A deleted scene from Game of Thrones reveals one of the show’s most underrated schemers. The eight seasons of Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series, have some of the most compelling, complex, politically savvy characters in television, adding numerous layers of complexity to the feudal fantasy world. When one thinks of the schemers in Game of Thrones, names like Littlefinger, Varys, or Olenna Tyrell come to mind, but there’s much more at work in Westeros than just their efforts.
Game of Thrones is a series known for upending fantasy norms, creating a world with numerous factions and sides all vying for power. Rather than good guys fighting bad guys, the TV series offered fans a universe to sink their teeth into that couldn’t be predicted. Each character and each house was a monumental X factor, and more were added in each of the early seasons, fanning the flame even more. This might be why we still don’t have The Winds of Winter, but it’s still worth praising the material that exists.
Grand Maester Pycelle is One of ‘Game of Thrones’ Greatest Schemers
If there’s one deleted scene from Game of Thrones that could have easily made it into the show, it’s this scene between Tywin Lannister and Grand Maester Pycelle. During their exchange, Tywin tells Pycelle to cut the act, and Pycelle responds by correcting his posture and speaking more directly, dropping the facade of being a bumbling, barely cogent old man. Aside from the deleted scene, it’s never actually revealed that Pycelle has been faking his behavior, looking to appear foolish and unthreatening.
Throughout Game of Thrones, Pycelle remains a thorn in the side of characters like Ned Stark and Tyrion, and while actor Julian Glover did a fantastic job of making the character appear almost comedically inept, he’s actually quite an effective player in King’s Landing. It’s challenging to survive in the Red Keep, and even more so, to maintain such an esteemed position for forty years.
When Pycelle became Grand Maester, Aegon V was the king. He maintained the position through the reigns of Jaehaerys II, Aerys II (the Mad King), Robert Baratheon, Joffrey, and Tommen, before being killed by Cersei’s assassins in season 6’s ending. His most intelligent move, as exhibited in this scene, is that he picked the right man to follow.
Pycelle betrayed Aerys II, allowing Tywin Lannister to sack King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion. Pycelle’s continued loyalty to Tywin made him a consistent threat throughout Game of Thrones, and very few characters even realized it. He spent over a decade serving under Robert Baratheon, but his true loyalty always remained with Tywin and the Lannisters. In a sense, Pycelle never made any drastic moves for power of his own, but his actions did change the course of the Seven Kingdoms in favor of those he supported.