‘Game of Thrones’ season 3: Joffrey / Margaery, Robb / Talisa, other wedding talk

In “Game of Thrones,” even something as romantic as marriage can turn into a business, and thus we have one of the major reasons why it is not always ideal to be from a wealthy family. Following the episode Sunday that featured the world’s most-awkward wedding featuring Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark, HBO generously updated a lengthy new video that gives you a real sense as to how weddings are viewed from different perspectives in Westeros, and how they are more valuable than almost anything else when it comes to alliances.

The best example is discussed straight out of the gate: Margaery Tyrell and Joffrey “Baratehon.” Are they a real couple? Hardly. She clearly loves him about as much as a sack of potatoes, and she is slowly trying to bring him closer to her … though it is not entirely clear how much her feminine wiles are working. Margaery does have a rather impressive gift for playing the game, though, and while Tywin seems to have an upper hand in stopping what was going to happen between Sansa Stark and her brother Loras, she may still be able to find another way to at least control Joffrey.

This takes us to another character that is experiencing his fair share of marital woes: Robb Stark. Even though the man married for love, the ramifications of that choice have already been made clear. He’s potentially lost some valuable allies in House Frey, and the story here is far from over yet.

Do you prefer more of the wedding-themed stories of this year, or the buildup to what was the Battle of Blackwater last year? It’s going to be a week and a half before you see the next new episode of “Game of Thrones,” but you can still read more about it here.

Photo: HBO