Bad writing or fake arya?{spoilers}

[ToTheWolves]

So the whole arya scene from beginning to end through me off. It had just felt a little odd to me. At first I thought it was a dream but then came to find out it was not, but am I the only one who thought arya was acting a little different? 

-she was completely dressed different from the last time we seen her

-would she really be dumb enough to just strut around braavos in broad day light like that? After doing what she had just done?

- and where was needle? Did she sell it off screen for the coins she had?

 

i feel like there's a Scene missing from all of this or something but am I looking into this too much???

 

[Future Null Infinity]

As viewer, I didn't see nothing missing, she's trying to go back to westeros, she will not spend her life in the sewers because of the Waif, and the waif is more professional and trained, I did see it coming because Arya can't hide for ever from her, the illogical thing is waif go with the stabbing, as professional assassin it would be more realistic to go directly in the heart, but I think that they made all of that because they wanted to put some action scenes in arya story (hyping the fans for the final fight and stretching the shit out of her story, I wish arya nuke the boring braavos before leaving)

[Daemos]

This could just as easily be a set up by Arya you realize that don't you? Feign weakness and vulnerability to lure her enemy out then strike.

[Forlong the Fat]

2 minutes ago, Future Null Infinity said:

As viewer, I didn't see nothing missing, she's trying to go back to westeros, she will not spend her life in the sewers because of the Waif, and the waif is more professional and trained, I did see it coming because Arya can't hide for ever from her, the illogical thing is waif go with the stabbing, as professional assassin it would be more realistic to go directly in the heart, but I think that they made all of that because they wanted to put some action sequence in arya story

It also seemed to me that, against direct orders, and against everything the FMs stand for, Waif was gleefully trying to make Arya suffer. 

[Lothar]

48 minutes ago, Future Null Infinity said:

As viewer, I didn't see nothing missing, she's trying to go back to westeros, she will not spend her life in the sewers because of the Waif, and the waif is more professional and trained, I did see it coming because Arya can't hide for ever from her, the illogical thing is waif go with the stabbing, as professional assassin it would be more realistic to go directly in the heart, but I think that they made all of that because they wanted to put some action scenes in arya story (hyping the fans for the final fight and stretching the shit out of her story, I wish arya nuke the boring braavos before leaving)

She was stabbed several times in the gut.  If that wasn't fake Arya, then that was the final fight.

[Future Null Infinity]

Just now, Lothar said:

She was stabbed several times in the gut.  If that wasn't fake Arya, then that was the final fight.

you telling me that arya is not tough enough to get 3 stabs and live?? she is a stark and starks are solid as a rock

[Lord Spark of House Spark]

2 minutes ago, Future Null Infinity said:

you telling me that arya is not tough enough to get 3 stabs and live?? she is a stark and starks are solid as a rock

But her Dad only got one cut on his neck, and that finished him off

[TickTak7]

55 minutes ago, Daemos said:

This could just as easily be a set up by Arya you realize that don't you? Feign weakness and vulnerability to lure her enemy out then strike.

So, bad writing then? 

Surely a strong plan would involve *not* getting stabbed and slashed in the abdomen repeatedly? 

I opened up a thread in the episode 6 forum discussing how poor Arya's storyline is, and this was just icing on the cake for me.

She's spent almost 2 seasons in Braavos, and yet has failed to improve as a character at all:

1 - She's strutting around in broad daylight 

2 - She's openly talking to Westerosi individuals. 

3 - She's throwing around money. 

4 - She didn't see the Waif attack coming, even though it was so. damn. obvious. What did she expect would happen?

it's just frighteningly bad at this point, and I have no idea what sort of pay-off would be acceptable at this point save for her getting to run the House of the Faceless Men / get access to all those faces. 

[TinfoilToolate]

I agree with the OP.  There's either something *missing* or theres *more* to it than meets the eye.  In the previous episode, we see Arya full of conviction and determination.  Retrieving Needle, gathering her things, and even blowing out the candle as they cut away from her story, shows she is done with the FM and Braavos.  She is ready to move on, and knows what she has to do.  In this episode, she has prepared 2 bags of silver, not just to book passage, but to ride in style, back to Westeros.  I get that she was scanning the streets and ports of Westeros, using her skills to listen/watch before acting.  She tuned into a Westerosi accent, but who knows what else she scouted about this captain prior to her proposal.  I was shocked with the scene on the bridge.  I don't know what exactly to make from it, but this post has me thinking:

 

The waif just killed Jaqen.  Arya wouldn't have been caught unaware.  Jaqen followed Waif and Arya, and is sacrificing his life/face, to the Many Faced God.  He has seemed content with Arya not becoming "No One," knowing that she would never truly be able to give up who she truly is.  He has sympathy as well as a true debt and a vested interest in her.  

Alternatively, this is Arya, and she allowed herself to get attacked.  She wants the FM to think she is dead.  She had an escape route planned from the scene of her "death," all the way back to Westeros.  It still makes little sense as to why she would allow her self to be attacked, unarmed, by an assassin.  

Or maybe we need to just take this scene at "face" value (apologies for the pun, I couldnt resist).  It is what it is.  Arya is a stupid, naive girl who is romantically reflecting on a canal bridge in Braavos, day dreaming of what she will do when she returns home, and because she let her guard down, because she didnt finish her training, because she failed her mission, she is paying the price.  Just like Robb and Jon, she didn't fulfill her duties, and just like her brothers, she got stabbed multiple times in the gut.  Maybe she dies in the alleys of Braavos, which is exactly what Ned told her would happen should a wolf strike out alone, separated from her pack.  Winter is coming, blah blah blah.  But I dont think this is the case.  In fact, I think my first theory regarding Jaqen is most likely.

 

 

[daemonTheBlack]

I agree. Arya was totally out of character this time. We will find out next episode, which seems to be a decisive episode written around her.

[ToTheWolves]

I'm also really hoping they didn't have arya sell needle off screen to get that money she had. Last season in a behind the episode. D&D said needle stood for aryas revenge and a way to exact her revenge. As book readers we know that's not what needle stands for but, maybe in D&D logic its symbolism for arya giving up her revenge.

[Ruhail]

Bad writing

[House Cambodia]

I agree it just didn't add up. Could well be bad writing, but I'm beginning to warm to the tinfoil theory about the Waif. In short, the Waif is Arya. The idea is that Arya in her mental torment has created her as a figment of her imagination. It seems only Jaq'en and Arya can see or relate to her. So has she stabbed herself with Needle?  

[Masha]

3 minutes ago, daemonTheBlack said:

I agree. Arya was totally out of character this time. We will find out next episode, which seems to be a decisive episode written around her.

It felt really surreal to me, like a dream sequence to me or it might have been Jaqen, But then bleeding and staggering Arya stumbled out onto the street looking around, so apparently it was Arya and it was real. Just badly written, next episode called "no one" and she is completely recovered apparently.

[Future Null Infinity]

Just now, daemonTheBlack said:

I agree. Arya was totally out of character this time. We will find out next episode, which seems to be a decisive episode written around her.

unless D&D will give a miracle to arya in order to kill the waif, I can't see arya win, we are speaking about the waif here, she's a prodigy, the superpower of the FM, I love the waif but she must die

[Bear Claw]

Yes it does seem like there is something more to this scene.  However, most of the time you can take what happens on the show at face value. 

[The Yung Wulf]

8 minutes ago, TinfoilToolate said:

The waif just killed Jaqen.

I'm starting to think this too. Either Jaquen or maybe another FM that Jaquen dispatched to test the waif. Now that she failed to kill Arya without making her suffer, she failed the test.... potentially.... hopefully. I really don't want to find out that was actually Arya surviving multiple stabs to the gut.

[The Dreamer Targaryen]

 

1 minute ago, ToTheWolves said:

I'm also really hoping they didn't have arya sell needle off screen to get that money she had. Last season in a behind the episode. D&D said needle stood for aryas revenge and a way to exact her revenge. As book readers we know that's not what needle stands for but, maybe in D&D logic its symbolism for arya giving up her revenge.

There's definitely more than this, it just seems so out of character for her to be waking around Braavos, knowing that the FM must be so pissed because of what she did.

The next episode will hopefully explain what we're not seeing, but IMO she would never sell needle, since it represents the connection to her life as a Stark and that's what she wants to return to.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

When in doubt, always go for bad writing, because not once has going bad writing has been wrong in the past, case and point:

Talisa: Bad writing or more to her (Bad writing)

Cersei's Necklace: Bad writing or Cersei's set up (Bad writing)

SmallJon's betrayal: Bad writing or fake wolfhead (Bad writing).

 

Always go for bad writing.

[Dizzy Walker]

3 hours ago, ToTheWolves said:

So the whole arya scene from beginning to end through me off. It had just felt a little odd to me. At first I thought it was a dream but then came to find out it was not, but am I the only one who thought arya was acting a little different? 

-she was completely dressed different from the last time we seen her

-would she really be dumb enough to just strut around braavos in broad day light like that? After doing what she had just done?

- and where was needle? Did she sell it off screen for the coins she had?

 

i feel like there's a Scene missing from all of this or something but am I looking into this too much???

I saw this too. The way her hair was, her facial expressions- not like Arya, the way she walked with her hands behind her back -not like Arya, Walking in a relaxed strolling way,  standing on a bridge way out in the open, but with no people to be witnesses, not the way a person who would have a magical assassin group after you would walk. Arya is smarter than this.

The way she threw money around,  it was a way of getting attention and get tongues waggling. Arya would have been smarter, and would have kept her head down, trying to be quiet and hush hush and secretive about her plans with the captain of the ship. 

Where did she get the money? If she had gone back to the House of Black and White she could would have a way of getting that money but Arya did not go back that we know of. No way she would sell Needle. Before the House of Black and White she was hunting pigeons for food and money and she never thought to sell it. If by some chance this was Arya and she did sell Needle, it would be horrible writing not see her make that choice and sell it. That sword was too important to her.

The way she calmly turned to the old woman with a (Not Arya) half smile on her face. Arya would be suspicious of everyone, cause everyone could be no one. And No one was going to kill her.  After she was stabbed, the way she deliberately walked through a busy market, not asking for help, just being very visible. 

 So unless she had a complete change of personality when she took Needle and gave up the house, it wasn't her.

Nice thing is, the person that it was, did set up Arya for a nice ride home. Which the Faceless men have offered in the past ( was that only in the books?). And I believe, Arya would have taken the hammock and not demanded a cabin. She has been used to roughing it while on the run with the Hound.

I have never been stabbed once let alone, multiple times with twisting motions in the stomach, so I have no real idea in this, but I do not see how someone could survive that many stab wounds, swim losing blood, get out of the water, bleeding and walk down the street losing more blood without, you know, passing out and dying? Notice once again being very visible. Why go to a busy place like that when you are badly wounded, and not ask for help?