This week I have been feeling a bit empathetic to Arya. Girlfriend, I have been feeling on the verge of death this week too. Okay, I was not stabbed but some kind of terrible bug set up camp these past few days. I finally starting to feel functional again. Hopefully Arya will be feeling herself again next Sunday as well.

Because my body is still disallowing my brain from performing with any long term coherence (thank sickness!), I have decided to step away from my usual method of finding a theme on which to expand and, instead, I will just give a few general thoughts on the latest episode. Therefore this blog is brought to you in three parts.


Part 1: Clegane-bowl(?!?)
As anyone who took the time to watch knows, this episode was heavy on The Hound. Book fans probably are aware that there is much speculation within the fan community that The Hound is also still alive in the book series. The fact that the show never actually showed The Hound die on-screen has caused many fans to believe that he would, in fact, be back. All of this makes me wonder wether the show is buttering up the audience for the long-speculated Clegane-Bowl. The fact that the TV show had The Hound serving - or at least living among - followers of The Seven makes me wonder if the show will use this association to bring The Hound to King's Landing to continue to serve there. If this happens it stands to reason that Cersei will probably request a trial by combat that will pit her champion (the resurrected Mountain) up against the champion of the faith militant (likely, The Hound).


Part 2: Lady Stone-Heart
The Brotherhood Without Banners was also a return presence in this episode. Although they appear to be the force behind the pillaging and massacre of the convent in which The Hound found refuge, I must ponder the purpose of their reemergence. The return of the brotherhood in a season that has been so keen on character returns makes me wonder if the show-runners won't use this opportunity to bring back Lady Stoneheart (a.k.a. Catelyn Stark). My fingers are definitely crossed!


Part 3: Margaery Tyrell
I think that one of the biggest twists this week came in the form of a small hand drawn rose delivered to Grandma Tyrell from her granddaughter Margaery. Although I have not completely figured out what Margaery's end game is, I was greatly suspicious that she was, in fact, not as devout as she was making herself out to be. I am curious how this is going to play out as it pertains to Tommen. Is he aware of Margaery's disingenuousness? The way in which he is interacting with the Faith suggests to me that he is not necessarily aware at all. I am curious if this whole scenario will play into Tommen's death which I feel will probably happen at some point in the next episodes (or early next season).

Hopefully my faculties will be restored before the next episode so that I might be able to offer something of more substance next week.
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Through season 4, episodes 5-8, I could not help but pay particular attention to Arya and Sansa and the very different ways in which they are learning to "play the game." In these episodes we continue to see the Stark girls' tales unfold as they are molded/mentored by their male travel companions, each of whom have vastly different techniques to maneuver through the twisted political landscape that exists within Westeros. What I find most interesting about this is that the methods each of the Stark women are being taught could be construed as either primarily masculine or primarily feminine and both Arya and Sansa are with a male figure that is able to teach them the method that aligns most fully with their respective gendered leanings. As a result of the time that Arya spends with the Hound and Sansa spends with Littlefinger, each will pick up valuable tools that will allow them to play to their own gender-oriented strengths and, potentially, survive the game of thrones.


Successful masculinity in Westeros is largely understood through the expression of physical prowess and the successful bettering of another in battle. Arya has often been portrayed as more masculine in the show (regardless of her biological sex). She is physical, rough, short-tempered, and interested in battle. Her pairing with The Hound over the course of the last several episodes is really introducing her to what it means to survive as a warrior in the hostile climate of Westeros. The Hound is teaching Arya to use her battle-wits to actively take charge of her situation. Methods of survival, as taught by Hound:


In a nutshell, Sandor Clegane is teaching Arya not only to use her sword for revenge, but also to choose her battles and movements wisely so that she might use her instincts to survive the tumultuous social climate that infests her world.

Of course, we saw The Hound with Sansa in earlier seasons, but he was merely a figure that repeatedly saved her. The Hounds strengths (battle instincts and physical prowess) were not compatible with Sansa's talents. However, in Sansa's time with Littlefinger, she begins to learn how to use her own abilities to her advantage.


Now before I get too into the relationship between Sansa and Littlefinger, I want to clarify the gendered nature of their relationship. Whereas Arya and The Hound are active and direct in their exercising of power and manipulating their circumstances (traits associated with masculinity), Littlefinger (and later Sansa) are not as assertive and thus their passive aggression is more feminine.

Sansa and Littlefinger use social subterfuge, misdirection, and dishonesty to achieve their ends, essentially leaving others to perform the more active (i.e. dirty) work that is involved in their scheming. For example, Baelish is involved in the plot to poison Joffrey but does not actually drop the poison himself. The Hound himself even tells Arya that poison is a weapon of women in episode 4.8.

Littlefinger also lies to Lysa Arryn regarding his feelings for her so that she will poison her own husband and frame the Lannisters for the deed.


Although I would be remiss to suggest that Littlefinger intentionally leads Sansa to understand his methods and passes on his methodology to her, Sansa's time around him seems to resonate with her and finally allows her to fully understand the way that she will will be able to survive the political game in which she has found herself enmeshed. Although we have not seen much subterfuge from her yet, when Sansa reveals her true identity to the council at the Vale but still protects Baelish, it seems clear that she is going against Littlefinger's will. He would rather her identity remain secret but she understands that this gives him leverage (not her), so she seems to flip the script on Baelish and use storytelling and manipulation to her own advantage. The end of this episode clearly suggests that Sansa finally understands her strength and is finally and officially "in the game."

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