Sansa's Reaction to Arya's List

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Ginevra
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:48 pm

Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:38 am

In the crypts, when Arya mentions that Joffrey had always been top of her list of people she was going to kill, Sansa laughed because who in the world is badass enough to be a kingkiller without being a trusted member of the kingsguard or king's retinue? You can't just walk up and kill a king! Especially if the king is a Lannister and you're a Stark! But when Bran reveals that Arya's list is deadly serious and that Cersei is also on her list, Sansa gets hardcore serious.

I've seen many comments interpreting Sansa's reactions to Arya as jealousy, but I don't see that at all at either the weirwood for the Cersei revelation or with Arya in the courtyard besting Brienne. At the weirwood, I see shock, surprise, and delight in Sansa's eyes. Just look at this face when she immediately asks Arya, "Who else is on your list?"

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See that smirk? Delight. Sansa is pleased that Arya would place Sansa's primary abusers at the top of her kill list and is completely intrigued by the possibility that Arya might have the skills to actually pull off kingslaying and queenslaying, which would make Arya one of the best killers in the land. Those wheels are turning!

When Sansa stumbles across an opportunity to see if Arya is indeed as good as the best-known swordswoman in the land, she stops mid-sentence! And stares and stares.

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Awe. Wonder. Sansa is mesmerized by what she sees. At the end of the fight, we cut to Sansa again.

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Even here, I'm just not seeing jealousy. I'm seeing intense contemplation. What can a sister like that do? Can she kill Cersei? Will she?

Right after this, she does turn a disgusted look towards Littlefinger - and really, who wouldn't look at him that way - but the disgust isn't toward Arya.

My theory, after this episode, is that Sansa will send Arya and Brienne south to King's Landing to kill Cersei and Jaime, partially fulfilling the role of Lady Stoneheart.

Sansa is one to be jealous. She's excruciatingly jealous of the King in the North because he is king. But she isn't jealous of Brienne's attention, Bran's gift of a weapon, or Arya's badass warrior abilities because that's not what Sansa covets. Sansa covets power and prestige, not badassery. She'd love to use badassery, though, to her own ends of power and prestige.

Or at least that's my take. What is yours?

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evenwind
Posts: 88
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:07 pm

Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:51 am

(I posted this as a comment in the Unsullied Recap but I figured I'd re-post here:)

My take on Sansa’s reaction when she was watching Arya spar: Sansa first heard of Arya’s list in the crypt, before she knew anything about Arya’s evolution. She might’ve dismissed it as a kid’s fantasy. Later, when Bran mentions the list, Sansa realizes that there’s more to it and asks for more info. Arya replies that most of the people on it are dead anyway but doesn’t go into detail. When Sansa watches Arya fighting, she finally realizes that the list people are dead because Arya’s killed them. Her little sister has changed and become extremely dangerous. I took Sansa’s reaction to be that realization.

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Grandmaester Flash
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Location: England

Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:34 am

I just think ST is not a very good actress. I find her very one-note.

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Raeslewolhn
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Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:16 am

Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:56 pm

IMO,it's obvious she doesn't take it seriously in the Crypts. Of course....

I think she's cheekily happy about it when Bran confirms. She's getting a kick out of it and she's impressed. She's happy and not jealous at all. She seems to kinda laugh at Arya's line about them being dead already.

When she sees Arya AbOUt to fight Brienne, I think she's scared Arya is gonna get creamed at first.

In the next cut to Sansa (kinda from afar) she just looks surprised Arya was still holding her own. She's in awe. And still pleased.

In the last cut it's kind of confusing, which is where I think the debate comes from. She doesn't look jealous though. She still looks concerned and maybe relieved it turned out as a draw. Bc she was worried the whole fight for Arya. I agree that disgust is at LF, she knows LF will try to take advantage of Arya's skills. She's also worried Arya is so good she might take on someone even better....I think...

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Ginevra
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Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:15 pm

Thanks, all!

We already have some official word based on a Kim Renfro (INSIDER) article posted by RosanaZugey in a Shakman interview post. And so we know:
Shakman: One of my other favorite scenes in the episode was Arya and Brienne and their practice session, which Sansa oversees and really becomes the evidence for Sansa of how much Arya has changed.

Renfro: Right because we go through the stages with Sansa thinking that Arya is joking about her list, and then learning through Bran that it's not a joke, and then she finally sees Arya in action. So is that the reaction we were seeing from Sansa, it was just, "Oh wow, she really is deadly"?

Shakman: Exactly, yeah. I think you described it perfectly — there's stages to it. [Sansa] thinks [Arya's] kidding in the crypts and then she gets to the tree and Bran confirms this idea that she has a list, but doesn't really know what she's done with this list completely, although Arya does suggest she's done some deadly things.

And then Arya's out there with Brienne — who is Sansa's protector, her bodyguard, the person she's relied on to keep her safe in this dangerous world — and all of the sudden her tiny little sister is fighting Brienne to a draw at the end with a sword and knife to each other's throats. And it causes her to quickly redefine her relationship with Arya and to wonder who exactly her little sister has become.
http://www.thisisinsider.com/game-of-th ... ons-2017-8

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Raeslewolhn
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:16 am

Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:10 pm

Ginevra wrote:
Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:15 pm
Thanks, all!

We already have some official word based on a Kim Renfro (INSIDER) article posted by RosanaZugey in a Shakman interview post. And so we know:
Shakman: One of my other favorite scenes in the episode was Arya and Brienne and their practice session, which Sansa oversees and really becomes the evidence for Sansa of how much Arya has changed.

Renfro: Right because we go through the stages with Sansa thinking that Arya is joking about her list, and then learning through Bran that it's not a joke, and then she finally sees Arya in action. So is that the reaction we were seeing from Sansa, it was just, "Oh wow, she really is deadly"?

Shakman: Exactly, yeah. I think you described it perfectly — there's stages to it. [Sansa] thinks [Arya's] kidding in the crypts and then she gets to the tree and Bran confirms this idea that she has a list, but doesn't really know what she's done with this list completely, although Arya does suggest she's done some deadly things.

And then Arya's out there with Brienne — who is Sansa's protector, her bodyguard, the person she's relied on to keep her safe in this dangerous world — and all of the sudden her tiny little sister is fighting Brienne to a draw at the end with a sword and knife to each other's throats. And it causes her to quickly redefine her relationship with Arya and to wonder who exactly her little sister has become.
http://www.thisisinsider.com/game-of-th ... ons-2017-8

That doesn't explain the new definition of their relationship for Sansa. It just says what we all did, she's surprised. We'll find out soon anyway!

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