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[hiryu]

I'm in the camp that there is more those Arya scenes than meets the eye. Something weird was going on.

Also, this season has been pretty great. Still don't like Jaime on the show but this episode was better for him. I like how everything has moved forward every episode.

 

[Branduil]

I mean, I'd like to believe there's more to that Arya scene, but it seems much easier to just believe it's a stupidly written and badly staged scene.

 

[duckroll]

Catelyn Stark is a Stark by marriage yes, but the children she has lost are all blood Stark's as well as the man she married. You mean to suggest that she wouldn't want vengeance for any of that?

Pfffft. What does she know about "Stark vengeance" though. She wasn't even born into it!

 

[dubq]

Well at the end of feast of crows thoros hates the direction the brotherhood is heading in under the leadership of stone heart. So the massacre might be a hint for LSH, but I think it's too late for that now.

This.

Via the Wiki:

Under the leadership of the undead Catelyn Tully the brotherhood has embarked on a campaign of revenge against those who were their enemies. Participants of the Red Wedding, particularly the Freys, are their targets. For instance, after he had been dismissed from Riverrun by Jaime, Ser Ryman Frey was ambushed by the brotherhood and was hanged like Merrett, along with his entire party. According to Thoros, at this point the brotherhood have fallen low, and are no different to regular outlaws; many have left the Catelyn-led organization.

Pfffft. What does she know about "Stark vengeance" though. She wasn't even born into it!

Should I even bother responding to this or are you just taking the piss?

 

[Ganzlinger]

Lady Stoneheart looks crazy and badass as fuck, that's why we want her.

The best deal would be Patchface but unfortunately he is not in the tv adaptation as well.

 

[Henkka]

LSH is cool, but I can understand cutting her. In three books, there are like two chapters that feature her.

 

[duckroll]

There were 0 chapters that featured Benjen, yet he's back! Know why? Cause he's a real Stark.

 

[dubq]

LSH is cool, but I can understand cutting her. In three books, there are like two chapters that feature her.

I don't think that's a valid reason. We've seen tons of expanded roles for various characters who have had less to do in the books than they do on the show.

 

[Branduil]

LSH is the waif.

 

[duckroll]

Ned Stark survived as the Faceless Man. Wait not, that's not right, I meant Headless Man.

 

[CassSept]

Yessssss

That said, I didn't watch Deadwood so I'm not too familiar with Ian McShane but he was terrific.

Otherwise, fairly dull episode, heavy on setup for future episodes. Few theories confirmed, but not much moved forward I'm afraid. At least we didn't get Dorne, Daenerys or Euron. So, that's a plus. This season had been suspiciously free of Dany and I can't say I dislike that.

 

[Branduil]

Was Ned Stark a real Stark, though? I mean half of his blood came from his mother, who was also not a real Stark.

 

[Speevy]

Was Ned Stark a real Stark, though? I mean half of his blood came from his mother, who was also not a real Stark.

Must breed brothers and sisters to ensure true blood.

 

[duckroll]

Was Ned Stark a real Stark, though? I mean half of his blood came from his mother, who was also not a real Stark.

How do you know though? Maybe his father has more in common with Jaime Lannister than you think...

 

[munchie64]

Must breed brothers and sisters to ensure true blood.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Speevy]

Blackfish should have said "I'll find another." to Lothar.

 

[Branduil]

Must breed brothers and sisters to ensure true blood.

How do you know though? Maybe his father has more in common with Jaime Lannister than you think...

Worked for the Targaryens. How do you expect people to respect your rule if you don't keep marrying your sister until all of your family line is deranged mutants?

 

[CassSept]

Worked for the Targaryens. How do you expect people to respect your rule if you don't keep marrying your sister until all of your family line is deranged mutants?

Why are you calling Daenerys a mutant

 

[duckroll]

Wasn't Rhaegar handsome, strong, smart, educated, and skilled in combat? Maybe his mutant power was "to be awesome".

 

[Branduil]

Why are you calling Daenerys a mutant

Premature white hair and immunity to fire are pretty obvious mutations.

Wasn't Rhaegar handsome, strong, smart, educated, and skilled in combat? Maybe his mutant power was "to be awesome".

Rhaegar is basically a Gary Stu except he died before the story began.

 

[Speevy]

Did someone say mutant?

 

[duckroll]

Does that make Lyanna a Mary Sue? I mean she's pretty, strong willed, talented, tore a kingdom apart, died giving birth to the savior of the world. Basically what every girl dreams of being right?!

 

[Cornballer]

- Scott Ian and the Nerdist's "Bloodworks" feature goes behind the scenes to look at makeup and effects on GoT (10 min vid)

 

[Jarmel]

Does that make Lyanna a Mary Sue? I mean she's pretty, strong willed, talented, tore a kingdom apart, died giving birth to the savior of the world. Basically what every girl dreams of being right?!

Don't forget she fucked a prince.

 

[duckroll]

Don't forget she fucked a prince.

A married prince.

 

[Branduil]

Don't forget she fucked a prince.

And she likely died during childbirth so she could be with her dead secret husband/lover forever.

 

[Daemul]

Wasn't Rhaegar handsome, strong, smart, educated, and skilled in combat? Maybe his mutant power was "to be awesome".

He was also a fool who believed that he was the chosen one and focused all his efforts on trying to fulfill a prophesy that ended up with his dad getting killed, his wife raped and killed, his children killed, his siblings exiled and his family deposed from power.

He was as deranged as the rest of them.

 

[Xeroblade]

Taken from the io9 comments, thought it was an interesting theory.

It wasn’t Arya it was Jaqen wearing her face

1. Walked like Jaqen, wore hair parted down the middle, threw the coin with the right hand (Arya is left handed)

2. Was too obvious. Arya would have never asked for a cabin. The money was thrown around too casually, even if she was capable of stealing such a sum.

3. Lingering shot of statue on the bridge, maybe sorry to leave. Arya hasn’t been there that long, doesn’t have a particular fondness for the place. Could have stowed away as a cabin boy too easily

4. Jaqen’s life belongs to her. He promised her 3 lives to take for the Red God. He took 2, then she named him as her 3rd. Instead of dying he bargained and agreed to help her escape but then when he left he gave her the coin and told her to come to Braavos. And he gave her the words Valar Morghulis, all men must die. Knowing what we know about their relationship with death there would have been no bargain really. He believes in death

His life is owed to the Red God. No bargain can change his fate and he knows it. He willingly dies in Arya’s place, wearing her face, to fulfill the contract on his own life. He also was testing the Waif who did not fulfill the contract correctly by doing a belly wound instead of killing quickly. Waif is going to go out before he is gone officially. Scenes from next week show Waif running/ chasing possible real Arya

 

[Jayof9s]

I mean, I'd like to believe there's more to that Arya scene, but it seems much easier to just believe it's a stupidly written and badly staged scene.

Yeah, things felt a little off about it but I can't decide if it was just a convenience thing or if it was something else.

I could see we find out that it was some sort of act/manipulation OR that she really has been stabbed and gets found by the actress and hidden/saved or something similar. I hope we don't have to wait more than a week to find out.

 

[duckroll]

He was also a fool who believed that he was the chosen one and focused all his efforts on trying to fulfill a prophesy that ended up with his dad getting killed, his wife killed, his children killed, his siblings exiled and his family deposed from power.

He was as deranged as the rest of them.

When his son mounts his sister and their magic washes the Long Winter away, how deranged do you think the prophecy will seem then?

 

[Cornballer]

McShane is the best.

- Ian McShane interview with EW

What did you appreciate about Brother Ray? It seems like a different kind of role than some of the others that you’re best known for.

It was one episode, for a start, which is why I wanted to do it. Obviously he’s going to die. But when I read it, it’s nice. It’s like he’s holding an improvised meeting – not Alcoholics Anonymous, but Murderer’s Anonymous. He’s an ex warrior who’s grown tired of the murdering life and trying to lead another kind of life. But I think my main use was to re-introduce a character people thought was long gone and who needed some humanity. The Hound has not been shown much humanity in his life, and he gets a little from Brother Ray and carries that forward into his character, which makes it more interesting for those who watch him. Also, my daughter, who’s an avid watcher of the show, was like, “Oh, The Hound! That will be good!”

One message Brother Ray keeps giving The Hound is that it’s never too late to change, to start again. Do think that message will stick?

I don’t know what happens in the next episodes. But if they’re following the Western code, he’ll seek to avenge me, then continue his life in a different way. You have to have revenge, and expedient revenge. I don’t believe in the death penalty, but I understand personal vengeance. How do you reconcile those in real life? In film, you can do it very easily. You show somebody has been wronged and therefore their morality is in the right place.

What’s it like filming a death scene where you’re hanged? It’s got to be different than just rolling over and playing dead.

It’s very easy. You just have to hold your breath for 10 seconds and look sufficiently dead for them to get it.

Everything about the production is so secretive. Once it was public that you were on the show were you hounded, so to speak, about the role?

That’s the natural extension of the Internet. I don’t pay much attention to that. I don’t do social media. So I’m constantly surprised that when anybody says anything – when a dandelion farts in Belfast things go crazy in the Far East. It’s like the [butterfly effect] multiplied by 20; little things that have great affect. And you know it’s all just more publicity and it just adds to the popularity of the show. People are fascinated by it. Is Jon Snow going to come back? Is it going to be The Hound? [Fans are] involved in the world and then they work it out, which is great. It all about publicity, which is why I’m talking to you, isn’t it? … I did the DVD commentary the other day with [co-executive producer Bryan Cogman] and Natalie Dormer, who seemed lovely. It’s so protected, you walk into the room, and they say, “Can we take your phone?” The screen comes up and it’s watermarked and black and white. It’s like viewing the Navy’s war plan.

Speaking of your teases about what was going happen in the show, you’ve rather famously – perhaps more famously than you intended – described Thrones as a show about “tits and dragons.” What was the reaction you got to that. Did the producers or network say anything?

I was doing a completely separate interview about [the UK miniseries] Doctor Thorne, which happens to be on now. And the interviewer asked about the commotion my remarks had [about The Hound coming back], had I said anything out of turn. And I said – well, you know what I said. Suddenly they all go apesh–. And I thought, “Oh they’ll probably love that at HBO!” And they did, despite their protestations about the fans, saying, “Oh you’ve given something away!” I find the whole thing funny.

 

[rando14]

McShane is the best.

- Ian McShane interview with EW

Lmao I loved this part especially:

What’s it like filming a death scene where you’re hanged? It’s got to be different than just rolling over and playing dead.

It’s very easy. You just have to hold your breath for 10 seconds and look sufficiently dead for them to get it.

 

[Jarmel]

I feel like some of these Arya theories are kinda insane when in all likelyhood the writers/director fucked up.

 

[Speevy]

Ian Mcshane is so awesome. HBO is lucky they didn't tell him the end of GRRM's books. We'd know it now.

 

[Speevy]

I feel like some of these Arya theories are kinda insane when in all likelyhood the writers/director fucked up.

It's just like the Smalljon Umber theories.

I don't think anyone fucked up. They just weren't thinking about Arya being prepared for the battle, but that's what people were expecting. They portrayed an Arya who was preoccupied with getting home and she got stabbed.

 

[Lothar]

I feel like some of these Arya theories are kinda insane when in all likelyhood the writers/director fucked up.

Well they couldn't have actually stabbed her because then she'd just be dead. The next episode preview looks like

Spoiler

she's jumping to attack someone and seems pretty healthy.

That would also be the most out of character writing yet on the show for her to be that stupid. She's not Sansa.

 

[Jarmel]

It's just like the Smalljon Umber theories.

I don't think anyone fucked up. They just weren't thinking about Arya being prepared for the battle, but that's what people were expecting. They portrayed an Arya who was preoccupied with getting home and she got stabbed.

A girl knows nothing.

 

[Daemul]

When his son mounts his sister and their magic washes the Long Winter away, how deranged do you think the prophecy will seem then?

Well, assuming that the prophecy even turns out to be as legitimate as characters make it out to be, (which I very much doubt, the entire thing reeks of bullshit or at the very least has almost certainly been misconstrued), then he will still will deranged, because what sane person would be willing to risk the lives of their family to fulfill a prophecy which may end up not even being true? It takes a great measure of insanity to be able to convince yourself to go through with that.

Taken from the io9 comments, thought it was an interesting theory.

How would they have gotten her face though?

 

[Tuck]

Taken from the io9 comments, thought it was an interesting theory.

How would he have her face though?

She'd need to be dead first.

 

[Speevy]

What if Arya is already dead?

Then who was Arya?

 

[Aurongel]

How would he have her face though?

She'd need to be dead first.

She saw someone else with her face before she went blind last season.

 

[Lothar]

How would he have her face though?

She'd need to be dead first.

Someone already had her face in last year's finale.

 

[duckroll]

Someone already had her face in last year's finale.

No one did. It was just a hallucination from the drugs.

 

[InfiniteBento]

I'm trying not to think the Arya scenes are deeper than what it was but that shit was way too suspicious for me.

Also the trailer shows:

Spoiler

The waif running and what I assume to be Arya, jumping over those steps. If she was actually so badly injured how the hell could she be sprinting and jumping over shit? Healing that quickly seems a bit off.

Idk. All I yearn for is the waif getting her ass handed to her somehow.

I read this crazy theory on reddit about Arya and the Waif but I'm going to spoiler tag it just in case:

Spoiler

"Reddit user, catNamedStupidity, has posted a crazy theory reminiscent of Fight Club which is looking more and more likely to come true. Arya and the Waif could be the same person – with the Waif existing only in Arya’s mind as a Tyler Durden-esque vision. The Waif is the “no-one” that Arya is trying to become.

It kind of makes sense. Only Arya and Jaqen H’ghar, her mentor, ever seem to encounter the Waif. This theory would also explain why nobody intervened when the Waif was beating a blind Arya over the head with a stick in the streets of Braavos in previous episodes. No passers-by even bat an eyelid as the young beggar girl is repeatedly beaten up for no apparent reason. Either Braavosi people are incredibly self-involved, or the Waif wasn’t actually there. The Waif also seems to know everything about Arya, including where she is at all times.

Ned Stark’s feisty daughter could have no idea that the Waif is a figment of her imagination – thanks to the mystical powers of the House of Black and White. The title of the next episode, “No One” only seems to reaffirm that Arya may finally let go of her old identity once and for all. "

Its a shot in the dark theory but I admit, that would be some mind blowing shit if true.

 

[Cornballer]

Reviews:
- memles for the Onion A|V Club
- Sepinwall
- Rolling Stone
- Washington Post
- Vanity Fair
- Panel discussion at The Atlantic

Interviews:
- Cogman with EW
- Ian McShane with EW
- Gemma Whelan with MGoT
- Sophie Turner with MGoT

Videos:
- Promo for next week's episode (please spoiler tag any dicussion)
- Inside the Episode
- "A Hard Sell" (Hivju and Cunningham on selling Snow's war to the Wildlings)
- Ep 7 clip: Return of the Hound
- "Tough to Kill" (McShane and McCann behind the scenes talk McHound)
- Scott Ian and the Nerdist's "Bloodworks" feature goes behind the scenes to look at makeup and effects on GoT (10 min vid)

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Can Faceless men change the size of their bodies? Bodyless men?

 

[Elandyll]

How would he have her face though?

She'd need to be dead first.

Unless the whole scene was an hallucination, it has been showed that the masks can have their appearance changed through magic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgT8CMJSTTw

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Spoiler

It seems more and more likely that Cersei's actions will cause Tommen to kill himself leading to Jamie finally abandoning her

Spoiler

Episode 10 synopsis has me hyped for LSH again

 

[mantidor]

Seriously. Having a bunch of smaller houses fall behind Sansa and John just because they're 1.5 Starks after the Starks got their soldiers slaughtered, lost Winterfell, and let the Greyjoys take over the Western coastline is hardly inconsistent. The North remembers how badly Ned and Rob fucked them over and are responding as such.

Then again, why marry Sansa? besides the shock value of the rape and torture of course, because the character didn't had enough of that already.

The wildings are the dealbreaker but Glover guy was hardly convinced before he confirmed the rumors. Again, the logic in-universe makes no sense. Sansa was important when the plot needed her to be important in order for her to have a hard time, now Sansa is not important because the plot needs her to not be important in order for her to have a hard time, again. It's dumb.

Jon did name-dropped another house which was recruited of-screen though, which one was it? why not show that? because it has to be "hard" for the Starks to gather houses? after several seasons of telling us how important they are in the North? its cheap storytelling.

 

[dabig2]

Then again, why marry Sansa? besides the shock value of the rape and torture of course, because the character didn't had enough of that already.

The wildings are the dealbreaker but Glover guy was hardly convinced before he confirmed the rumors. Again, the logic in-universe makes no sense. Sansa was important when the plot needed her to be important in order for her to have a hard time, now Sansa is not important because the plot needs her to not be important in order for her to have a hard time, again. It's dumb.

Jon did name-dropped another house which was recruited of-screen though, which one was it? why not show that? because it has to be "hard" for the Starks to gather houses? after several seasons of telling us how important they are in the North? its cheap storytelling.

It's all setup for the savior of the North, Littlefinger, to ride on his white horse and save Sansa and Jon. If the Northern houses were written as they were in the books, that is extremely pissed off at the Bolton betrayals and the murders of their kin by them and their Frey buddies to the point that Glover was going to raise his own army to take on the Boltons, then Jon and Sansa would lose their underdog card, Littlefinger becomes extra weight, and the show loses a bit of drama.