What is Littlefinger's plan

[ssls6]

His actions so far this season seem disjointed.  I can understand his quiet moments with Sansa trying to keep his "Master of Schemes" persona alive and to reinforce that she needs him but he tipped his hand with Jon and now has interacted with Bran.   If giving Bran a gift was his attempt to warm Sanaa's heart then like Jon, he miscalculated the person badly.  The LF I know would have gathered better intel before making that foolish move. 

 

Whatever LF plans are, did Bran put him on notice?  If so, what is LF's next move?

[Adam Targaryen]

Well yeah, I've been thinking about this as well. To me it seems like he hasn't got a chance trying to manipulate the Stark children, the slightest cause for suspicion and they'd be on him. Sansa's already suspicious and doesn't seem thrilled about having him there. It was obvious that he wanted to create a rift between her and Jon at the end of Season 6 but now I don't think that's gonna happen. Unfortunately it almost feels like there's not much time left for him to trick anyone - the political climate in which Littlefinger thrived is as good as gone now. He's betrayed the Lannisters and so he can't go back to them and soon there will only be the "good guys" left. None of them (or at least very few) would trust him and soon there won't even be any scheming left because all of Westeros will have to fight the Others. In a world of honourable people who only care about surviving and who have gotten to know the schemeing villains and their ways over and over again during these last couple of years - and defeated them - there won't be any place for lies. Daenerys will get a glimpse of glory and a hollow title as Queen of the Ashes before everyone has to go North to save humanity, and then the game of thrones is sadly at an end. I'm very sad to have to say this, but realistically, he will try to do something big the next episode or the one thereafter, after which the Stark children (most likely Arya) will kill him. There are going to be a lot of huge deaths near the end of this season, I fear, and Littlefinger will have to go. I love him and I will surely miss him.

[Lurid Jester]

Whatever his plans were, they've been hijacked by some confused writing at this point. It seems like we see the same looped footage of him giving his creeper gaze to Sansa in every episode. 

[Gaz0680]

2 hours ago, Lurid Jester said:

Whatever his plans were, they've been hijacked by some confused writing at this point. It seems like we see the same looped footage of him giving his creeper gaze to Sansa in every episode. 

Pretty much. It really feels like ShowLittlefinger ran out of moves a while ago and his presence is simply being stretched out so they can kill him off at the right time.

Sansa was already starting to resist his manipulations before and Jon was on to him before leaving Winterfell, so with just Sansa and Jon there, I think Show!Littlefinger had just about run out of moves.

Now Bran and Arya have returned, Lord Baelish is done. They just need to have Arya slice his throat and be done with it. He no longer has a relevant place in this story (he would and should if the story showrunners were telling was better crafted and more faithful to books, but it isn't).

[PetyrPunkinhead]

3 hours ago, Lurid Jester said:

Whatever his plans were, they've been hijacked by some confused writing at this point. It seems like we see the same looped footage of him giving his creeper gaze to Sansa in every episode. 

It would seem so, but Littlefinger has been full of surprises throughout the entire series. I hope that there's some big Baelish scheme cooking in the background he'll unleash this season. My guess is his big plan is to let Dany & Cersei fight at each other then swoop in with the forces of Winterfell (through Sansa and possible marriage) and the Vale to battle the last queen standing to take the Iron Throne. However, I think it's being telegraphed fairly clearly with the dagger and Arya's death stare that his days at Winterfell are numbered.

[Pile-O-Starks]

I can't figure it out, but generally the show doesn't keep people alive if they're no longer pushing the main narrative forward at all. I assume he has one more move up his sleeve, though I can't imagine what it is.

His only asset at this point is money. Perhaps the iron bank will take its payment from Cersei but decide that she's too risky to invest in further given what one dragon did to her army. In order to hire the Golden Company, she'll need money. Enter Littlefinger, who demands marriage to Cersei in return for his funds. This is my best guess.

[Rubicante]

Littlefinger's plan is to remain in Winterfell until episode 6 or 7, and then die in a "shocking moment" that will "break the internet".  I don't know if it is just me, but there are so many characters on the show now that just hang around and don't seem to do anything except deliver awkward dialogue.  The main ones that stand out to me are Littlefinger, Davos, Varys, and Brienne.  I feel like I am missing others.

 

[Pile-O-Starks]

1 minute ago, Rubicante said:

Littlefinger's plan is to remain in Winterfell until episode 6 or 7, and then die in a "shocking moment" that will "break the internet".  I don't know if it is just me, but there are so many characters on the show now that just hang around and don't seem to do anything except deliver awkward dialogue.  The main ones that stand out to me are Littlefinger, Davos, Varys, and Brienne.  I feel like I am missing others.

 

If a main character is still alive, they still have a role to play, even if it isn't clear now. While the writing on the show can be lacking, the storytelling has gotten very expedient on the last few seasons now that all the characters are basically fully developed. I believe LF and Varys will each attempt one more plot that advances the story.

Brienne will be critical in the fight against the WW.

Davos is awesome, but is a supporting character who really is just there to bear witness to all the lunacy and provide the perspective of the commoner.

Anyway, I do think it's sort of frustrating how LF is just doing nothing, but I think there will be a payoff in the end.

[Rubicante]

3 minutes ago, Pile-O-Starks said:

If a main character is still alive, they still have a role to play, even if it isn't clear now. While the writing on the show can be lacking, the storytelling has gotten very expedient on the last few seasons now that all the characters are basically fully developed. I believe LF and Varys will each attempt one more plot that advances the story.

Brienne will be critical in the fight against the WW.

Davos is awesome, but is a supporting character who really is just there to bear witness to all the lunacy and provide the perspective of the commoner.

Anyway, I do think it's sort of frustrating how LF is just doing nothing, but I think there will be a payoff in the end.

I wish I could share your optimism about something paying off for Littlefinger in the end, but I just don't see it.  Things would be completely different if he didn't arrange the ridiculously implausible marriage between Sansa and Ramsay.  Consequently, Sansa can never trust him again, which takes out any suspense of her looking to him as an advisor (and thus, him manipulating her).

As for Davos, a character that I love, without Stannis he just doesn't seem to serve a purpose.  His primary role in the show was to act as a moral compass for Stannis (not that Stannis ever really listened to him on the show).  With Stannis dead, he acts as an advisor to Jon, a character who doesn't really need a moral compass.  So now him and Jon just share lines, with occasionally some really awkward forced dialogue between Davos and Missandei.

Brienne is a brute and a terrible teacher.  She's almost like the female version of Alliser Thorne training new people at the Wall.

Varys seems useless without the Aegon plot from the books.

[Pile-O-Starks]

12 minutes ago, Rubicante said:

I wish I could share your optimism about something paying off for Littlefinger in the end, but I just don't see it.  Things would be completely different if he didn't arrange the ridiculously implausible marriage between Sansa and Ramsay.  Consequently, Sansa can never trust him again, which takes out any suspense of her looking to him as an advisor (and thus, him manipulating her).

As for Davos, a character that I love, without Stannis he just doesn't seem to serve a purpose.  His primary role in the show was to act as a moral compass for Stannis (not that Stannis ever really listened to him on the show).  With Stannis dead, he acts as an advisor to Jon, a character who doesn't really need a moral compass.  So now him and Jon just share lines, with occasionally some really awkward forced dialogue between Davos and Missandei.

Brienne is a brute and a terrible teacher.  She's almost like the female version of Alliser Thorne training new people at the Wall.

Varys seems useless without the Aegon plot from the books.

Davos - I just don't think hes ever been that critical to the overall story (on the show), so I don't mind that he's just sort of there. Jon needs somebody to talk to.

Brienne - who cares if she's a bad teacher? She's a badass with a valyrian sword. She's going to matter.

LF and Varys - we'll just see. I agree with you that they are giant wastes of screentime right now though.

[Rubicante]

9 minutes ago, Pile-O-Starks said:

Davos - I just don't think hes ever been that critical to the overall story (on the show), so I don't mind that he's just sort of there. Jon needs somebody to talk to.

Brienne - who cares if she's a bad teacher? She's a badass with a valyrian sword. She's going to matter.

LF and Varys - we'll just see. I agree with you that they are giant wastes of screentime right now though.

Although I agree Brienne is a good fighter, I just don't understand why she is such an asshole to Pod.  They could at least show her exhibiting some character growth by being a bit more patient, since they have nothing better to do with her in the meantime (aside from getting bested by the Waif...I mean Arya, in sparring match).

You are sadly correct about Davos.  In the show, he's never really been that critical because Stannis never listened to him.  Stannis was more interested in playing grab ass with Melisandre.  I think show viewers would see Davos as a better advisor if he was able to convince Stannis to not burn Gendry because "two is not three", or to go to the Wall because Stannis "had the cart before the horse". 

 

[Lockjaw of House Boltagon]

My take is that, since he can't go back to the Lannisters, he has no option but to remain firmly in the Stark side.

However, he failed epically to become Jon's new BFF/brother in law by being a total creep, Sansa's clearly fed up with him being a total creep, and in an ironic turn of events, Bran ended up creeping him out by quoting embarrassing lines from the past. 

So now his only option seems to be...Arya? As evidenced by that creepy smile/bow he gave her. But boy, is he barking up the wrong Stark. 

So I think his plan is to befriend the badass ninja assassin who already kind of hates him. 

[Gaz0680]

8 minutes ago, Rubicante said:

Although I agree Brienne is a good fighter, I just don't understand why she is such an asshole to Pod.  They could at least show her exhibiting some character growth by being a bit more patient, since they have nothing better to do with her in the meantime (aside from getting bested by the Waif...I mean Arya, in sparring match).

Is there seriously still people still subscribing to the ridiculous fanfic theory that Arya is really the Waif?

If that theory is true it would be terrible writing and ruin an entire main character arc even more than the show has done already.

Not to mention it would make NO sense with so much of what Arya has done and how she has acted since leaving Braavos (not that not making sense has ever stopped the show writers before, but still this would be worse).

 

[Deminelle]

50 minutes ago, Pile-O-Starks said:

LF and Varys - we'll just see. I agree with you that they are giant wastes of screentime right now though.

Melisandre told Varys that they both will have to die in this strange country. Varys looked shocked.

Both LF and Varys have gotten far by scheming and manipulating, they expect great riches and more power as reward for their efforts, they don't expect a bad ending for themselves. This will come though and the spectators are the ones rewarded after watching them survive this far. They both might still do some heroic last thing before they die.

Sansa earlier said she knows exactly what LF wants. Whatever LF plans to do, Sansa is one step ahead. She will outdo him in his own game.

[Rubicante]

49 minutes ago, Gaz0680 said:

Is there seriously still people still subscribing to the ridiculous fanfic theory that Arya is really the Waif?

If that theory is true it would be terrible writing and ruin an entire main character arc even more than the show has done already.

Not to mention it would make NO sense with so much of what Arya has done and how she has acted since leaving Braavos (not that not making sense has ever stopped the show writers before, but still this would be worse).

 

I was joking about Arya actually being the Waif.  I just thought the sparring with Brienne was completely absurd.  And killing all the Freys by poisoning their wine.  And finding a way to bake Frey pies and then killing Walder Frey.  And miraculously surviving being stabbed by the Waif.  And being able to escape from the Waif after being stabbed.  And being allowed to leave the House of Black and White with no consequences,

I think it would be funny if Arya was actually the Waif, but no, I don't believe she is.

[darmody]

Littlefinger, like much of the show, has been adrift since Season Five. In the first four seasons, he was one of the main driving forces behind the overarching plot. They set him up as aiming to be king, and as master manipulator, admittedly with his limits. Now he's just sorta there. 

Here's his brilliant plan for getting on the Iron Throne:

1). Start the War of the Five Kings.

2). Help the Lannisters beat Stannis, and climb the Lannister ranks.

Sidetrack--try and have sex with Cat if possible

3). Maybe part of the plot, maybe just to avenge Cat's murder: betray the Lannisters, assassinate the king, and abscond with what most people presumed was the heir to the North

4). Hook back up with the Vale lady, murder her, and take over the Vale.

Sidetrack--Creepily want to have sex with Cat's daughter. 

5). [Warning: we've arrived at Season Five] Sell Sandra to one of the most evil characters on the show for no apparent reason, for no apparent gain. 

6). Wait while Sandra gets abused, then saved by other characters in conditions he could neither control nor predict.

7). Wait for a dead man to be resurrected and cobble together an army to fight Sandra's evil husband. 

8). Magically teleport an army north to help the undead man, but don't actually talk to him. Parlay exclusively with the girl whom you gave to the evil guy and with whom you have lost all trust.

9). Win the Battle of the Bastards. 

10). ???

He's done nothing since the penultimate episode last season, and doesn't have any apparent plans now. I predict he will do something, but it will be obvious, pathetic, and ineffective. 

They should've never bothered with the Sandra/Ramsey storyline. (I'm wondering if they should've bothered with Ramsey at all.) Failing that, they should've killed Littlefinger last year, after the battle. Because he's had no moves since then. 

[Ranger Kragin]

34 minutes ago, darmody said:

 

5). [Warning: we've arrived at Season Five] Sell Sandra to one of the most evil characters on the show for no apparent reason, for no apparent gain. 

 

Somehow I've got the feeling that he managed the marriage of Sansa with Ramsay hoping that the psycho might "break" Sansa, the way he broke Theon Greyjoy.

A broken Sansa may have been lightly manipulated into believing LF acting in good faith and marrying him for protection, since she seemed not interested until that point. Perhaps he was speculating on the fact that Sansa may have asked for his help to escape Ramsay, a help he wold be offering most willingly. This would have worked on two grounds: freeing Sansa from Ramsay and Winterfell from the Bolton and elevating LF as saviour of the North. This plan did not go as expected.

There is a scene in Season 6 when Sansa confronts him with Brienne, where she asks him "Do you have any idea what he did to me?". At first LF denies and then he suggests: "Did he cut you?" -and repeat it twice- almost as confirming something he knew would happen all along (not difficult to imagine of someone who has a flayman as banner).

Just a gut feeling. 

With Bran he is just tasting the ground: he clearly wants to find out what he remembers of the night of the attack and if somehow it could be linked back to him. He ignores of course, that Bran now remembers quite a great deal.

[Deminelle]

Sansa/Ramsay marriage was a lesson for Sansa not to trust Littlefinger ever again. Made her lose naivety for good. Could the marriage arrangement have been a revenge for being let down by both mother and daughter? LF obviously knew Ramsay would hurt her.

[plastic throne]

Just now, Deminelle said:

Sansa/Ramsay marriage was a lesson for Sansa not to trust Littlefinger ever again. Made her lose naivety for good. Could the marriage arrangement have been a revenge for being let down by both mother and daughter? LF obviously knew Ramsay would hurt her.

Still that does not answer an important question, why did creepyfingers give her to the Boltons at all. What was there to gain with such action? Surely it wasn't for her to stop being naive and loosing trust with him. I am also not convinced it was to 'break' her the way Theon was, though that seems so far most logical explanation. But still dumb action, too many variables here, he's not a gambler, LF.

[Jordan La Cabra]

I've got an unfortunate feeling that some characters, like Littlefinger and Varys, have lost their importance to the story altogether.

We are very close to the end of this season already, and with one more left, which will most likely centre around the arrival of the WW and the army of the dead, there is very little time to develop characters if they are not already being developed at the moment. Littlefinger and Varys have become a parody of their former characters (before the show ran out of source material). They are following Sansa and Daenerys around, getting the odd line of sometimes incoherent dialogue here and there. During the early seasons, we'd have actually seen Littlefinger and Varys on screen in less episodes, but when they did appear, there was a reason behind it. Now they may as well be props in the background.

I've a feeling they are just being kept prominent in the scenes so that when they are inevitably killed off it will be a 'wow' moment, as if they have killed off a big character. But in reality, they've just killed off former big characters that they have no idea what to do with anymore.