What makes a great quote on Game of Thrones? Is it a declaration, a statement of badassery, of the heart? Is it wit or a dance to keep the players spinning around one another? Is it a puzzle (or a long-awaited solution) in words, or an iconic phrase or two straight from George R.R. Martin’s novels? Is it straightforward or open to interpretation?
Well, that’s for you all to decide. Because today, we begin our voting to decide the final winner of the Best All-Around Quote at this year’s Watchers on the Wall Awards. We’ve narrowed down an incredibly lengthy list of preliminary nominees ( round 1 results here) to the top 5, the best of the best in season 6’s quotes.
Your finalists are:
- Ser Arthur Dayne: “And now it begins.” Ned Stark: “No. Now it ends.” (Watch Here)
- “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.” – Arya Stark (Watch Here)
- “I choose violence.” – Cersei Lannister (Watch Here)
- “We know no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark. I don’t care if he’s a bastard. Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins.” – Lyanna Mormont (Watch Here)
- “Hold the door!” – Meera and Hodor (Watch Here)
Make your choice!
Final round rules: Cast your vote for the winner in our Best Quote poll. In the finals, unlike the preliminaries, fans have one vote to cast in each category. At the end of 72 hours (Thursday 9/15/16 at 3PM EDT), the quote with the most votes will be the winner! The results of the poll will be revealed during the live Watchers on the Wall Awards ceremony, which will take place in early October. Specific date to be announced in the near future!
Hodor?
Very hard decision. This season had some awesome quotes. I’m torn between Arya and Hodor.
None of my pics made it 🙁
Anyway, I picked Lyanna’s quote just because she is talking about my favorite character here.
I guess ‘Hold the door’ will win but it’s not that great of a quote unless you know the backstory.
Make a mash up ->
And now Arya Stark, of Ned Starks blood, chooses violence to hold the door.
Well between these I went with Lyanna
Wow. Some surprising results here (there were quite a few quotes that I would have considered far more likely to get to the finales).
Anyway, there is a clear winner for me in this bunch:
A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.
[Finally!]
I cant believe the quote from Tyrion about drinking and knowing things didnt make it.
🙁
I went with “I choose violence.” because it is the most powerful imo. “Hold the door” and “Now it begins…” are good choices too.
I went for Arya, which was one of my picks. Suspect Hold the Door will win.
That was my choice, as well. I thought’s it was hilarious.
However, since that one didn’t make the cut I had to go with Arya!
Had to go with the quote from my favourite chapter in all the books so voted for Dayne and Ned. Gave me chills finally hearing it onscreen.
None of my choices in the preliminary round ended up here, sadly, so I’ll have to go with:
“We know no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark. I don’t care if he’s a bastard. Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins.” – Lyanna Mormont
And now it begins.
No, now it ends.
So much hype to finally see this and Save for the two missing fighters! I was not disappointed.
Such a great two lines delivered with sadness and remorse but a solid determination to uphold their honour and to fight for what they believe in.
More of the same in season 7 please.
I am torn by a few… but I’m going with the one from the book. “No. Now it ends.”
I just had to go with Arya here. That was some awesome delivery!
(oh, hello there! First time poster long time follower :p)
GeekFurious,
Me too.
ToJ quote for me.
I thought the best quote of the season was from episode 9 when Tyrion told the slaver that he lives “by the grace of her majesty . . . remember what happened when Daenyeres Stormborn and her dragons came to Mereen.”
Arya. The final word on an entire storyline for her (likely), a realization and declaration of who she is and wants to be, and Jaqen’s subtle reaction (you could almost hear him thinking “Good….finally.”)
Tower of Joy was well done but not as ‘on’ as I was hoping for with the dialogue. “I choose violence” was a little too hyped for what immediately followed (run away, run away!) Lyanna’s speech was great but involved in a few categories. Hold the Door was a close second, for everything it encompassed.
I went with Lyanna as well.
It was between Ned and Lady Mormont for me. Ned’s actions shaped the future by bringing Jon home with him; however history does repeat itself, and Lady Mormont shaped the future with her actions. The past is written, the ink is dry. Therefore Lady Mormont gets my vote.
None of the quotes I like made it… oh well…
I almost chose violence but went with hold the door. Hodor just won the season for me with Cersei a close second.
It was really hard to pick between Arya, Lyanna, and ToJ, but Lyanna won out. The context was just too awesome to ignore.
It was a tough choice between Arthur/Ned and Cersei for me. IMO, the Arya line was delivered with too much petulance.
wilyt,
That was my pick as well. Disappointing.
I had to choose violence in the end.
I would have gone with “I drink and I know things” had it made it to the finals, but instead it’ll have to be Arya. I do hope she’ll go home and stop swanning about the Riverlands killing people though. 😉
“You’re getting old, Clegane.”
– “He’s not”.
Best All-around quote: “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.”
I was very concerned about this category; given that in my original nominations I had around twenty-five to thirty quotes, I despaired of getting it down to a final one. Luckily when I cut it down to five, and had in my head a final three, only one of those three made it through (the other two were “My Watch is ended” and “Promise me, Ned”).
All five are excellent quotes, and chilling in their own way. I recall the trailers, and the iconic “I choose violence” from Cersei. At the time, I wasn’t sure just how much violence she was going to choose, but going by 610, I would say a lot! Before the season started, I also did a mental list of who I thought was going to die – Lancel was pretty high up it, and when he smirked at Cersei during this scene I knew that his number would definitely be up in season six. This quote sums up the choices Cersei ultimately makes in season six as much as my chosen winner sums up Arya’s season six arc. Given that she no longer has her children to anchor her to reality, I shudder to think how much violence Cersei has coming our way in season seven – can’t wait!
“Hold the Door” – one quote, one entire sequence that completely had me in bits on my floor. I hadn’t seen it coming at all (there was prep in earlier episodes for the likes of the Battle of the Bastards and for the Green Trial, but this I did not see – though in retrospect perhaps that was because I was too busy focusing on the fact that the first Stark family flashback gave us our very first glimpse of Lyanna!) and it completely devastated me. I have yet to come across a GoT or ASOIAF fan that dislikes Hodor, and to see how much of his life was about his death was heartbreaking. And that look of Bran’s face as he realizes that he is the reason Wyllis became Hodor……..
I adore The North Remembers speech that appears in A Dance with Dragons, but I also think that the speech Lyanna Mormont gives in 610 works amazingly well for the show. They have set Lyanna Mormont up as a Stark advocate since season five, and it was great to see that carried on here. “We know no king, but the King in the North whose name is Stark. I don’t care if he’s a bastard. Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins.” – This quote invoked not only the scroll that Lyanna sent to Stannis in 502, but also the Ned quote from 102 in which he tells Jon, “You might not have my name, but you have my blood.” Again, I hope that we see more of Lyanna and her loyalty in season seven – her commitment to Jon seems rooted in part by his determination to fight the true war.
While “Promise me, Ned” did not make it in, “Now it begins” and “No, now it ends” is just as iconic in terms of the Tower of Joy. I have watched this scene a good couple of dozen times (at least) since it was aired, and I love all things ToJ related! The entire exchange between Ned and the Kingsguard is so intriguing in both the books and the show, and after so many years of waiting, I was delighted to finally see it!!! There is such a sense of pathos to the whole thing as well – I don’t think that either of them wanted to fight each other, and I don’t think that either of them wanted anything other than to protect Lyanna and her child.
So, I chose “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.” This quote completely summed up Arya’s season six arc and much of that from season five also – and Maisie played it terrifically. For all of the Stark children (and I am including Jon in this – his mother was a Stark!) season six was about reclaiming that Stark identity and returning home; Jon and Sansa are already there, and Bran and Arya are on their way – and I guess even Rickon made it home before his death. As soon as Arya retrieved Needle in 606, I knew that her Stark identity had won over and that she would never become No One. I really, really hope that season seven sees Arya finally make it back to Winterfell. And if she could reunite with the Hound and the BwB on her way back, that would be cool too!
Hello!! Do you guys know if this picture of riverrun is new or old?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKRE6odB6Fq/
Predictable final lineup, with none of my favorites in the running, but of the ones that made the cut I have to go with…
Best Quote:
Ser Arthur Dayne: “And now it begins.” Ned Stark: “No. Now it ends.”
Honorable Mention: “I choose violence.” – Cersei Lannister
“I choose violence.”
SEASON 7:
Lyanna Mormont!
My top 3 were basically the same as yours ?, “now it begins” is a close substitute for “promise me”…but that promise is such a pillar of the whole story. In any case I had really narrowed to two, and with “my watch is ended” out of the running (☹️), the choice for me was clear – Arya Stark of Winterfell!
I was torn between Lyanna and Arya. Really torn.
But in the end, I went with Arya. That was just way too damn satisfying. Plus, I’m wondering if Arya will even ever go back to being “Arya” in the books. So I’m gonna seize that show storyline and hold it close, haha.
I wouldn’t have chosen any of these over some of the other prelim choices, though “I Choose Violence” was the one I picked.
Just because it so perfectly summed up “The Cersei Experience”.
I was so sure “Your words will disappear, your house will disappear, your name will disappear, all memory of you will disappear” would make it… it’s like the Stark version of “The Rains of Castamere”
Arya.
She’s my favourite character in the books – despite my name – and top 3 in the show, and I’ve been waiting for her to rejoin the rest of Westeros since 2001! It may not be the “best” line, but it was my favourite of the episode, if not season.
To each their own! 🙂
Alba Stark,
Arthur Dayne: “And now it begins.” Ned Stark: “No. Now it ends.”
is my pick… Tower of Joy is epic!!!
I think there will be one more Tower of Joy flashback in the first episode of season 7….
As much as “Hold the door’ slays me, it’s the whole scene, so I went with “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I’m going home.” I think that was, simply put, the single best QUOTE. “Hold the door” on its own isn’t much of a quote; you need the scene, the visuals, the background story for the full meaning to hit. But the power of the quote: “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I’m going home,” is all there in the words themselves–you don’t need to see, hear, anything else. So, yeah …
Arya Stark: “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I’m going home.”
I choose … Arya’s quote.
Although Arya often is described as fiercely independent, up until this time, she’s been subject to or has subjected herself to another: From her father to Yoren; from those in control at Harrenhal to the Brotherhood; from the Hound to Jaqen. With just these eleven words, she finally and powerfully takes ownership of who she truly is.
My Vote: “Hold the door!” – Meera and Hodor
I didn’t include “Hold the door” among my five votes in preliminary round because I acknowledge that this quote derives most of its emotional power from the masterful and heartbreaking scene that surrounds it. I felt confident that it would ultimately make the finals, so I freed myself to choose nominees that were a bit more … well, stylish.
Ultimately, none of those other selections made the top 5 (though several of my honorable mentions did). For the finals, I once again tried to divorce the quote itself from its context and focusing on the craft of the words themselves. Yet I quickly realized that if I did that, I’d have to apply the same standard to all of the available choices. Unfortunately, I found the endeavor of trying to examine the rhetorical craft of each quote in a vacuum to be more of a soulless task than I wanted it to be. Game of Thrones has given us countless examples of complicated, rich, and brilliantly crafted dialogue – as it happens, all of the lines that made the finals are (relatively) stripped down. But their simplicity doesn’t make them less remarkable – quite the contrary, in fact.
All of these lines derive their power from the context in which they are uttered, and so I have to go with the one that had the greatest effect on me, which is “Hold the door”. It’s a simple line, but I can’t deny the devastating weight that it carries, both symbolically and in the precise moment of Wylis’s sacrifice.
Honorable Mention: “We know no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark. I don’t care if he’s a bastard. Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins.” – Lyanna Mormont
This one wasn’t among my five selections in the Preliminary Round, but it’s close enough to one I did vote for (Wyman Manderly hailing Jon as “the White Wolf”) that I’d have been happy to cast my ballot for it in its stead (particularly if you add on the last part not listed here – “He’s my king, from this day until his last day!”). It was a close call.
It seems like people voted for a favorite moment, rather than a favorite quote. Independent of context, none of these quotes have much meaning. To me, a great quote has repeatable lasting power, and could be recognized as a great quote by a non-fan too. I guess the way I voted was just different from the majority ?
With that said, “I choose violence” got my pick. Even from seeing it in the season previews, it was a pretty badass moment.
Arya, for all the reasons mentioned above, plus two:
1) From S1E1, Arya was the character who consistently most defied logic and rules and custom to self-identify: “I’m no lady.” “That’s not my destiny”. Yet later, after traumatic event after traumatic event, and after taking on and sloughing off a series of protective identities and names, she was ready to give up who she was. It was tragic.
2) No main character was ever more in jeopardy of losing their essential self than Arya. She let Jaqen and The Waif beat, torture, threaten, test, and mentally assault her to become No One. Needle was in reserve, but I think she only truly reclaimed her Self when she decided against killing Lady Crane UNjustly. (How appropriate Lady Crane saved Arya’s life.) IMO, she deliberately put herself in harm’s way because overcoming the Waif was the only way Jaqen and the FM would let her leave. So she retrieved Needle to do the deed.
Declaring openly to Jaqen in the HOB&W and underneath the Waif’s blood-dripped face WHO she was and that she was going home almost had the force of a solemn oath. And Jaqen’s acquiescing smile showed she won. Those lines were a turning point for the show as well: they gave us viewers back a much loved character to go home and once more participate in the main storyline and destiny of the Starks and Westeros. Typically, it was done in her own, individualistic way.
You articulated what I was feeling perfectly. Made the same choice.
Im voting for Mormont. Although it’s not the quote I wanted. House Mormont has kept faith with House Stark for a thousand years. We will not break faith today. Still gives me chills when I hear her deliver it.
I went with “Hold the door,” just because of its symbolism, and because I literally couldn’t stop repeating it for a day or so after in thinking about it.
Overall I would have probably subbed out this whole group for five other quotes. But that is what it is.
I wanna vote for Lyanna Mormont in every category but I had to go with Dayne & Ned for this one!
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Yes, this exactly. I feel the exact same way about her from the beginning, and what would happen to her. Glad she came back.
A quarry, eh? Wall coming down, perhaps?
Rhaenys Stark,
Is it a new location? I don’t remember it being used before. I expect Sue will find out what storyline will it be used for, if this is true? 🙂
Firannion,
That would explain the
Lyanna Mormont will win this by a landslide.
Cersei Lannister’s quite is iconic,
Rhaenys Stark,
There is no “Ligoniel Quarry” as far as I can tell. Maybe they’re thinking of a place that’s in Ligoniel but named a little more obliquely?
Also, GoT already has the biggest greenscreen around. In the making of “The Watchers on the Wall,” the VFX people talked a lot about how they built the biggest green screen in Europe. I don’t think that’s very portable though.
Larrybane gets used almost every year so that would be no surprise if true. It’s like Shane’s Castle that way. We’ll see if more specifics turn up.
All of these are great quotes, on paper. Some worked for me better than others:
“And now it begins.” In the novels, these lines were haunting. In the show, the lines were a macho challenge to battle, and what drama they had was overwhelmed by the action scene. As a book reader (and a show lover) I was disappointed.
“A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.” I love Arya, but her arc this season was a mess (imo). Had she said the same to Jaqen in the second episode of the season, I might have voted for it. As things turned out, no.
“We know no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark.” I adored Lady Mormont, but this line, not so much. Jon nearly murders his entire army, and has to be saved by his little sister. Mormont’s speech is moving, but it doesn’t take into account the realities of that battle.
“I choose violence.” I love the line and love the placement in episode 8: Cersei chooses violence. The violence could have been limited to the socially sanctioned trial by combat, but Tommen takes that off the table, which in turn leads to the wildfire madness of the last episode. Anyway, I nearly went for this.
“Hold the door,” got my vote. It was the climax of one of the best episodes of the season. It solved Hodor’s identity, a long-running mystery, and it solved it in the most tragic way imaginable.
I choose Cersei.
I chose “I choose violence” 🙂 It was a bad ass line, unfortunately what followed was a let down after the trailer hype but she delivered the line so well 🙂 2nd choice is Ned/Arthur but as a non reader it wasn’t quite as poignant compared to the way I hear was context in the book
Had to go with Hodor.
Well, as a book reader that scene didn’t stick with me either when I read it in aGoT. I will probably be attacked on this, but in my opinion this scene has been credited with more weight than it merited on its writing alone because of years of R + L = J theorizing by fans. Even now that the context has been entirely cleared by the series, “Now it ends/No, now it begins” still doesn’t really resonate with me, even though I loved the ToJ scene. But opinions differ of course, no problem with that.
I had heard the hype of the TOJ scene so it was nice they kept the key dialogue pure in the show, or at least from what I remember hearing, But tbh I was hoping for just a little more. It didn’t have quite the full impact I thought it would. Might have been good enough for the sullied though seeing as they have more from the book to fill it in.
OT but thought I’d share this refugee poem reading from the web. It features Kit, Cate Blanchett, Keira, etc.
http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/us/
I picked “And now it begins.” “No, now it ends.” not just because it’s an iconic book quote we’d been waiting to hear, but because both actors knocked their line readings out of the park.
“I choose violence” was my favorite quote from the trailers but when it finally happened in the show that scene was disappointing.
My vote went to Ser Arthur Dayne & Young Ned.
Wow, so all my quotes made it, but I am sooooo torn. I finally went with Arya. I loved my favorite book quote and Lyanna’s speech, but when Arya made her statement I cheered.
Here, here…I agree whole-heartedly with everything you said. I had very strong emotional moments in S6, but after all she had been through she came through the other side and realized who she was and where she wanted to be. A little girl who has been through so much realizing she wanted to be home and be herself.
I went with: “I choose violence.” C’mon guys, this line defined the season, you could surrender or choose violence. And violence was chosen, from Cercei herself to Jon & Sansa vs Ramsay, to Dany vs the khals.
“Hold the door” was a close one, but ultimately is the scene that’s powerful, not so much the line.
“We know no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark.” another powerful line, but I still don’t get how anyone could support Jon to be king. He was unable to rally an army and thanks to his Leeroy Jenkins’ moment almost all his men were butchered. In the show Jon is a warrior, not a commander.
“And now it begins.” I’ve always found that line a little corny
“A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home.” Petulant, and this line was atop a season where Braavos was almost on par with Dorne. Whoever writes Dorne and whoever wrote Braavos should be fired.
ygritte,
I agree with you. I read the books, loved reading about it, and was really underwhelmed by this scene – until the last moment of the fight when Bran sees what really happened. Otherwise there just wasn’t that much there. Now the second TOJ vision was excellent, I thought, and was surprised that Promise Me was not included in the top 5.
Petulant? No, I thought it was wonderful, uplifting and long past due. I was so happy when she said it. To me, a the strength of the Stark name was a theme throughout the season, and will continue to reverberate throughout next season. Being willing to give up the strong name you were lucky enough to be born with flowed in and out of the past few seasons. Lancel gave up his name, and ended up dying. Arya almost died, and become stronger when she took hers back, now positive in its worth.
Although, I might agree with you somewhat about the Bravos story line. I think the writers were at somewhat of cross-purposes, trying to uplift the character of the Waif and the rep of actress Faye Marsay, at the expense of Arya/Maisie. Phooey to that, you don’t allow Arya to get continually beat and beaten by a fringe character. If they were so intent on a “Terminator” style chase, they should have applied some logic as to the extent of Arya’s injuries, or at least shown the use of some magic to explain how she could be gutted and still run through the city. Oh well, that has been hashed through time and again. Yet, Arya being strong and whole at the end was reward enough for the questionable parts, at least to me.
And yes, that’s the line I chose.
Can you think of any better commander whom the North could follow? The only army that fought the battle, the Wildlings, fought because of Jon. The other northmen who refused Jon, refused him because of what Robb did, not Jon.
He rushed in because he could not see his brother being hunted down and this is what the northerners saw. A bastard brother riding in to save the true born heir. Not to add, at that moment his head was messed up and he was suicidal, so one act done in such a moment does not make one a bad commander. Remember the battle at Castle Black? the northerners would have also heard about it.
D&D have said this too. The northerners chose him because theu saw him as the best person to win the coming battles.
As much as I would love to go with Lyanna’s quote on Jon, my love, I have to go with Arya for this one. That absolutely floored me at the time. I loved it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKTSqfJhCAy
Sophie and Maisie are in Belfast today! I can’t find anything on Kit. Sophie is still blonde.
ghost of winterfell,
Don’t forget the Hornwoods, Mazins and Mormonts.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKTPmIrBe-k/
Kit might be in Belfast too. I don’t know if the pic was taken today though ?
One of Roose Bolton’s 20 Good Leaches,
Yeah, I mentioned only the Wildlings because they formed the bulk of that army. But yeah, the Mormonts, Mazins and Hornwoods too joined him, in their hundreds!
ghost of winterfell,
They are definitely there to shoot some scenes. I guess Sophie will wear a wig this time?
https://instagram.com/p/BKTTFyYA9s7/ HAHAAHAHA love Mophie
ghost of winterfell,
No, that photos is months old. Kit was in LA as of a couple days ago, and likely will be until the Emmys.
My favourite did not make the cut, still I voted for Arya; that was an awesome thing to say, and it was delivered flawlessly by Ms Williams.
I had to go with Arya, although it was not an easy choice.
Pixie of house Stark,
Welcome!!! 🙂
Thronetender,
You mean there’s nothing wrong with the fact that Arya threatened with a tiny sword an uber assassin with magical skills?
I admit I thought that the story of Arya would be that of a good character going “dark” for a number of valid reasons, until the audience questions whether they should keep rooting for her, or if she had become as bad as the antagonists.
Still, personal expectations aside, I think we can both agree that the line is not so much the problem (in a different context I may like it) as was Braavos storyline.
Yeah, poor bastards, Jon really screw them up big time. On the bright side, now there’s a lot less wildings for the northerners to worry about
Yes it does actually. Throwing out all battle plans, going suicidal, having almost all his men killed? That’s the very deffinition of a terrible commander.
Sure, he is a good person, a great brother, a fine warrior. But a commander must be a lot more cold headed, otherwise he will get all his men killed. That’s the “kill the boy” part he never understood I guess.
Sue the Fury,
Oh okay, I wonder why he did not attend the premier of his movie at TIFF if he was anyway headed to N. America.
“I needed silence”- Euron Greyjoy
My favourite.
KITN!
Rhaenys Stark,
OMG! What do they typically film there?
Flayed Potatoes,
Well the same account says the location was previously used for the Renly scenes in S2. But I don’t know if it’s legit, I only trust Sue and her sources xD
“And now it begins!”
“No, now it ends!”
This.
Arya’s quote and her little sword at Jaquens chest hit the target—she’s a badass but she’s her own badass and is going to go beat on bad folks back home. You said it, girl. So Cersei chose violence? Heck, she’s been choosing violence against almost everyone ever since the first year. The ToJ stuff is straight from the book. Hold the door showed Hodor’s origin but sounds like something you’d tell a boy in an etiquette class. The Baby Bears speech was way cool, how it echod the speech nominating Robb for KITN and Eddard’s telling Jon about his blood running in his veines. Now we know what he was talking about. Anyhoo, that was my runnerup.
I voted for “hold the door,” because those three words will always conjure Hodor from now on. No other quote has made as significant an impact on me, and, therfore, has gotten my vote.
That being said, with the exception of “hold the door,” the rest of the choices were immensely underwhelming.
Arya was free to go all the time. They have always been giving her a choice. If she wanted to be “no one” she had to stay and train if she wanted to be Arya Stark she was free to go. She didn’t have to stay that long. No drama here only her choice.
I second that. Cersei ‘s line pretty much summs up the whole season. I’m with ToJ quote though because of the way it was deliverd and I love both Ned and Arthur Dayne.
Arya’s statement really makes no sense. She came to Braavos because she wanted to be like Jaqen. She was free to go all the time. Everytime they asked her if she wanted to stay and train to be “no one” or to leave as Arya Stark she claimed she wanted to stay. Her choice , no one forced her. The last scene of Arya and Jaqen shows Maisie’s lack of experience with acting. It was her weakest moment when compared to Jaqen/Tom. I almost wished they didn’t change the actress for older Arya. I hope she will be better next season.
Aw, two of my favourites didn’t make it to the final. Never mind, baby Bear’s “We know no king but the King in the North…” was one of my favourites, and Arthur Dayne’s and Ned’s exchange at the ToJ is iconic to every book reader… Though, once again, our dear lovely Ned was wrong. It didn’t end there. The ASoIaF/GoT story we’re reading/watching just began…
“Hold the door!” was heart-breaking, and a surprise twist/revelation, but for me, the two contenders for my very favourite quote for S6 are Arya’s and Cersei’s.
Arya has been “lost” since the end of S1, taking on different identities to survive, running, hiding, pretending… (Though, tbf, she was a (bewildered) Arya Stark with the Hound – one reason why I loved their scenes together so much.) That’s why it was so satisfying when she finally proudly claimed her own identity and announced she’s going home. Yay! Fist pump! (Afterwards, she didn’t go straight home, she stopped at the Twins. Walder Frey got what was coming but it was slightly disturbing.)
“I choose violence.” That encapsulates Cersei, but also the difference between her and her twin. Earlier, Cersei had told Jaime to basically give the Castamere treatment (total genocide) to their “enemies”. In the episode where Cersei chooses violence, Jaime goes out of his way to avoid violence and bloodshed at Riverrun. He tries to be reasonable and diplomatic (something Cersei would never do), only then relies on his reputation to issue a threat, which is believed by Edmure (he saw Jaime backhand the hapless Frey, but we viewers aren’t so sure Jaime’d actually carry out his threat to Edmure), and thus Jaime wins Riverrun without bloodshed or violence. I think that that Cersei quote is important in displaying this difference. It’s set up for S7, as is the look on Jaime’s face when he saw Cersei crowning herself after blasting half of KL with wildfire. Knowing Jaime’s history, he’s not going to be happy about it.
Ah, Arya or Cersei… I choose Cersei’s quote because of what it means in the bigger story. We know Arya’s going to be Team Stark but we don’t know on which side Jaime’s going to end up in the wars to come. I think he might go Team Stark/the real war. The point is, he’s not like his twin sister/lover. Cersei’s “I choose violence” quote demonstrated it.
Out of these I had to go with Lady Mormont. So many other great quotes.
aagnee,
aagnee:
Arya couldn’t go home, not least because no reasonable fantasy narrative has a hero meet a mild obstacle and decide they made a mistake and pack it in. GOT wouldn’t be the success it is if Arya or Jon or Dany or Bran caved so easily. She had a few practical motivations as well. She no longer had home or family or protector in war-torn Westeros. Being consciously goal-oriented from S1,E1–look at the way she was practicing her sword fighting the minute she had a sword—she was pursuing a goal. She sought refuge, yes, but Jaqen had invited her to Braavos to learn. He specifically said he could help her erase the names from her list. And that’s what Arya wanted–to obtain her goal of becoming able to take revenge on the powerful who had hurt her friends and her family. She was impatient to reach that goal, complaining about “stupid games” etc., but she persevered. Beatings, verbal abuse, blindness, mental tricks and physical duels with a superior opponent gave her setbacks that would deter normal people, but not Arya. This particular kid would never give up until she got what she wanted.
In assessing acting, it’s important not to be too literal-minded. Often, it isn’t what is said, but the subtext behind the dialogue that counts. Both in Westeros and Braavos, Maisie and Tom seemed to imply a tacit understanding between Jaqen (the KINDLY man of the books) and Arya. She was playing not the game of Thrones, but the game of Life and Death. Most of Arya’s HOB&W subtext was that they/Jaqen were testing her and she had to know which ‘truth’ to tell or how to fool them with lies. This was a crucial part of her training and she passed. But she had NEVER beaten the Waif in a physical contest. How could she go home and successfully confront her enemies without that ability? So, after some planning and with much shedding of blood, sweat and tears, she finally faced down the Waif and prevailed. Even then she didn’t run home, but returned to the HOB&W to bathe in the healing pool and see Jaqen. Her quote was indirectly a declaration of victory that he would understand. His nod and smile served as her diploma.
Responses to acting are always subjective. You or anyone can like or dislike a performance or a line reading etc. Maisie has garnered an Emmy nomination and won several awards. She has been very consistently praised by the critics and fans, with occasional quibbles of course. But judging from her attitude and work ethic as evidenced in interviews, she’d probably agree with you on one thing–the hope to be even better next season.