There have been numerous complaints about the end of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones‘ and Maisie Williams who plays Arya Stark has one that matches many fan’s expectations. It felt that much of her character arc was building towards one moment in the entire series which is one that we never were able to experience.
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Yes, we’re talking about the fact that Arya was never able to confront Cersei Lannister in the final season. The Queen had always been at the top of her kill list ever since having Ned Stark executed, and fans have felt that this final revenge had been robbed from her. However, as we’ve seen Arya grow over the years and even potentially adjusted to the trauma of her life, it didn’t feel entirely out of place that she was moving on.
In fact, the idea of Cersei dying in fear, without spectacle, without an audience, and seeing the only other person alive she still cares about also dying is almost harsher than being executed by an enemy with how she has lived her entire life.
That doesn’t mean Williams wishes that they hadn’t shared screen time:
“I just wanted to be on set with Lena again, she’s good fun, and I wanted Arya to kill Cersei even if it means [Arya] dies too. Even up to the point when Cersei’s with Jaime I thought [while reading the script], ‘He’s going to whip off his face [and reveal its Arya],’ and they’re both going to die. I thought that’s what Arya’s drive has been.”
However, while Arya didn’t get to have her revenge, Williams also appreciates the direction that her character ended up taking:
“The Hound says, ‘You want to be like me? You want to live your life like me?’ In my head, the answer was: ‘Yeah.’ But I guess sleeping with Gendry, seeing Jon again, realizing she’s not just fighting for herself anymore but also her family — it’s bringing up all these human emotions that Arya hasn’t felt for a long time. When The Hound asks her if she has another option, all of a sudden, there are so many more things in [Arya’s] life that she can live for, that she can do. It was a shock for me because that wasn’t how I envisioned her arc going this year. Then I realized there were other things I could play, bringing Arya back to being a 16-year-old again.”
She went on to state that “It’s not a Game of Thrones ending for Arya, it’s a happy ending. It gave me a place to take Arya that I never thought I’d go with her again.” This was a surprising and briefly teased audiences that we could end up with a ‘Game of Thrones: West of Westeros’ spin-off! While the idea was sadly short-lived (as HBO confirmed that there wasn’t an Arya project in the works), this was one which could have been quite a bit of fun to watch.
Did you feel that Arya needed to confront Cersei before ‘Game of Thrones’ came to an end? Is there a way that the two could have shared screen time without Arya taking her life? Would you have tuned in for ‘Game of Thrones: West of Westeros? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Entertainment Weekly
