Growing Strong

In my post of the Tyrell banner, I stated that they were my least favorite house and also asked readers to submit responses stating their favorite Westerosi houses.  I enjoyed reading the two I have received so far, one of which stated that the reader’s favorite house was Tyrell.  Reading her (I’m assuming) response made me rethink why I dislike this family so much and I realized that most of my dislike is focused on one person rather than the family.

As I already said, from everything we have heard about Willas, he seems like a good guy and someone who will lead the Reach well when he takes over for his father.  Also, I really enjoy reading Olenna Tyrell, nee Redwyne.  I joked to the reader that I justify my enjoyment of her by regarding her as a Redwyne rather than a Tyrell, but that’s cheating.  And Margaery is not a bad person either.  Standing up to Cersei definitely helped raise her esteem in my eyes.  I’m not a huge Loras fan, but he genuinely cares for his sister (and did for Renly).

Really, my biggest argument as to why I dislike this family (aside from the irrational feelings created by my love of the Martells) is the current head of the family and lord of Highgarden and the Reach, Mace Tyrell.  Mace sees himself as a great leader and strategist, when he is anything but.  He takes credit for the victories of his harsh bannermen, like Randyll Tarly,* and is willing to side with his enemies if it means raising his daughter to the position of queen.  He first sided with Renly under the belief that Joffrey was not the true king.  This position required a basis in the laws of succession, but his choice ignored the fact that Renly was still second in line.  After Renly died, instead of continuing to hold the belief that Joffrey was not the rightful king, he went over to the Lannisters, as Stannis still had the worst chances of coming out the victor.  Mace’s combination of opportunism, inflated ego, and incompetence have tended to sour me on his entire house.  I realize that it is him I dislike more than his family, but because it is him who rules the Reach, for now, the Tyrell remain low on my list of great houses.

*All of the great houses have some less than honorable bannermen, but unlike the Starks, who disapprove of the travesties of Ramsay Snow, or the Tullys, who use the Freys because they have to (not exactly a good reason), from what I can remember, Mace Tyrell seems to encourage some of Tarly’s harsh actions.  Although, Tyrell doesn’t even come close to Tywin Lannister in terms of sanctioned brutality.