You Can't Cheat an Honest Man, But in "The Game of Thrones" You Can Betray Him

There's been an internet meme of "Stupid Ned" posters. Each details a point of the plot where Ned does something horribly, horribly stupid. Well, infuriating at any rate. Ned isn't a stupid character, but he is bound up in honor. It makes him a very charming man, a trust worthy agent of the King, and gives him all the survivablity of a soap fish in the deep blue sea. It is honor that makes Ned go to the Queen and tell her that he knows her secret and bids her to leave town or he'll tell the King.

As if that was going to happen.

The ironic thing, is that the final downfall of Ned comes from his efforts to be cunning. After the King dies, he feels he has no recourse but to take the Queen in custody so that the true heir can take his place upon the throne (never mind that "true heir" is some what dicey since Robert took the throne in bloody revolution). To make sure he can do this he plots with Littlefinger (oh what a horrible nickname to have) to buy the city guard to their side.

Well things don't work out to well, which is why Ned is rotten in jail in last night's episode. I suppose the moral is to not just be a "little sneaky," as the Queen says in the game of thrones you either win or die. Though I personally like better the moral being "Never trust anyone named 'Littlefinger,' he's bound to have issues."