[Book Spoilers] So, did Littlefinger recognize Arya at Harrenhal?

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

What would be the point of him hardcore inspecting Tywin Lannister's cupbearer if he didn't think she was familiar. We're talking about a cupbearer. Of course he recognizes her, or at least suspects it's her. It just doesn't serve his purpose to go OMG TYWIN LOOK ITS ARYA LOL WE GOT HER. If he needs the real Arya for his own purposes he keeps it to himself.

[Arya rules]

I posted this in another thread, but I asked George personally about this 2 weeks ago at the premier, and he said neither Tywin nor Littlefinger recognized Arya. I am certain there is more to it but he was adamant that she wasn't recognized.

[Moët]

I posted this in another thread, but I asked George personally about this 2 weeks ago at the premier, and he said neither Tywin nor Littlefinger recognized Arya. I am certain there is more to it but he was adamant that she wasn't recognized.

Yay. Thank you.

It doesn't make much sense otherwise. If LF was going to use her, she's be in his possession. Period. LF isn't sloppy.

If Tywin knew who she was, she'd be in KL right now, and all of KL would be in the black cells, including his family, for allowing her to escape, because "THEY HAVE [HIS] SON!"

I don't think Tywin knows she's missing yet. THAT'S going to be a fun scene.

[jugdesh258]

Lf is not where he is today by overlooking such things.

There are few perfect characters in this world. We already know that this guy is a pencil neck and caught a beating from Brandon Stark over a woman so he is not perfectly self controlled in all his actions. It would appear that he is beginning to do the same thing oogleing Sansa and that perhaps somewhere in the mix his plotting will lead to his undoing at some point. Like Carl Rove on Fox election night, the reality of the situation can take a backseat to his end game fantasies

[polarbear]

we saw Littlefinger do a triple take at seeing Arya in Harrenhal. He even deliberately brought up Catelyn and her daughters in conversation with Tywin.

Now he tells Sansa that he saw Arya alive. How much more clarification do we need? If the writers want to suggest that LF is lying, they are doing a poor job of it. Why would they even send LF to Harrenhall in the first place if not for the sole purpose of recognizing Arya? There is no other reason for that scene to be there.

[Mulled Wino]

There are few perfect characters in this world. We already know that this guy is a pencil neck and caught a beating from Brandon Stark over a woman so he is not perfectly self controlled in all his actions. It would appear that he is beginning to do the same thing oogleing Sansa and that perhaps somewhere in the mix his plotting will lead to his undoing at some point. Like Carl Rove on Fox election night, the reality of the situation can take a backseat to his end game fantasies

He lost to Brandon so he's a pencil-neck?

Really we already know he's one of the most cunning characters in GoT. He doesnt forget the details and end up where he is. Your post is a reach if anything's a reach. He's on the small council while Brandon and Ned are dead.

Fighting Brandon over Cat has zero to do with whether or not he would recognize Arya in this situation.

[Arya rules]

we saw Littlefinger do a triple take at seeing Arya in Harrenhal. He even deliberately brought up Catelyn and her daughters in conversation with Tywin.

Now he tells Sansa that he saw Arya alive. How much more clarification do we need? If the writers want to suggest that LF is lying, they are doing a poor job of it. Why would they even send LF to Harrenhall in the first place if not for the sole purpose of recognizing Arya? There is no other reason for that scene to be there.

I agree completely, but talking to GRRM about this was like saying to God "Are you sure the whole flood thing was a good idea".

[Dragon Doll]

I agree that he may have recognized her, maybe even suspected. But knowledge is power, he wouldn't want Tywin to know.

And its not Arya he wants, its Sansa. Why would he risk everything to get the wrong sister? Weather he lied or told the truth, it was only to manipulate Sansa to his goals.

[Moët]

I agree completely, but talking to GRRM about this was like saying to God "Are you sure the whole flood thing was a good idea".

I think I may be the only person reading your posts.

[idler]

- For some reason, nobody ever informed Tywin that Arya Stark is missing.

Ep 6:

LF: On your son Tyrion's directive I met with Catlyn Stark

TL: Why?

LF: He had an interesting proposal for her - concerning her daughters

- Littlefinger knows Arya quite well. For example, on the first day of the Tourney of the Hand, she asked him why he was called "Littlefinger", and he told her. At a distance of half a yard! He also noticed her overhearing of his telling the story of The Hound to Sansa. He sat right next to Sansa and Arya the whole day.

- Arya knows that he will identify her, hence the shocked look when Lord Petyr Baelish was announced.

- Littlefinger was ordered to find Arya by Queen Cersei in a most impressive way. Remember the "power is power" - scene?, He makes damn sure she knows that she is identified by trying several times to look directly into her face. Tywin doesn't comment the strange behavior of his guest - he might know that Baelish likes little girls.

- Yet Littlefinger outright lies to Tywin telling him Tyrion had an interesting proposal for Catlyn concerning her daughters. Tyrion's proposal couldn't have included Arya, cause when LF left the capital, it was already clear that Arya wasn't available at all.

- I think LF is preparing his next change of sides - and running a high risk at that. What if somebody tells Tywin: "Oh, we lost that Stark girl, but LF was supposed to find her!" Tywin will remember Baelish's lie, even without figuring out who his cupbearer was.

- Even after the battle of Blackwater, no one dares to inform Tywin of Arya's missing. Otherwise, Petyr Baelish wouldn't get the Lordship of Harrenhal, but a fast beheading. Littlefinger has a pressing need to leave the city, with or without Sansa Stark! :read:

Edited for spelling

[Maxthestig]

Here is our views on this weeks episode.

I loved when Littlefinger told us that he recognized Arya.

That is why he is one of the best characters, he just fools you over and over telling us little bits of information.

Eluding of his plans and plots.... Love it

Although he could be telling a lie hahaha

[boojam]

First I have to say that I'm a little disappointed that we never got Tywin's reaction when we learns that Cersei doesn't have Arya, they even made it a topic of few conversations in season 2.

But more to the topic, Littlefinger tells Sansa what could be understood as I saw your sister or your sister is eager to see you. Either way he is telling Arya is alive.

So did he recognize Arya at Harrenhal or is he feeding Sansa with lies, maybe setting foundations for fake Arya plot?

For now I think it's more likely that he is lying (fewer potholes), but I really hope they make it clear in next episodes. What do you think?

The better question is did Twyin deduce who she was?

It could be he did. Since the scene is not in the book, and he knew that KL had Sansa and she was a good enough bargaining chip for Jamie he had other ideas.

Could be he knew that Jamie was indeed on his way back to KL?

I am very curious this season how Twyin reacts and what he has to say, if it is reveled.

[jugdesh258]

He lost to Brandon so he's a pencil-neck?

Really we already know he's one of the most cunning characters in GoT. He doesnt forget the details and end up where he is. Your post is a reach if anything's a reach. He's on the small council while Brandon and Ned are dead.

Fighting Brandon over Cat has zero to do with whether or not he would recognize Arya in this situation.

Sorry if you think I am mocking your favorite character. It is the recounting of the story in the book that suggests that Littlefinger was in fact foolish for taking on such a strapping young lad as Brandon Stark...not me. Characters in the book mock him behind his back regardless of his accomplishments. The scar is his reminder

All the characters in the book have flaws.... they either overcome them or are consumed by them. I am just voting that Littlefinger is headed for a crash. Hard to say with GRRM. If Littlefinger had that attention to detail he might be able to avoid it

[Elba the Intoner]

Of course Littlefinger was lying. How can you tell? Because his lips were moving and words were coming out of his mouth. If he had recognized her he would have made use of that somehow. And as for the arguments that if he didn't recognize Arya then that scene with him taking little looks at her would just be silly and have no purpose - Bingo! That, as well as the chase by Amory Lorch later on in that same episode, was a poorly written scene that turned Arya's stay in Harenhall, which should have been dangerous, into a joke. See Ran's analysis of that episode here.

[Sun]

I remember seeing recognition on Aidan Gillen's face in his Harrenhal scene with Arya. I thought last year that he had recognized her but chose to not to inform Tywin for some reason. I suppose from the show writer's point of view, that scene could be read as the first inkling the viewers get of LittleFinger's true agenda, as a man ultimately working for himself not the Lannisters.

[Lux Umbar]

Well, kind of too bad about the definitive answer from GRRM. I was kind of enjoying the speculation.

But as I was speculating, it finally struck me that not recognizing Arya - or not being capable of doing anything immediately with that knowledge, whether Tywin also recognized her or not - was far more in keeping with the story arc of the books. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the books to this point, LF has not actually seen Arya anywhere after she's left KL. So any motives he might have in the series for "filing away" that tidbit of info for later consumption don't strike me as going anywhere.

[WiDMNDBAMMD]

Can anybody remember when LF saw Arya or spoke to her in the previous 2 seasons?

He saw her in Harrenhall in season 2 and spoke to her at the Hand's tourney when the Moutain kills the new knight from the Vale in season one. Also it appears that Arya "might" have listened to the Hound burned face story but who knows.

- Yet Littlefinger outright lies to Tywin telling him Tyrion had an interesting proposal for Catlyn concerning her daughters. Tyrion's proposal couldn't have included Arya, cause when LF left the capital, it was already clear that Arya wasn't available at all.

It didn't matter, they offered her both daughters even if they didn't have them both. They hope that she will turn up but as more time goes by more and more people conclude she must be dead.

- I think LF is preparing his next change of sides - and running a high risk at that. What if somebody tells Tywin: "Oh, we lost that Stark girl, but LF was supposed to find her!" Tywin will remember Baelish's lie, even without figuring out who his cupbearer was.

- Even after the battle of Blackwater, no one dares to inform Tywin of Arya's missing. Otherwise, Petyr Baelish wouldn't get the Lordship of Harrenhal, but a fast beheading. Littlefinger has a pressing need to leave the city, with or without Sansa Stark! :read:

Edited for spelling

I think you're taking it a little too far, LF knows Arya is missing but it doesn't change the fact that Tyrion offers Jaime Lannister for both the Stark girls.

If Tywin brings it up LF just has to say that the deal was made for both girls even though they don't have both of them.

The better question is did Twyin deduce who she was?

It could be he did. Since the scene is not in the book, and he knew that KL had Sansa and she was a good enough bargaining chip for Jamie he had other ideas.

Could be he knew that Jamie was indeed on his way back to KL?

I am very curious this season how Twyin reacts and what he has to say, if it is reveled.

There's no way Tywin deduced who she was. Tywin would've taken her with him to KL when he left Harrenhall. She's too valuable of a hostage to leave there.

[Wong Chia Chi]

I would like to think Littlefinger recognised Arya, because it would be stupid for someone as perceptive as he's presented to be, NOT to. But.... at the same time it could just as easily have been a red herring put in by the writers to jerk viewer around and create cheap suspense. That whole arc was used for that purpose it seemed, for the most part.

I think he's probably lying, this is TV Littlefinger after all, who has no subtlety at all compared to book Littlefinger.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. :dunno:

[Gendels Children]

Agreed. Unless the shows adds in some new storyline, I'm sticking with Littlefinger bullshitting.

yeah, what he said could easily have been misread, you could see it as his simply stating that Arya was also meantioned when talking to Cat, letting Sansa deduct what ever she wanted from that. when she says Aryas alive? he makes to attempt to asure her or correct her. i think that LF thinks he may have seen her but not sure.

[aWildlingontheIronThrone]

Littlefinger TOTALLY recognized Arya. Lies just as easily sufficed for his purposes. Leaving her to whatever doom in the wilderness suits him fine. He has so little to gain by 'outing her' to Tywin & feeling like "I know something YOU don't know" might really float his boat??? :dunno: