With less than two weeks remaining before the season 7 premiere, more interviews from the cast of Game of Thrones are beginning to surface. Today Time brings us a conversation with Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) who discusses Sansa evolving from pawn to player, growing up on set, and her hopes for Sansa’s future. Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) talks to the NY Times about becoming Cersei, awkward fan encounters, and dealing with controversy.
Sophie Turner has enjoyed seeing how Sansa has matured from a naïve young girl into a player of the game. “It was really exciting to see the progression for her and to see the arc they’ve given her: Just a complete sponge and constantly learning from all the people she’s been around and making the most of these situations where she’s been a captive. Instead of resenting her captors and turning against them, she uses them to her advantage and really plays them so she can get the most out of this time she spent with them,” she says.
Life in the spotlight hasn’t always been easy for Turner, however. “Being in the public eye is a little tricky…going through puberty and everything was very difficult, especially given how the media portrays what young girls should look like. But luckily, I have Maisie [Williams] by my side. That was the greatest thing, to have someone going through the same thing at the same time,” Turner explains. “We’re kind of joined at the hip and we do literally everything together. She goes to the toilet, I’ll go into the bathroom with her. It’s that kind of relationship.”
When asked whether Sansa’s final scene with Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) was a turn toward the “dark side,” Turner admits feeling conflicted. “I do wonder if it’d be kind of impossible for this world and all of these people who she’s surrounded herself with, of course that would rub off on her,” she says. Turner does believe Sansa’s desire to be with her family again will keep her on the right path though. “I think she may change a little, but at the end of the day, I think her heart is still good. The way she deals with her problems and her enemies may be different from how she would have dealt with them in the day when she was 13 or so.”
Despite her mixed feelings, Turner definitely enjoyed Sansa’s revenge. “It was the most awesome scene, because I’ve been waiting for so long to have my first kill. To constantly see people like Maisie killing people onscreen, and it’s so badass and she looks so cool…It felt really good to give Sansa back that power that’s been stripped from her.” She continues, “This was the moment where she had all of the power. I’m sure it was intoxicating for her, too, that feeling she’d been craving for so long, and it was intoxicating for me. I loved it! I want more kills!”
Does Turner have any inkling what’s in store for Sansa? “You never know, I might not have made it through [season] seven! This is Game of Thrones. I think it’s a fairy tale version and it’s probably not going to end up happening…but my hope is that she finds her family again and the Starks are strong again — the remaining Starks!” She adds, “Even if she didn’t get that final end result of being united with her family again, my hope for her is that she continues to keep growing more and more powerful and confident in herself.” Turner jokes, “But in reality, it’s probably not going to happen, and she’s probably going to die!”
Check out the entire interview over at Time.
Lena Headey keeps her cards close to the vest, much like her character Cersei Lannister. When asked for details about season seven, she replies, “Are you [expletive] serious right now? Um, she’s not having a good time — there you go,” she laughs. “Apparently winter is really coming, finally.” Despite the dire circumstances Westeros is facing, however, Headey does appreciate that women are finally leading the way. “Having all of these females rise, in all their different guises — it’s sort of unheard of, really,”
It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Cersei, as Headey has taken complete ownership of the role with her performance. She recounts the story of how Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) told her of “this mad thing” he was reading for HBO. Headey recalls him saying “there’s this great part for his sister, who’s this incestuous psychopath.”
Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss explained in an email that Headey’s audition was “far from the Evil Ice Queen stereotype…Lena was the only one who conveyed the discomfort that comes with being Cersei — the sense of perpetual scrutiny and besiegement that comes with her position in the world, a position she never chose.” Adds cast mate Conleth Hill (Varys), “She can do more with a look than most of us can with a couple pages of dialogue.”
Being Cersei has its drawbacks, as Headey can attest. One of her more embarrassing encounters came shortly after giving birth to her daughter. As a nurse was helping her breastfeed, she chanted, “Shame” as “she’s milking me like a human cow,” Headey says. “I was flying on morphine, so it was sort of funny. Had I been vaguely in the world, I might have been more offended.”
Headey takes criticism of the herself and the show in stride, whether it’s outrage over using a body double during her “walk of shame” or the controversial scene with Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in the sept. “We love a good backlash,” she admits. Headey still doesn’t understand why the scene with Jaime (which she and others associated with the show have proclaimed was not a rape) infuriated fans more than “a man up North taking his children to the White Walkers.”
As for Cersei’s fate, she is as in the dark as everyone else. Headey will say who she doesn’t believe will sit the Iron Throne in the end, however, “It can’t be me because I’m already there. So I’m [expletive].”
Head over the the NY Times for the entire interview.
“She can do more with a look than most of us can with a couple pages of dialogue.”
True. The best actress in GoT.
This should be an interesting thread
Sophie…. you ARE what the media thinks young girls should look like
A just finished my GOT marathon. Speaking of Sansa, it is mind blogging how little she cared for her baby brother’s life, and I’ve yet to see her and Jon mourn him. im hoping season 7 touch of Rickon’s death.
Interviews with Lena always make me happy – she’s so direct and wickedly smart. ❤
Abbie,
Um, just what did you want Sansa and Jon to do? It was Sansa who pushed Jon to take Winterfell to rescue their baby brother. Jon tried to save him and got caught in Ramsey’s trap. I do not see them out dancing – I see them managing with what they need to do next – figure out a way of keeping the apocolyspe from happening. I suspect, esp if we get a Stark reunion, they’ll be some time for tears and perhaps some quiet conversation for their dear brother buried with his father and brother.
Abbie,
Well, they both looked pretty sombre when his body was brought back to Winterfell from the battlefield.
Perhaps she was thinking about Rickon and all the family members she’s lost while sitting quietly by the weirwood in the finale, before Littlefinger interrupted her.
Not everything needs to be expressed vocally.
“the sense of perpetual scrutiny and besiegement that comes with her position in the world, a position she never chose.”
Perfection. Perpetual besiegement is exactly how Lena has potrayed Cersei from the start. I’m giddy from this apt description.
It really is fascinating that there are so many prominent women currently on the show. A huge difference next to those first more standard seasons, with Ned and Tywin and Robert Baratheon (ugh) occupying most of the runtime. It was worth waiting for, although I certainly hope that the next big fantasy series will just do away with those “breaking the patriarchy” plots and start from an egalitarian world!
I love the Stark girls. I hope they both survive to the end. May they get their peace through their revenge!
mau,
Yup. Love Lena. I admire how she avoids the spotlight and navigates the Hollywood freak show without making herself tabloid fodder. Even if it means she skips paparazzi-infested events. She’s a good mentor for her protege Maisie Williams.
PS. Loved Lena in “Imagine Me and You” and “300.”
Abbie,
Rickon couldn’t catch a break. As the youngest he was mostly ignored by everyone, except, perhaps Hodor, and eventually Osha, and had only Shaggydog for companionship. Finally, he is betrayed, and he and his wolf horribly killed.
Once it was revealed he was being held by Ramsey, Sansa knew enough to think of him as already dead, and couldn’t grieve just then (I think). Perhaps she will be able to take some time to do so in this upcoming season.
Cue Jack Bauer asking about the red carpet and premiere episode name in 3…..2…..1
“Sophie Turner has enjoyed seeing how Sansa has matured from a naïve young girl into a player of the game. “It was really exciting to see the progression for her and to see the arc they’ve given her: Just a complete sponge and constantly learning from all the people she’s been around and making the most of these situations where she’s been a captive. Instead of resenting her captors and turning against them, she uses them to her advantage and really plays them so she can get the most out of this time she spent with them,” she says.”
——————-
Ummm. “Player of the game”? She “really plays” her captors? Gets “most out of the time she spent with them”?
Love ya Sophie, love how you love Maisie, but we must be watching different shows.
(*awaits Clob’s “No comment” *)
In the comments section of the NYT article, several people mentioned Headey’s outstanding performance in Dredd (2012), the remake with Karl Urban (best known as Éomer in The Lord of the Rings and Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek reboot). It got decent reviews, so I might have to check it out now! I’ll also need to watch The Remains of the Day again, a film I loved when it was released (and that also features Peter Vaughan, our late and beloved Maester Aemon).
There is no Red Carpet Premiere and there are no episode titles. It is simply “Episode 1”, “Episode 2”, etc this year.
And to be fair, there’s been a handful of other people asking about the episode titles in recent threads.
Ten Bears,
That’s the show’s official position, though. The writers, etc. have all said the same.
The problem is that they did a terrible job of showing it. But we’re supposed to understand that Sansa learned a ton of stuff from Cersei, Margaery, Tyrion, Littlefinger, etc., and that she’s a skilled player of the game now.
As soon as it went up I was going to comment about why aren’t there more interviews and articles to link from other cast members. I chose to actually make “no comment” at the time. 😛
Jack Bauer 24,
Some are sarcastic and others are from individuals commenting about it for the first and only time, not repeatedly for over a week in every thread. 😉
Hairy_Javelin,
At this point, it might be best to ignore him. This red carpet and episode title nonsense has gotten out of hand and needs to stop.
Lena’s attitude always make me smile. Although I had a different depiction of her when the series started, Lena’s characterization of Cersei has been overwhelming. Has she already reached Mad Queen status? Looking forward to more manic, prophesy-be-damned reactions this season.
Regarding Sansa/Turner…
Hah…I doubt she’ll be recovering easily from her well-integrated stockholm syndrome. Perhaps she will have a chance to react to LF’s manipulations with fervor but I’m wary of the ramifications of her decisions going forward.
Wolfish,
Lena was great in Dredd, an unexpectedly good movie that might’ve been unfairly ignored by people mistakenly assuming it was a reboot or sequel to Sylvester Stallone’s “Judge Dredd.”
I didn’t realize Lena was in “Remains of the Day.” (I’ve commandeered the Anthony Hopkins line from that movie “I’m afraid I can be of no further assistance to you in this matter” as a polite way of telling someone to f*ck off. ) I’m trying to remember what role she played. I hope I’m thinking of the right movie… Anthony Hopkins as “Mr. Stevens”, Peter Vaughan as his father, Emma Thompson as Mrs. ___.?
Ten Bears,
Her role in Remains was a bit part, as one of the maids at Darlington Hall.
That describes me. I still have never seen it since I just assumed it was a reboot… and at the time I didn’t hear a lot of positive things to get me to see it. I loved Lena in 300 though. That was the first time I saw her in anything so I was really excited for her to play Cersei.
In the past 3 articles I’ve responded to others who brought it up it wasn’t me. That’s not really fair to say.
ash,
I know they couldn’t save him. What I want to see is them feel for him. Not my brother is dead but we got Winterfell back let’s celebrate.
I’m just saying, i rewatched and it felt cold to me. I suppose before I was blinded by the glamour of the action.
Clob,
I hear you. I too wouldn’t mind some more variety.
I’d feel really bad for Sophie T if the producers are describing the story line to her as the “evolution” of Sansa into a “player of the game” who’s soaked up lessons from her captors like “a sponge.”
Meanwhile…. Where are the Rory McCann interviews and Sandor set photos?
Tomorrow is just 10 days from the premiere they can’t be bothered to release anything else
I came straight for the comments ^_^
Ten Bears,
At least we got some Sandor photos. I’m alarmed by the fact that Thoros is visible in just one photo, and he’s out-of-focus behind two other people!
I love Lena, she also announced in the interview that she’s getting married. So I’m glad she’s so happy now.
I really don’t understand why Sophie Turner gives like 2 interviews every single week, saying the same nonsense over and over again, while other actors are completely absent.
Have Dinklage, Alfie Allen, Maisie Williams, or John Bradley said anything about the new season ? I think not. There are so many people we could be hearing from, and yet it’s Sansa and LF discussion non-stop, with the occasional Kit Harington or Emilia Clarke interview. This is the first we’ve heard from Lena in ages.
The absence of any Dinklage or Maisie interviews is particularly strange, given their popularity and prominence.
I’m sick of hearing about Sophie 24/7.
I just want this season to start so we can have some new content to discuss.
Queen Lena! Queen Cersei!
Long may she reign <3
I seriously recommend reading Lena's full interview if you haven't.
Markus Stark,
Because she is popular.
Markus Stark,
It’s her management working with her to get her everywhere from interviews to calling the paps. They’re really trying to make her career happen post GoT. I don’t blame her (she gotta pay those bills), but it’s overkill.
Peter seems very low key. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve read an interview of his.
You dug the hole yourself and everyone noticed. Whether it’s you bringing it up or replying to a comment about it, we’re all just noticing it’s you again. 🙂
Markus Stark,
Yeah. It’s understandable that the cast are busy with other work or even doing a bit of traveling/vacationing while they’re able, but it almost feels like Sophie is going door-to-door to be interviewed with her time. 😛
mau,
Nowhere near as popular as Tyrion or Maisie, or even Jon or Dany for that matter. Sansa is fifth at best. Even Jaime has more fans than Sansa.
Well…… when Sansa confronts LF about the Bolton marriage, she reminds me a lot of Cersei. That is, Sophie’s delivery of her lines is reminiscent of Lena’s. I’d assumed that was deliberate. Fits in nicely with the Sansa-Sponge narrative:)
Flayed Potatoes,
At the rate they’re going, she has more visibility than almost anyone currently working in TV or film, certainly among people of her age. Her career will definitely be more than fine for a while.
Markus Stark,
My guess is that 1) she has a better publicist and 2) the others are either working, otherwise engaged (in Lena’s case, literally engaged!), or not nearly as interested in the publicity machine.
Not to pick on Vanessa or anything, but I did find it curious that the summary and excerpts from Sophie’s interview were above Lena’s. Cersei is a top-tier character whose actions are far more important to the plot than Sansa’s.
Markus Stark,
Obviously they are not that interesting to journalists.
Markus Stark,
Sansa is a prominent character, and Sophie tuner is available and willing to give interviews. Simple.
You’ve said this before. HBO doesn’t care.
“No, you mean notorious.” – Iceman Top Gun (1986)
🙂
Sophie’s interviews always have the most comments on this site, so it is not strange at all that she is doing that many. She was always a controversial character, a perfect one for modern journalism.
Jack Bauer 24,
And I’m perfectly okay with them NOT releasing anything else. I’m just hoping that the disproportionate emphasis thus far isn’t an indication that the upcoming season will be 7 episodes of the Sansa & Littlefinger Adventure Hour.
Sophie does a lot of interviews, publicity and photoshoots because she’s hungry for attention and playing the fame game as hard as she can. Simple. Emilia also used to be a lot more prominent in that regard in the beginning but she’s calmed down her PR a lot now and is much more private and I’m sure she has good reasons for it.
LOVED Lena’s interview, one of the best interviews from a cast member since a really long time. She seems like such a lovely person and always have something interesting to say about Cersei. You can tell she really cherishes that character.
Ten Bears,
I wouldn’t worry about that, Sophie finished filming last year while most of the other cast finished late February. So there will be focus on much more other places and characters, they are just keeping that more under the lid
Lena always has great insights about Cersei in her interviews: like how she thinks Cersei wishes she’d been born a man, or how Cersei wishes she were Jaime and hence her attraction to him. I remember when she said the first thing in one of her early GoT video interviews and the audience was shook.
Loved Lena’s interview.I am so happy things are going well for her now.
I must’ve missed that part.
Jack Bauer 24,
Im not going to try to count the number in several posts over the last few weeks, but the fact that you are being asked to stop it already should tell you something. just sayin
Kaka,
Or, she’s available to do them when she is asked to? Don’t read them if you don’t want to but don’t make assumptions about why a person is doing her job, which is in part to promote the show.
ash,
she’s been doing these interviews since last fall lmao. literally like 9-10 months before the premiere. i don’t care what sophie does but with how much she’s been everywhere lately, my assumption is the most natural. i don’t care about it and i don’t blame sophie for it. i would be hustling hard if i was her too.
Sophie describes Sansa’s execution-by-starving-dogs of Ramsay as “intoxicating”. She says. “I loved it! I want more kills!”
Well good for her! I like karmic symmetry when it comes to payback. Ramsay used vicious dogs as murder weapons; it was only fitting that they were the instrument of his execution.
Which brings me to my next wishful thinking hoped-for scenario for the intoxicated Sansa. In the S6e5 scene at Molestown she described to LF what happened to her because she went along with LF’s plan and trusted that he’d protect her:
(Excerpts)
Sansa: What do you think he [Ramsay] did to me?
***
LF: He beat you.
Sansa: Yes. He enjoyed that.
What else do you think he did?
LF: Sansa, I–
***
Sansa: The other things he did, ladies aren’t supposed to talk about those things, but I imagine brothel keepers talk about them all the time.
***
I can still feel it. I don’t mean in my tender heart it still pains me so. I can still feel what he did in my body standing here right now.
***
Sansa: You freed me from the monsters who murdered my family and you gave me to other monsters who murdered my family.
_____________
At a minimum, LF deserves to feel in his body what Sansa felt in hers, and have done to him the kind of things that ladies aren’t supposed to talk about but brothel keepers talk about all the time.
Will Sansa have the implements and creativity to devise a reciprocal experience for LF? For a psycho who’s treated women like disposable chattel (remember poor Ros?), he ought not die before being on the receiving end for once.
If the showrunners wish to accommodate Sophie’s wish for Sansa to have the same kind of crowd-pleasing moments as Arya (aka The Princess of Payback), this would be a perfect opportunity.
Sansa would even have her first scene on my Perpetual Rewatch List if she dishes out some reciprocal treatment to LF. (They had Theon tied to a cross and tortured for what felt like a whole season. Is it asking too much for LF to spend just one or two episodes trussed, tormented and exsanguinated by Cat 2.0?)
… Or is all this talk about Sansa’s new-found intoxication just stream of consciousness babbling….
Jack Bauer 24,
Well, Wolf Girl’s playing Wolfsbane in X-Men: New Mutants filming now, after just finishing filming “Departures” in upstate New York. So I can understand why Maisie Williams hasn’t been available for GoT interviews and press junkets.
(Loved her EW pictures though… With the costumes and the hairdo, it really looked like Arya was Jon Snow’s sister; or that Arya resembled Jon Snow’s mother.)
Anyway, I’ve had my fill of interviews.
As King Robert might say: “Enough of this hyping! Start the damn season already before I piss myself!”
Juri,
Not condoning rape. I’m condemning it.
Agreed. Time for talking is over. Start the season.
Thanks for update!!
Season 7 episode titles are going to be big news when or if HBO ever announces them.
And no red carpet event. Maybe too many actors are too busy this time of year and not enough would show up.
My episode title predictions still could happen and until the official season 7 episode titles are announced by HBO … there is still a chance.
I”m waiting for the next announcement from HBO: They’re changing the title from Game of Thrones to Game of Turners.
Her interviews are too many, too much, too repetitious, and too…words fail me. Crikey, they’re just too too. Just as the taste of power has gone to Sansa’s head, the taste of publicity has gone to Sophie’s. At this point I”m shocked she didn’t photobomb the Renaissance feast on the cover of TIME–she seems to think the show is about her. Frankly, this level of publicity saturation would only be justified if they’re killing off Sansa in S7–something I neither want nor expect,
Fortunately, the intelligent, introspective, and almost inspiring interview Lena gave to the Times was the perfect antidote. So nice to find she’s in a place of calm after several years of turmoil, and that she has a level head, like any good Yorkshire lass should. Now that, mates, is a class act.
I couldn’t care less about whether or not HBO cares. I’m expressing my opinion, that’s the purpose of the comment section.
But please, do tell me more about the value of your endless childish spamming on this site. “No titles this year !!!”, “Never been this quiet !!”, “A delay is coming !!”, “Something is wrong !!”, “No red carpet event !!”, “It’s X days away from the premiere, where’s the promo ?!!??!?!?”, “Nobody is hyping the season !”.
I mean seriously, you post that sort of shit 50 times a day on every single thread and you have the audacity to complain about me expressing my opinion on Sophie Turner ?
Get a grip.
Stark Raven Rad,
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I liked this interview with Sophie. I appreciate Sophie’s zest for the character she plays, always get the vibe that she takes nothing of the last 5-6 years for granted. Kudos to her for her hustling hard.
I think some of y’all put too much energy into denigrating Sophie. Do better peeps. WotW are only reflecting Sophie’s editorial presence right now because she’s in-demand. They post Sansa-related articles because she drives traffic whether you like it or not. Sophie has always hyped the show because she’s grateful and because she loves what she does.
You want the less vocal, less unwilling and indifferent actors to talk more, send fanmail.
Side note – Lena remains a legend. She is Cersei, I see no other.
Wolfish,
Agreed.
Stark Raven Rad,
I think right now we are getting the most Sophie interviews because she is the most available right now. Sophie hasn’t done a lot since GOT finished filming, mainly going on tour with her boyfriend, doing modeling as X-Men hasn’t started filming yet. Maisie traveled, started filming one movie, is gonna jump into filming another, Kit filmed straight after GOT, then traveled with his girlfriend, then traveled with his mates, Emilia jumped into Star Wars as soon as soon as GOT finished, she is still filming and has barely had many breaks, Lena and Peter started filming movies and are both quite private people, Nikolaj also promoting movies and filming and traveling whilst promoting GOT. So with Sophie doing the least amount of work in the break it’s natural that she is gonna do the most interviews.
Abbie,
Im sure that once they retired to their rooms, they had at a suitable cry or two, not jut for Rickon, but all of their family that have been slaughtered. You can show that (as they did for Sansa in Season 4) or assume that its happening after they finish the business of the show. Remember too that everyone grieves differently in different ways and in defferent times. I suspec that part of Jons energy when beating Ramsey to a pulp was thinking about Rickon.
Jack Bauer 24
https://i.imgflip.com/1rw3bj.jpg
As for Sophie, yeah, bored with her interviews. I mean she can continue giving them, I don’t why Watchers on the Wall continue to post these interviews considering that there’s nothing new or interesting in what she is saying. They could have just put up Lena’s interview since that’s atleast something new. But no, that’s pushed in with the Sophie stuff, so we have to sit through Sophie/Sansa comments again.
I think WOTW know that they get a lot of comments and clicks from antagonized posters if they have Sophie post and hence are doing it deliberately. After all this site runs on clicks and ads – it’s got a commercial aspect to it.
Ten Bears,
That’s seriously fucked up.
What does Sophie Turner have her PR team calling everyone and anyone saying she’s available for interviews? Sorry, but I’m with the people who are sick of it already. She says the same thing everytime. What is new in any of her interviews?
In her defense, I think it’s fairly simple why Sophie is getting the exposure/overexposure/whatever. She and/or her reps are striking while the iron is hot – she appears to want to make it in Hollywood. And GoT is a very popular platform right now, however it is coming to an end. Many of the other actors on the show are already established, work in theatre and in markets overseas, or like Maisie (for the most part), seem to be more interested in indie projects. They can be a bit less aggressive (though certainly not less hardworking!). Sophie, who is….21?…is a pretty blonde blue eyed girl wanting to break through in America. Pretty, blonde, blue-eyed starlets are a dime a dozen in LA, and it’s a cruel machine. Right now, she has a high-profile show, high-profile boyfriend in ‘the machine’, and it’s really the ideal time to do as many projects and get as much exposure as she can while Thrones is still going. So while I and a number of us find it repetitive and ‘enough already!’, It’s how you get your name out there if you’re looking for longevity in the US market.
SerNoName,
It sucks that Lena’s great interview is not getting the attention it deserves, especially since we hear from her so rarely. I hope she sticks on the show as long as possible. She’s such a delight to watch!
Pigeon,
I agree with this, but it’s also funny to me because last year I remember some people complaining that they were sick of Liam seemingly doing all the interviews for Season 6. And Kit was basically a one-man promo machine for GoT in Season 5, since he was between projects and readily available, just as Sophie seems to be now. I do look forward to hopefully hearing from additional cast members, though. That Lena interview was a rare treat.
When did Sansa ever go from “Pawn to Player”? She didn’t affect anything in Season 6.
Unless you count killing a man someone else already tied to a chair.
Because “Sansa” is just a fictional character being poorly written by Benioff and Weiss.
Juri,
Actually, you know what? After reading what you wrote and looking back at what I wrote, it kind of came out wrong. So I apologize.
I should’ve explained it better: As a purveyor of flesh, LF considers aberrant behavior to be menu items. I assumed he deems normal or exotic what some people would consider torture. Or else he doesn’t give it a second thought. It was more the humiliation he richly deserves that I waa thinking about.
As far as torture itself? The show hasn’t shied away from that. Sophie’s interview made it sound like Sansa found Ramsay’s slow death by dog-bites to be “intoxicating.” I thought she was suggesting Sansa would want another taste.
I hope I didn’t offend. I’m sorry if I did.
Pigeon,
Yeah, it is, and I shouldn’t have gone near the subject.
The depiction of a fictional character who normalizes and monetizes the infliction of physical and psychological pain is unsettling enough.
Pigeon,
Well then I’m not sure Sophie’s reps are giving her good advice. She comes off quite charming when she talks about her friendship with Maisie or learning humility when starting so young working with experienced actresses and actors.
It’s when she channels her Sansa character and touts her as a great heroine that she incites fan backlash.
Just my impression…
Funny, it wasn’t too long ago that the conventional wisdom seemed to be that Sophie had the classic tall, thin, leggy blonde look for Hollywood success and a modeling career, while poor Maisie would be relegated to supporting roles in low budget films.
These days, Maisie’s on magazine covers and is a fashion icon; she’s busy starring in indie films and blockbuster tentpole movies.
Go figure.
#TheManyFacedGoddess
Oh, you know it makes me nuts as well. It’s also David and Dan as well…I have to question it when the audience needs to be told what is not at all clear from the character and show itself. If they have to keep expounding on things that a character is feeling/thinking/experiencing, when that wasn’t apparent to so many of us viewers, I don’t think the problem is with the viewers. SHOW, don’t TELL. And it isn’t just a few of us going “Wut?” when Sansa’s storyline is spoken of. There is something missing there, and it’s not due to whether I like a character or not, I just feel like there were about 20 scenes cut if the story they’re talking about is the show I’m watching.
I don’t think anyone is a terrible writer or a hack or a bad actor or etc etc, I just think there’s some confusion where there needn’t be.
Ten Bears,
Sometimes it’s an advantage not to be conventional looking! But then I always thought Maisie would be quite striking. Of course, I admire dark hair/eyes/features because It’s the opposite of what I have. 😂
Mel,
Cersei and Jamie/Dany and Tyrion
TVG: “In the premiere, Cersei strategizes to take Westeros from her remaining enemies.”
Lena: “She wants to run the world. She is enjoying sitting on the throne…But Jaime wants to discuss the death of their last surviving child.”
There’s a quote from Peter Dinklage about Tyrion and Dany: “We’ll deal with how much Daenerys can trust him [to stay on her side against the Lannisters]. But he’s smitten with his employer. How good can he be at his job while having these feelings?”
elybe,
Liam is SUCH a publicity whore!!! (haha, kidding). It doe make sense that who’s available will give more time to press. I know, I really liked Lena’s interview as well. 🙂
Mel,
Dany and a Dany meet up scene
Emilia: “She wants to break the wheel, get in the power seat, enact change. She doesn’t want to simply wipe out anyone who disagrees with her.”
Benioff: “There might be some surprising hookups this season.”
A few more tidbits. Kit: “Jon sees his mission this season – to save people’s lives. That’s it.”
TVG describes a scene filmed in October on a Spanish beach: “Actors who’ve never before shared the screen are shooting a scene where they heatedly discuss strategy with Daenerys. The beauty, brains and brawn assembled in one spot are Avengers-level invincible, and the group buzzes with excitement about working together for the first time. Director Matt Shakman raises a bullhorn and shouts, ‘Dragon!’ and all look to the sky where digital artists will later add one of Dany’s three giant beasts.”
Mel,
Next time, on “As the Planetos Turns”!!!! 😆
Pigeon,
My theory is that the decision to shoehorn Sansa into the Jeyne Poole Winterfell plot continues to have “ripple effects”: not only because it “re-victimized” Sansa when it appeared she was gaining some self-determination and kept her inexplicably beholden to LF, but because her motivations are difficult to discern. And like you said: there shouldn’t be such a disparity between what we saw on the screen, and what we’re told we saw.
When virtually everything about this show is seamlessly presented, these little oddities stand out. (Not just Sansa; waltzing Arya getting gut-stabbed in broad daylight was another anomoly – though I pin that on the director’s choices).
The NY Times Lena Headey interview was well done. How refreshing.
I didn’t realize she’d moved from LA back to her hometown in the UK. Good for her!
If was interesting that she’s got two movies coming out: one about the (Syrian?) refugee crisis, and the other a “wrestling dramedy” (!) with The Rock. That’s how to mix and match!
The article mentioned some but not all of her films. Of those not listed, I’d stay away from the awful “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (small role, probably for an easy paycheck), and recommend “Imagine Me and You” if you want to see her in a different kind of role. It’s sort of a rom-com with Piper Perabo; the lyrics of the classic 60’s Turtles song “Happy Together” supply the title and indirectly figure in the ending.
Apropos of this discussion is a very contentious thread I saw on Reddit today in which some participants basically accuse Sansa of wanting Jon and Rickon dead at the BOTB. I’m no Sansa partisan but IMO she is not so far gone that she;s capable of such a thing. A certain level of indifference, yes, but desiring their deaths–inconceivable. Yet having now re-watched BOTB, I can see why they came to that conclusion. Like us, many commenters there seem to also have interpretations of Sansa’s behaviour and expressions that are the polar opposite of what Sophie and D&D say. Of course, this same sort of disconnect also occurred with interpretations of Sansa’s reaction to Jon being named KiTN.
Perhaps Sophie (and D&D) expresses what is intended but her acting does not. I can always read Tyrion’s thoughts, or Jorah’s or–God help us–Cersei’s. GoT actors as a rule are aces at conveying their characters’ inner truth–from A(rya) to Y(gritte), they are generally easy to understand. Sansa, like Baelish, is one of a few characters who are supposed to be hard to read. Nonetheless, I think I understand Baelish most of the time. But I frequently find the inner Sansa indecipherable. These impressions are always subjective. What do you think?
Maybe WOTW can post the TV guide interview and we can discuss Tyrion being in love with Dany?!
I honestly don’t know what’s funnier — complaints about how Sansa Stark isn’t really “playing the game” like she should, or that Sophie Turner IS. 🙂
Making oneself a black dress and san-shaying down the stairs of The Eyrie’s throne room does not make one an experienced player; it just shows the desire to be an experienced player. Anyone making her first true plays will make mistakes; that’s the nature of any game worth playing, after all.
Meanwhile, Ms. Turner plays her game like the pro she is, and people here complain. Scroll harder, poor dears!
Sophie has been promoting herself nonstop it’s not surprising there are some people sick of her already. In her defends she works hard and has the commitment to do all the red carpets, interviews, modeling, etc. Sometimes I think WOTW is a Sansa fan site with all the Sophie interviews lol
Great interviews of Lena, love to know she is happy and she is getting married. She is a legend and needed a post all for herself, she barely gives interviews 🙁
There is no Red Carpet Premiere and there are no episode titles. It is simply “Episode 1”, “Episode 2”, etc this year.
Jack, I apologize. In that other thread, where I told you the names of the episodes, I made a mistake.
Episode Number 3 will not be titled, “The Larch.” That title comes from the previous Greatest Show That Ever Was Or Ever Will Be (On Television). The title of 7.03 will be “Lordd Edd”. Please make a note of it.
Very seriously, have you considered what Maester William of Okham was trying to teach? Perhaps we have no episode titles because there are, at this very moment, no episode titles!
I’m totally serious. Seven titles will run to a total of ~20 words, which D&D can send via text message if they like. As the titles appear only on the selection screens, each can be entered very shortly before the episode is released for viewing — there is no opening title card to create.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
Nope, you didn’t miss it because it didn’t happen that way. Everyone was traumatized by the human cost of that battle that’s why there was no fanfare at all when the Stark banners were rolled down. No trumpets or clashing cymbals or victory music, just the banners rolling down. It was “We won, but ye gods what a horrible toll was taken.”
SerNoName,
The looks he was giving her in the hand of the king scene were pretty obvious to me 🙂 But most didn’t see it that way so I assumed I was wrong.
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Personally, I don’t find Sansa difficult to read, and her reactions make sense to me. I’m rather amazed by how some people here can misinterpret her so much.
However, I have decided that I don’t really care about arguing this.
Yaga,
But how can any one truly know which side is to blame for misinterpreting Sansa when none of us are privy to her true inner thoughts at the moment, or her future actions. There is no book to fall back on.
Would just like to say something: Jon was on a stone slab, dead. He is a Targaryen and could be a “dragon.” Jon didn’t wake up when Mel did her thing, he awoke after Davos had lingered looking over him, and it was Davos after all that wanted him brought back.
There’s something in the book about the Azor Ahai prophecy saying that he “raises dragons from stone” right?
George told Liam a secret about the end.
Maybe Davos Seaworth is Azora high.
Mel,
SerNoName,
There has been some debate about the nature of Tyrion’s feelings for Dany. Peter Dinklage seems to have cleared that up.
Leaks:
ghost of winterfell,
Markus Stark,
I think this is also a choice of the actors.
___
Holy Sophie hate though. Geez don’t read the articles then people 😛
Shaz,
Very well said 🙂
And I agree about both interviews! Fantastic!!!!!!
Yaga,
Yup!!
ghost of winterfell,
Ten days left! Can we stop with “the leaks” talk please?
🚱🚱🚱
ygritte,
AA = Onion Knight? I like that…
Except I don’t think the show has mentioned the “waking dragons from stone” thing. And Davos doesn’t quite fit the “Warrior of Light” version of AA on the show.
I’ve been thinking about this, as Sansa=Jeyne does seem to be the root of a lot of the ‘problems’ many have with the North story line, but again as an adaptation, it clearly makes sense to do it – much more impact to the viewer. I think the real problematic decision was to have Sansa and Jon reunite early. A lot of this ‘drama’ feels forced as apparently Sansa and Jon are one moment getting along and saying they love and trust each other, then Sansa does a 180 and starts becoming passive aggressive and secretive.
I think a lot of this could have been salvaged if they had Littlefinger and the Arryn army find Sansa and Theon after their escape. The show could still play it out much as it has in the show, just have Jon plan the attack after he receives the letter from Ramsey, and at the last moment Sansa and LF come to his rescue, but since there was no reunion and weeks of traveling, talking and cloak making – they are meeting for the first time and the previous childhood tension, that has not had a chance to be resolved, is heightened (thanks to LF) after Jon is named KITN.
But then they would not be able to do the Sansa is a ‘boss ass bitch’ now arc. The whole point of the North arc was to show how Sansa was a bad-ass now. Which is why Sansa had to convince wimpy Jon to fight for Winterfell and why Sansa had to be involved in planning battles and meeting Northern lords etc , why arguments between Sansa and Jon were framed and written as Sansa is right, Jon is wrong. They could not have done all this if it had been written the way you suggested. Unlike in the books, Sansa was now Ramsay’s primary antagonist – not Theon or Jeyne.
SerNoName,
Actually Viki has a point. They could have done the boss ass bitch arc by having Sansa rally the Vale and earn Sweetrobin’s trust over LF. Sansa would be found by LF and she would work with him to rally the Vale while simultaneously trying to make sure Sweetrobin is under her influence instead of Littlefinger’s. Jon and Sansa would do their own thing separately without knowing where the other is and what they are doing. Then she could reunite with Jon in ep 10 and any Starkbowl drama would seem less obnoxious than the one we got on the show.
Though it’s hilarious that even when D&D try to dumb down other characters to make Sansa seem smart and mature, she still comes across as a silly brat lol.
Flayed Potatoes,
One thing to remember is that the story of the Stark revenge is not Jon’s story, but Sansa’s and Arya’s. Sansa and Arya, not Jon, are narratively predestined to destroy the Freys, the Boltons, and Littlefinger. They are the only ones among the siblings who witnessed Ned’s execution. Littlefinger pedocreeps on Sansa, and Arya also witnessed the Red Wedding. The revenge is theirs to take.
I’m assuming that, in the books, it will be *Stannis* who will manage to weaken the Boltons, but not destroy them, like Jon did during the Battle of the Bastards (only this will be more spread out in time and Stannis will be pushed back to the Wall and burn Shireen there). Sansa, as in the show, will swoop in with Littlefinger and finish off the stragglers. And all this happens while Jon is still dead.
Off-topic, but I finally recalled what the Stark ladies story reminds me of! The Volsunga, specifically the story of Gudrun. Gudrun married Atti, who killed her brothers; she had a pair of sons with him. Then, she killed those sons, served them to her husband, and told him about it in a very cool verse while he vomited and in general made a fool of himself. Then she set the mead hall on fire and killed off all his soldiers.
Then she tried to jump off a cliff into the sea to kill herself, but the sea, having a sense for poetry and also recognising an awesome revenge when it saw one, safely carried her off to another land, where she married again and had another family. Happy End.
Here’s a link to the cover story
https://www.tvinsider.com/264815/game-of-thrones-hbo-season-seven-overview/
ghost of winterfell,
Interesting take on the northern battle(s). Maybe Jon needs to be dead a long, long time before rebooting in order to magnify the dark vengeance and unrelenting purpose necessary to prepare and understand the WW onslaught. (a rationale for LSH, indeed! Mother Merciless was the prototype!) 🙂
Yaga,
Um no. Stark revenge is also in some ways a part of Jon’s storyline, as his vows forced him to stand helpless while his family got murdered. He couldn’t go and help Ned, he couldn’t go and help Robb, he was helpless as his two younger brothers were presumed dead, he had to swallow his pride and ask Roose Bolton for aid when he was LC. Stannis even asks Jon if he wants justice served to the Boltons and even though Jon wants “a great many things”, he is hindered by his vows. Ramsay is very much Jon’s enemy in the books as well and George is setting them up: the original Tyrion-Arya-Jon rivalry became Ramsay-fArya-Jon, and the Jon-Arya bond that drove that storyline and Jon’s wish for revenge against the Boltons got hijacked by Sansa (who in the books will most likely never even meet Roose and Ramsay).
Sansa will end up North at some point (difficult in the books with winter coming and how difficult it would be to move those Vale troops, but possible), but to think Jon will not have any role in the Northern storyline because he’ll be dead for a ridiculous amount of time is frankly hilarious, especially with Robb’s will still in play and book Jon already meddling in Northern politics pre-death and messing with Ramsay. He’s going to be KITN. Sansa can have LF, Arya (or LSH) can have the Freys, but it’s definitely possible based on what has been laid out for Jon to have at least one Bolton (assuming book Roose dies early too).
Hodors Bastard,
Catelyn Stark was only dead for 3 days and look at the effect it had on her return. There is no way Jon returns that damaged, given that he is headed to become king in the north, and maybe more. Even if he warged into Ghost on his death, it has already been set up that it’s only a matter of time before the warg loses himself in the animal. Jon will return sooner rather than later, there is no way he stays dead till Winterfell is won by Sansa.
Flayed Potatoes,
Yeah, a key part of Jon’s arc throughout the 5 books and seasons has been his struggle to overcome his desire to go after the people who harmed his family, right from the time Need was captured. The whole of his Adwd arc amounted to him arriving at the point where he abandons his oath to march on Winterfell. He had already rallied the Wildlings for this purpose before his death. That’s a hung gun right there. If anything, I would say Stark revenge and reclaiming Stark identity has been a part of Jon’s story longer than it has been Sansa’s, both in books and show.
Yes, gow, I understand completely and my hyperbole was meant for a bit of fun. Sometimes I attempt to initiate a discussion that borders on the ridiculous, usually stemming from others’ comments, just to see where the speculation goes. I also tend to take the trail less followed when hiking and working, for better or worse.
But we have to wonder what sort of mindset it will take to comprehend and confront the NK without the CotF in the picture. That, along with the various speculations on, and resistance to, death in this series, is quite intriguing.
ghost of winterfell,
Dropping truth bombs as usual, ghost of winterfell! Looking at the Sansa chapter in TWOW, unless GRRM hurries the hell up, it’s going to be a long wait for her to even get out of the Vale in the first place. We need fewer lemon cake towers and more action.
Hodors Bastard,
Oops.. I did not get that from your reply! My bad.
Optimus Crime,
Lol…I was thinking the same thing. When had she not been thin and pretty?
Abbie,
Spoiler…cover your damn spoilers please! Just like everyone else. Or give it a few spaces down at the very least. Thank you.
Ten Bears,
Wait you didn’t see all those scenes where she played Cersei, Joffrey, and Ramsay? She crushes them bro, and doesn’t resent them in the slightest. 😛
viki,
The Sansa=Jeyne problem is that it took her from a path of empowerment in the Vale and made her a victim once again. And they didn’t even empower her with a northern conspiracy while in Winterfell as a hostage to the Boltons.
There is simply the perception of Sophie and whoever is telling her this is her character’s arc and how it’s actually being seen on screen by us viewers.
I agree 100% on the idea though about keeping her with LF longer and having her arrive with the Vale troops for the first time during the Battle of the Bastards.
Yaga,
Interesting, not heard this tale before. In case others are also in the dark, here is the full story Not really sure how it fits the story tho.
Hodors Bastard,
Did all of the CotF die in that cave? Could there still be some elsewhere?
One of those questions we don’t have an answer for yet, like how many WW there actually are. I’m hoping there are like a hundred or more of those dudes left… There should be after all.
That would truly be awful if all of the CotF resided at weirnet central and are now extinct. Like Clob stated, I assume that there are more CotF and WW spread throughout the north and I don’t think the CotF were ever limited by the Wall’s magic. Perhaps they are hiding in plain sight throughout Westeros?
I can’t wait to read that incredible “Hold the Door” sequence in TWoW. Ughh. Will the CotF be surprised by the WWs at their front door? The wights in the book aren’t the WWZ swarms (as far as we know) so maybe it will play out differently.
Just adding a little bit of humor to the discussion:
In the books, it is hinted that the tiny old woods witch known as the Ghost of High Heart may be either a CotF or a CotF/human hybrid. Some readers also believe that the small stature of the Crannogfolk is a sign of CotF DNA.
Were I looking for survivors of the aboriginal people of Westeros, my first stop would be the Isle of Faces.
I wonder if this NY Times interview will put to rest all the speculation about Pedro Pascal being the father of Lena’s baby…
For me, the choicest nugget is the news that Lena is keen on playing Grace O’Malley! She’d make an awesome pirate ship captain.
Great reminder! Thx. Hopefully, Bran’s travels over the weirnet will take him there. Maybe Meera will tell him a few more stories. Heck, I wouldn’t mind a return to the Harrenhal area to address issues of the past and present!
ghost of winterfell,
My understanding is the opposite of yours
On another note, Lena Headey is simply superb one of the best actors/actresses on the show.