[Book Spoilers] Arya and Sandor

[silentwanderer]

Not to mention. if Sandor is still alive, that makes him one of the few people along Gendry, Theon Greyjoy, the Brotherhood and Rickon Stark who can tell Ramsay Snow didn't marry the actual Arya Stark.

The books are going to need him, if only to destroy Bolton's claim over Winterfell.

For some reason I always thought Ramsey Bolton was just going to be put down, but him finding out he had nothing but a fake seems like a good idea as well. You got played, buddy.

He is too preocupied with Stannis and getting his Reek back to see it coming.

The books - and thus the show - can destroy his claim with only one Sandor Clegane.

[Dove]

No! Don't kill the Hound. He's my favorite. :(

I knooowww, I really like him too but oh my gosh just the idea of that scene. It could either be kind of hammy or incredibly powerful. (and I can safely say it would probably be the latter since Maisie and Rory are both quite talented.)

Like someone else said, I just can't see their travels ending the same way as the books with the weird sort of comraderie they've been building on the show. If the Hound isn't needed for anything later besides a cameo as a big 'ol gravedigger I could see them going for a tearjerker parting like that.

[Myrish Swamp Thing]

If Arya does indeed kill him, I wouldn't want it to be out of hatred. Their final scene could be a really heart wrenching one. The Hound, who is dying from his wounds, convinces Arya to give him the gift of mercy. She is reluctant, but eventually does so out of love. It would actually suit her character arc that she get attached to the Hound, but he too ends up getting taken away from her. It's a trend we've seen throughout the show and book series.

Unless George has other plans for him, this is the direction I want the show to go. At this point Arya would be left with nothing, giving her the final push to get on the boat to Braavos.

[The Killer Snark]

The thing is, though, as I've stated, along with at least one other, is it's not entirely certain whether George will or not bring him back.

[silentwanderer]

Unless George has other plans for him, this is the direction I want the show to go. At this point Arya would be left with nothing, giving her the final push to get on the boat to Braavos.

This is a good point.

I could see the old Arya leaving The Hound for dead on the books, but I can't quite picture the Arya who went through fire and Stark corpses with him doing so.

They are too close for it on the show.

[Guest]

I knooowww, I really like him too but oh my gosh just the idea of that scene. It could either be kind of hammy or incredibly powerful. (and I can safely say it would probably be the latter since Maisie and Rory are both quite talented.)

Like someone else said, I just can't see their travels ending the same way as the books with the weird sort of comraderie they've been building on the show. If the Hound isn't needed for anything later besides a cameo as a big 'ol gravedigger I could see them going for a tearjerker parting like that.

Well if they do kill him they better make it epic, either epically sad or epically awesome. Otherwise I'm going to throw a temper tantrum, LOL.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

Not to mention. if Sandor is still alive, that makes him one of the few people along Gendry, Theon Greyjoy, the Brotherhood and Rickon Stark who can tell Ramsay Snow didn't marry the actual Arya Stark.

The books are going to need him, if only to destroy Bolton's claim over Winterfell.

Nymeria doesn't count as a person, so that's true. But we've already had Manderly note that Rickon's direwolf would prove who he was, and Nymeria would do the same for Arya.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

If Arya does indeed kill him, I wouldn't want it to be out of hatred. Their final scene could be a really heart wrenching one. The Hound, who is dying from his wounds, convinces Arya to give him the gift of mercy. She is reluctant, but eventually does so out of love.

To me, that doesn't sound anything like either book or show Arya would do. Arya is messed up, and is going to be messed up for awhile. While she doesn't hate him as much as she did, she's nowhere near loving him. It was as recently as Episode 9 that an utterly implacable Arya looked at him with dead eyes and said she'd put a sword through his eyes. That is not the kind of emotion that simply reverses so quickly absent some massive emotional breakthrough, and it is way too early for that.

An Arya who let her hate go might do a lot of things, but would never join the Faceless Men. That is motivated by anger, darkness, and a desire for revenge, which seem very inconsistent with her going all soft and doing something for Sandor out of love. She has to maintain that emotional coldness to make her becoming an FM be credible, and it's that same coldness with which she'll leave a dying Sandor to suffer.

[silentwanderer]

Nymeria doesn't count as a person, so that's true. But we've already had Manderly note that Rickon's direwolf would prove who he was, and Nymeria would do the same for Arya.

All she needs to do is find her

,,,before Ramsay does.

[WhineHaus]

To me, that doesn't sound anything like either book or show Arya would do. Arya is messed up, and is going to be messed up for awhile. While she doesn't hate him as much as she did, she's nowhere near loving him. It was as recently as Episode 9 that an utterly implacable Arya looked at him with dead eyes and said she'd put a sword through his eyes. That is not the kind of emotion that simply reverses so quickly absent some massive emotional breakthrough, and it is way too early for that.

Perhaps 'love' was too strong of a word? I think you're right, and Arya even continues to list the Hound during her death prayer (in the book) after the Red Wedding. However, if such a scenario played out, I would gladly accept the change. It would serve to reinforce Arya's relationship with loss, and it would offer the Hound a very operatic ending that'd be pure candy for the screen.

Also, I'm not sure that Arya would let her hate go in a situation like this, it'd just be directed elsewhere. She would still go to Braavos, because she has nowhere else to go. If we remember, she didn't board the ship with the sole intention of joining the Faceless Men. To me, it was more an act of desperation than one of intent, because she simply was at the end of her rope of sorts. Plus, as the Kindly Man says, people come to the House of Black and White for many reasons, hatred just being one of them.

[Talvivaara]

I think Arya and Sandor had a very interesting dynamic in the show. Their scenes in this episode were a joy to watch.

[silentwanderer]

I think Arya and Sandor had a very interesting dynamic in the show. Their scenes in this episode were a joy to watch.

Personally, I feel their dynamic is far more rich and complex on the show than it ever was on the books.

[Aerys Blackfyre]

The Hound and Arya need a spin off show

that'll be awesome!

[Le Cygne]

Also, I don't remember what happens in the book, but when the Hound asks for Mercy, I want Arya to say with tears in her eyes "Not Today"

Ooooh, I like that.

[Altherion]

To me, that doesn't sound anything like either book or show Arya would do. Arya is messed up, and is going to be messed up for awhile. While she doesn't hate him as much as she did, she's nowhere near loving him. It was as recently as Episode 9 that an utterly implacable Arya looked at him with dead eyes and said she'd put a sword through his eyes. That is not the kind of emotion that simply reverses so quickly absent some massive emotional breakthrough, and it is way too early for that.

An Arya who let her hate go might do a lot of things, but would never join the Faceless Men. That is motivated by anger, darkness, and a desire for revenge, which seem very inconsistent with her going all soft and doing something for Sandor out of love. She has to maintain that emotional coldness to make her becoming an FM be credible, and it's that same coldness with which she'll leave a dying Sandor to suffer.

I need to reread that scene, but I don't think she coldly left him to suffer. Their relationship is complex and mirrors their sigils. Sandor is a large dog who abducts (and then more or less adopts) a fierce and dangerous wolfling. She initially hates him and still isn't too fond of him by the end, but there aren't many creatures closer to a wolf than a dog and he's the only father figure she has had since the end of the first book. Thus, when he is injured, she does her best to treat his wounds (probably saving his life as he would not have lasted long enough for help to arrive without this). It's only after it becomes clear she cannot help him that she leaves.

I hope they leave that scene as it is because it is much more powerful than having her kill him. She prays for his death during much of the story and, well -- there it is, served up to her on a silver platter. She has every reason to kill him: she gets her revenge (I believe he even reminds her of this), it's the rational thing to do (she later thinks that had she killed him, she could have taken his money) and he's even asking for it. Despite all of this, she can't do it and runs away leaving the Hound to the Gods and proving that while she's one seriously messed up little girl, she is not quite a full-fledged psychopath.

[silentwanderer]

I need to reread that scene, but I don't think she coldly left him to suffer. Their relationship is complex and mirrors their sigils. Sandor is a large dog who abducts (and then more or less adopts) a fierce and dangerous wolfling. .

I think they do love each other on the show, as much as two characters as damaged as them could love, at this point.

He can't tame her any more than a dog could domesticate a wolf, but Arya can't untame him any more than a wolf could turn a dog savage.

All they can do is pack together and hope for the best.,

[Queen Elsa]

Watching The Hound killing the rest of the Frey men while Arya is busy stabbing one, I had a thought that he is Nymeria's proxy while the badass wolf is not around. The lone wolf and the lost hound.

[Moët]

Hell no. They better not kill off Sandor. He's still alive in the books as far as I'm concerned (nobody tell me anything different!).

Of course he's still alive! "The Hound is dead." "Sandor is at peace."

Their time with each other changes them both profoundly.

[Moët]

didn't see, didn't care, I read the books;)

I referred to someone pointing out the possibility that d&d might kill of Sandor instead of

leaving the possibility he survived (grave digger), just like they did with jeyne-equivalent Talisa.

Therefore the term backward-bookspoiler; the series (apparently) terminates branches of the

story that are yet to be continued in the books.

FWIW, I totally understood what you meant. :)

[Moët]

Depending on whether or not GRRM decides to re-introduce Sandor in later books, they could plausibly kill him in the show. I could see it going either way: Arya give him the gift of mercy, or she leaves him for dead.

If Arya does indeed kill him, I wouldn't want it to be out of hatred. Their final scene could be a really heart wrenching one. The Hound, who is dying from his wounds, convinces Arya to give him the gift of mercy. She is reluctant, but eventually does so out of love. It would actually suit her character arc that she get attached to the Hound, but he too ends up getting taken away from her. It's a trend we've seen throughout the show and book series.

If Arya doesn't kill Sandor, I'll be pretty excited. That'd ignite my hopes for the return of the Hound, or a Sandor/Arya reunion. Then again, she's not so good at reuniting with people...

I don't think she'll kill him, mostly because I think there's no way he's not going to resurface in the books in a noticeable way. In fact GRRM has set up his character as possibly one of the most transformational, and I feel it would be a shame to waste that.

She will leave him, only because she has to to survive, and will feel as if he's just another adult who has let her down by dying. She'll leave angry both at herself (frustrated she couldn't heal/save him), and at him for dying on her.

It will be another lesson in not allowing herself to grow too attached to yet another replacement father figure. It helps her grow into the detachment needed to become a FM.

And there is so much epic lupine wisdom on this thread!! Bravo.