Sansa's Reaction to Arya's List
Posted: 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?"
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.
Awe. Wonder. Sansa is mesmerized by what she sees. At the end of the fight, we cut to Sansa again.
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?
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?"
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.
Awe. Wonder. Sansa is mesmerized by what she sees. At the end of the fight, we cut to Sansa again.
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?