Jaime never told anyone there was wildfire everywhere and as far as I can tell, it's never been discovered or removed since the Mad King's death. The substance is all still there, undiscovered and lethal.
Why would Cersei be interested though? Many remember Tyrion for the wildfire trap he sprung on Stannis at the Blackwater, however it was Cersei who first had the plan. Tyrion got the information from his cousin Lancel that Cersei had ordered thousands upon thousands of pots for the city's defense. Wildfire is more on Cersei Lannister's mind than anyone else.
From the books as well, Cersei had the Tower of the Hand exploded by wildfire after Tywin's death in a scene that troubles Jaime for similarities to the Mad King.
A new stepfather, most like. Jaime knew the look in his sister's eyes. He had seen it before, most recently on the night of Tommen's wedding, when she burned the Tower of the Hand. The green light of the wildfire had bathed the face of the watchers, so they looked like nothing so much as rotting corpses, a pack of gleeful ghouls, but some of the corpses were prettier than others. Even in the baleful glow, Cersei had been beautiful to look upon. She'd stood with one hand on her breast, her lips parted, her green eyes shining. She is crying, Jaime had realized, but whether it was from grief or ecstasy he could not have said. - AFFC Jaime II
With Gregor Clegane unable to help her in a trial by combat, and out of options, Cersei may take the most drastic step imaginable and blow up the Sept of Baelor and possibly most of King's Landing rather than face the Faith's trial. This would also explain why in Bran's visions, he saw the Mad King commanding the destruction of King's Landing and the wildfire jars hidden underground. The city is still primed to blow.




Bran had a vision of wildfire exploding too during his transition into the Three Eyed Raven. #WILDFIRECONFIRMED
Wow that's right. Thanks for reminding us.
He sure did. A fellow mod on reddit made a great point that the visions may be like ripples in a pond or the Force, the stronger the event the more strongly it comes through. If all the wildfire goes up, everyone in King's Landing might die similar to Alderaan in Star Wars. And so this one seemingly innocuous event in the long term time scale by a bad King could end up being hugely important and felt around the world like the Doom of Valyria. The Doom of Westeros.
Fascinating theory.
On the other hand it could be a very efficient way to clear out the Kings Landing storyline like they cleared out the Dorne storyline, so everyone can focus on the White Walkers instead.
I've been torn recently about whether to like Cersei or not. It would be an awesome reminder of just how evil a person she is.
So... Jaime returns from taking Riverrun, finds Cersei about to blow up the city saying "Burn Them All"... And kills her???
If that's the case I hope they save that for next season rather than cram it into episode 10.
It has felt like this season rushed through several key pieces like Bran's training, the return of the Hound / Hodor / Blackfish, and Arya's escape.
It's certainly possible, book Jaime is not in love with Cersei anymore. But they can't show his internal struggle on the show, so something like this, where he's reminded so much of the Mad King would do it.
Another important part left out is the valonquar prophecy from Maggie the Frog where she tells her that Cersei will die being strangled by the valonquar or "younger brother". Little known fact, Cersei was born first before Jaime making Jaime the younger brother. Cersei always assumed it would be Tyrion, be a great twist.
That would be a great twist! I wonder why they left that out? Could younger brother also refer to someone like The Hound?
How ironic if Cersei ends up being the one to (accidentally) kill Tommen with Wildfire.
Do they ever explain why Jaime is so fond of Brienne? I know some people are still shipping them.
The show and the books differ in that George prefers to put in clues to the plot ahead of time, most of them are secure because there's so many pages and material you can easily miss his clues. The show has limited time, so any foreshadowing is obvious. They did the same thing with Jon's revival, they cut George's hint that he had Mel see in the flames Jon coming back to life. It also makes for a better surprise.
That's one part that I think, if this happens, will be an accident. She may only think there's wildfire under the sept, when it's actually under the whole city. She plans to blow up the faith, whoops the whole city too.
Yeah, it's a book thing from his internal monologue. Brienne is everything Cersei is not. Genuine, honest, believes in the value of honor and doing what's right. Brienne (book version) is actually quite ugly. So Brienne is ugly on the outside, beautiful on the inside and vice versa for Cersei.
I love what's going on with Jaime. He gives us glimpses of both the honorable and the self-serving.
His interactions with Brienne, make me think he's redeemable. But his interactions with Edmere show that he is very used to getting his way, and not afraid of railroading people to fit his needs.
Really makes me wonder where they're going with Jaime's story arc.
Maybe he'll be the last Lannister standing and end up married to Brienne, retired at Casterly Rock.
@joemagician thank you for your perspective as always.
Clearly that part of Brienne speaks to the part of Jaime that still believes he did the right thing for Westeros in killing the Mad King.
Cersei's schemes always seem to backfire -- killing Robert, putting Tyrion on trial, bringing in the faith militant, trying to control Tommen -- so yeah it seems like her underestimating the wildfire is in the cards too.
Has GRRM ever given any hints that Cersei could have a redemption arc? Or has she always been doomed as someone un-redeem-worthy, being drawn toward her come-uppance with every bad move?
Brienne's a true-blue knight. And that's what Jaime's trained and wanted to be all his life. Ergo he loves her as a woman and admires her for the values that she uphold as he admired Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Brynden Tully.
That'd be a lark. Somehow I don't see Brienne being content as Lady of Casterly Rock.
Maybe they can serve as Knights together for the new Dany-Jon kingsguard.
I didn't realize Jaime admired sers Selmy and Tully.
I actually wouldn't be okay with this. In the books, sure, Jaime is over and done with Cersei. But after TV!Jaime's monologue about how he'll wipe out ever last Tully to get back to Cersei and basically is still as madly in love with her as he was in the beginning of the show, I really can't foresee the first time they re-unite this season (or early next season) he kills her because she set the city ablaze and killed Tommen?? Jaime doesn't even seem that attached to Tommen, nor had he to the other kids either. In his mind it's still Jaime and Cersei against the world. I guess it depends on how it's played out, but imagining it going down in my head right now I don't believe Jamie would ever be the one who kills her. It feels OOC...
I hear you.
Still it's an interesting question: What could Cersei do that would make Jaime turn on her?
Didn't Jaime tell Cersei after Myrcella's death that they would burn down this world together?