Phill P

Could be but I doubt it. Remember when Arya killed the man on her list and then got told off for it? A life had to be taken to balance it. That was when we learned that as long as a life was taken in payment the slate was clear, so to speak. So I don't think if Arya escapes that the FM will hunt her down because that's inconsistent with the narrative so far. She wasn't really cut out to be an assassin anyway. She's had 2 jobs and messed them both up. The first by killing someone she wasn't told to and the second by not killing someone she was. The first death was paid for, the second has yet to be. Either Arya or the Waif will do. Anyway that's what I think. Arya will kill the Waif and then the boss man will let her go - with a huge sigh of relief, most likely. And it makes Ayra a better character. She kills, yes, but only when she has some personal involvement in the situation, such as when she sees injustice or for revenge. Obviously killing for revenge isn't healthy but at least she isn't a completely cold blooded assassin who, when you get past all the crappy pseudo philosophy to try and make it sound noble, basically just kills for money.

Yes I wrote that before seeing the preview for the next episode, then thought oh, so she faked being wounded too. Nice. And thematically, although it seems more drawn out and elaborate, it fits. Arya has made a mess of being an assassin and can't beat the Waif in a straight fight. So she goes back to what she knows and sets up a running chase where she can use all her experience from chasing cats etc.

You say you are differentiating but you are not, you switch from what the books say to how bad the show is to what people will remember - all in your highly questionable opinion. In book 5 Tyrion states he wants to kill Cersei. In the show he barely mentions her but it is not hard to imagine that he wants personal revenge on the woman who has always looked for any excuse to kill him and whose actions forced him to do everything he did. We see Cersei ignoring money problems in the episode where she appoints her advisors, who are clearly both sucking up to her and not fit for the job. Also in the books, although Cersei does not empower the Faith Militant directly she does ask the High Sparrow to excuse her debts to them and he refuses - unless she lets him reform the Faith Militant. So their power still comes from her, whether she chose it or was manipulated into granting it. So yes, she is aware of both the debt to the Iron Bank and the Faith Militant, and of doing nothing about either. In both books and show it is clear that what brings Cersei down is her own inability to rule effectively. She would be unable to with or without the Faith around. GRRM himself has said before that her problem is she wants power but doesn't know what to do with it, and I'll take his word for it because it is clear she is out of her depth, both in the books and the show, with nobody to blame but herself. As for any other stuff I saw and you didn't, I can't help you with that. Nor with your desire to pour scorn me with unnecessarily sarcastic responses such as "really?"for not agreeing with you. That's your problem too. Really.

Well I could criticise any show thing for being rushed or badly executed but you always can. I also thought book 5 was a badly constructed mess, to be fair. The only bits that really bother me in the show are the bits they completely make up. With so much source material I don't see the need to invent things. Having things happen for different reasons, ok, even happening to different people, ok, but making up stuff that isn't in the books at all, like a lot of the Dorne stuff, I didn't see the need for that.

1) On the contrary, in the books it is pretty clear to me that the Lannisters are the worst when it comes to childish spite and vindictiveness. The other rulers of other houses may be vain, stupid, cruel and self centered in their own way, but I can't see any of them wanting to humiliate their bride as Joffrey did to Sansa. Except for Ramsey of course, but he is an exception who is out of control anyway. And even Ramsey would not think he could hold Kings Landing by surrounding himself with sycophants and ignoring massive debts and the outside world. Only Cersei was silly enough to think that would work. She wanted power but when she got it she didn't have a clue what to do with it. This happens in the books and the show. 2) To a great extent it is simplified but in this episode it was made clear that at least one house was more scared of being flayed than they were of Jon and Sansa. So at least some of them have been cowed by Bolton barbarity and the fear of reprisals, so it has nothing to do with hating the Starks at all. We have also seen that one of the big problems all the houses have is with their rulers being legitimate, and we see it again here. Despite the repeated evidence that being born within wedlock does not guarantee a good ruler, many still place value on it so they won't accept anyone who isn't. Being a bastard is still seen as bad for no other reason than pure prejudice, so with Rickon captured and Bran missing they see no legitimate Stark heir to follow. Nothing to do with hating the Starks either, just traditions people refuse to let go of. Ramsey and Jon are changing that, but slowly. This is a common and even overwhelming theme in the books and the show. The fact that people do not want to give up their old ideas and grudges is why none of them can see the real threat, and only those who dare to think in new ways make progress. And it is no coincidence that in the books and in the show it is the misfits who get things done, not the ones who believe in their "legitimate" right to rule and refuse to change their ways. They have different ways of making that point but it doesn't change that in this sense at least the show is absolutely true to the spirit of the books. 3) See previous point about Cersei's stupidity, which she was even called on in this episode. Doesn't sound like she can do no wrong to me, sounds like she is being recognised for the fool she is. As for Tyrion, I think some of his policies may come back to bite him so I don't see him in the clear either. I don't think being stuck running a city while the queen invades Westeros was his gameplan. He wants to kill Cersei himself.

I don't disbelieve you. You may well be right. I hope they don't get arrogant though and maybe even learn to write better stories in future, using this experience to learn from both the good bits and the mistakes. That said, I don't think they are anywhere near as bad as some here.

Arya isn't that stupid and for all that some people think the show runners are incapable of subtlety or misdirection I don't think that's true either. The Waif is already dead. The Waif got played. Arya knows she cannot hide so she sets a trap. She staged the whole thing. She lets it be known she wants to leave. Throwing money around, being nice and loud, making sure lots of people hear it. Then she finds a spot where she can escape if attacked and stands there waiting, apparently without a care in the world. This bait is too much for the Waif to resist and she catches and stabs Arya. But the Waif is a sadist who gets off on humiliation. She could have slashed Arya's throat straight away but she chose a belly slash because it takes longer to die from. She wants Arya to suffer. She stops to make a point of showing Arya her face. Arya escapes but that's fine too. It appeals to her to let Arya bleed out with time to think about it. It also leaves a small window for Arya to get healed. Arya allows herself to be stabbed, pushes the Waif away and throws herself over the bridge. She makes a big play of being mortally wounded with plenty of witnesses as she staggers through the streets dripping blood, knowing this information will get back to the assassins. Then she hides and heals herself with stuff she has prepared and stashed already. Last week we saw her in the dark with Needle and I thought she was waiting for the Waif. Now I think she was preparing a place to rest and heal. The Waif walks away with that annoying smirk she has, then starts feeling dizzy, then realises when Arya pushed her away she gave her a tiny scratch... Or Ayra will just get better then hunt down the Waif and run her through with Needle. Whichever.

Like a lot of people have said here, I'm also bored with the Faceless Ones, mainly because they don't make any sense. They are all supposed to be nobody yet the Waif has clearly enjoyed beating, tormenting and humiliating Arya as evidenced by the smug little smirk on her face every time she gets to give Arya more hassle. She has emotions, desires, an ego and a sadistic streak. That's a personality, which gives her an identity. So she is not nobody, she is somebody. Maybe that's the point, that you can never entirely be nobody, that some kind of personality will always remain, but it's still rubbish. Even assassins that are not part of some secret group can be dispassionate. The Waif enjoys it too much, she's like a female Ramsey. Logically Arya should be able to point this out and discredit her but that wouldn't be dramatic enough and anyway she seems to be the main guy's favourite. Also an emotion, favouritism. The sooner Arya carves her up and moves on the better. I really hope killing the Waif isn't another stupid test.