[Book/Show Spoilers] Anyone else surprised at Sandor/Arya scene?

[Blazfemur]

Legit, I totally thought this wouldve been her stabbing him, and that wound festering, and him "dying" at that point. I mean, they were next to the river, isn't that the river Elder Brother finds him at? THe same river that flows to Quiet Isle, and he says many other things wash up there (Rhaeger's Rubies, etc).

I'd like to think Brienne/Podrick arent too too far from Quiet Isle. Yes there is some things that need to come to pass first but, hell, theyre on their way there.

Arya tries to stab Hound, Hound laughs and swipes it away. I saw the stab and was like, "Ok, this is the part. This is how that's going to happen."

....and then D&D are like, "NOPE! Not yet! Fooled ya! Trolololol!"

It seems as though Hound putting down Syrio, and Syrio's fighting style, kind of alligns itself with Faceless Priest training Arya to forget who she was/everything about her past.

I'm hoping they're not going to skip Braavos and have the Hound be the sit-in Faceless Kindly Man, but from what I recall, we even see the TItan Of Braavos in one of the preview scenes so Braavos IS coming.

On a side note, it's appearing that The Gravedigger controversy, much like many other side-stories and hidden easter eggs, may get skipped upon completely.

I'm not disliking extra scenes with Arya & The Hound, theyre hilarious, and the inclusion of The Red Woman, Lord Beric Dondarrion, and Thoros Of Myr into her prayers was a nice touch made positively. Theyre responsible for The Hound still being alive, through the judgment fight. Also, Melisandre responsible for her losing Gendry iirc.

[evita mgfs]

I am going to sing the lyrics from Frozen and "Let it go!" I mean, so much has been changed about to accommodate bringing the page to the stage [television] that what other recourse do we who love the novels have? I do think events may be scrambled, but the character arc will remain in tact.

As for Arya and the Hound, I love them together on television as much as in the novels. My favorite scene was when they sat side by side, slurping down soup just like a father and son daughter might!

[Good Guy Garlan]

I was pleasantly surprised that she actually tried to stab him. They were getting a bit too friendly and that scene showed them as the violent, tough-as-nails motherfuckers they both are. I also like that he's still in her prayer. That's true to her characterization on the book as well: even after he saved her, she still held a grudge about Mycah and about him not saving Cat and Robb (as if he could have)

As for Brienne and Pod, I think an almost-encounter with Arya and Sandor is a must

[lostinwesteros]

Oh, shit, lost my post.

Was surprised when I saw the preview for this episode and thought she might have really stabbed him. I hope, I hope they keep Quiet Isle, but I fear not. Perhaps they'll let him show up in Bravos, or else go join the Second Sons, after all. Just love the Arya/Sandor scenes and am already dreading the point where she leaves him, showing no mercy.

[DogLover]

I realize the Arya/Hound scenes are a favorite of show viewers, but I can't stand them. One of my issues with the Arya/Hound show!narrative is they almost reversed the characters. First, book!Hound never physically harmed the peasant he stole the cart from to get into the RW. The show portrayed him as a cold-blooded murderer and Arya as some beacon of justice. So, show!Hound is not only a thief, but he's a cold-blooded murderer, as well. Then he's apparently a man with a "code" who doesn't steal, even though the audience already knows he steals. Even though the audience already knows he lost all his gold because he was robbed by the BwB, Arya, who was there when he was robbed, can't figure out why he has no gold, and apparently the Hound forgot, as well. Then in the next scene he's stealing from another villager, AND HARMS HIM: A man who not only offers guest rights, but offers him fair work for fair wages (book!Hound accepts this and never harms anyone). Book!Arya HATES the idea of spending any time in the village. Show!Arya is relieved by the prospect.

But what REALLY sent me over the edge with show!Hound is him slapping Arya. Arya suffers beatings by Yoren and her captors at Harrenhall, but as much as she tries to kill and get under the skin of the Hound, he never hits her. NEVER. Regardless of his emotional state, he never raises a had to her. It pissed me off to no end that show!Hound SLAPPED Arya. So out of character.

[yushkevitch]

Viewers who haven't read the books were probably thinking the two were forming a buddy relationship. In fact I started to think that a few times (you know, they do alter some things from the series :)).

But as we've all seen countless time in novels, movies, theater, opera, you name it, a duo isn't very interesting if they get along. The tension between the two is what makes their scenes together dramatic and engaging.

Okay, now that I think about it I don't really have a point .. Oh yes, I do they think they did the stabbing scene as a direct "ha ha, fooled you" to readers. I honestly enjoy it, makes watching so much more interesting when you think you know what's happening next and then ... oops.

[Cold Crashing Waves]

No, I wasn't surprised. It would have been pretty stupid if the Hound just 'let' Arya stab him like that. He's not an idiot.

[Seneti]

Legit, I totally thought this wouldve been her stabbing him, and that wound festering, and him "dying" at that point. I mean, they were next to the river, isn't that the river Elder Brother finds him at? THe same river that flows to Quiet Isle, and he says many other things wash up there (Rhaeger's Rubies, etc).

I'd like to think Brienne/Podrick arent too too far from Quiet Isle. Yes there is some things that need to come to pass first but, hell, theyre on their way there.

[...]

It seems as though Hound putting down Syrio, and Syrio's fighting style, kind of alligns itself with Faceless Priest training Arya to forget who she was/everything about her past.

[...]

I'm hoping they're not going to skip Braavos and have the Hound be the sit-in Faceless Kindly Man, but from what I recall, we even see the TItan Of Braavos in one of the preview scenes so Braavos IS coming.

No, I was not surprised in the least. It's too early for the Hound to receive his final wound. I think that will happen in episode 8 (coinciding with Gregor getting his mortal wound). Arya will leave for Bravos in ep. 10 (but we will already get to see Bravos because Stannis is going there next week) and the Quiet Isle, if it is included, will most likely be in season 5.

I also think that Sandor's comments were less about making Arya forget about her past than they were about her unrealistic notions about the workings of the world. He was making clear to her, what Karl was telling Jon at Craster's Keep: you can have the best fighting teacher, the best footwork and nice castle-forged steel, but that won't do diddly squat if your not adapted to the situation at hand (reading: do NOT fight with a LONGsword in CLOSE quarters and do not go against an ARMED and ARMORED kingsguard with NO armor and nothing but a PRACTICE sword).

[FC_Lymond]

They didn't resolve the stabbing though.

Next week the wound might be festering, and the Hound weak from it.

[DrownedSnow]

I liked everything about that scene. I think it really worked. No, I don't know what the show is doing there but my guess is they just want to spend more time in the Arya/Hound dynamic. It's a smart move like keeping Bronn around to work with Jaime.

[Angmar]

I thought it foreshadowed what will eventually come: the actual wound and the gift of mercy.

Heck seeing how those two scenes went, I thought it meant Arya herself would kill the Hound in the show...A change I wouldn't like at all.

[NightStark]

They didn't resolve the stabbing though.

Next week the wound might be festering, and the Hound weak from it.

Needle didn't even go through his armour, you could see the blade stop and then flex as she pushed on it.

[graaf_x]

Of course the "stab" was there just to tease the viewers. No one will spoil character's death or fatal wound in the promo.

Anyway, Hound's head scars are getting bigger with each episode, it seems.

[dtones520]

They didn't resolve the stabbing though.

Next week the wound might be festering, and the Hound weak from it.

The sword never touched the Hound, it never went through his armor.

For the OP, Brienne and Pod just left Kings Landing, they are a long ways off from the Quiet Isle, if they even get there this season. Arya did very little from the events at the Red Wedding to when she left for Braavos in ASoS, so they need to make up interesting/funny scenes between her and the Hound until the Hound is wounded and she takes off. Arya and the Hound are too popular of characters for them to be in 2-3 episodes all season. So, we get scenes like last night where Arya and the Hound interact Arya learns some stuff when it comes to sword fighting and everyone gets a good laugh from the Hound reminding Arya how ignorant she really is. It's all a part of her growth as a character until she finally gets to Braavos.

Braavos is mentioned too much and plays too much of a role in Aryas story for her not to go there, why would they bother having Jaqen give her the coin if she was never going?

[voodooqueen126]

I realize the Arya/Hound scenes are a favorite of show viewers, but I can't stand them. One of my issues with the Arya/Hound show!narrative is they almost reversed the characters. First, book!Hound never physically harmed the peasant he stole the cart from to get into the RW. The show portrayed him as a cold-blooded murderer and Arya as some beacon of justice. So, show!Hound is not only a thief, but he's a cold-blooded murderer, as well. Then he's apparently a man with a "code" who doesn't steal, even though the audience already knows he steals. Even though the audience already knows he lost all his gold because he was robbed by the BwB, Arya, who was there when he was robbed, can't figure out why he has no gold, and apparently the Hound forgot, as well. Then in the next scene he's stealing from another villager, AND HARMS HIM: A man who not only offers guest rights, but offers him fair work for fair wages (book!Hound accepts this and never harms anyone). Book!Arya HATES the idea of spending any time in the village. Show!Arya is relieved by the prospect.

But what REALLY sent me over the edge with show!Hound is him slapping Arya. Arya suffers beatings by Yoren and her captures at Harrenhall, but as much as she tries to kill and get under the skin of the Hound, he never hits her. NEVER. Regardless of his emotional state, he never raises a had to her. It pissed me off to no end that show!Hound SLAPPED Arya. So out of character.

So true. Book Sandor is sufficiently morally ambiguous, why must they make him worse?

[Pod The Impaler]

Legit, I totally thought this wouldve been her stabbing him, and that wound festering, and him "dying" at that point. I mean, they were next to the river, isn't that the river Elder Brother finds him at? THe same river that flows to Quiet Isle, and he says many other things wash up there (Rhaeger's Rubies, etc).

Arya tries to stab Hound, Hound laughs and swipes it away. I saw the stab and was like, "Ok, this is the part. This is how that's going to happen."

....and then D&D are like, "NOPE! Not yet! Fooled ya! Trolololol!"

Face it, boys and girls, the preview suckered us in. Even for those of us who thought it might go the way it actually did, there was the worry it might be as LB just mentioned.

[FC_Lymond]

Needle didn't even go through his armour, you could see the blade stop and then flex as she pushed on it.

Oh, I thought Sandor was just being a tough guy. I saw the armor stopping the blow, but it almost looked like it could have still stabbed him a bit.

[igrewupinKL]

It pissed me off to no end that show!Hound SLAPPED Arya. So out of character.

:agree:

But i must admit, the show!hound lines are so great i can put up with the character changes

[Inv1ctus]

You gotta laugh at Arya/Hound scenes, how he was dismissive of Meryn Trant, ahhaha. The slap was a bit surprising to me, but it was good for Arya's sake, she thinks she's Syrio but she is not. She would only get killed by what she was doing, so it was good that the Hound showed her the reality, this time only with a slap. In a real fight she'd be dead.

[Tixu Oty]

Arya tries to stab Hound, Hound laughs and swipes it away. I saw the stab and was like, "Ok, this is the part. This is how that's going to happen."

....and then D&D are like, "NOPE! Not yet! Fooled ya! Trolololol!"

It seems as though Hound putting down Syrio, and Syrio's fighting style, kind of alligns itself with Faceless Priest training Arya to forget who she was/everything about her past.

I like book Hound so much better than show Hound, and that since season 2. I wish show Hound had as much depth but that's alright, he's ok I guess. Also I watch show Hound with book Hound in mind and that helps a little.

I didn't think Arya's stabbing had worked from the preview but I am surprised that she actually tried to stab him, and that she included Beric and Thoros in her prayers. It looks to me as if D&D are already on a shortcut to murderous Arya. I guess this way Dareon will come a little bit less as a surprise and I suppose it makes sense but I'm still a bit shocked and can't wait to see where this goes.

Other than that, for the moment I think there is no reason to believe their story will be greatly altered. I still see Braavos in Arya's future and near death in the Hound's.

A near reunion between Arya/Sansa/Brienne would be awesome and I noted that show Brienne is headed directly to the Wall. Smart girl. Headed due North.

And as far as trolling goes, am I the only one who thought the show was trolling us about Syrio's death/non-death? I only watched the episode once but at first the Hound almost seem to hint that Syrio couldn't be dead if he was such a good swordsman. Only then comes the lesson about armor and weapons. I thought that piece of conversation was really great. (Btw, I think Syrio's dead, but nice trolling nonetheless).