Arya Scene

[LatrineDiggerBrian]

I’m going to try and explain why I’m so upset over the Arya scene and in general the fall of this show since last season.

I used to love this show because it always kept me guessing. It always made me wonder: what’s going to happen next or what’s going on here? Take the cold open to S5 for example with young Cersei and her friend. We’re just thrown into that and wondering what the hell is this? And who is that old witch? And after a while we realize it’s young Cersei being told the horrible prophecy of her life.

With the Arya scene, I was confused for about half a second when I saw Walder Frey. After that I knew it was Arya, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what was about to happen. On top of that, it was all spelled out in a convoluted and over expository rant by Lord Walder Arya, even making an obvious reference to the poison that was about to be used. And Arya gets her revenge, but it’s all so obvious and predictable. It feels extremely empty and solely there for the sake of fan service or because the writers couldn’t think of anything better to open with.

To make matters worse, we were never told how Arya acquired the magic to mimic someone’s voice or truly become someone else outside of putting on a mask that she cut off someone’s face. D & D majorly dropped the ball to the end of the House of B & W storyline.

Any hopes I could’ve had that the series would rebound after a poor showing in S6 were dashed immediately and though the ensuing episode wasn’t nearly as bad as the opening scene, it still was very empty with nothing at all interesting going on.

[Meg22]

Arya acquired the ability to be someone else when she passed the test Jaquen H'ghar set for her. Just before she left he told her she was no one.

[Grandmaester Flash]

You were determined to be disappointed, whatever happened.

As for the magic, we've seen glamour used before. Even in the book, where Melisandre uses a glamour re Mance Rayder. It's not explained in detail, nor does it need to be.

[LatrineDiggerBrian]

You were determined to be disappointed, whatever happened.

As for the magic, we've seen glamour used before. Even in the book, where Melisandre uses a glamour re Mance Rayder. It's not explained in detail, nor does it need to be.

Not really, I gave substantial evidence as to why the scene fell flat to me. What's your evidence as to why it's good?

And I'll add another reason: we already covered Arya's revenge on the Freys last season, so we're kicking off a new season where a lot of new stuff is supposed to be happening and it just feels like we're covering ground that's already been covered just babies who are still butt hurt over the Red Wedding. It was a very boring / not interesting scene.

[Not Littlefinger]

I’m going to try and explain why I’m so upset over the Arya scene and in general the fall of this show since last season.

I used to love this show because it always kept me guessing. It always made me wonder: what’s going to happen next or what’s going on here? Take the cold open to S5 for example with young Cersei and her friend. We’re just thrown into that and wondering what the hell is this? And who is that old witch? And after a while we realize it’s young Cersei being told the horrible prophecy of her life.

With the Arya scene, I was confused for about half a second when I saw Walder Frey. After that I knew it was Arya, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what was about to happen. On top of that, it was all spelled out in a convoluted and over expository rant by Lord Walder Arya, even making an obvious reference to the poison that was about to be used. And Arya gets her revenge, but it’s all so obvious and predictable. It feels extremely empty and solely there for the sake of fan service or because the writers couldn’t think of anything better to open with.

To make matters worse, we were never told how Arya acquired the magic to mimic someone’s voice or truly become someone else outside of putting on a mask that she cut off someone’s face. D & D majorly dropped the ball to the end of the House of B & W storyline.

Any hopes I could’ve had that the series would rebound after a poor showing in S6 were dashed immediately and though the ensuing episode wasn’t nearly as bad as the opening scene, it still was very empty with nothing at all interesting going on.

1. You weren't supposed to be surprised. "Oh look, Walder sewed his throat back together and is holding a feast to celebrate!" You were supposed to figure it out, there were many hints in his mannerisms.

2. The point of the rant is that you figure out what's going on and you see the attitude of the crowd shift from celebration to confusion. It's exposition, not a climax.

3. It is implied that your voice matches the face you are wearing. Arya did in in S6E10. Jaquen and The Waif have done it as well. Yes, the dropped the ball on that storyline. But that part holds consistent.

4. And to the point you added later: The point of the scene was to "set the mood" for the season, in my opinion. Her line "Tell them that winter came for house Frey" is the sum of the scene and presumably a foreshadow for the season. That's why it was a cold open, not with the rest of the episode. I will give you this: I would have also felt that it was redundant/pointless had it not been a cold open.

[Grandmaester Flash]

You were determined to be disappointed, whatever happened.

As for the magic, we've seen glamour used before. Even in the book, where Melisandre uses a glamour re Mance Rayder. It's not explained in detail, nor does it need to be.

Not really, I gave substantial evidence as to why the scene fell flat to me. What's your evidence as to why it's good?

And I'll add another reason: we already covered Arya's revenge on the Freys last season, so we're kicking off a new season where a lot of new stuff is supposed to be happening and it just feels like we're covering ground that's already been covered just babies who are still butt hurt over the Red Wedding. It was a very boring / not interesting scene.

I don't know why you quoted my post, because your response does not address anything I said.

[Tensor the Mage]

Thanks to the admirable work done by our gracious hosts here at Watchers on the Wall, I was able to participate in many off-season dialogs and yet remain UnSpoiled. My reward arrived with the first minute of the new season.

At the cold open, my spouse and I first wondered if we were seeing a flashback to the Red Wedding, perhaps in a vision of Bran's, but there were no Starks visible in the hall. We then noticed Walder's child bride was the same as last year. Once we saw women and only women serving wine to men and only men, we knew the wine was poisoned. At that moment, we recalled that Walder had died at the hands of someone who could take his face and impersonate him, and we were almost giddy watching the scene play. The jeering, sarcastic speech by "Walder", praising the Freys for their greed, stupidity, cowardice, and violation of guest right, had us smiling as well. Arya's use of old Walder's blatant sexism to save his wife really did it for us. In an episode filled with great scenes, this one got us off to a perfect start.

[Raeslewolhn]

I’m going to try and explain why I’m so upset over the Arya scene and in general the fall of this show since last season.

I used to love this show because it always kept me guessing. It always made me wonder: what’s going to happen next or what’s going on here? Take the cold open to S5 for example with young Cersei and her friend. We’re just thrown into that and wondering what the hell is this? And who is that old witch? And after a while we realize it’s young Cersei being told the horrible prophecy of her life.

With the Arya scene, I was confused for about half a second when I saw Walder Frey. After that I knew it was Arya, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what was about to happen. On top of that, it was all spelled out in a convoluted and over expository rant by Lord Walder Arya, even making an obvious reference to the poison that was about to be used. And Arya gets her revenge, but it’s all so obvious and predictable. It feels extremely empty and solely there for the sake of fan service or because the writers couldn’t think of anything better to open with.

To make matters worse, we were never told how Arya acquired the magic to mimic someone’s voice or truly become someone else outside of putting on a mask that she cut off someone’s face. D & D majorly dropped the ball to the end of the House of B & W storyline.

Any hopes I could’ve had that the series would rebound after a poor showing in S6 were dashed immediately and though the ensuing episode wasn’t nearly as bad as the opening scene, it still was very empty with nothing at all interesting going on.

1. You weren't supposed to be surprised. "Oh look, Walder sewed his throat back together and is holding a feast to celebrate!" You were supposed to figure it out, there were many hints in his mannerisms.

2. The point of the rant is that you figure out what's going on and you see the attitude of the crowd shift from celebration to confusion. It's exposition, not a climax.

3. It is implied that your voice matches the face you are wearing. Arya did in in S6E10. Jaquen and The Waif have done it as well. Yes, the dropped the ball on that storyline. But that part holds consistent.

4. And to the point you added later: The point of the scene was to "set the mood" for the season, in my opinion. Her line "Tell them that winter came for house Frey" is the sum of the scene and presumably a foreshadow for the season. That's why it was a cold open, not with the rest of the episode. I will give you this: I would have also felt that it was redundant/pointless had it not been a cold open.

This. Def agree on all 4.

Also the mystery of the faceless method is a curiosity they give you, a mystery like you like.

Also, it was trying up loose ends. I agree, had to be the first scene. It shows the extent of Arya's vengeance. Not just Walder but every Frey man. It also shows she didn't target the innocent, their servent wives.

[Wimsey]

3. It is implied that your voice matches the face you are wearing. Arya did in in S6E10. Jaquen and The Waif have done it as well. Yes, the dropped the ball on that storyline. But that part holds consistent.

It also is a trivial plot point. Showing Arya learn that as she learned the whole faces trick would have been lousy storytelling. Indeed, there simply is no reason to not assume that (as people here have posted) the voice comes with the face. After all, it's some sort of magic.

Complaints like this are not missing the forest for the trees, they are missing the forest for the lichen growing on the trees.....

Also, it was trying up loose ends. I agree, had to be the first scene. It shows the extent of Arya's vengeance. Not just Walder but every Frey man. It also shows she didn't target the innocent, their servent wives.

It's also a bit of a gun-hanging. We see what Arya can do. Yes, we saw it last year: but that was last year. The viewers have been doing a lot since then, and, let's face it: most of us have had much more important things than Game of Thrones or any other TV show.

As you note, the fact that Arya spares the servants and even Lady Frey the 17th is also very telling: she's gained a lot of power, but she has not lost her humanity. We got a bit more of that with her interacting with the Lannister troops. This little reminder that Arya is still fairly egalitarian in her world view almost certainly is going to be big in the story later.

[Raeslewolhn]

It's also a bit of a gun-hanging. We see what Arya can do. Yes, we saw it last year: but that was last year. The viewers have been doing a lot since then, and, let's face it: most of us have had much more important things than Game of Thrones or any other TV show.

This. It sets her up for S7. Just like Bran's scene had to show his powers even tho we know (that scene isn't perfect of course, but not my pt). And Lady Mormont had to do another empowerment schpiel before she disagree with Jon the next time. It's character display and anchoring for the rest of the season.

Lady Frey the 17th

Hahaha is she really? I thought like 5th