Fans of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ have long had a theory that during Season 2 of the series, when Arya was in hiding at Harrenhall and working as a servant girl for Tywin Lannister, she was spotted and recognized by Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, especially as he gives her a very curious look. He never acts on that information, but that is not outside of his character, as he could have just been waiting for the right opportunity to use it. Luckily for us fans, EW recently interview Aiden Gillan, the actor who plays Littlefinger, who gave his own opinion on the matter.
According to the interview, Gillen stated:
“It was unclear if he recognized her or not, but I have my own thoughts on that. Yes, I did recognize her — I just didn’t say anything or do anything about it.”
Of course, nowadays Littlefinger is more well-known for his story with the other Stark sister Sansa, who he is currently with at Winterfell following the Battle of the Bastards. As for his relationship with Sansa during Season 6 and then going into Season 7, Gillen had the following to say:
“I finished last season on a promising note by laying my cards on the table — at least to Sansa. I was [sowing seeds of doubt about Jon Snow] throughout my appearances in season 6, and, yeah, that will continue. It’s pretty obvious what my game is there. We’re playing out that final exchange in the Great Hall in Winterfell. But the same time my character is becoming quite aware that Sansa is becoming as bright as me and just as wary of my manipulations of her. They’re onto each other. They use each other. They enjoy each other. And they keep a lot from each other. There are all kinds of mixed things going on with Littlefinger and his relationship with Sansa, so watching her grow in stature is quite enjoyable.”
Finally, Gillen commented on the character’s chances of survival this season now that the show is in the seventh season and his schemes are starting to bear fruit, but also since Sansa is very aware of his manipulations:
“With carefully laid plans there’s always a bit of risk involved. He puts himself in a situation that could backfire on him. But I think he likes that. His plans are never fail safe. But he puts himself on the line like a good gambler.”
Do you think Littlefinger really recognized Arya way back in Season 2, and could that somehow play into things in Season 7, maybe giving hope to Sansa and/or Jon Snow that Arya is still out there? Or do you think Gillen is just guessing? Do you think Sansa could really work with the man in Season 7, even against her own brother Jon Snow? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below!
