The Small Council: What was the funniest moment of Game of Thrones Season 5?

Last week, the member’s of WiC’s Small Council argued over what deserved the title of Most Dramatic Moment in Game of Thrones Season 5. This week, we’ll look at the flip side of that coin and discuss what the funniest moment of the year was. True, the show isn’t celebrated for its comedy stylings, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make a funny occasionally. Read our arguments, and weigh in on your favorite moment below.

RAZOR: For me, the funniest moment had to be the whole “Cock Merchant” shtick with Tyrion, Jorah, and the slave traders. For Tyrion, his tongue has always been sharper than any sword he could carry, and to see him use his quick wit and ability to talk his way out of any sticky situation here was pure comedy gold. Not only did he save his own life by convincing the slave traders that any “Cock Merchant” worth his or her salt would want to make sure the cock in question actually came from a dwarf, but he also maneuvered himself and Jorah that much closer to Meereen and Dany. This was an impressive feat for Tyrion, as he more than likely saved both his and Jorah’s lives with one hilarious phrase—”Guess again!”

DAN: I’ve gotta go with the obvious one here. Let’s think back to the middle of the season, to “Kill the Boy.” There’s Stannis Baratheon, all dour and severe, overlooking a meeting between a bunch of impassioned Night’s Watchmen. They’re debating the merits of Jon Snow’s plan to travel to Hardhome and rescue the wildlings stationed there. “Let them die,” one man says, referring to the hated wildlings. “We got our own to worry about. Less enemies for us.”

Stannis wasn’t even a part of this debate, but he was so slavishly devoted to doing things properly he couldn’t help himself. “Fewer,” he said, and the internet promptly rose in support of the rightful king of Westeros, the protector of the realm, and the lord of grammar.

It’s a nice bit of character-based comedy, that Stannis’ dedication to rule-following doesn’t even allow him to let it go unnoticed when a man makes a minor grammatical error in the heat of an argument. Considering what happens later in the season, though, there’s also a bit of a bittersweet edge to it. Stalwart as he is, we know that Stannis eventually will break the rules when he has no other way to achieve his ambition, with horrific results. Also, the moment provided millions of viewers at home a quick primer on the difference between “less” and “fewer.” Funny and educational!

ANI: It was the moment of one upmanship we’d been waiting for ever since Margaery Tyrell first set foot in King’s Landing, and when it finally arrived, it was charged with electricity generated over two years worth of quiet loathing.

At this point, Margaery was basically alone with her prize. Her Grandmother had taken off, and she was left to play the game of thrones on her own. Cersei was also alone, having lost one son to the Tyrells by way of poison, the other through marriage, and her father through a long-simmering family squabble. What then occurred was a verbal tennis match worthy of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

• “Can we bring you anything to eat or drink? I wish we had some wine for you. It’s a bit early in the day for us.” Point to Margaery, 15-Love.
• “I’m glad to hear you’re happy.” “Ecstatic. I really am. Exhausted, to be honest, but what can I expect, he is half lion, half stag.” Point to Margaery. 30-Love.
• “I’ll leave you to it then.” “Forgive me I haven’t been at Court for so long, I get confused. What’s the proper way to address you now? Queen Mother or Dowager Queen?” 40-Love, Advantage Tyrell.
• “In any event, judging from the King’s enthusiasm, the Queen Mother will be a Queen Grandmother soon.” Game, Set, Match.
• CERSEI: Won’t that be a lovely day?

It was a lovely exchange all around. Real housewives, take notes.

KATIE: My immediate reaction to this week’s prompt was a dour “Nothing is funny, everything is terrible,” followed by sulking over a pint of Edy’s chocolate malt. But before I could reach Olly levels of angst, I remembered a small exchange from “Hardhome” that I’ve felt worthy of quoting since the episode aired:

"LOBODA: “My ancestors would spit on me if I broke bread with a Crow.”KARSI: “So would mine but fuck ’em, they’re dead.”"

Not only was the delivery so spot-on that I laughed out loud, but Karsi’s side of the dialogue also drove a point home: For all of the animosity between the wildlings and the Night’s Watch, you have to ask what the feud is worth. It’s been going on for as long as any of them can remember, and at this point—when the biggest threat is White Walkers who don’t care which side of the Wall you’re on—you can’t just keep hating for the sake of tradition. Night’s Watchmen vs. wildlings may be the way it’s always been, but that mentality is dangerous. The past is dead and gone, and the lot of them will end up dead and gone with it if they don’t see fit to change. It’s all about banding together for the sake of survival, and Karsi’s flippancy helps to cushion that reality while still acknowledging its existence.

CAMERON: In a season that was overwhelmingly self-serious, it was frequently a delight to have Tyrion on-screen to lighten the mood. The “cock merchant” scene was a great example, but I also enjoyed the follow-up, in which Tyrion just starts wailing on a guy to prove his worth to the slaver that bought Jorah. It made me feel bad for the poor fellow Tyrion chose to pick on—and it’s kind of a dark reflection of how far Tyrion has come since the time he tried talking himself out of an attempted murder charge by making reference to flogging the one-eyed dragon (or whatever similar euphemism he used)—but that surprise factor worked in the scene’s favor: I couldn’t stop laughing, almost in spite of myself.

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