What will Arya do now

[Lautrec]

"A girl is Arya Stark and I'm going home."

Seems obvious. She'll also meet Mel on the way there.

[Lord Varys]

As to Arya's Braavos plot:

Once you think a little about her change there it makes no sense at all.

1. We are supposed to believe that a jealous actress could afford hiring a Faceless Man to kill her rival? That is not going to happen in the books. The Faceless Men are expensive and quite obviously not a society you hire for personal gain. If that was the case then, well, many more people in Braavos and elsewhere would die on a regular basis.

2. We are supposed to believe the jealous actress hangs out with the person she wants dead in a manner that allows Arya to figure out that she wants her dead? That's not going to happen, either. Not to mention that somebody wanting the job of somebody else isn't necessarily proof that she wants that other person dead (or has hired an assassin to do the job).

Therefore Arya's conversion story (if it happens at all in the books) will never happen in this fashion. George is not going to write a story that is so full of holes.

[Epyon]

My bet:

She starts out on the King's Road deciding whether to head home (hearing about the new KitN) or head South to cross Cersei off her list....

Along the way, she sees Melissandre, and snuffs that bitch.... perhaps with an interesting exchange about both now seeing through the other's disguise.

She begins to head south, and sees the Brotherhood + Hound headed North..... She finds Nymeria at some point here, and begins picking off  the Brotherhood, as they travel North.... leaving only the Hound Alive.

Now, logic would dictate that she goes for Cersei now, but I think she (in disguise) and the Hound come across Sansa, Brienne, and LF riding to Vale (Sansa wanting to keep LF close so he doesn't do something stupid like try to take Jon out)

Sansa had a line in the battle of the bastards, that I think foreshadows how things go down.... "No one can protect me, no one can protect anyone" ...... I think Sansa ends up marrying Sweet Robin,and finds out from him that LF was behind basically the entire series.... and LF in desperation kills Robin, and tries to force Sansa into joining him....Becoming violent when she shoots him down harder than a Russian in Top Gun.... which ends promptly when Arya murders the hell out of him.  Leaving Sansa in charge of the Vale by marriage.

[GravyFace]

What D&D said in the 'inside the episode" thing was a bit disturbing. That we've seen her "descend" into a pretty dark place, she's basically a highly skilled assassin. Is there any way for her to come back from that descent? I don't see her ever reaching a point where she finds happiness and can settle down.

[Rhollo]

5 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

2. We are supposed to believe the jealous actress hangs out with the person she wants dead in a manner that allows Arya to figure out that she wants her dead? That's not going to happen, either. Not to mention that somebody wanting the job of somebody else isn't necessarily proof that she wants that other person dead (or has hired an assassin to do the job).

True. From what we have seen, it might as well have been Izembaro who hired the FM, because Lady Crane insulted his work and he seems like a vain prick.

And as LC told Arya, she likes to stab cheating boyfriends and has the faces of other women mutilated for revenge. Sounds like a person, who might have made quite a few enemies in her past.

[Lord Varys]

11 hours ago, Rhollo said:

True. From what we have seen, it might as well have been Izembaro who hired the FM, because Lady Crane insulted his work and he seems like a vain prick.

And as LC told Arya, she likes to stab cheating boyfriends and has the faces of other women mutilated for revenge. Sounds like a person, who might have made quite a few enemies in her past.

Yeah, that is part of that glaring hole. Not to mention the point I forgot:

3. Why the hell doesn't Evil Actress poison Good Actress herself? She has access to her victim just as Arya does (or rather doesn't, considering that she has to sneak around), and slipping poison in somebody's drink isn't exactly a thing you need an expensive professional for.

You hire the Faceless Men if you have no other choice. And you have to sacrifice something/pay quite a lot. Insurance guy apparently became a target because a wife/family member of one of the guys he messed with gave everything/nearly everything she had to the House of Black and White. That's how things work with them.

But Evil Actress doesn't seem to have done such a thing, suggesting that this is a complete show invention.

[darndes]

I'm hoping she finds Nymeria and heads North.  Maybe running into the Hound and BWB along the way?  I'd be good with that!

[Winter's Cold]

16 hours ago, GravyFace said:

What D&D said in the 'inside the episode" thing was a bit disturbing. That we've seen her "descend" into a pretty dark place, she's basically a highly skilled assassin. Is there any way for her to come back from that descent? I don't see her ever reaching a point where she finds happiness and can settle down.

Her decision to not kill the actress shows that she's still a nice person at heart.

[The Dew]

Cersei was an outcast, well before the Sept Fireworks, Marge was playing the game in and out (Cersei was walking in filth, faeces, in a wardrobe malfunction, down the green mile of egoism, not Marge), and she also took her Tommen and played him as she wanted (no bedding after Marge was atoned, even the High Sparrow was concerned with the matter and talked to Marge to do her duty. I am no psychiatrist, but when you think of blowing up the Sept you have already lost and simultaneously lost it. Now, do you think that Cersei needs to be removed by a younger and more beautiful Queen, other than Marge, like Daenerys? Perhaps, this may be the case, but we are forgetting Arya. Arya promised a name to the Many-faced God, and now that she is a FM, she can proceed with the deed. Dany can keep Jamie to torment, for her Daddy's death and she will have to have some revenge, but actually Tyrion will hold her back. They all rub it in her face on how Crazy  Aerys was and his deeds, therefore not much from this perspective. 

Arya will be doing serious business in the South imho, and when she is done she will travel North. Her uncle Edmure the Broken needs to be taught a lesson as well, death would be a luxury for him, but in all earnest Edmure will be in Gendry's boat bound for Port Neverland. Nymeria is also on the loose, so they may bump into each other. The BwB appears to be in close proximity, so she can join them under a different face and travel North with the BwB. She may even visit Oldtown and the Citadel, for obvious reasons. 

Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. He did not appear to be a happy camper! No well wishes for her Majesty, Queen Cersei, First of Her Name. As there are going to be more seasons, Cersei will survive (unless they want to get rid of her contract soon). They way things are going Cersei is ready to side with the WW, and who knows, when the infamous Valonqar chokes her to death, she may wake up as a Wight, consort to the NK, as the new Night's Queen. We will definitely see how it goes.

[Dragonslack]

Arya is now Deus Ex Machina to use when DD require it.

I thought the same when sansa said no one lol.

[mafro987daboss]

On 29/06/2016 at 0:28 AM, Sigrid said:

It's just like bringing Natalie Tena back just to get stabbed in the neck?

(Off topic but oh well)

Are you honestly condoning that poor writing just bringing her back to die without any further characterisation? Melisandre is a more complex character than Osha, and has had a far greater effect on the Westeros landscape. And this is Carice van Houten- who they invited to audition for Cersei. I highly doubt they'd just kill her off straight after meeting Arya.

Bare in mind that this discussion is assuming Arya meets Mel early next season- if Arya kill her later or in season 8 it would feel more merited.

[Cron]

I predict Arya will now head north, join forces with Aejon, and hang out with the Little Bear.

[no_one_...]

The problem I have w/Arya assuming this role is that it completely makes her character evil. She didn't just look for justice in killing the Freys. She fed the sons to their father. She maybe "lawful evil" in the sense she has a morality, but she crossed a line that she can't come back from. They destroyed her character w/this scene. The whole point of the play and actress was her discovering empathy for her enemies, saving her from becoming the monster she was in this episode. If it had been consistent with what folks mentioned regarding her corpse of her Mom the books, it makes sense b/c it's been mentioned she came back w/ less than human (in terms of soul).

While I still enjoy the show my biggest issue of this season is they seem to be adjusting character arcs to fit plots rather than finding a way to meld them.

For example:

1. Tyrion goes from emotionally devastated after last season, but now is a border line court jester. Not just the pseudo comedy hours, but also lack of intelligence on the Masters after Mr V finds out they've been behind the Harpies.

2. Sansa w/holds information from Jon Snow for no reason. She reverts to acting like a petulant child: I'll send my only Queens guard away w/o consulting anyone and then whine "you don't listen to me though I have nothing constructive to add" (though I am failing to mention Vale army may be coming). I'm an entitled child and all the North will bow and serve me b/c "the North remembers", and I'll belittle those who have little but offer their all. I give more weight to a liar who betrayed my farther the Ls who murdered 1/2 my family, the same liar who married me off to a sadist b/c he says I'm special ...
A complete change to her character after parting ways w/Theon.

3. Jammie L., who knows what his character really is the only reveals came while he was w/Brienne season's ago. Aside, he rambles on about why he loves C so much, but they've never evoked love to one another. It's just been odd b/c they play it more like siblings even when they've been alone.

4. Yara agrees w/in a 1 minute conversation to walk away from the culture she's held to her heart for her entire life b/c her uncle wants her dead? A culture who's words begin w/ "that's what dead never dies, but ...". Fear of death makes no sense to give up your culture.

[JMJ]

Two disparate issues with show vs. book Arya I've had, besides the missteps the show has taken with her storyline. By deduction, it would seem that Arya's warging abilities in the books in the end are not consequential, as they've basically cut that out of the show. I am afraid what that means is that they by extension may minimize any interaction Arya has with Nymeria. In the books by this point, Arya can warg or at least see visions through Nym from across the Narrow Sea. My sad prediction is that the show will just let the entity of Nymeria not come up again in the story. 

The bigger question is what will Arya's end game be? Is her role from this point forward just going to be occasional assassinations? It seems like a cheap plot device. We've all been longing for a Jon Arya reunion ever since Jon mussed Arya's hair in GOT/Season1. And what about Gendry and Arya? Everyone's pining for a reunion between those two as well. 

[Lord Friendzone]

22 hours ago, GravyFace said:

What D&D said in the 'inside the episode" thing was a bit disturbing. That we've seen her "descend" into a pretty dark place, she's basically a highly skilled assassin. Is there any way for her to come back from that descent? I don't see her ever reaching a point where she finds happiness and can settle down.

Her family could be the factor that Arya stil has a place to call home and family that loves her. Jon, Sansa, Bran. Mainly Jon and Arya relationship is what kept her sane in the books. I imagine Arya will be reunited with her family.

[Cron]

7 minutes ago, no_one_... said:

The problem I have w/Arya assuming this role is that it completely makes her character evil. She didn't just look for justice in killing the Freys. She fed the sons to their father. She maybe "lawful evil" in the sense she has a morality, but she crossed a line that she can't come back from. They destroyed her character w/this scene. The whole point of the play and actress was her discovering empathy for her enemies, saving her from becoming the monster she was in this episode. If it had been consistent with what folks mentioned regarding her corpse of her Mom the books, it makes sense b/c it's been mentioned she came back w/ less than human (in terms of soul).

While I still enjoy the show my biggest issue of this season is they seem to be adjusting character arcs to fit plots rather than finding a way to meld them.

For example:

1. Tyrion goes from emotionally devastated after last season, but now is a border line court jester. Not just the pseudo comedy hours, but also lack of intelligence on the Masters after Mr V finds out they've been behind the Harpies.

2. Sansa w/holds information from Jon Snow for no reason. She reverts to acting like a petulant child: I'll send my only Queens guard away w/o consulting anyone and then whine "you don't listen to me though I have nothing constructive to add" (though I am failing to mention Vale army may be coming). I'm an entitled child and all the North will bow and serve me b/c "the North remembers", and I'll belittle those who have little but offer their all. I give more weight to a liar who betrayed my farther the Ls who murdered 1/2 my family, the same liar who married me off to a sadist b/c he says I'm special ...
A complete change to her character after parting ways w/Theon.

3. Jammie L., who knows what his character really is the only reveals came while he was w/Brienne season's ago. Aside, he rambles on about why he loves C so much, but they've never evoked love to one another. It's just been odd b/c they play it more like siblings even when they've been alone.

4. Yara agrees w/in a 1 minute conversation to walk away from the culture she's held to her heart for her entire life b/c her uncle wants her dead? A culture who's words begin w/ "that's what dead never dies, but ...". Fear of death makes no sense to give up your culture.

Good food for thought.

(1)  I don't much disagree about Tyrion (if at all), but I'm sure he will be a lot more useful once they get back to his home turf (Westeros)

(2)  Not gonna dispute anything you say about Sansa.  Hard to say how much of this is b/c the show runners stepped off the path (big time) that GRRM laid out in the books.

(3)  jaime is good.  In my opinion, a lot of people have become confused about him b/c of his conversation with Edmure, but I strongly maintain that Jaime was bluffing.  He suckered Edmure into giving up Riverrun based on Edmure's openly professed belief that Jaime was still a monster, and in doing so Jaime kept his oath to Cat (to not make war on Starks or Tullys) AND did exactly what Brienned told him to do earlier in the same episode, he took Riverrun with no bloodshed.

(4) I didn't have a problem with what Yara did.  As they basically said, Euron has not only taken over the Pyke, but he is also actively hunting down Yara and Theon with intent to kill them.  They need sanctuary, now, their lives are at stake, and there aren't many people on the planet who can protect them from Euron.

[Sigrid]

18 hours ago, mafro987daboss said:

(Off topic but oh well)

Are you honestly condoning that poor writing just bringing her back to die without any further characterisation? Melisandre is a more complex character than Osha, and has had a far greater effect on the Westeros landscape. And this is Carice van Houten- who they invited to audition for Cersei. I highly doubt they'd just kill her off straight after meeting Arya.

Bare in mind that this discussion is assuming Arya meets Mel early next season- if Arya kill her later or in season 8 it would feel more merited.

Definitely not condoning it.  I think it would be terrible to have such an end to an important character, and I think surely there must be more to her story.  But I've thought that about a lot of characters that have bit the dust. I don't  give the writers/showrunners enough credit to say, "Oh they'd never bring an actor back for just one episode where they are suddenly killled" or "Surely they wouldn't bring this great actor on the show just to get killed immediately and/or in a ridiculous way" because they've done it.  Multiple times.  Natalie Tena, Ian McShane, Alexander Siddig, Actor who plays Roose Bolton, etc.  

We could of course argue that Melissandre's character has been more fully developed than any of those mentioned above, but I'm just saying I wouldn't put a stunt like this past them. 

[tormond]

I want to see Arya reunite with Jon. She should become his protector and when i say protector i mean even from Sansa. I want to see the sister feuding over who can better protect Jon. Maybe this is what causes Sansa to start thinking of betraying Jon, when Arya gets back to winterfell and Jon starts to give more attention to her than to Sansa. Jon and Arya were pretty close, i want to see Sansa jealous

[BeeStark]

Walder Frey's death by her hands was a bit disappointing. I was hoping Frey will suffer as much as Meryn Trant. 

 

Anyway, I think it's too soon for Arya to meet up with the other Starks, my bet is that she will meet up with the BwB and Sandor (at this point, Im not eve sure they are bringing back Gendry)

[BeeStark]

2 hours ago, tormond said:

I want to see Arya reunite with Jon. She should become his protector and when i say protector i mean even from Sansa. I want to see the sister feuding over who can better protect Jon. Maybe this is what causes Sansa to start thinking of betraying Jon, when Arya gets back to winterfell and Jon starts to give more attention to her than to Sansa. Jon and Arya were pretty close, i want to see Sansa jealous

 I think I'd like to see that.