Maisie Williams discusses fame, foibles and season 6: “[Arya] gets broken down totally” 

Maisie Williams spoke to InStyle magazine about life as a teenaged actress and her similarities with Arya, and then offered some foreboding hints about Arya’s storyline next season at a

During her interview with the InStyle, Williams discussed dealing with fans at inopportune moments, balancing her public and private life and, of course, her character, Arya. When asked about a personality trait that helps her play the fan-favorite Stark, Maisie replied:

“I’ve never said this in an interview before, but yeah, I have a temper. And I hate it! But that’s what worked with [playing] Arya. I know what it’s like to be really mad!”

season 5 DVD boxset, Williams spoke about Arya’s journey over the course of the series and offered some, admittedly bleak, hints as to what we can expect next season 6.

“Every season with Arya adds a different layer, I feel,” she said. “With season five and going into season six, it’s kind of like they’re stripping those away. Although she turns a lot darker, a lot of it is actually what’s underneath, and they’re stripping away the emotion now. It was so interesting reading season five and thinking ‘this is not the girl I’ve auditioned for, at all’.”

“Going into season six, she gets broken down totally. We see her at the lowest point we’ve ever seen her. This time it’s nothing to do with a family member being killed, it’s something purely about herself.

“I love that side of it, and I think this new series, we definitely see a new crack in her. There’s a moment where you question whether she’s going to get back up or keep fighting.”

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Ho-damn just look at her… and what kind of owl is that, it’s like a barn owl but not…

It will not happen, but the first thing I thought is that Arya will suffer some form of sexual violence

I’m guessing that Arya comes to terms with the fact that she, herself, should have received the punishment dealt to Mycah, the butcher’s boy.

Indeed, she is the one who hit Joffrey; and if the punishment for hitting Joffrey is death, then she, by rights, should be dead. However, she’s a highborn girl, and Mycah was not highborn. Furthermore, her father was friends with the King.

The first time a child comes to terms with the stories(fairytales) their parents tell, and learn that the world doesn’t work that way…learns that people don’t always succeed when they work hard, and there is justice for some people and not others… That could certainly break her down.

I would think it’s likely her blind begging days – that would be difficult for someone as independent as Arya.

If she starts having wolf dreams, of course that would make her reflect back on the last time she saw Nymeria, and with that has the realization, no matter how vile Joffrey was, she held some responsibility for what happened that day, which would include not only the death of the Butcher’s Boy, her friend, but also the death of Lady.

That photo is pretty amazing. The “New Romantics” look, the ruffled jacket, the super intense eyebrows, the white owl…makes me think of the film Labyrinth.

A lot of fashion shoots and stylists have been riffing on Bowie’s more iconic looks since he passed. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the intention here.

Jon will not be rezzed until mid season I think because HBO sends screeners to a lot of media and they will not spoil it like that. Definitely not happening in the premiere because of all the red carpets and parties and first screenings.

Also just noticed the countdown clock banner isn’t the Jon Snow poster anymore.

I really am expecting a Phoenix motif this year. Arya, Daeny, Jon, Sansa, Bran and Tyrion all look like they will be arising from figurative ashes. (And, no, I don’t think that Jon will arise from literal ashes!) We might also see it with Theon and Jaime, and maybe even Cersei.

Also I really hope they give Arya a wolf dream in s06.

Ho-damn just look at her… and what kind of owl is that, it’s like a barn owl but not…

I don’t think that any other species besides barn owls and great grey owls have that pronounced dish-shaped face. It’s probably a juvenile barn owl, which would explain it being less stocky than we’re used to seeing.

Aryamad: Also I really hope they give Arya a wolf dream in s06.

From your lips (fingers…whatever) to the Old God’s ears!!!

I wonder if they’ll still include the Dareon storyline in the show somehow. Would be one hell of a scene, but I guess he’s too minor of a character. Still, I’d love Maisie to play that scene

maybe the folks at the House of B&W gave her the name of someone she likes. please, not Syrio!

Yeah, it sounds like she’s having a hard time with her blindness

I can see with Arya being blind she’s off to do more killings but this time she won’t know or be able to see who she’s killing (could be the innocent) and this plays on her mind. But eventually she reaches a point where the blindness allows her to kill people without emotion and the attachment (complete opposite to the dissection of Meryn Trant).

As do I, but I am hoping that they bring Nymmeria back into the the show this year. However, if they are not, then they should not start the wolf dreams until the season where Nymmeria is coming back: arbitrary wolf-dreams with no payoff would just irritate the audience.

Did she though? She was just and honest, her actions were not responsible for Joffrey’s sociopathic tendencies, nor Sansa’s rose colored glasses. If anything, I would think that she is only more resentful towards the GoT, and the way it is played; thus furthering her desire for justice, hopefully including Nymeria.

After reading the article, I think that is Alfie the Barn Own posing with her.

Really? You think when the writers were writing the scripts, the press screenings, many months away, influenced them to make such a drastic decision that could possibly upset Jon’s entire narrative? I mean, it’s possible they’ll hold off on Jon’s resurrection until mid-season, but only if it works within the story. The press screenings won’t influence that decision.

Dwm: She was just and honest, her actions were not responsible for Joffrey’s sociopathic tendencies, nor Sansa’s rose colored glasses.

You’re absolutely right, and I’m not blaming Arya, but I think in a really low moment, she could wonder if she carries some blame. I’m also just “thinking out loud” about different things Maise could have meant, with a side-order of it somehow being connected to Nymeria, ’cause, well, Nymeria!!!

Nymeria Warrior Queen: I think in a really low moment, she could wonder if she carries some blame.

Sorry, I hit post, got sidetracked, and didn’t get this in near in time to add it to my above post…

For example, she could wonder if she hadn’t tried to stop Joffrey from hurting Micah (when Joffrey was cutting his face), would both Micah and Lady still be alive? What if cutting his face was really all Joffrey would have done? No, that’s not saying what Joffrey did was in any way acceptable, but Arya stepping in and trying to defend her friend is what led to everything else.

Yeah I was thinking that too. I had almost written in my post that I highly doubt they’ll introduce Arya wolf dreams this upcoming season if they do it at all. But hopefully Nymeria will be back eventually!!

In season 1, she does talk to her father about it, claiming that it’s her fault that Micah died, because it was her idea to practice sword play. Edward, understandable, told her that the blame lies elsewhere and that it isn’t her fault.

How about they show us the house with the red door so we can FINALLY SETTLE ON THE LOCATION OF WHERE IT IS! George could also do i would probably prefer reading it from him but hey i won’t complain.

Oh, the wolf dreams would be spectacular… I think that’s the one simple thing that would bring me joy this season. But if it doesn’t happen this season while she’s missing another sense, it never will…

I can’t believe that the maxi pad, white ravioli outfit came with a Hedwig.

Look at her. Maisie is officially no longer a child star. Time for my fad flame to fan out and disperse into the winds.

I know, right? I thought that this outfit above was the white ravioli one from her Twitter pics, with a jacket added, but now that I can see in the full picture of this outfit just before the white ravioli, I see the difference.

All of the frigging owls and the turkey and the crab just hanging about are completely and inappropriately hilarious, but the best part is the OMGWTFBIGASSBOW!

That photo is pretty amazing. The “New Romantics” look, the ruffled jacket, the super intense eyebrows, the white owl…makes me think of the film Labyrinth.

A lot of fashion shoots and stylists have been riffing on Bowie’s more iconic looks since he passed. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the intention here.

The Thin White Stark? Next up is that ginger Sophie Turner doing an “Alayne Sane” shoot! I like it. (Come to think of it- maybe that was the inspiration for Tyrion’s scar)

I, too, would love to see a wolf dream, but don’t hold out much hope for it this season.

Wow…I’ve just had a thought (no, not my first, smart a$$es): What if Blind Beth is given the task to kill a certain young Westerosi man without getting his given name, but the name that others might call him–a king’s bastard! What if she has to kill Gendry and doesn’t know it until the deed is done? THAT would be heartbreaking and a payoff for the romantic vibes that they put out back in S2. Whatever it is, our poor little Arya was just born to suffer.

The GameOfThrones youtube channel just uploaded two videos about…..Season 1.

ladywolfsbane: I think that’s the one simple thing that would bring me joy this season. But if it doesn’t happen this season while she’s missing another sense, it never will…

I would tend to agree: it’s this year or never. Still, my bet is that they will use Arya’s blindness to reintroduce Nymeria to the audience. It has been 5 years since the audience saw Nymeria, so that will have to be done. The suggestion that more than one person has made that part of why they flip-flopped the book sequences and put Arya’s blindness now instead of last season is that this lets them use the blindness to segue in the warging, and then that will segue in Nymeria.

If I recall, then there were reports of Arya filming in areas used for the Riverlands. If true, that means one of two things, one of which bodes well for Nymeria returning, and the other of which demands it: either Arya returns herself to the Riverlands (which bodes well for seeing Nymeria again), or Arya is seeing herself in the Riverlands by seeing them through Nymeria’s eyes (at which point we will be beyond boding; er, is that a thing?).

Ashara D: What if Blind Beth is given the task to kill a certain young Westerosi man without getting his given name, but the name that others might call him–a king’s bastard!

I thought that what information we had about Arya’s plotline this year suggests that she is not going to be on good terms with the Faceless Men this year. Weren’t there scenes with the Waif trying to kill Arya? If so, then I doubt that Arya will be taking on contracts for them! (I’m seeing her more as the amateur assassin: she’ll kill for her own ends rather than for someone elses!)

Joh: A lot of fashion shoots and stylists have been riffing on Bowie’s more iconic looks since he passed.

Blaming Arya for Mycah and Lady’s death is ridiculous. She was a child trying to protect her friend. A lot of folks rightly explain away Sansa’s choices with her naive outlook that’s based on what she’s been taught. It’s the same for Arya. She was a naive kid who thought protecting the innocent was the duty of the highborn. Not to mention she already wrongfully blamed herself for what happened and Ned assured her that she wasn’t to blame. So it’s not like that could be something that would need to come up again at this late date.

Really though, the characters to blame for Mycah and Lady’s deaths are Joffrey, Cersei, Robert, and the Hound. Blaming the children for this is foolishness.

Jaime might hear a wolf howling on his way to Riverrun if he can stop thinking about Brienne, I mean, Cersei. He might overhear talk in the Frey camp about dangerous wolves in the area.

In regards to reports about Maisie filming in areas used for riverlands I think there were also reports about dog handlers with a number of huskie/wolf like dogs spotted in the area at the time. Although it was a case of”a friend of a friend told me…” A woman is hoping

Oh, the wolf dreams would be spectacular… I think that’s the one simple thing that would bring me joy this season. But if it doesn’t happen this season while she’s missing another sense, it never will…

Yeah, to be honest to me the wolf dreams would probably be the

thing I’ll enjoy about Arya’s arc in season 6. After the spectacular failure of her season 5 storyline, I don’t trust the writers at all anymore. They made such a mess of the Faceless Men mythology that I’m just not interested in seeing how they fuck it up further.

Maisie will be 19 for season 7 and this really fits her character in the Mercy excerpt from Winds of Winter. In Mercy the feel of Arya is that of young woman. A wiser and maturing girl. It is funny that it seems so natural on the show where it has occurred de facto. It is the 5 year gap that GRRM wanted, the books have kind of had difficulty with that timeline.

Whew! I’d forgotten about that little filming tidbit. I’ll be glad to see Nymeria regardless of whether it is via warging or in the “flesh.”

It would be nice to get poor Gendry out of that boat, though. 😉

Not a huge fan of Arya’s storyline, book or show, post-red wedding. For me it’s just too…. silly. The thought of a season of Arya being “broken down” does nothing for me. The quicker she gets back involved in the thick of things in Westeros the better.

It’s quite odd that the more – quite frankly – disturbing GRRM has made Arya’s character the more popular she seems to become. Turning from plucky survivor to cold-blooded revenge obsessed assassin. I can’t help thinking that GRRMs aim is to keep pushing that until we have to seriously question whether we actually want Arya to live.

I think she may be lined up for something very impactful but not in a positive way, that she may end up doing something that will actually be harmful to another character who is seen as being on the good side and maybe terrible for Westeros. I don’t think a redemptive arc is the path GRRM has set out, it just seem too obvious for such a deviously creative mind. I think she will take what she has learned from the FM but go rogue and independent because she just can’t be “no-one” and Arya Stark is an identity she will never shake off (which was surely set up by the inability to completely dispose of Needle).

That said, she is still my favourite character! I hope to see wolf dreams this season

Nymeria Warrior Queen: From your lips (fingers…whatever) to the Old God’s ears!!!

I really miss the wolves, it was great is season 1 when they were all around. Now I’m very frightened that Ghost might die and I would very much want to see Nymeria, Summer and Shaggydog.

And we’re not interested in your opinion either,funny how that works .

I’m guessing that Arya comes to terms with the fact that she, herself, should have received the punishment dealt to Mycah, the butcher’s boy.

Indeed, she is the one who hit Joffrey; and if the punishment for hitting Joffrey is death, then she, by rights, should be dead.However, she’s a highborn girl, and Mycah was not highborn.Furthermore, her father was friends with the King.

The first time a child comes to terms with the stories(fairytales) their parents tell, and learn that the world doesn’t work that way…learns that people don’t always succeed when they work hard, and there is justice for some people and not others…That could certainly break her down.

You don’t know what are you talking about. She was the daughter of the king in the north… there was in her home and the guy was not a king, plus she only tried to defend her friend. The punishment is not death. The boy was killed only because they lied that he attacked joffrey…. if joffrey attacked the boy and the boy defended himself by hitting joffrey they couldn’t kill him. Westeros doesn’t do slaves and the boy had the right to defend itself even if it was the prince. But they lied and said that the boy was the one who attacked.

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