New photos of Maisie Williams filming today in Northern Ireland! Plus more filming news

Carnlough Harbour, Northern Ireland. Photo: Ben Malloy
Carnlough Harbor, Northern Ireland. Photo: Ben Malloy

Northern Ireland continues to bustle with activity for filming of Game of Thrones season 6. There have been several more actor sightings in Belfast and today, Maisie Williams was seen filming in Carnlough! The photos will be tucked below the cut for spoiler reasons.

We learned this morning that production was headed for the picturesque harbor in the County Antrim village of Carnlough. One fan, Mark Kennedy spotted crews setting up today and snapped a photo:

 

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Belfast Live solved the mystery for us: it’s Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, jumping in the harbor at Carnlough!

That’s director Mark Mylod talking with her at one point, which means this scene is for either episode 7 or episode 8 of season 6.Maisie close directed director maisie Maisie 1 Maisie 4 Belfast Live has a full gallery of photos, be sure to swing by to see their pics for more details.

Later, Mark Kennedy spotted a crew filming nearby in Glenarm!

His trip to the Wall was a little less eventful though:

Another fan spotted this piece at Titanic Studios in Belfast a couple days ago:

It appears to be a Dothraki tent, suggesting that Daenerys and her horde-encountering story were indeed filming this week. The show’s leading lady has definitely been in town recently- Emilia Clarke was spotted last week arriving at the Belfast airport, and posed for a photo with a fan on Friday:

Belvoir Forest may be another possible location to keep our eyes on, according to this chance encounter:

News from another Northern Ireland set: it looks like the Winterfell set in Moneyglass may be coming down?

Also in Belfast this weekend were Gwendoline ChristieAlfie Allen, and John Bradley, seen out on the town, enjoying themselves:

All in all, an extremely busy week for filming news, between Northern Ireland and Spain! The Game of Thrones cast and crew are a hard-working bunch and it’s only going to get busier.

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

165 Comments

  1. How exciting! I feel like this is the first time Arya has moved past the plot of the books. That director appears to be Daniel Sackheim so I’m guessing this is episode 3 or 4. Would the presence of a double suggest an action scene? I will say I’m glad to see Arya back in pants though the boho skirts were a nice change.

  2. Arya in Water Dancer tunic (Syrio Forel) clothes. Cool. for a better look, 2nd photo has her stunt double in full outfit

  3. Luka Nieto,

    If that’s the case, they didn’t film much there. Oh Lord. Should we take that as a sign that they’re going to put Sansa/Brienne/Theon in the Riverlands this season? Fml.

  4. Question…what do you guys think will bring Arya back to Westeros? I had always thought she sees something/someone through her Direwolf and that would prompt her return, but since she doesn’t warg in the show (yet?), what brings her back?

  5. Greenjones,

    Oh I googled. I was going by the man she was talking to. I figured she’d spend more time in Braavos now that the series has another season but this news is pretty much confirmation.

  6. RosanaZugey,

    I don’t think we have enough information to reach the conclusion that we won’t see much Winterfell this coming season, let alone that the related characters will end up specifically in the Riverlands.

    Could happen, of course. I’m just saying; this isn’t evidence.

  7. I have to say, as excited as I used to get seeing certain pictures and knowing pretty much what they meant, I’m enjoying seeing pictures and having no real clue what they mean even more!

  8. RosanaZugey,

    I’ve always thought it was a combination of things. I figured she’d be “kicked out” of the HoBaW, leaving her with the decision of where to go, then some news from Westeros, whether overheard or seen in a wolf-dream, made her decide to return, as opposed to traveling elsewhere in Essos.

  9. Brandon:
    Wait, why do we think that this photo means that Arya is back in Westeros?

    I think people are just speculating for the future even though it appears Arya is still in Braavos.

  10. All that means is that they may have wrapped exterior shots for Winterfell. That doesn’t mean they don’t still have a ton of interiors to shoot in Belfast.

  11. I’m one of those who belives that Arya never returns to Westeros. I would like her to go back, but i just don’t see what she would do there.

  12. Selina,

    So little Winterfell. What do you think will happen to Ramsay and co.?

    Not necessarily, they only needed that set for exteriors and have been filming there for a few weeks now, plenty of time for lots of WF exterior shots.

    Perhaps Maisie is sneaking into Pyke

    to off Balon

    after all it has been suggested a FM killed him.

  13. tyjon,

    Arya won’t be trusted with a big mission so early in her training. Also, at the tail end of the season, it’s pretty likely Balon will be long dead. The scene in these shots is probably reflective of book material we don’t know yet.

  14. Mihnea,

    Find her siblings and her wolf pack? Kill Cersei and attempt to complete her list? The more puzzling question is what would she continue to do in the East in a series that has always been about Westeros save for the detours taken by Westerosi and Dany’s journey back home from Essos to Westeros.

  15. Still not really much to get our teeth into yet. It’s nice to see the cast happily posing for photos but doesn’t really tell us a lot.
    Is it me or did Maisies’s body double look pretty pissed off in every pic! 😛

  16. There’s a dude with a clapperboard in the 14th picture in the Maisie pics gallery. Anyone tech savy enough to zoom in on it and fine tune the resolution?

    Edit: It does indeed have “607” on it!

  17. TheMannis:
    RosanaZugey,

    Well, here, here! *Chinks beer glass* Here’s hoping they took it…just, not down. 😉 lol.

    Luka Nieto,

    You’re right. This isn’t evidence of that. It’s just that it reminded me of when they dismantled the Eyrie set. We have yet to see that set again, so, I was wondering if this is going to be the same situation. Hard to believe that we’d never see Winterfell again, though, so perhaps I’m just thinking way too hard about it.

    As a side, where is Harrenhal filmed at? Because I was thinking…if the Vale army defeats the Boltons, and the Northern Lord go out to find Rickon and seat him as Lord of Winterfell, then perhaps LF takes Sansa and co. back down through the Riverlands to go to Harrenhal. It would put major characters back into the Riverlands and it reintroduces House Frey along with all of these other side castings we’re hearing about (Septon Meribald? The thugs tormenting the villagers, etc). Granted, it also brings back all of this talk about LSH and the Sansa/Hound shippers (which is why I groan at the idea of Sansa being in the Riverlands), but well, it is what it is. What say you?

  18. I noticed that as well. Attitude on point.

    TheTouchOfFrost:
    Still not really much to get our teeth into yet. It’s nice to see the cast happily posing for photos but doesn’t really tell us a lot.Is it me or did Maisies’s body double look pretty pissed off in every pic! ????

  19. Satin,

    I don’t see her ever finishing her list, herself. Cersei might die, but not by Arya’s hand, same with Walder Frey. The wolfpack, while in the books may play some liitle part, i don’t see it as engame for Arya. What does she do? run around the riverlands with some wolfs? Not likely.

    Her finding her family, yes that would be a good reason. But then? Lady of Winterfell? Marriege(LOL)? Just hanging in Winterfell with Sansa/Rickon? I would like a happy ending, don’t get me wrong. But i just can’t see it.

    Thats why i fear her fate is, well, either Essos or death. 🙁

  20. RosanaZugey,

    She’ll be given the job to kill Jon, for good this time. She’ll go but ultimately refuse realizing she cannot do it and she cannot truly give up being Arya. She can never be no one.

  21. RosanaZugey: what do you guys think will bring Arya back to Westeros?

    My guess is she’ll be given a faceless mission, one that will test her ability to be “no one.”

  22. RosanaZugey,

    I don’t think Sansa will go to the Riverlands. they put her in the North for a reason, most likely that will be her WoW story. This i strongly belive.

    I still think Jaime will go there (not exactly the AFFC story). But i think, he too, will head North, after Brienne. just my opinion here, tough.

  23. Yeah. I was about to mention Melisandre as well. She said to Arya they’d meet again when they interacted in Season 3.

  24. “I don’t see her ever finishing her list, herself. Cersei might die, but not by Arya’s hand, same with Walder Frey. The wolfpack, while in the books may play some liitle part, i don’t see it as engame for Arya. What does she do? run around the riverlands with some wolfs? Not likely.

    Her finding her family, yes that would be a good reason. But then? Lady of Winterfell? Marriege(LOL)? Just hanging in Winterfell with Sansa/Rickon? I would like a happy ending, don’t get me wrong. But i just can’t see it. ”

    I just assumed she’d become a faceless man. That’s what she’s still doing in the chapter Mercy that Martin released on his website.

  25. Mihnea,

    Mihnea,

    You wanted to know why Arya would go back to Westeros. Those are all reasons. Just because she won’t complete the list herself it doesn’t mean she won’t try. The show has foreshadowed she’ll meet Melisandre again so the Wall is a likely destination for her–especially since Jon is there. GRRM has confirmed that the wolf pack will return so it’s anyone’s guess how important they’ll be. Arya’s also one of the few active and strong skinchangers we know of in the series so I’m sure that’ll come in at some point.

    Unlike Westeros, there’s no reason for Arya to be in Essos for the remainder of the series because all the characters of importance there have one goal in mind: Westeros. Like all good epics, the wanderers have to come back home. Unless you can supply a reason for why Arya would stay in Essos apart from being a Faceless Man–which appears to be a job with extensive travel involved and would likely bring her back into the Westerosi plot for narrative purposes, I see no reason to believe Essos will be her endgame and where she could also die because characters die there as well.

  26. Sean C.,

    Forgot that! Still tough, i can’t see a happy ending for her in Westeros.
    So i would have her stay in Essos rather then die.

  27. anon,

    She wasn’t a faceless man. She’s an acolyte training wearing another face. As GRRM has corrected in others, she’s an apprentice, not an a Faceless Man proper.

  28. Interesting that Arya appears to be staying in Braavos for most of- if not all of Season 6! Not entirely surprising if she does, but perhaps the last few episodes will bring her a mission and an exit from Braavos….

  29. Abyss:
    RosanaZugey,

    There is no guarantee that she’ll go back at all. It’s pretty likely, but not certain.

    Agh! Don’t say that! *Curls up in a fetal position* That is totally one of my worst fears, right along with NONE of the Starks ever reuniting again. :'(

    Selina:

    I think they die early on in the season, tell you the truth. But well, I’m not exactly stellar with my predictions so don’t go by me. 😉

    Satin:

    You think she’ll begin to warg this season?

    Nymeria Warrior Queen:

    I honestly think the only news (of her family) that would take her back would be the news of Jon’s death. I’m not sure that any other news would compel her enough.

    Tywin of the Hill:

    Ahhh. Good one.

  30. One thing that I’m wondering is why they are filiming Winterfell so early. Last yearthe filming took place in November, if I’m not mistaken.

  31. Mihnea,

    That’s a character death on its own. Arya can’t actually live as herself and be a Faceless Man. The criteria for being a Faceless Man revolves around the total destruction of self.

  32. Wow, all these theories, guess I’m pretty simple minded and unimaginative. My first thought when I saw Maisie/Arya in the water was we were seeing some of her training to get around blind and she made a misstep and fell in the water. 🙂

  33. RosanaZugey,

    I think it’s a reasonable guess that she’ll warg is she’s to be blind this season. I mean that’s a pickle you just don’t get out of with great ease.

  34. RosanaZugey:
    Luka Nieto,
    I actually hope they end up in the Riverlands! I missed the Riverlands last season. Maybe there will an encounter with

    the BWB or perhaps a certain Gravedigger aka Sandor Clegane. I’ve been wishing for a Sansa/Sandor reunion. He can disembowel Ramsay.

    If that’s the case, they didn’t film much there. Oh Lord. Should we take that as a sign that they’re going to put Sansa/Brienne/Theon in the Riverlands this season? Fml.

  35. The Needle retrieval in S5 was not used so maybe she is diving for Needle?
    Interesting costume I guess still in Braavos.

  36. This is so exciting. 😀 Getting little snippets of Season 6 news but without much of an idea what the story is and how these scenes fit in. Arya

    being blind in Braavos in around Ep. 7 is quite interesting. What will she be doing for the first half of the season, blind and in Braavos?

    Same with the Winterfell set being dismantled. Why the need to dismantle the set? Won’t they at least need it for the next two seasons?

  37. Kay:
    This is so exciting. ???? Getting little snippets of Season 6 news but without much of an idea what the story is and how these scenes fit in. Arya being blind in Braavos in around Ep. 7 is quite interesting. What will she be doing for the first half of the season, blind and in Braavos?
    Same with the Winterfell set being dismantled. Why the need to dismantle the set? Won’t they at least need it for the next two seasons?

    We don’t know if she’s blind in this scene.

  38. So Hodoring isn’t cool anymore? I wonder if Hodor’s return will inspire a second wave a Hodoring.

  39. RosanaZugey: Well, here, here! *Chinks beer glass* Here’s hoping they took it…just, not down. ???? lol.

    Luka Nieto,

    You’re right. This isn’t evidence of that. It’s just that it reminded me of when they dismantled the Eyrie set. We have yet to see that set again, so, I was wondering if this is going to be the same situation. Hard to believe that we’d never see Winterfell again, though, so perhaps I’m just thinking way too hard about it.

    As a side, where is Harrenhal filmed at? Because I was thinking…

    if the Vale army defeats the Boltons, and the Northern Lord go out to find Rickon and seat him as Lord of Winterfell, then perhaps LF takes Sansa and co. back down through the Riverlands to go to Harrenhal. It would put major characters back into the Riverlands and it reintroduces House Frey along with all of these other side castings we’re hearing about (Septon Meribald? The thugs tormenting the villagers, etc). Granted, it also brings back all of this talk about LSH and the Sansa/Hound shippers (which is why I groan at the idea of Sansa being in the Riverlands), but well, it is what it is. What say you?

    I’m a total Sansa/Hound shipper and she clearly has a crush on him in the books. The age difference in the books isn’t as big as it is in the show, either. Plus show Sansa is old enough to be with Sandor Clegane, or at least he could protect her and Theon as they travel. And he could disembowel Ramsay for her.

  40. Satin,

    I’m not going to argue semantics with you. I simply don’t see it that way. Would rather have No One, then Arya to be really dead.

  41. Satin,

    That’s been my loose theory as well…
    Arya will never become a FM because she will never lose herself and her “Stark-ness”

    Maybe one day she will learn three things, one of which will concern her brother or sister and will cause her to leave HoBW… I guess Sam

    going through Braavos could provide her information – Not that she has to encounter him directly, but perhaps she will gather rumors about or from the NW in town….
  42. Mihnea:

    I don’t think Sansa will go to the Riverlands. they put her in the North for a reason, most likely that will be her WoW story. This i strongly belive.

    I still think Jaime will go there (not exactly the AFFC story). But i think, he too, will head North, after Brienne. just my opinion here, tough.

    If Jamie goes North, I doubt it’ll be for Brienne. I’d think the only way Jamie goes North is if Cersei sends him to bring back Sansa’s head. I mean, hell, the man is bringing her back a dead daughter. If Cersei doesn’t outright kill him/put him in prison (because she’s irrational like that), then she sends him on a mission to redeem himself by killing Sansa.

  43. Darquemode,

    I’m guessing Jon is her ultimate destination. How she’ll find about that is anyone’s guess but I’m guessing characters will come through. But the show has foreshadowed a meeting with Melisandre who probably won’t leave the Wall so long as she lives.

  44. Oops, screwed up my post above and can’t correct it.

    RosanaZugey,

    I actually hope they end up in the Riverlands! I missed the Riverlands last season. Maybe there will an encounter with

    the BWB or perhaps a certain Gravedigger aka Sandor Clegane. I’ve been wishing for a Sansa/Sandor reunion. He can disembowel Ramsay.
  45. Mihnea,

    You’re running on the assumption that No One can’t die as if the Faceless Men are immortal. Death is probable for every character. I guess it depends on perspective but I’d rather see Arya again than some empty vessel with no remants of Arya for the rest of the series meandering about Essos while all the action in the universe goes on in Westeros.

  46. Satin: We don’t know if she’s blind in this scene.

    I saw it as more of a confirmation that she ISN’T by episode 7. She’s obviously not wearing the contacts in these pictures.

  47. Boojam:
    The Needle retrieval in S5 was not used so maybe she is diving for Needle?
    Interesting costume I guessstill in Braavos.

    I don’t think she is diving for needle, because she hid needle between the rocks..

  48. A friend of mine suggested that

    Jon or his body could be smuggled out of The Wall by Davos and brought back to Dragonstone. He was thinking that Dragonstone would provide smaoke and salt for Jon to be reborn as AA. While I can see Davos returning to familiar grounds, Dragonstone seems so far away. Too far away as a destination to take Jon/ Jon’s body. Even if I don’t agree with the idea I thought it was interesting on some level…

    So do you think Arya would go to The Wall or where would her destination be? I know some think the Riverlands may be her destination. I think that is just wishful thinking she may reunite with the wolf packs…

  49. Satin,

    Different perspectives I guess. No point in arguing anymore. it’s clear we wont reach an agreement, on this subject.

  50. Clob,

    She’s backwards in two pictures and has her eyes closed in the other one. We can’t tell if she’s wearing them or not.

  51. Mihnea,

    Oh, I agree.
    I was speculating about what Arya may do after she leaves Braavos….. Well, I could see her leaving for some new destination at the season’s end, but I think she will spend the large majority of Season 6 at Braavos.

  52. She doesn’t look to be wearing the blind contact… that’s a confirmation that she’s not blind in ep 07 and 08

  53. I think the Wall is no longer a place to suck characters in. It’s exeunt now, or perish under millions of tons of ice. Jon died to leave. Mel will likely follow. Davos will do I don’t even know what. But when people meet again (Arya, etc.), it won’t be at the Wall. (And by “won’t” I mean I guess.)

    It couldn’t be maintained for the story, anyway. It’s the threshold with the Nasty Whities. You can’t forever have them knocking at the front door. That’s none too compelling. I don’t think they’re coming through during this season, but after Hardhome they can’t keep the same threshold indefinitely.

  54. Tywin of the Hill:
    Clob,

    She’s backwards in two pictures and has her eyes closed in the other one. We can’t tell if she’s wearing them or not.

    And they probably wouldn’t have her jump in water with those things. Doesn’t seem safe. Could shoot her from the side or whatever for that shot. Or choose to spend extra money on otherwise needless CGI to spare an actress’ eyeballs distress.

  55. Satin:
    Darquemode,

    But the show has foreshadowed a meeting with Melisandre who probably won’t leave the Wall so long as she lives.

    Don’t forget that Melisandre also said she saw herself walking in Winterfell.

  56. Off-Topic Otto,

    The show has been reasonably faithful to Arya’s storyline. She wasn’t blind for very long in the books and she probably won’t be blind for more than a few episodes in the show. Her story has to continue to TWoW where she is not blind.

  57. Hi-Fi,

    That brings me back to the Winterfell crypts!
    So many dreams of them by various people.. Perhaps Davos and Mel bring Jon there?

    What’s that prophecy “Waking dragons from stone” if I recall right. I always assumed it meant awakening stone dragons to living dragons (ie petrified eggs), but perhaps something in one of the stone tombs reveals Jon’s parentage or brings Jon back to life?
  58. Darquemode,

    Perhaps.

    That all said, Melisandre also saw Stannis winning in the flames lol

    So I’m not sure everything she says will happen is actually happening. But the Arya thing seems very concrete as a plot point to be included in that scene, so I’d bet money on it. The Winterfell prediction… who knows?

  59. Has anyone considered the fact she may not even be in Braavos in these scenes? For all we know she could be swimming to shore after stowing away on a ship. This could be Kings Landing, White Harbour or even Oldtown. As someone said before, she could be on Sams ship or even Mace Tyrells on his return voyage to Kings Landing.

  60. I think I may start a list of facts we can garner from filming pictures and stuff like that, so that in the coming months we have an increasingly coherent view of the season. For example, thanks to these pictures we know that:

    1) Arya will not be blind by 6×07.
    2) Arya will still be in Braavos by 6×07.

  61. Hi-Fi,

    Ha! XD
    So true…

    I just suspect those damned crypts will come into play at some point and most things Winterfell bring me back to the crypts at this point.

    Paul,

    Good point, very true.
    My first impression was of Braavos, but it could easily be anywhere. Even if those specific photos are from a Braavos set in Episode 6×07, we do know that at least two ships carrying characters we know will depart Braavos next season, Sam for Oldtown and Mace Tyrell for King’s Landing. It certainly is plausible that Arya could easily slip onto either ship!

  62. Where did they film the Battle of Winterfell and the Wolfswood last season?

  63. Tywin of the Hill:
    Clob,

    She’s backwards in two pictures and has her eyes closed in the other one. We can’t tell if she’s wearing them or not.

    Some other images out there with her eyes partially open they look pretty dark. No, it can’t be confirmed, but it does look more like her eyes and not the spooky blind contacts:
    http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/secondary/maisie-williams-game-of-thrones-333243.jpg
    http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/Maisie-Williams-Ireland-598967.jpg

  64. Hi-Fi:
    That all said, Melisandre also saw Stannis winning in the flames lol

    No, she didn’t. She saw herself walking the walls of Winterfell, and she saw the Bolton banners cast down. From that, she inferred that Stannis would win (reasonably, but incorrectly).

  65. Darquemode,

    Do we know Sam will be

    landing in Braavos on his way to Oldtown, though?
    We know he does in the books, of course, but that doesn’t mean he necessarily will in the show.

    I hope he does, though. I want Sam to tell Arya Bran and Rickon are still alive!

  66. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    I don’t think there has been confirmation of Sam going to Braavos like in the books, you’re right. I personally think it will happen, but I guess we do not know for sure…

  67. I find Arya hella annoying, I want more of my lovely b*tch Cersei! I fear for her life this season.

    IF she dies (forbid it), I hope it’s because she’s lost all her children – that she will burn down kings landing and be killed by Jaime followed by him commiting suicide – they came into this world together, belonged together, will go out together. For better or worse.

    Now go win that emmy Lena Headey, you beautiful creature!

  68. Luka Nieto,

    I think that would be a great resource, if you’re willing to undertake such a project! Right now concrete information about Season 6 is pretty sparse, so it’s relatively easy to keep track of everything important. Over time, however, all of the reports about which actors are filming with which directors in which locations at a given time are inevitably going to start blending together. When that happens, it would be nice to have a master list of confirmed scenes and their potential episode placement set up somewhere so that people could refer to it at their leisure. Without books to provide even a vague touchstone for specific events, it will be harder to make a precise outline of the season, but we could do our best. Having even a skeletal framework of hard facts on which to base our speculations would be extremely helpful.

    If you have a blog or personal website of some kind that you’re able to update periodically, that could serve a potential venue for the master list. Otherwise, maybe the long-neglected WOTW forums could host the project. People could post relevant information in the thread, and it could be added to the master list after it’s been verified with a reasonable degree of certainty.

    In previous offseasons, there’s been an ongoing thread at Westeros that served a similar purpose. But that website is now scorched earth as far as I’m concerned. The chances of it being able to host a civil and intelligent discourse about the show are virtually nil.

  69. Jared,

    Yes, keeping track in a static forum makes more sense to me than having the info get lost in the shuffle of various posts. Listen if you two use the forums, I’ll give you mod status in the forums. Go for it. Okay?

  70. Darquemode,

    What purpose would that serve in the show?

    Sam meeting Arya in the books is inconsequential; the important crossover is Dareon, who won’t be in the show. It seems more likely that Sam and Gilly being sent traveling is a device to get them to Oldtown between seasons, where their actual story is.
  71. Quick Update on HairWatch (slowly losing interest)

    Kit (Hair)ington has been spotted dozens of times in Worcester, England today, supporting Long hair and beard still!

    Pretty much it.

    Anyone think he will have more scenes to shoot, or he was in Belfast about a month, is that a decent amount of time to film his season 6 scenes? (Providing he is back)

  72. Luka Nieto: For example, thanks to these pictures we know that:

    1) Arya will not be blind by 6×07.

    I wouldn’t say that. You never get a clear look at her eyes in these pictures.

  73. I’m happy to hear that there’s a good chance that Sansa and Theon will be able to team up with Brienne and Pod this season.

  74. I hope Tyrion and Sansa end up back together. He was very sweet to her in S3, and on her wedding night in S5 she mentioned his kindness right before Ramsay tore her gorgeous dress.

  75. Sansa will be queen… and her guards will be her family warged into direwolves. Count on it.

  76. Sean C.,

    It could serve a purpose if

    Arya learns of Jon’s death because of Sam being in Braavos. Her learning of Jon’s death could be important if that is her reason for leaving THoBW and returning to Westeros. I’m not saying it will happen, but if would make some sense if the news originates with Sam in Braavos. She could overhear him talking about it or others could overhear him and the gossip could spread to her. She is supposed to learn 3 things to report daily and it would be good to know those things.

    Without knowing where Arya’s next step will take her it is hard for me to rule anything out….

  77. Darquemode,

    Sam doesn’t know about Jon’s death. He left before it happened.

    Greenjones,

    With Jaqen having replaced the Kindly Man, is he going to go to Oldtown at all (in the near-term, anyway)? The show has made him the primary representative of the House of Black and White.
  78. Why is everyone in such a big hurry to hustle Arya back to Westeros? I love the storyline of her training and am not eager to see her leave the fascinating, lively seaport city of Braavos anytime soon. But I do think that when she finally does, it will be “on assignment.” She still has a great deal left to learn at the HoBaW before she’s ready for that, though.

    Besides, we’ve just discovered from the “Mercy” chapter that she’s acting in a play written by an author with the surname Forel. Who knows where that tantalizing tidbit could lead? I’d love to know more about the Sealord’s court, and how the First Sword of Braavos trains and is chosen and why Syrio left the gig. I want to know all about the relationship between the Faceless Men and the Iron Bank. I want to know why the Sailor’s Wife’s daughter is named Lanna. Arya is my sole Braavos Eyewitness News source!

  79. Firannion:
    But I do think that when she finally does, it will be “on assignment.”She still has a great deal left to learn at the HoBaW before she’s ready for that, though.

    Everything we’ve seen of Arya has shown that she is fundamentally not suited to being a Faceless Woman, so I don’t think she’ll ever be sent on an assignment. There’s not enough time for her to complete her training, anyway, in all likelihood.

  80. Sean C.: not suited to being a Faceless Woman, so I don’t think she’ll ever be sent on an assignment.

    I disagree a bit. I believe the Kindly Man will continue to send Mercy/Cat/Beth/… on increasingly enhanced/dangerous missions, eventually to Westeros, knowing full well that she has kept a bit of Arya tucked away and may never come back.

  81. Sean C.,

    Greenjones,

    I’ll admit that I’m genuinely confused as to whether the guy we know as Jaqen is still Jaqen? The last episode left it open, I thought. But I do love your idea about

    “Jaqen” hopping on the boat Greenjones! That would be a very elegant and tidy way of having Sam and Arya’s stories interconnect (+/- her killing a Night’s Watchman for desertion, delivering Jon’s justice).
  82. Hodor’s Bastard,

    You may be right, but wouldn’t that compromise the integrity of that Faceless Men? If she can never truly become noone, and I don’t think she can, would they send her as a representative. The only way I could see that is if the Faceless Men wanted her to kill someone on her list.

  83. Is there a chance they’re moving the Winterfell set to someplace with a lot more snow? Or is that really unrealistic?

  84. Some gnarly trees in Belvoir forest. Hundreds of ravens could roost in this one:

    http://www.communityni.org/sites/default/files/images/oak_2_at_belvoir_park_forest_is_estimated_to_be_at_least_300_years_old._photo_by_gregor_fulton.jpg

    An illustration of

    Raventree Hall Castle

    looks like Glenarm castle. The hill pictured above in Glenarm looks like

    Missy’s Teats named after Bloodraven’s mother.
    Jaime’s last chapter in ADWD:

    Raventree is in the Riverlands & the last to kneel. As soon as they do, Jaime goes back to King’s Landing after receiving Cersei’s love letter.

    Blackwood of Raventree is 1 of the main families sworn to House Tully. He asks Jaime if he’s looking for Blackfish & bitches about the RW & The Mountain. Jaime warns him about protecting Beric, Thoros, The Hound, Blackfish, or Stoneheart because they’re outlaws & rebels. He also & name-drops Ryman Frey. Jaime looks for the outlaws at Pennytree which is a village between The Teats where he reunites with Brienne.

  85. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Having “Arya” assigned to kill someone on her list would be very convenient, wouldn’t it? I guess I never saw the FM as “representatives” by any means. Through whatever channels they have in place, they take on a mission (pre-paid?) and it gets done, whether by one or by a few, or by proxy. A FM is a face in the crowd, invisible until the tipping point. Is it always an assassination? Probably only the KM knows the details of any mission and may not know the status/result until public news reaches him or the FM returns. I wonder if there is any follow-up if a FM doesn’t return? Are there suicide (no return expected) missions as well?

    What was Jaqen doing in the riverlands in the first place?

  86. Sean C.,

    Sam will certainly learn of Jon’s death. Most likely he would

    sail from Eastwatch to Braavos whether or not the show has scenes with him in Braavos or he encounters Arya. I think he will have scenes there. While in Braavos I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that he would learn of Jon’s death. That’s how I see it – right or wrong.

    Just because the show has no Dareon I see no reason to rule out Sam being in Braavos personally. Characters can have different agendas and story arcs can play out very differently on the TV series as we have seen quite often, but perhaps we won’t see Sam in Braavos (even if he sails there en route to Oldtown). You may be right. Maybe he will not learn of Jon’s death until he reaches Horn hill or Oldtown…

  87. RosanaZugey:
    Question…what do you guys think will bring Arya back to Westeros? I had always thought she sees something/someone through her Direwolf and that would prompt her return, but since she doesn’t warg in the show (yet?), what brings her back?

    My guess: A mission from Jagen H’gar.

  88. Arya’s gonna swim to mereen using the corpses of meryn trant and dareon as floaties and sneak aboard eurons ship

  89. Mihnea: i would have her stay in Essos rather then die.

    There is a story – rumor? – that Arya is Mrs. GRRM’s favorite character and she made Mr. GRRM promise not to kill her. Doesn’t mean he won’t, but I think she’s one of the ones to make it to the end.

  90. I would love to see Arya return to westeros to complete a mission assigned to her once her training is complete, the murder of a very important character. Maybe Little Finger or Varys need to kill someone.
    I also belive she will met Jon Snow at some point, they where so close and reuniting them in an epic moment of the story after all de evolution in their respective characters gives me goosebumps.

  91. Sean C.:
    K Noelle,

    There’s nowhere in the UK they could move it where they would reliably have snow during the period the show films.

    The production doesn’t, necessarely, have to be in The UK, does it ? I mentioned Baltic States in another thread . Tallinn and Riga could be used to shoot KL scenes. Countryside could well represent Riverlands, and there are some impressive Teutonic Order Castles.

    That said, even Baltic States don’t have a reliable snow, especially early Winter. But there is a very good chance for snow in February. If they were to postpone Season 7 and 8 – which I think there’s a good chance for, because I anticipate several Hardhome style episode a season, there would be more battle scenes, and need for post production.

  92. I think Arya should have her own spinoff series so that anyone intrested in watching the “unreal adventures of a little girl in Bravos” has his desires fulfilled and she stops stealing precius GOT screentime.

    A man can dream ….

  93. The actress who plays Arya has the misfortune with me of being forever linked with the donut licking singer (Arianna? I think that’s the donut licker’s name). They both started throwing multiple little diva fits that made the news around the same time. Arya was tweeting hers and the media was printing it. After the third or fourth article filled with one of her rants I thought “You’re on a popular TV show. A TV show where they could replace you with a CGI of a wolf or a raven. Or another actress and declare that you were now a “faceless man”. You didn’t invent a cure for cancer so stop abusing the hired help at the airlines”. So that kind of ruined her character for me. Kit Harrington gave some “don’t hate be because I’m beautiful” interview where he whined he was just a sex symbol. On a show where all the women have to take their clothes off while he gets to walk around in the snow draped in furs. So I’m not sure what he was talking about – he was in a movie where he had to walk around half naked but that didn’t do well. So I don’t necessarily care if either character comes back because the actor sort of ruined their characters for me. But I don’t see how they can not bring Jon Snow back. He’s too pivotal and I believe the whole R+L=J. As for Arya I think it would be interesting if they made her a full faceless man and replaced her with a different actor or actress only to reveal the actress playing her now at a dramatic moment. Maybe have her character vanish from the screen then have a mysterious different actor appear at a different time to help Sansa.

  94. Sean C.,

    Agreed. Forcing characters together for no reason makes for a very messy plotline. Wasn’t keen on it with Brienne/Hound but it was bearable (makes you realise just how little Brienne has had to do the past two seasons that they have to keep making more stuff up for her!) but sailing Arya or Sam to the other side of the globe just so they can nod at eachother or whatever (as I remember they don’t even speak in the books?) is just daft.

    Talvivaara,

    I dunno, There’s some places in Scotland that have long lying patches of snow through summer and Autumn. Mainly around Ben Nevis but also Ben Wyvis, Grey Corries,Glen Coe and without doubt Braeriach at Garbh Choire Mór. May also be some parts of Snowdonia in Wales or maybe even some spots in the Pennines or my home turf of the Peak District which would look bleak enough ( but may need some back-up snow! ).

    anon,

    Maisie always comes off as very polite and level-headed in interviews. Think she’s entitled to the odd Twitter tantrum because she’s still a teenager and that’s what they do but to level that sort of criticism at her for one or two incidents is a little unfair. She’s a kid, they do silly things sometimes! Moaning about airline service is pretty tame compared to how off the rails some teenage actors/celebrities go!

  95. TheTouchOfFrost

    That’s the problem when actors put themselves out there on social media. You have to see the character they’re playing not the actor and if their antics overshadow their roles then that illusion is gone. She came off as an entitled brat and now when I see her on the screen I see entitled brat, not her character. I think they’d do better to make her a true faceless man and replace the actress altogether – they could do quite a bit with that plot.

  96. Waif-er Grrrl,

    I hope they not. Sansa doesn’t want to marry a man of the family that kill hers, she doesn’t like him, she actually prefers the Hound, Tyrion doesn’t deserve a wife just for being nice (you didn’t rape me! Thank you! :)) and the Tyrion’s mention on the rape scene was only for Tyrion’s whitewashing so the next Sansa’s suitor/pairing will look better, and that sucks.

  97. I hope they don’t send her to Westeros already. To me, Tyrion’s and Arya’s character development last season feels rushed (Tyrion being Meereen’s leader like in three episodes and Arya being a full-time FW when she’s not clearly ready).

  98. SlayerNina,

    You mean the Sandor, who murdered Arya’s friend, a kid without any remorse? The one who then told Arya regarding Sansa at Blackwater he should have “f—ed her bloody”? The one who told Sansa that all the men in her life will be killers when she tried to simply thank him for saving her life?

    Sandor is no better than Tyrion or LF. I hope if Sansa survives, she’ll choose to be single and survive on her own.

  99. Moonlight,

    I said this before, i think they’ll run into each other brienne offers her service once more and this time sansa will accept it.

  100. Ser Dosser: I think Arya should have her own spinoff series so that anyone intrested in watching the “unreal adventures of a little girl in Bravos” has his desires fulfilled and she stops stealing precius GOT screentime.

    If you feel contempt for unreal adventures then you are watching the wrong show. For very many viewers, any Arya screentime is precious. Her training is much more intriguing to watch than yet another bunch of mostly anonymous fighters hacking at each other (a/k/a Big Expensive Action Scene).

  101. Abyss:
    anon,

    Yeah, let’s judge person you don’t know at all because of a little Twitter rant, seems legit to me.

    I can judge whoever I like. How ridiculous – it’s a forum discussing the show. A forum I believe you don’t run. There are characters I like and characters I don’t care for like everyone else. I don’t like the actress who plays Arya. Deal with it – sheesh. I doubt she cares what I think. I like the actress who plays Sansa. And I really like the women in the Tyrell family.

  102. Arthur:

    R+L=D theory is the silliest of the bunch. Every time someone mentions it I roll my eyes. Everything, including GRRM’s own words, pretty much blows that possibility out of the water and sends it into orbit. And that’s before you even consider that GRRM is not a hack story teller… and that D is already the most likely TPTWP, so there is absolutely NO NEED to have D as the spawn of R+L. None. And GRRM wouldn’t waste our time telling that unnecessary story.

  103. anon,

    Seeing as you’re in a miniscule minority there it’s not going to happen. I do hope you’re more forgiving with your own chlidren if you have/ever have any.

    Mihnea,

    It’s summertime. They appear to be coming out of hibernation!

  104. Hodor’s Bastard,

    What porn???

    Darquemode,

    Did they say that Sam and Gilly were headed for a port? I don’t remember. I thought they were going to Oldtown via Kingsroad (or other roads for that matter).

    Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Or someone she cares about, as a test. If she is truly no-one, she should not care if she had to kill someone from her own family or circle of friends.

    Ser Dosser,

    I want that. Not for the same reasons you do, obviously. Arya is one of my favorite characters and i LOVE her story. I would want to see a whole muti-season series about Arya’s journey from the kid that had to run to … I dunno, that would remain to be seen. Anyway, classic initiation story/heroe’s journey story with a twist. Awesome!

  105. SlayerNina,

    I hope they not. Sansa doesn’t want to marry a man of the family that kill hers, she doesn’t like him, she actually prefers the Hound, Tyrion doesn’t deserve a wife just for being nice (you didn’t rape me! Thank you! :))

    But Nina, Tyrion is the “greatest Lannister killer of our time!”

    No, I wasn’t suggesting she loves him for not raping her — that would make her a prime example of Stockholm Syndrome (though after what she’s been through, maybe she’ll acquire that).

    On her wedding night she could have told Ramsay simply, “I did not sleep with him,” but instead she mentioned Tyrion’s kindness. And late in S3 (ep 10?) I remember them walking together in the garden, having a cordial conversation about being misfits in KL. Then she found out about RW.

    So yeah, I feel they at least have warm feelings for each other. But that’s just my unsullied opinion. You and others here probably know more than I do.

  106. Flora Linden,

    The Hound, definitively not. About his killings, he was always following orders, so technically… Sandor post Quiet Island, maybe. Just maybe. The only redeeming quality he has is that he seems quite aware he’s a dick and he remorse almost everything he does (but hey, I’m not saying Sandor is better because Tyrion or LF are worst, that is a horrible scale).

    But the important thing is that no matter how asshole he is, Sansa wants him. That’s why I’m (not exactly) shipping it.

    … I was clear? I don’t know how to explain it LOL

  107. SlayerNina,

    Oh, no problem, I understand. Didn’t mean to sound so harsh in my comment.

    I like the Hound, but I admit I don’t get the whole SanSan shipping thing. I’m not really into it.

    Sansa has been through enough in the books and TV show, I’m hoping that she doesn’t depend on the hero-coming-to-my-rescue notion anymore and try her best to deal with difficulties herself.

  108. waif-er grrrl,

    Oh, if you’re an Unsullied, then you have a good reason to think that 🙂

    Basically, in the books Tyrion is a classist mysoginistic pile of crap (specially in the last book), and in his chapters he was thinking about Sansa and her grief in somewhat a creepy voyeristic way. And she was cold to him like the Wall, she didn’t talk to him or be with him unless it was strictly necessary.

    In the show they had changed Tyrion’s character and Tyrion’s surrounding people to accomodate that to the point they are barely recognizable, just for Tyrion’s benefit. If you want, since they had changed everything, you can google “Tyrion’s whitewashing” and similar stuff without read any spoilers.

  109. anon: I can judge whoever I like. How ridiculous – it’s a forum discussing the show.

    Going by that fact you should judge the characters on the show, not the actors playing them. – But yes, you can judge whoever you like (even if your reasons for it are as strange as the ones you bring up here), but in doing so you most be ready for people to tell you what they think of it. – Yes, even if they don’t run this site.

  110. waif-er grrrl,

    Don’t look at that. It’s pointless book purist hate.
    I’ve read the books, many times, trust me it will save your neurons.

    The differance is that Tyrion does not rape a slave (thank god).

    When ADWD came out, most of the fandom criticized that GRRM ruined Tyrion. Rightly i say. So I think the show did good here, ruining your most iconic character is not a good move.

  111. anon: They both started throwing multiple little diva fits that made the news around the same time. Arya was tweeting hers and the media was printing it. After the third or fourth article filled with one of her rants …

    Does this mean you read articles about three of four incidents, or – as I suspect – three or four articles about one incident?

  112. Flora Linden,

    No problem, sometimes I feel I’m being too judgamental and harsh too (what can I say? I’m Team Sansa and Hate Fanfavorites Team! lol).

    My spring dream is Sansa warging or riding a dragon (Rhaegal, after the emo prince who loved songs) and killing everybody at Kingslanding and Casterly Rock, and the bards singing a song about the Lions on Fire. But since that will never happen, I will be happy if Sansa kill LF and become Lady (or Queen) of Winterfell.

  113. SlayerNina:

    I will be happy if Sansa kill LF and become Lady (or Queen) of Winterfell.

    I’d be happy too if this happened in either books or show. A nice irony – the one Stark more suitable for the South ends up ruling the North instead.

  114. Satin,

    They let Meereen on the hands of a stranger dwarf, an unsullied and a translator… With HBO, all is possible (except cocks for fanservice, not a rape/boobs quota for episode, Sansa being happy or Brienne doing stuff XD)

  115. Flora Linden,

    Absolutely agree. I’ve said this before: Sansa ruling alone (Winterfell/the Iron Throne) would be a beautiful conclusion to her arc. A Wetseros version of Queen Elizabeth the first.

    On topic:
    Luka Nieto,

    That’s a fantastic idea, and thank you in advance if you do that!

  116. Gods, I wouldn’t want to see Sansa rule Winterfell or anywhere else. She’s not a warrior, a leader, a person who sees through others. Westerosi women can be those things, but I don’t think SHE is. She has survival instincts, thank goodness, and lets Theon rescue her (yes, she’s been encouraging Reek to revert to Theon, so she has some agency at work). This season I kind of gave up on her when she didn’t make good use of that weird implement she found on the ramparts of Winterfell. Under the tutelage of Littlefinger, her nascent intuition, curiosity, and initiative have grown a bit, but I don’t think either book or show-Sansa has earned being in charge of others. Happily, she has a major role to play, hopefully killing LF, and I hope she finds happiness. D&D may give her Winterfell, partly to make up for the extra horrors they put her through in S5, but after five books/seasons of mostly being a milksops it beggars logic that she could become a leader.

    On topic, I think Arya’s swim occurs in Westeros. The rough stone quay and even the quality of the light don’t evoke Essos. I’d like to think it’s White Harbour and that Arya is seeking Wyman Manderly. I’ll bet she knows of the Manderlys’ long-time loyalty to the Starks

  117. dee: What porn???

    🙂 Didn’t you read about S Dillane’s memorable quote about 70s German porn last year? Since Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen) is German, I thought I would extend the silliness that Rygritte started. My mind sinks to the gutter fairly easily.

    Mercy!

  118. Darquemode,

    Technically, Dareon was already in the show (Maester Aemon sent him to Eastwatch in Season 1), but I’m not really expecting them to bring him back, and they would probably recast him even if they did, since he was just an extra in his previous appearance (like Season 1 Beric Dondarrion). If they are bringing him back to play his book role, we wouldn’t have seen him yet in S5, since Sam would be meeting up with him at Eastwatch on the way to Oldtown.

  119. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Tell me more … 😉

    My mind actually never leaves the gutter. It’s made a home for itself there.

    It’s a weird comment, though. How is 70s German porn different from 70s British porn or 80s German porn? Ah well, he probably knows what he’s talking about.

    Speaking of porn, I wish they would do an actual “good” sex scene once in a while. The world of GoT is full of violence against and exploitation of women (and incest), but there must be good relationships around, where it’s not one person exploiting the other’s relative powerlesness (or cluelesness).
    The only instance of this (and not just implied) – as far as I can remeber- was Renly and Loras in season 1. So if we are going to have nudity for viewer enjoyment, can we have a sex scene that’s actually sexy once in a while?
    Tom Wlaschiha could feature…

  120. dee: I wish they would do an actual “good” sex scene once in a while.

    Well, everyone here probably has a different definition of “good” regarding sex on this show! For me, Robb and Talisa, S2 & S3? Although I can argue that Talisa’s presence was gratuitous for several reasons, R & T’s intimacy was fairly well-done and made the RW even more depraved and gruesome. There were a few episodes that Oona Chaplin’s butt deserved a credit of its own!

    Also, Jon & Ygritte’s brief cave scene, awkward and all, was endearing, imho. Oberyn & Ellaria’s connection, although well-shared, was interesting as well.

  121. Hodor’s Bastard,

    oh, you’re right. Should have remembered Jon and Ygritte – I enjoyed that. Robb and Talisa though I found totally forgettable, since I didn’t care for the character of Talisa and found them without chemistry as a couple, but you are right, they count.
    Still too few compared to the other kind, but I digress.

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