Sophie Turner (Sansa), Pilou Asbæk (Euron), Gemma Whelan (Yara), Daniel Portman (Podrick) and Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm) interviewed with Sky Deutschland recently to discuss their characters’ journeys in season 7 and brainstorm worse case scenarios on the show. Sadly, the video isn’t available to play in all regions so we’ve got the best bits summarized, screen capped and quoted for you. You’re welcome.
In her portion of the interview, Sophie Turner focused on Ramsay Bolton’s delicious (get it?) demise last season and hinted at how Sansa’s first taste of blood might inform her decisions moving forward.
“[Ramsay’s death was] great! It was my favorite scene,” she said. “I mean it was her first kill. It was such a moment for Sansa, not only because it was her first kill but because she finally got that respect from Jon [who allowed] her to have that power.
“That smile at the end was really significant because you don’t know whether she enjoyed it a little too much and she’s learning to love that side of playing the game … You wonder if she’s going to get a taste for it … She now feels that she’s got this power and that’s where we see her at the beginning of season 7.”
Daniel Portman and Jacob Anderson remained firmly, albeit apologetically, tight-lipped about where we’ll find their characters at the beginning of season 7. The most they could say was that, yes, both Pod and Grey Worm were last scene on boats heading away from one location and moving towards another.
“I mean it’s so hard. You can’t say anything …” Anderson said, “But I can confirm that Team Dany ends up somewhere.” He was a bit more open about discussing Grey Worm’s relationship with – no, not Missandei – but Tyrion. “Grey Worm and Tyrion’s relationship is weird …” he said. “Grey Worm definitely doesn’t trust [Tyrion] … but I think it develops into a more trusting relationship towards the end.”
When the conversation shifted to theorizing about the worst Game of Thrones finale imaginable, Portman proposed a Newhart-style twist in which all 8 seasons turn out to have been a dream. Anderson capitalized on this idea and proposed that, perhaps, the entire show from 1×10 onwards has been Ned Stark’s journey through the Seven Hells and that the final shot of season 8 be Ned’s head hitting the bottom of the bucket.
Gemma Whelan and Pilou Asbæk discussed how the show pays homage to Euron Greyjoy’s characterization in the A Song of Ice and Fire while still forging its own path. “[The Kingsmoot] was a great entry because we had some of the lines that were written in the book that we used in that scene,” Asbæk said. “So everyone was just like, ‘Boom! Here it is. We’re going to say some of your favorite lines and now we’re going to go this direction with him.'”
Asbæk also discussed his difficulty with Euron’s English accent and it certainly says something about Euron’s storyline in season 7 that the two words he apparently struggled to pronounce the most were “murder” and “wanker.”
When asked for hypothetical worst case scenarios for their characters, Whelan pointed out that, in the world of Game of Thrones, the word “worst” has sort of lost all meaning.
“I think we can only expect the best case scenario because … all of the worst case scenarios have already happened,” she said.
Asbæk’s answer was a bit more specific: “I think the worst case scenario would be if [Yara] died,” to which Whelan made this face –
– and then, as seen in the screen capture that heads this article, proceeded to play a melancholic rendition of the Main Theme on an invisible violin.
Gods help us all.
If you happen to be in a region where the interview video is available to play (lucky you), you can check out the whole thing here.
If you hadn’t wrote her name as Gemma i would have said its Ellie Kendrick. She looks alot like her here.
The fan reaction would be hilarious, to be fair…
I’m sure it’ll be one of those times they shoot several versions of the ending to try and thwart leaks…and that really should be one of them.
It’s pretty candid of Asbæk to admit that about the English accent, tbh (probably worst in the Kingsmoot scene with his staggeringly awful pronunciation of the word “seduce” … still amazed that made it in without the need for ADR.)
Now if only someone would take Peter to task about his overegged “OW” vowel sounds in words like “proud”, “round” etc. Very painful to an English ear! (of which I have two, lol.)
Suppose Dinklage gets away with it for being, well … awesome, tbh. ;^)
Sometimes I wonder if Sophie Turner says things like this about Sansa “because she finally got that respect from Jon” just because she knows it will rile up the Jon fans? I mean, I’m not a Sansa fan or hater, but that comment kind of irritates me because I don’t think Jon didn’t have ‘respect’ for Sansa. Just seemed to treat her as an older brother would, maybe a little dismissive but not disrespectful. Could she just be trolling?
Lord of Coffee,
I honestly don’t think Sophie has a good understanding of Sansa at all. Every time she gives commentary on the character it feels disjointed. Perhaps spouting bombastic and misguided information is her method of dealing with rampant questions about things she can’t divulge on yet. She plays Sansa well enough (in my opinion anyways) so I’m glad her disconnect with her character isn’t apparent in her acting.
I also think it may be that Sophie wants to hype the audience so she is purposely nebulous for the sake of the fans. But it is very odd though.
I think Sophie is just biased towards her character, not that I mind though, since I love Sansa. But I have to admit that, even though it makes sense that her character would end up where she is and how she is, and I believe it’s a natural progression of a character like Sansa’s to become darker and more ”like Littlefinger”, the show has done a poor job showing that change. For the first four seasons (except that scene where she saved LF in the Vale) she has been this girl who was a pawn to everyone. After that, all of a sudden she gains this confidence, that if done patiently and not so ”over the night”, might be more believable and true to the character. Again, I don’t really mind because I’ve always loved her, it’s just that the transition to her having that confidence could have been done better in the show.
Sansa Stark is the best character. I hope she ends up on the Iron Throne.
I always think that Jon gave Sansa a choice, to kill or not kill Ramsay. And she made her choice and Jon respected it. Jon respects her and he has to listen to her in s7.
mau,
Whether you are sarcastic or not, I actually wouldn’t mind as long as D&D make it make sense in the end why it’s her there and not someone else.
I agree that Jon respects Sansa and the fact she has survived what she went through after Ned’s death. But I wouldn’t say that he HAS to listen to her especially if he suspects that she is basing her suggestions on advice she got from Littlefinger.
Pilou has the best smile of the bunch. Sort of a ‘handsome but potential serial killer’ grin.
Daniel supports my Newhart idea! Whoohooo!!!!
Lord of Coffee,
“Has” It’s a little too much, but he should listen to her. Even if he does not agree with her. Littlefinger It’s another story. And I think Jon will easily see through his manipulation.
Lord of Coffee,
I agree that Jon does not have to listen to (as in follow) Sansa or anyone, for that matter. However, I would argue that he should listen to (as in… listen to ^^) all his advisors, no matter how unpleasant what they have to say may be to him, in order to come to a decision.
That is what advisors are for, ultimately. They are a ruler’s first audience, a sample of the population at large, the people with whom a ruler first hammers out and then fine tunes his/her policies. Cabinet meetings should be confrontational to be efficient because this is when and where counterarguments are presented, debated and, hopefully, overcome. Sycophants and believers may be of better company to a ruler but they should never have any say in policy-related talks.
As Lord Commander, Jon did not really have a “cabinet” per se. He did have Sam but the adorable Tarly is way too bindly loyal to his friend to be a really good advisor. As a result, Jon failed to prepare for and address his men’s opinions, revendications and reservations in regards to his decision to let the Wildlings south of the Wall. Regardless of the objection his troops voiced, he would answer the same two things : “the Free Folk are people” and “Winter is coming”. And we know how that ended up.
As for Littlefinger, while he may not be the most trustworthy person in the world (Biggest. Euphemism. Ever.), he has a very sound political mind. The only thing more dangerous than listening to him religiously is not listening to him at all.
Nobody puts Baelish in a corner 😉
Lord of Coffee,
I think it’s fascinating how people get riled up about nearly anything Turner says. Her character (and Danys at a close second) has got to be the most controversial. And this is just so telling about our gendered prejudices. I mean, isn’t that a bit crazy? In a series with Ramsay and Joffrey and Theon and Cercei…. it’s Sansa that gets blood boiling and angry conversations going. Shit is going to hit the fandom when she does whatever dishonorable thing is being promised here.
Not criticizing you btw! I’m sure you don’t hate Sansa, as you say.
“Finally got that respect from Jon”, yeah because Jon spent the whole season disrespecting her and telling her to get lost. I have to conclude Sophie Turner trolls in her interviews. I hope.
Demon Monkey,
She gets a strong reaction because nothing she ever says matches up what happened on screen. Ever. Even going back to her “dark Sansa” days where she teased Sansa will be in control and then winds up sold off to Ramsay. Her interviews cause confusion to say the least.
I find the words Turner chooses in this article intriguing – “I mean it was her first kill…” At this point she knows where the character stands. She should know to use better words to describe that situation, such as “until that moment in her life, she had never held someone’s life in her hands. She was finally able to understand what power was.”
Instead she chose the word she did “her first kill”. This leads me to believe her second kill will follow the footsteps of her first in a timely fashion.
ACME,
Good point. Ned did not listen Littlefinger, Jon will not make the same mistake.
But I also think that Littlefinger have never been so vulnerable. He is not in King’s Landing anymore, surrounded by liars and snakes. He is very far from home.
Reading the German subtitles, Sophie says something like “David Benioff has also said that her (Sansa’s) little smile when walking away is one of his favourite scenes.” My German might be a little rusty.
That said, Sophie’s interviews and pronouncements leave me a bit baffled. Is she trolling or does she not understand her character? Or don’t we? Maybe it’s a function of D&D’s writing, which seems to be a bit all over the place as regards Sansa. Which reverbaretes to her scenes and direction, and results in much of the fandom perceiving scenes differently than D&D (and the director) apparently intended. This is not a criticism of Sophie Turner as an actor or Sansa as a character but the showrunners/writers and directors. Something’s off.
As much as I love GoT – the only TV show I actively watch – there have been a couple of weaknesses. Dorne is one, and I think the whole handling of Sansa’s storyline is another. Granted, GRRM hasn’t provided much help, in the books Sansa is still incognito in the Vale, being set up by LF to marry the heir, who gives Ramsay-esque, or at least date-rape/marital rape vibes. I can understand D&D shortcutting the Vale story, especially if it all ends up in the same place (Sansa marital raped, bringing the Knights of the Vale North).
Shit, theres a disconnet bt what she says and the way most fans understand Sansa’s thoughts & actions. Sophie isnt just in favor of her character, she talks only about her and about anyone else in terms of her, usually in an inferior way. Sansa thinks ’bout time that stupid mf Snow bows to my awesomeness.’ They both seem kinda stuck on themselves.
True. She will also be revealed as Azor Ahai/Tptwp, she will ride a dragon and defeat the Night’s King all by herself… 🙂 .
So we are gonna get a evolving Grey Worm and Tyrion relationship, that’s interesting. From Greyworm perspective, I can kind of understand why he doesn’t trust Tyrion.
A southern noble comes to them and says he understands slavery because he was one for four days and tries to make a deal with the masters and then wants to help Dany take the Iron Throne from the Lannisters. From Greyworm’s opinion Tyrion understands nothing about slavery unlike him the guy who was taken as a child, free will taken away, brutalised, forced to do unspeakable things. He sees the masters as evil for what they did to him and his other former slaves so that cut him deep. He probably also doesn’t trust Tyrion to stay loyal to Dany when his going against his own family, people he grew up with unlike for Greyworm where he considers Team Dany his family, that he would never betray in a million years.
So there is a serious lack of understanding on both sides, so I do look forward to them working it out between themselves.
(Little)Fingers crossed ^^
But considering the chokehold we saw in the trailer, I have the distinct impression Jon may be at least tempted to follow in Ned’s footsteps…
I agree wholeheartedly with you in regards to Baelish’s perilous position. But I believe we should not underestimate the North’s treacherous nature.
There are but two universal truths on the show : the Hound loves chicken and Davos is (almost) always right.
Our favourite Onion King disagreed with Ned’s notion that the North is special, that its people are somehow more loyal than anywhere else, and he was proven correct.
Northerners are just people, with the same fears, prejudices and ambitions as their southern counterparts. In Last Hearth like in King’s Landing, dogs have to be fed.
Abel,
Sophie Turner does have a tendency to over-egg the pudding 😉
Her enthusiam for her character is very strong and she does overhype the whole thing a tad. But does it matter ?
If anything, her interviews remind me of another Maisie Williams gave probably a year ago (possibly during Emmy season) in which, when asked about a future reunion between her character and Jon Snow, she said that she feared Jon would not recognise Arya’s talents and use her amazing fighting skills on the battlefield which, I have to confess, made me smile a bit because the idea of Arya defeating trained soldiers in a war context is, to me, not quite believable.
But it does not really matter. They are happy-go-lucky actors who love their characters and get (over)excited at times. It is entirely harmless, isn’t it ?
It is difficult to look at her and think she can be a fighter among men. She IS supposed to have skills though. I’ve commented on the specific topic before in relation to possibly reintroducing herself into groups of people that knew her. If she were to run into the BwoB they’d most likely treat her the same way they did before, as a spunky, courageous girl, but not one to fear. Her family is likely to just see her as an older version of the tomboy they remember, but not as a talented fighter.
The show may have skimmed over her training too much as I think we’re supposed to believe by now that she’s a very good fighter. Also, what about utilizing a FM talent and ‘becoming’ a young man? Would her talents be recognized then? That is one reason why I had hoped her reunion with Jon would be just after he sees her fighting/sparring as a male, been impressed, and then she reveals herself. At any rate, she has to prove herself, show what she can do… if she cares or wants them to know.
I think what disturbs people about some of Sophie’s comments about Jon last season and this one so far is that…well she could aim that at pretty much ANY OTHER GUY in this world and be accurate. Most of the men (excluding the lovesick Jorah and Samwell who are focused on their own personal goddess worship) are dismissive and overly laden with testosterone. Jon, however? He gave Arya needle. He respected Ygritte’s warrior abilities. He didn’t frequent brothels and did his best to respect Cat no matter how much she glared. He treated Lyanna Mormont with the respect of her station-even valued Karsi the wildling’s input. This guy is literally the least mysogonistic male in planetos. And Sansa? Since she’s come back he’s listened to her, protected her, stopped killing Ramsay despite her sneaky battle save so she could decide his fate and instantly put her in the Lady of Winterfell position without question.
If Sophie had said Sansa’s views on men have been warped by her experiences with Joffrey, Trant, peasant rapists, Little Finger, the Boltons etc and so she’s venting all her vitriol on Jon because some part of her knows he won’t hurt her? That would make sense. Claiming any lack of respect for what she’s been through or her intelligence however is a misunderstanding of the situation-at least-from a watcher’s perspective.
PS Sophie’s “first kill” comments do add fuel to my fantasy fire that she and Arya are going to gang up and kill LF in some horrible but cleverly fitting fashion at some point… *crossing things*
ACME,
Oh, the Onion Knight! Yes, his fate is one I’m very interested in.
But he’s a secondary character, his fate is tied with whomever he follows. And for all his wonderfullness, as portrayed by the amazing, wonderful Liam Cunningham, he’s a follower. Loyal, smart, down-to-earth, capable of seeing the big picture, not afraid to speak his mind (often the truth) to his social betters. Man with a moral compass. Our everyman. But his story will be tied with whomever he follows. Our dear Onion Knight will never lead.
(OT. I can’t remember if it was here or elsewhere, but somebody said everybody loves Davos and Pod… And on cue, people who do not love Davos and/or Pod crawled out of the woodwork. So we shouldn’t assume anything. :-D)
Oh I have no doubt she has skills ! Loads of them ! I am more than willing to believe she is a perfectly trained assassin. However, the abilities she has acquired as part of her Faceless Men initiation have nothing to do with the techniques used by soldiers on a battlefield. Sneak attacks, poisons, close range stabbing… None of that is even remotely connected to warfare.
Futhermore, Arya is teeny… Her fight against the Waif was believable because the Waif was, well, a waif. ^^
Were she to go up against anyone heavier and/or taller, she would get utterly crushed according to every single law of physics. Technique is unquestionably essential but there are limits to how impactful it can be; that is why all competitive martial arts have weight categories. Lower weight fighters are not less skilled yet just one blow from a heavier weight counterpart and they would be thoroughly done for. The eternal question (“in a fight between Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee, who would have won ?”) has an obvious answer : Ali would have destroyed Lee in a single punch.
Arya very simply does not have the kinetic energy necessary to defeat a bigger person one-on-one in regular combat. So, on a battlefield, she would be completely out of her depth. And in grave danger.
RG,
This is where that storyline has been going since a certain dream of a young maid with snakes in her hair… There is not much suspense on that front 😉
talvikorppi,
Sadly, I do not expect him ever to lead either. But he is so very often right, he should be listened to at all time, in all circumstances.
And I do hope so very much he makes it through the tale. He has earnt it, dammit ! 🙂
mau,
LMAOOO!!! You’re just trying to rile up Clob and Ten Bears, aren’t you?
On another note, that screen-grab of Daniel Portman and Jacob Anderson is everything. I’d die laughing if the cold open of Ep1 is a montage of Gendry (in a boat), Pod (in a boat), and Grey Worm (in a boat), all “heading somewhere” before the music starts. 😛
ACME,
Clob,
Acme, you certainly have a valid point about Arya’s probably not being physically able to contend against a trained, well-equipped soldier. Though she’s quick and accurate and theoretically could fight in the open field, she’s not large or strong. Of course, the wights and WWs don’t fight like professional soldiers, but overwhelm with numbers. Oddly enough, I think her sword-work and especially her quarterstaff skills could be very useful. It is hard to predict her role, but since she’s apparently getting that Valyrian Steel dagger, she’ll probably have one.
I’d like to see D&D imagine a role for her akin to that of military women now allowed into combat units, in some support/command capacity. Arya could command a cohort of archers charged with taking out White Walkers using dragonglass or Valyrian steel arrowheads. She proved an accurate archer, so it’s plausible. She could command some reserves, or possibly lead a company of soldiers taking non-combatants to a place of safety, like the Vale. But I think Jon should give her the command of troops defending Winterfell in his absence. There must always be a Stark there. Bran will be intent on metaphysical doings and Sansa has no military concept whatsoever. But Arya does. She’s always had the interest and listened to strategising, especially during Tywin’s war councils. Except for Season 1, she has almost entirely been with men. And judging by how this girl earned the respect and admiration of Gendry, Tywin, Thoros, Beric, Sandor, and Jaqen, it’s likely soldiers would also come to respect her. And should a body of Others attack Winterfell while Jon’s main force is elsewhere, the fierce she-wolf would make it her business to save her home and people.
Asbæk also discussed his difficulty with Euron’s English accent and it certainly says something about Euron’s storyline in season 7 that the two words he apparently struggled to pronounce the most were “murder” and “wanker.”
The mind boggles as to when in S7 Euron comes out with the word “wanker” 😀
It can’t apply to Theon these days as he’s lost his ‘tackle’ to perform that self gratifying act! Perhaps Euron uses it as a derogatory comment which is quite common in the UK.
I use it quite often – “Blimey, that geezer is a prize wanker!” haha 😀 😀
I am truly sorry to insist because I really do not want for my post to be interpreted as disparaging to Arya but, even theoretically, she cannot fight in the open field. This is not what she trained for. The Faceless Men are not a militia; they are assassins. Their combat techniques, their skills… None of that is even remotely military-like.
The Wights do swarm their enemies, that is entirely true. But the White Walkers fight with weapons, very much like soldiers. And they appear to be extremely skilled combattants.
Jon is an adult man who has been training for warfare his entire life; he may not be very tall (^^) but he does have some muscle, mass and power to him; he has a Valyrian steel sword… Yet, at Hardhome, he came dangerously close to losing his one-on-one fight with a White Walker. I am afraid that Arya, in similar circumstances, would get killed within a minute.
Now, of course, she could pull a Tarly and kill a White Walker by sheer luck. But then, it would have nothing to do with her training.
.
I guess it is technically possible but, for my highly subjective taste, it looks a tad too much like “insta-knowledge”, as I call it ^^
Tyrion, a remarkably intelligent man, had to read books upon books upon books on the military strategy to have some vague idea of what he would do during the Battle of the Blackwater. And, quite frankly, hadn’t it been for his sister’s early wildfire obsession, he may not have managed to come up with a sound battle plan.
Therefore I struggle to imagine that listening in on a couple of war councils would provide Arya with the knowledge necessary to the organisation and leadership of troops. Had she been exposed to such councils on a much more regular basis and for much longer, I think I could accept her having “absorbed” key elements on the matter. But as is… I am extremely perplex.
ACME,
You wrote…
” Futhermore, Arya is teeny… Her fight against the Waif was believable because the Waif was, well, a waif. ^^
Were she to go up against anyone heavier and/or taller, she would get utterly crushed according to every single law of physics. Technique is unquestionably essential but there are limits to how impactful it can be…
_____________
I think Arya learned this lesson when Sandor challenged her to “show me what your Braavosi friend taught you.” She did a nice twirl, jabbed Needle into his midsection… And nothing. Because he’s a big guy clad in armor. Then he smacked her across the face.
She knows that “Every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better.”
Arya won’t forget that lesson: she can’t realistically take on bigger opponents in a conventional battlefield setting.
She will be more creative, and use her skills and resourcefulness: like killing someone with a chicken bone if she has to.
stefan666,
Yes all of that.
Abel,
That was so beautiful I almost cried. SO true.
A lot was made of that little smile after episode aired. I have also heard said what you wrote above. But I don’t understand what the big deal is about it. Of all the scenes in some 60 episodes this is one of the producers favorites? Wonder why.
I quite agree with you and I find hard to believe that Arya will somehow join the army that will fight the WW (I can be disproved nonetheless… it has happened before). You have mentioned several of Arya’s physical characteristics that would make her unsuitable for an open battlefield fight… And for the most part, I agree… Although she might share some of the same physical qualities, I think Meera could be a better asset for Jon’s army instead: she has endurance (the poor thing has been dragging Bran since forever), she has the experience of fighting agains wights and she has even killed a WW (the first woman and the third person in Westeros to do it)…
But before joining the fray, she should be allowed a full week in a spa: shiatsu, foot massage, Finnish sauna… the whole package! Meera has more than earned it!!
That, I can believe. Arya can attack people from behind, wait for them to be disharmed to kill them, poison them… All those techniques, and more, are the assassination skills she learnt with the Faceless Men so her using them is not a problem at all.
I was reacting specifically to the idea of Arya joining an army, fighting in a war, becoming a soldier and/or defeating one in regular combat. That is simply not feasible, I am afraid. Ninjas are not samurais and vice versa.
On a battlefield, with nowhere to hide, a multitude of enemies and very little time, the younger Stark sister would be in mortal danger.
A Dornish Tyrell,
Ah Meera ! When she used the last of her strengths to crawl back to Bran and shield him from the Wights with her own body, I have to confess even my cynical self got a tear in my eye. That young woman is something else entirely and boy, does she deserve more credit than she usually gets !
(On a sidenote, the number of people who have been willing to die to protect Bran is becoming alarming : Jojen, Osha, Hodor, all the remaining Children of the Forest, the former Three-Eyed Raven, Meera, etc. I know Bran is important but wow !)
Now, it is true that Meera is just as diminutive as Arya but, as you very rightly point out, her training and style are extremely different. While the Stark daughter has repeatedly shown a preference for shorter blades in the form of either daggers or Needle, Meera appears remarkably at ease with longer range weapon, especially her spear. Thanks to it, she can reach her opponents without putting her petite self too much in the line of fire (or ice). In the books, she is also proficient with a net which would come in handy to immobilise a bigger, stronger opponent from a bit of a distance.
I still think her physique is too slender to be a soldier’s soldier in the strictest sense of the term but she most certainly does have the military spirit. The Unsullied have nothing on her in terms of dedication and Semper et Ubique Fidelis takes all its meaning with her.
Yes, yes and yes ! Meera deserves everything that exists. On Planetos.
If/when she reaches Winterfell with Bran, she’d better be given the Lord’s chamber. Seven hells, she should be given Winterfell itself ! Because she is, and will forever remain, everybody’s daddy.
Im worried about Yara, I don’t think she is going to make it. If she goes she better take Theon with her.
That’s dark 😛
I too think Yara is a prime candidate for death this season and potentially Grey Worm too.