TLDR: Selmy is awesome and there is so many details in this scene and the books version of this scene. I LOVE all the little details of this scene, Clegane in the back grabbing his blade because HE KNOWS that the 5 of the Kingsguard wouldn’t even slow him down, not to mention the entire city watch and all the armed warriors in the room were ready to fight him. He also cleared scabbard with so much time to spare he could have easily cut down at least 1 maybe 2 of the kingsguard before they had drawn. Further when he held the sword despite all those arrayed against him he was in a very relaxed guard, not feeling threatened but also not being stupid enough to leave himself open. The declaration of melt it down and add it to the others is also him declaring himself enemy to the King ,in the bloody Court mind you, due to that being the entire symbolism of the throne, and yet he strolled out of there and no one interrupted him till hours later once they had a group of City guard who hadn’t been there to try, and he cut his way not out of the castle but in to the Kingsguard chamber(close to the centre of it) to write in the Kingsguard book of these events before fighting his way back out. It’s a shame we didn’t get much of him in the show because Selmy is probably the biggest badass in the setting regardless of IF Arthur Dane could have beat him or not.
When I was reading this book for the first time I remember the shivers that went down my spine during this scene. You could almost feel that he could wipe out the guards through the page, and I remember wishing that he did.
Real smart move trying to embarrass the only knight left worth his salt. This is why Cersei is called half-smart, stacking the deck with your own people might be smart but not when you alienate your greatest knight would would have stayed loyal unto death. It’s like Cersei knows what the exponents to a math equation means but she can’t solve it.
"I'm not questioning your honor, Lord Janos. I'm denying its existence." "I intend to serve as Hand of the King until my father returns from the war, and seeing as you betrayed the last Hand of the King, well, I just wouldn't feel safe with you lurking about." My two favorite lines in this! A shame these gems grew more lacking with every succeeding season.
