Warning: Some spoilers for the Game of Thrones finale are ahead.
Leave it to Game of Thrones to suddenly spring on us some long lost characters in literally the last half hour of the series: Enter Tobias Menzies Game of Thrones character, Edmure. When everyone convenes together in King’s Landing to decide who’s going to rule them now (spoiler alert: It’s Brandon Stark the Broken), one of these men here we haven’t seen here since season 6, episode 8, “No One.” If you’ve been wondering what Edmure Tully has been up to for the last two seasons, well, it looks like not much. If you're wondering why everyone razzed Edmure in the finale like there was no tomorrow, well, we can try and explain that. (Side note: imagine being Tobias Menzies and returning for the series finale of Game of Thrones for like 30 seconds of screen time!)
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Quick Edmure refresher, for those who have already forgotten when we last saw him, and also the Red Wedding, and the fact that he’s Catelyn Stark's younger brother. The Red Wedding actually happened during Edmure’s wedding to Roslin Frey, but the two of them were not a part of the massacre (they leave for the “bedding ceremony” before the chaos begins). However, following that Edmure was taken prisoner by the Freys and remained a prisoner, even being used as a hostage to try and negotiate the surrender of Riverrun.
Edmure is eventually able to help with a peaceful surrender of Riverrun, but that doesn’t mean he’s set free himself. Edmure is taken by the Lannisters, and then in case you’ve forgotten, Arya Stark murders all of the Freys for their actions at the Red Wedding. Clearly, at some point between then and now, and with the fall of King’s Landing under the Lannister’s rule, Edmure became a free man again, and also the head of his house (whatever remains of it).
Jumping to the series finale, in a pretty ballsy move, Edmure decides he’s going to shoot his shot when Tyrion starts talking about voting on a ruler instead of going by birthright. Edmure tells the group that he’s a senior lord, a veteran of two wars, has some hand in statecraft and — well, before he can continue he’s cut off by Sansa who clearly doesn’t have time for her uncle pretending he’s going to be ruler one day. She tells him to take a seat, and he complies.
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But not before accidentally banging into the nearest pole with his sword.
Everyone in the court takes Edmure to be a joke, and sorry to say, Edmure, but you kinda are. Nothing great has ever befallen him, and trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. Literally making him king would turn Westeros into a laughing stock because sure, Edmure has seen war and might know statecraft, but does he really? Like, really? Turning him into a joke for this moment in Westeros history actually works in everyone’s favor, because it proves that they’re not just going to pick someone because of their birthright or because they’re a semi-accomplished lord. Edmure will never be fit to rule over anything that requires complicated ruling, and props to Sansa for acknowledging that in the moment.
Also major props to Menzies for getting to show up for the Game of Thrones series finale. So sorry you’ll forever be remembered on this show for these last few moments, when Sam Tarly tried so hard to avoid making eye contact to not make things more awkward.