Where is the love?

Jordan La Cabra · July 31, 2017

59 minutes ago, Lord Varys said:

But that's the thing. This isn't the kind of series that follows such a trivial and predictable formula. Who didn't think that the Robb-Joffrey quarrel back in AGoT was setting up some sort of future clash between these two? But they never met again. Who did expect that Tyrion and not some Stark (or Martell) would kill Tywin? Who did expect that the Tyrells would kill Joffrey? Who did expect that literally nothing would come of the clansmen-Tyrion hookup?

Things are more complicated than that.

Well, Sandor certainly influenced Sansa's developing romantic and sexual preferences. Yet that doesn't mean she will turn out to be really into him but rather men like him. Sandor on the other hand seems to be pretty over this Sansa thing which for him most likely was more a symbol of the innocent boy he himself once was than an actual deep-seated love. And in that sense Sandor is essentially a mirror image of Littlefinger. Gregor destroyed innocent/idealistic Sandor and Brandon/Catelyn destroyed innocent/idealistic Petyr. Both men desire Sansa sexually, of course, but what makes her special and really resonates with them is the innocence and idealism thing she embodies and represents.

But in Sandor's case we can hope he is over all that now. He has found some sort of peace on the Quiet Isle and one hopes for him that he is going to have a different and new agenda once he returns to the world. My personal guess is that he is going to become an anointed knight, after all, joining the ranks of the Warrior's Sons. The Seven saved and forgave him the guise of the Elder Brother, after all, and one assumes that's going to set him on a completely different path.

I'm not sure how Sansa could figure into that just as I don't see how Sandor could figure into her life.

Perhaps if they all end up meeting again at Aegon's court something could develop? It could be interesting to see how they would interact when they met each other again after so much time passed.

This could also be interesting with Arya-Gendry, of course. But unlike those shippers I'm pretty sure that would be a very sobering experience on both sides. Gendry most certainly is having affairs and romances with the many girls and young women that are part of the brotherhood. And Arya will be a trained and experienced assassin with powerful magical abilities. From her perspective her old world, Winterfell included, must look very small and insignificant. It may remain her home, of course, but she will have outgrown it.

While GRR Martin has proven to be brilliant when it comes to ‘plant and pay off’, he’s also proven to be equally brilliant at planting and not paying off at all, and the example you use about Robb and Joffrey is perfect. From the moment they meet you feel as if it’s only a matter of time before Robb is the one to come chop Joff’s head off and save Sansa. But they never meet again and Joffrey is killed by the Tyrells of all people.

Right now Arya has no ambition for love. Her actions are literally sending her in the opposite direction from love. She loved and she lost and now she is becoming a cold blooded murderer. No man would want her and she would want no man.

As you suggest, Gendry has likely bedded his fair share of women on the road, so I can’t imagine him to be spending his nights pining over a little girl that he knew briefly and was never depicted as being aesthetically pleasing. I think with the allusions to her resemblance to Lyanna that may change and she may become beautiful on the outside one day, but her current actions are far from befitting of an attractive love interest.

When and if she meets Gendry again they are both going to be very different from the last time they saw each other. I would be surprised if Gendry never was to find out that he is Robert’s bastard. As he ages, surely he will grow to look even more like him. So if they ever do meet again, who knows what Gendry could have become? Maybe he is now an accomplished knight who knows despite being from the gutter, that he is the son of King Robert and fancies himself as a figure of importance maybe more important than a girl born of House Stark – a house that seems to be hanging on by a thread.

As for Sansa and Sandor, I agree with many people that she may not be as keen on a conventional knight in shining armour as she no longer believes they exist. But the idea she will somehow end up with Sandor is flawed. Sansa has shown she can soften towards people she feared; she hated Tyrion when they married but managed to realise he wasn’t the worst of the Lannisters. That didn’t cause her to want to stay married to him, though.

She’s shown in her time spent with Littlefinger that she is not the stupid girl Cersei said she was. She has learned tricks from Cersei and tricks from Petyr, so can anyone truly imagine one of those tricks she would learn would be to fall for Sandor Clegane? She may soften her stance towards him and if they ever meet again, she may treat him with more respect than most would. But engage in a relationship with him? Not a chance, in my eyes.

I think she is training herself so she can play the game of thrones. Picking a relationship with someone like Sandor Clegane wouldn’t get her very far in that respect.

Even the whole Jon/Dany ship has it's flaws. It's easy to assume as they are two major male and female characters who both may end up having claiming to the throne that they may one day meet and fall in love. But I really don't think it is as simple as some think that it may be.

Some of the most basic reasons for me, would be that Jon doesn't fit her 'type'. Drogo was a strong forceful leader of a Khal. Daario is a fierce fighter, but also silver tongued, confident and as much of an extrovert as you'll find. Jon is a strong leader, but a reluctant one that falls into leadership by others pushing him. He is a skilled fighter, but he is solemn and melancholy. And he definitely isn't as colourful to look at as Drogo or Daario would be. To me, personality wise and looks wise he is more akin to Jorah than Drogo or Daario and Dany showed no interest in him despite his love for her.

On the opposite view, Dany is clearly one of the most beautiful women in the world and it would be a surprise if Jon wasn't attracted to her. But Ygritte wasn't a beautiful girl. In fact it seemed to be her imperfections that Jon was most attracted to.

That's not even going into the whole Dany could Jon's aunt and he could be her nephew section of the debate.

Jordan La Cabra · July 31, 2017