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Jaime Lannister May Be In Serious Trouble

There's really no sane reason to root for Jaime Lannister on HBO's Game Of Thrones. He stabbed King Aerys in the back. He tried to kill young Bran by pushing him out of a window. Oh, and he's screwing his own sister. So why do we love him so damn much? Well, for one thing, he's played by Danish heartthrob Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He's also got a wicked sense of humor and a touching relationship with unlikely ally Brienne of Tarth. Over the course of three seasons, Jaime has grown from hated monster to lovable antihero. So what will our favorite incestuous knight be up to during Game of Thrones Season 4? (Caution: mild spoilers may follow for non-book readers, although we'll be careful not to give away anything too major.)

When we left Jaime in Season 3, he had just returned to Kings Landing. He's been through a lot during his on-the-road bonding sesh with Brienne, including rescuing her from a grizzly bear, but the loss of his hand in particular has shaped the character into what he is now. He was widely known as the best swordsman in Westeros, and now — robbed of his singular defining attribute — he has to rediscover who he is. Season 4 will focus mostly on the latter half of George R.R. Martin's third book, A Storm of Swords, and those who have read the source material know there's a lot of action coming this season — including some major events that will change Jaime's life forever.

The Season 4 premiere was screened two weeks ago at the Game of Thrones Epic Fan Experience at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and we can report that there's a stellar confrontation between Jaime and his father in the episode that will have huge ramifications for Jaime's future. Tywin wants his son to resign from the Kingsguard and return to rule Casterly Rock, and let's just say that this new version of Jaime is less prone to acquiesce to his overbearing father. But as Robb Stark could tell him, those who defy Tywin Lannister live to regret it. Or they don't. Because they're dead.

Unsurprisingly, Cersei is less than thrilled to see her knight in shining armor reduced to a one-armed shell of his former self and so, estranged from his father and spurned by his sister, Jaime finds solace in his duties as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. When a shocking event pits Lannister against Lannister, Jaime sides with his misshapen brother Tyrion over his own twin. As Tyrion said back in the first season, he has "a tender spot in [his] heart for cripples, bastards, and broken things," and now his own brother falls firmly in that category.

The Lannisters, once a unified front, are now a house divided — a fact that is sure to change the dynamic of Game of Thrones forever. Will Jaime survive his change of heart? Or will it be his downfall? Will anyone make it out of Season 4 alive? The saga continues this Sunday on HBO at 9 PM ET.

Images: HBO; Wifflegif