Arya Stark: Valar Morghulis

[QuinnM]

7 hours ago, Heckler52317 said:

I really hope Arya is done killing. I was growing weary of her dead eyes duck lipped super assassin persona, but the interaction with Sandor made it all worthwhile. Do you suppose Bran worged that horse to her? 

The interaction with Sandor was interesting for a number of reasons.  Outside of her family she doesn't let people touch her.  Even the Gentry act of putting his hand on her head while kissing her was immediately followed by her pushing him down.  Then she never turns her head to look up at people she just looks up with her eyes.  Not with Brine and not with Sandor.

So when he tells her not to live for revenge she turns her head up to look at him, she lets him touch her, so very different from all of her previous interactions.

[bijoux]

I think she definitely would and will kill if it comes to protecting her life or someone elses. What she is done with is chasing revenge and certain death. Because had she gotten to Cersei, she’d be dunzo now as well. That was Sandor’s point IMO, put life first.

[PatsyandEddie]

Sandor told her to choose life giving  her innocence back which may have been symbolized by the sudden appearance of the white horse. I didn’t see Death riding a pale horse but hope. 

Whatever the meaning , it was a beautifully shot scene . 

Maisie is amazing and shone even as a young child in her scenes. No one else could have played this part. 

[scrb]

Interesting read, though Arya had this kind of mask from the white powder and the blood streaks across her face.

I guess she kind of journeyed through Hell and came out?

[PatsyandEddie]

A perfect summation scrb.

[Snowball II]

Arya rode to King's Landing on a black horse, and rode away from King's Landing on a white horse.

The way I interpreted it is, Arya came to KL living a life that was all about death, and left KL with hope for an actual life, that wasn't all about death/killing.  The symbolism of a knight on a white horse coming to save her was there, only Arya acted as her own knight, and saved herself.

Maybe that's dumb, but that's how I saw it.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Fiver

[RobertDeSneero]

That's the sort of attitude that gets you killed on this show.

[Snowball II]

35 minutes ago, RobertDeSneero said:

That's the sort of attitude that gets you killed on this show.

Not if you act as your own knight/savior.  I'm not talking about doing what Sansa did in season one, Arya sees a white horse without a rider and makes the decision to save herself.  But again, that's just the way I interpreted the scene.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Fiver

[Lady S.]

On 5/8/2019 at 11:41 AM, scrb said:

Now would Arya have kept going back to Gendry for sexy times if he wasn't made a lord?

Sure she may never be a Lady but would she have settled for high-born girlfriend to a bastard/commoner?

Or she sees a greater role for herself than being any man's woman?

Like she still working on that list?

Or maybe Gendry didn't meet her expectations?

Arya's face from the moment he says "you're beautiful" to the end of the proposal is not the reaction of someone rejecting the man himself. I also assume they must have continued hooking up in the nights between the battle and the feast, unless she'd been avoiding him and Gendry's just that clueless. Part of it for him imo, is that while Arya's unladylike-ness was what made possible their bond, he always thought in terms of class after learning her true identity and it would never occur to him that a highborn lady would rather just have sex with no thought of marriage. Deflowering a noble maiden is supposed to be a big deal so I'm sure for him the legitimization was just a formality which made him worthy of marrying her.

So, one of the useless facts I've noticed about this show is that every Stark except Jon and Benjen has ridden a white horse at some point (if we've seen them riding horses), but this last one definitely felt the most symbolic and meaningful.

[QuinnM]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/arts/television/game-of-thrones-joe-dempsie-gendry-arya.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

9 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

Arya's face from the moment he says "you're beautiful" to the end of the proposal is not the reaction of someone rejecting the man himself. 

Joe’s take on the scene was pretty much exactly what you said.  

[PatsyandEddie]

Awww, that is a delight to read. Thank you Quinn! 

Maybe they both will go to explore the far west together. An old lady can dream right?

[bijoux]

3 minutes ago, PatsyandEddie said:

Awww, that is a delight to read. Thank you Quinn! 

Maybe they both will go to explore the far west together. An old lady can dream right?

I simultaneously believe this is in no way in the cards and would be so thrilled it happened. 

[QuinnM]

19 minutes ago, PatsyandEddie said:

Awww, that is a delight to read. Thank you Quinn! 

Thanks!  I tell you I came away from that very impressed with Joe Dempsie’s thought process and his ability to articulate it.  So often I end up disappointed when an actor I enjoy tries to talk.

[Umbelina]

This is kind of fun, assuming the world is round and there isn't a substitute Americas in this world, Arya will sail around and end up in one of these places.

Or perhaps there is a sub for "the Americas" and Arya will end up there, a future dream of a brand new world and books for the ambitious is overextended GRRM.

[PatsyandEddie]

Thanks Umbelina! Looks great 👏🏻