Creepy accent aside, Aiden Gillens performance as Littlefinger has created one of the most understated yet central characters in Game of Thrones. Whats telling about how much of an impact his character has had on the show is that his last appearance (before last weeks episode Breaker of Chains) was about halfway through season 3, yet his presence is still felt. Even though his motivations are totally selfish, he is one of the most charismatic and beloved characters on the show. One of his redeeming qualities, however, is his insistence on protecting the long-suffering Sansa Stark out of love for her mother, Catelyn. In a show where many characters seem incapable of love, this is a refreshing change. Still, we cant forgive him for selling out poor Ros to King Joffrey in Season 3 (even if it did lead to his frankly awesome Chaos is a Ladder speech). However, he defines the Game of Thrones like no other character (except maybe Varys): morally shady with ambiguous intentions, and knows exactly how to play the game. Chaos is indeed a ladder, and Littlefinger is climbing high.
