The Lannisters Are In Trouble on 'GoT'

So you thought there was a lot of bloodshed in Game of Thrones Season 3? Did you cry so hard that your usual bucket of tears just wasn't enough? Did you need two pints of ice cream? Rest assured, Season 4 of Game of Thrones will give you the privilege of watching more throat-slitting than you ever thought possible. This season is all about vengeance. Ah, that bloody beast of revenge! To make matters more complicated, the most evil house in the Westeros — the Lannisters — has an enemy in Prince Oberyn Martell who just may usurp the passion for revenge that runs through their veins.

We've got a suave, super-sexual, likes-it-both-ways, advocate of orgies (am I playing up the sexuality enough? Cool! It's true stuff!) Prince in town, and he despises the house of the lion. Prince Oberyn Martell hates the Lannisters way more than the average viewer does, because the Lannisters didn't, like, literally do anything to you, you know? (Or did they? No, they didn't. I'm dorky, but I'm not into LARPing. Sorry.)

You know how the Lannisters pay their debts? They aren't the only ones in Westeros who promise themselves to what they owe. You can see it in the trailer when Oberyn says "tell your father that I'm here, and the Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts."

A little bit of history: before Robert Baratheon's rebellion — that last great, epic war — the Targaryens sat on the throne. (This is why Daenerys feels she has the claim to the throne and girl's got dragons, so ya know.) Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was married to Oberyn's sister, Elia Martell. During The Sack Of King's Landing, Elia was raped and then split in half. Who ordered this violent assault? None other than Tywin Lannister.

And since family is everything in Westeros, even if Tywin is largely responsible, Prince Oberyn will likely seek revenge on the entire Lannister family. He's got an opportune time to do it, too. As we learned last season, there's no better time for a massacre in Westeros than a wedding and we've got sadistic Joffrey's wedding coming up this season. Brace yourselves, people.

If the Lannisters ordered the Red Wedding (don't forget "the Lannisters send their regards"), could this potential massacre possibly out-do that one? Will I need ten buckets for my tears?

We can't know for sure, but what we do know is that the smell of vengeance is in the air — and that it probably includes a hint of bloodshed. In Westeros, no one calls up Gandhi and says, "Hey, let's do some civil disobedience stuff." That's a completely different show.

Image: HBO