Spoilers Game of Thrones: The Final Season

[theenglish]

Arya never believed in the faceless god--she was just using them to learn their abilities. The story of her list is the concept of revenge vs. justice. Yes, everyone on the list did bad things but does she keep the list because she wants justice or because she wants revenge. When she left Braavos and killed the Freys, that was about revenge and it placed Arya in a very dark spot--she was still in this dark spot, consumed by a lust for revenge when we ended last season. Her redemption will come in learning that there are other things that are more important.

 

[137th Gebirg]

But in the meantime, watching her flit about Westeros as a shape-shifting Terminator-like killing machine really has been one of the most satisfying story-lines of the whole show. Or at least...so I've been told.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Arya never believed in the faceless god--she was just using them to learn their abilities. The story of her list is the concept of revenge vs. justice. Yes, everyone on the list did bad things but does she keep the list because she wants justice or because she wants revenge. When she left Braavos and killed the Greyjoys, that was about revenge and it placed Arya in a very dark spot--she was still in this dark spot, consumed by a lust for revenge when we ended last season. Her redemption will come in learning that there are other things that are more important.

I agree completely...except, I believe you mean the Freys, not the Greyjoys.

 

[theenglish]

Thanks Doctor--I corrected that.

 

[stj]

As I recall, Arya's duties included at one point poisoning a sick child with the magic water. The assurance that she did this just out of duplicity but not any unseemly regards for a god strikes me as ungenerous to the character. It leaves me dubious of any moral qualms she supposedly develops.

The whole idea that people can just learn magic spells and none of it has anything to do with any gods makes you wonder why people don't skip all that religious folderol. Almost all the people in this fictional universe instead choose to be powerless and worship nonexistent deities they don't believe in. There's willing suspension of disbelief and there's self-lobotomy. It is annoying when fantasy writers want to have magic but not gods. They're like those trashy people who pride themselves on believing in religion as long as you don't take it too seriously, because it's good for other people (read, the masses.) Nobody reads about the miracles of Moses in the OT or Jesus in the NT without being shocked, shocked at how unbelieving the audience is supposed to be. Real miracles will be understood as coming from real gods, and that will inspire real belief, not just hypocritical cant from snobs.

 

[theenglish]

As I recall, Arya's duties included at one point poisoning a sick child with the magic water. The assurance that she did this just out of duplicity but not any unseemly regards for a god strikes me as ungenerous to the character. It leaves me dubious of any moral qualms she supposedly develops.

I don't think this has anything to do with "moral qualms"--the world is more complicated than that. Similar to the recent Titans series there is a clear distinction throughout the series and the novels between killing for revenge and/or personal gain and killing of necessity because the world is brutal.

As for whether or not Arya, in her heart, does or doesn't declare loyalty to the Many-Faced god is not clear. What is clear is that she turns her back on the code of the Faceless Men when she walks away from them.

 

[stj]

Arya rejects the Faceless Men to pursue her list. The origin story of the Faceless Men suggests they were defenders of slaves. Their euthanasia program suggests they are assassins for mercy. Arya saves three prisoners and gets three names. All this shows it's the code of the Faceless Men that isn't just murder for fun and profit. (The actress story doesn't fit but fantasy stories are favorites because they don't have to make any sense.) When Arya rejects their code, it's in favor of pursuing her list. She can't let go of her rage, hate, thirst for justice that no one will give. (All emotions, by the way.) That is more or less all she does in the ensuing season after all. As of now, all that's left of the Arya story is that she's got great skills, and a list. If she wanted to forget her list, she didn't need to leave Braavos to do that.

As to adding emotions?.About the only emotions she hasn't displayed are horror at killing (empathy with her victims,) and sexual passion/lust. It's rather late in the day and unbelievable she's going to get all feminine about killing. Her entire life previously has been about not wanting to be a lady, so settling down into a family like Nymeria is total reversal of the character.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

New teaser with a few bits of new footage and dialogue:

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[The Nth Doctor]

Two more:

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And a creepy poster.

Um...things look very dire indeed.

 

[Cyrus]

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Who is the alien looking dude at around the 10 second mark?

 

[Booji]

Who is the alien looking dude at around the 10 second mark?

Hehe... It's the back of Daenerys' head.

 

[Cyrus]

Hehe... It's the back of Daenerys' head.

LOL , time to go see the eye doctor.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Game of Thrones title sequence made with Oreo cookies:

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GOT Oreos...gotta get me some of those.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow, that's really impressive!

...and now I want Oreos. Nom nom nom nom nom nom...

 

[theenglish]

Nobody seems to be talking about the possibility of Gendry sitting on the Iron Throne (if it still exists) by the end of the series.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Wasn’t there a promotional poster done up of that very thing? I think all the surviving characters (including the Night King) have had a promo photo taken sitting on the throne, implying it could be anyone, with everyone else left for dead.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Nobody seems to be talking about the possibility of Gendry sitting on the Iron Throne (if it still exists) by the end of the series.

A.V. Club has been pushing that theory for several years, starting before he finally returned.

 

[theenglish]

So, the theories are out there then.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yup. Just fo a search for Gendry at A.V. Club and I'm sure you'll get half a dozen articles on it.

 

[theenglish]

LOL I avoid that sight as spoilers often appear in the article titles without warning.