Game Of Thrones: What Happened To Rhaegal, Jon's Dragon? (Season 8 Episode 3) - GameSpot

Game of Thrones' longest episode to date--Season 8, Episode 3--aired on Sunday, marking the biggest battle scene to date. A key component of that was the role that the dragons did (or did not) play, and you can read all about what went down with Rhaegal below. If you've already watched, be sure to check out our Episode 3 Easter eggs and references--there were quite a few, and given the issues some people had with the level of darkness and visibility, you might have missed something.

The third episode of Game of Thrones' final season, The Long Night, finally brought the climactic clash we've been waiting for since the opening moments of the show's very first episode. The Night King's army of the dead breached the Wall, and the forces of the living, led by Daenerys, Jon Snow, and Dany's two dragons, laid down everything to try to stop them once and for all during the Battle of Winterfell.

It was a pitched battle that had lots of casualties--check out our full rundown of everyone who didn't make it through, and our review for our take on whether The Long Night succeeded in its aims of resolving the conflict with the Night King. But after the dust had settled, there were still a few lingering questions. Ghost, Jon Snow's direwolf, disappeared in the first charge, leaving everyone online asking what happened to him (here's the answer). And then there was Rhaegal, the dragon ridden by Jon, who fell halfway through the battle and was never seen again. So what happened to him?

Despite it looking pretty harrowing for Rhaegal in the middle of the battle, we know for sure he survived the Battle of Winterfell. That's because he appears, albeit very briefly, in HBO's teaser for Episode 4.

Rhaegal and Drogon, the dragon Daenerys rides, were a powerful force in the battle until a snowstorm wrecked all visibility, and the dragons struggled to help out the fighters on the ground. When the Night King showed up riding the undead Viserion, things got even more hectic.

Viserion and Rhaegal literally slammed into each other in the snowstorm, with the wight dragon trying to cook Rhaegal's rider as they slashed away at each other. The Night King took the opportunity to try to spear Rhaegal and take him down for good, just as he did with Viserion during the Season 7 episode Beyond the Wall. But Rhaegal eventually won the fight, tearing off a piece of Viserion's face, and both the Night King and the wight dragon fell to Earth. But Rhaegal's injuries were pretty severe, and he went plummeting to the ground, too--he crashed, throwing Jon from his back, and that was the last we saw of the dragon.

So the question that remains now is what condition Rhaegal will be in going forward. Like Daenerys's other forces, Rhaegal took a beating during the battle with the Night King, with Viserion raking a huge gash in his chest. It's also looks like he has tears in his wings in the teaser (although it's tough to tell the dragons apart at any distance). It's very likely he won't be back to 100% for some time, and that could call into question his role in the coming battle for the Iron Throne at King's Landing.

Daenerys has already lost a lot of her military might leading up to her final push to take down Cersei Lannister, and the dragons have always been her ace in the hole. We've seen her get a lot done with just one dragon, but a weakened Rhaegal (and possibly Drogon) will definitely be a setback.

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2019-04-30 15:32:00Z
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What You Didn't See When Arya Stark Saved the Day on GoT - E! NEWS

"F—king hell! Sorry guys!" That's what Maisie Williams said, more than once, while filming her big Game of Thrones battle.

"I think I probably hold the record for the most apologies on set," Williams said when discussing her long battle with White Walkers inside the Winterfell castle.

In the behind-the-scenes video below, Williams and the Game of Thrones crew detailed all the work that went into Arya's heroic day at Winterfell. Williams said she was told to start training a year before it happened.

"Maisie does almost all of this stuff on her own," co-creator David Benioff said about Williams' fight scenes. "She has an excellent stuntwoman for the dangerous stuff, but most of it is actually Maisie."

William's stunt double Kristina Baskett praised the actress. "Her coordination, and she's really quick, can make changes on the spot and it actually—she's really easy to work with," Baskett said over images of Williams training.

Arya's big episode culminated with the young woman taking down the big bad, the Night King.

"Just when you think that it's all over, and just when you think that Jon Snow is going to be the hero—again—we realize that Arya appears through the mist," Williams said.

In the video above Emilia Clarke, Daenerys Targaryen, gave her honest reaction to Arya's big kill and it must be watched, it's pointless to describe.

"In the read-through when Maisie was doing it, we are all just whooping and cheering," Clarke said.

Kit Harington joked he was pissed it wasn't Jon Snow who took out the big bad. "I would've given you, like—I'd have bet you thousands, before we read the finals, I was like, ‘Yeah, it's definitely me,'" Harington said.

Benioff said they've known for three years it was going to be Arya. "It just didn't seem right to us for this moment," he said about using Jon Snow as the hero.

For the show, director Miguel Sapochnik said, "Dan and David let me break all the Game of Thrones rules."

"The majority of it is shot 96 frames a second, it's all super-slow motion, it's all heightened reality, which is not what they usually do. It was a surreal nightmare," Sapochnik said.

To make the moment even more intense, Sapochnik said they kept cutting to "it's f—ked" shots of characters not going to make it to Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and the Night King.

In the video above, the cast and crew break down the wire right set up for Arya's big jump out of nowhere.

"Shooting that was tedious, but so great to be able to perform all these different beats within, maybe like, two seconds of footage," William said.

"It's exactly what you need…Out of the air she takes him down, it's so good. It's so good. It's perfect," Clarke said.

"Reading what I get to achieve and Arya's whole purpose in this world and everything she's trained for comes down to this one episode, it's just amazing. And it's beautiful, it's poetry," William said. "And I'm grateful it was me and not Kit."

Game of Thrones airs Sundays 9 p.m. on HBO.

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2019-04-30 13:56:00Z
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Robert Downey Jr.'s Massive Payday Tops 'Avengers: Endgame' Star Deals - Hollywood Reporter

The Iron Man actor had negotiated a unique financial arrangement with studio chief Kevin Feige to receive backend profit on the series, resulting in what sources say was at least a $75 million haul for 'Infinity War.'

After 22 movies and more than a decade, the gargantuan Avengers: Endgame was the last roll of the dice — or Infinity Stones, as it were — for several key characters. But figuring out which stars are staying in the fold at Marvel Studios or saying their final farewells isn't as easy as a Thanos snap of the fingers. (Warning: Spoilers below.)

Take the fate of Scarlett Johansson, aka Black Widow. Her story arc is definitive in Endgame, but the actress who plays the spy heroine will be returning for a 2020 stand-alone film, earning a figure in the $20 million range for both starring and producing. Or Chris Hemsworth, i.e. Thor, who signed with Marvel for five movies in 2010, then renegotiated in 2017 for Infinity War and Endgame, putting himself in the $15 million to $20 million range and ready for the next phase of films. Captain America Chris Evans, who also had a five-picture deal, not including cameos, renegotiated in the same $15 million to $20 million range before meeting his fate in Endgame.

Meanwhile, the face of the franchise, Robert Downey Jr. — Iron Man himself since 2008 — had negotiated a unique financial arrangement with studio chief Kevin Feige that over the years resulted in massive paydays for the actor. Downey receives backend from the Avengers movies: Multiple knowledgeable sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the actor likely walked away from 2018's Infinity War, which grossed more than $2 billion, with at least $75 million. Even in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, he received $5 million a day for three days' work.

For other star deals, the math is changing. As the Marvel films have hit new heights at the global box office since Iron Man grossed $585 million worldwide, the studio is said to have raised the threshold for star bonuses. Several years ago, a bonus would kick in after the $500 million global mark, says an agent with insight into the dealmaking process. That threshold later became $700 million. Now, especially for Avengers movies, bonuses don't kick in until the film hits at least $1.5 billion, this source says. (Marvel and the actors' reps declined comment.)

Part of Marvel's next phase includes the segueing of many characters to their own series on Disney's new streaming service, Disney+. Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) negotiated deals that are separate from the movie contracts for what sources say will be six to eight episodes. 

Those contracts don't negate appearances in future Marvel movies, which could result in a separate round of dealmaking. The next few big-screen adventures build on the plot threads of Endgame. Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) have one more option apiece, which will result in sequels to their solo movies, say sources.

Then there are new additions to the cinematic universe such as Eternals, which will be led by Angelina Jolie and start shooting this year, and Shang-Chi, centered on an Asian hero yet to be cast that will shoot after Eternals. And Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is planned for a 2020 shoot — the current five stars are expected to reunite — with James Gunn back in the saddle as director. Adds one source: "With Marvel and with Kevin, there's always a long game in play."

A version of this story first appeared in the April 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Avengers: Endgame

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2019-04-30 13:55:00Z
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2019 Tony Award Nominations: Hadestown and Ain't Too Proud Lead the Pack - Playbill.com

The nominations for the 2019 Tony Awards were announced April 30. Entering awards season with the most nominations is Hadestown, which earned a total of 14 nominations. Trailing closely behind was Ain't Too Proud—The Life of the Temptations with 12. Joining the two titles in the coveted Best Musical category were Beetlejuice, The Prom, and Tootsie.

Among Hadestown's 14 nominations were two for composer and librettist Anaïs Mitchell, a nod for director Rachel Chavkin, and four for its performers: Eva Noblezada, Amber Gray, Andre De Shields, and Patrick Page.

Meanwhile, in Plays, The Ferryman and To Kill a Mockingbird racked up the most nominations with nine each, though only the former is up for Best Play. Rounding out that category are Choir Boy, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Ink, and What the Constitution Means to Me.

Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth and Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon announced the artists and productions recognized from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. The 73rd annual ceremony will be broadcast by CBS from Radio City Music Hall June 9. James Corden will host.

See below for the list of nominees, updating live.

Best Musical
Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of The Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie

Best Play
Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney
The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus by Taylor Mac
Ink by James Graham
What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck

Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley
Burn This
Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein
The Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening, All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Book of a Musical
Ain’t Too Proud, Dominique Morisseau
Beetlejuice, Scott Brown and Anthony King
Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom, Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Tootsie, Robert Horn

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Be More Chill, Joe Iconis
Beetlejuice, Eddie Perfect
Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
To Kill a Mockingbird, Adam Guettel
Tootsie, David Yazbek

Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Andre De Shields, Hadestown
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Oklahoma!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel, Ink
Robin De Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, All My Sons

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear

Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain't Too Proud

Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Oklahoma!
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud

Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud
Drew Levy, Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, The Cher Show
Howell Binkley, Ain’t Too Proud
Bradley King, Hadestown
Peter Mumford, King Kong
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Ink
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network

The final tally follows:
Hadestown - 14
Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations - 12
Tootsie - 11
The Ferryman - 9
To Kill a Mockingbird - 9
Beetlejuice - 8
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! - 8
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus - 7
The Prom - 7
Ink - 6
Network - 5
Choir Boy - 4
Kiss Me, Kate - 4
Arthur Miller's All My Sons - 3
Burn This - 3
The Cher Show - 3
King Kong - 3
Bernhardt/Hamlet - 2
The Boys in the Band - 2
Torch Song - 2
The Waverly Gallery - 2
What the Constitution Means to Me - 2
Be More Chill - 1
Hillary and Clinton - 1
King Lear - 1

A number of honorary 2019 Tony Award recipients have already been announced. Terrence McNally, Rosemary Harris, and Harold Wheeler will each receive a Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre distinction; Judith Light has been named this year’s Isabelle Stevenson Award honoree; the Regional Theatre Tony Award will go to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley; Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will go to Broadway Inspirational Voices, Peter Entin, Joseph Blakely Forbes, and FDNY Engine 54; and Special Tony Awards will be given to Jason Michael Webb, Sonny Tilders, and the late Marin Mazzie.

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2019-04-30 12:58:03Z
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Woodstock 50 not canceled, organizer insists: 'It's going to be a blast' - syracuse.com

Is Woodstock 50 canceled? The 2019 festival’s principal investor said the three-day event in Watkins Glen, N.Y., has been called off and the county is set to “move on,” but Woodstock co-founder and 50th anniversary organizer Michael Lang insists the show will go on.

“We are committed to ensuring that the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture," Lang said in a statement via Woodstock Ventures. "Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support.

"The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast.”

Woodstock 50 was scheduled for Aug. 16-18 at Watkins Glen International raceway with a lineup that included Jay-Z, Santana, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Chance the Rapper, John Fogerty, Janelle Monae, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, and Halsey. Financial backing company Dentsu Aegis Network announced Monday that the three-day 50th anniversary event had been canceled.

“...Despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees,” Dentsu reps said in a statement.

But Lang told The New York Times on Monday afternoon that "They (Dentsu) do not have the right to unilaterally cancel the festival.” Lang said all the acts have already been paid in full and plans to continue with another investor.

Billboard reports more than $30 million has already been spent on the festival lineup. Last week, a representative reportedly reached out to Live Nation and AEG for a $20 million investment to save the event, but both concert booking agencies declined. It’s unclear what other investors Lang might seek.

Getty Images

Woodstock Music Festival co-producer Micael Lang attends a celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock at the at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC on August 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

While the future of Woodstock’s 50th anniversary festival is uncertain, no refunds are required as tickets still hadn’t gone on sale (though some hotels and B&Bs in the area had already been booked). Cancellation rumors first emerged earlier this month when the ticket on-sale date was pushed back due to a late submission for a mass gathering permit.

Further concerns were raised when Lang said tickets would be $450 for three-day passes and reduced the expected attendance from 100,000 to 75,000. One headliner, The Black Keys, even dropped out due to an unspecified “scheduling conflict."

Still, the New York State Department of Health said it was “surprised” by the cancellation announcement, just 109 days before Woodstock 50 was scheduled to take place. A rep for the DOH told syracuse.com Monday that the cancellation was not related to the state permit application pending for the event.

Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn confirmed Monday that Woodstock 50 had been cancelled. Watkins Glen is located in Schuyler County, about 80 miles southwest of Syracuse and 150 miles northwest of the original Woodstock site in Bethel, N.Y.

“We have been in contact with the Chamber of Commerce, who has been trying to salvage something from the fallout of this decision,” O’Hearn said Monday, according to Spectrum News. “This was an opportunity for us to showcase our great natural environment... We will lick our wounds and move on.”

But if you’re not ready to move on, you can hold out hope for Lang to pull a rabbit out of his hat. The original Woodstock Music and Art Fair lost its venue in Wallkill, N.Y., in July 1969, but Lang reached an agreement days later at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, near White Lake.

More than 400,000 people attended the first Woodstock festival, held Aug. 15-18, 1969, at Yasgur’s farm in the Catskill Mountains. Performers included Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Arlo Guthrie, Santana, Joe Cocker, the Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

The iconic concert was revisited in 1994 with a modern lineup of artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Cypress Hill and Red Hot Chili Peppers in Saugerties, but Woodstock ’99 -- held at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. -- was marred by riots, fires and allegations of sexual assault. Lang helped organize both anniversary events.

In the meantime, the original Woodstock site is still scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Bethel, N.Y. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts scrapped plans for a weekend-long festival, but will have four days of events: A free concert by Arlo Guthrie and a screening of the “Woodstock” documentary on the field Thursday, Aug. 15; Ringo Starr, Guthrie, and The Edgar Winter Band on the pavilion stage Friday, Aug. 16; Santana with the Doobie Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 17; and John Fogerty on Sunday, Aug. 18. Guthrie, Winter, Santana and Fogerty all performed at the original Woodstock festival.

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2019-04-30 11:13:00Z
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'Game of Thrones': The meaning behind Arya's Valyrian dagger, explained - Mashable

Bran was all like "just in case in comes in handy!"

Image: hbo

By Jess Joho2019-04-30 10:38:11 UTC

As unexpected as the big twist that ended Game of Thrones' "Long Night" was, the set up for Arya's Great War-ending dagger move traces all the way back to Season 1.

Digging into the Valyrian dagger's history on the show only adds layer upon layer of thematic meaning to Arya's clutch moment of  glory. And it also might even foreshadow Arya's next target: Cersei Lannister.

Image: hbo

In the Inside the Episode, David Benioff said they've known for about three years that Arya would be the one to deliver the final blow to the Night King. And its clear now they planted a lot of seeds during that time.

The Catspaw Dagger (as fans came to call it) was first introduced in Episode 2, Season 1 during the assassination attempt on a comatose Bran after his near-fatal fall from the tower. Luckily, both Summer and Catelyn were still around back then to save the future Three-Eyed Raven from getting Night Kinged. But it's one of Game of Thrones classic, full circle callbacks to have the weapon that almost killed Bran return several seasons later only to save him — and the entire world.

It's the perfect way to honor Catelyn, too, who would be so proud to know her daughter took up the the mantle of protecting the Stark kids from all threats, no matter the cost.

Later in Season 1, the dagger went on to become the key piece of evidence Catelyn used to accuse and arrest Tyrion for the attempt on Bran's life. That's because Littlefinger told her that the rare dagger was his once, before he lost it in a bet to the imp. We don't know if Littlefinger was lying there, since at the time he'd been scheming to stir up trouble war between the Lannisters and Starks. But we do know that Tyrion was not behind it (the assassination attempt was actually probably Joffrey's doing.)

Catelyn lives on in Arya now

Image: hbo

What matter most, though, is that the dagger that launched the first major war on the show — the Starks versus Lannister conflict that lead to the War of the Five Kings — was then eventually used to end the Great War.

But it goes even deeper than that. When next we saw the dagger, Littlefinger was giving it back to Bran in Season 7 while trying to ingratiate himself to the Stark kids who were suspicious of him. 

The dagger that launched the first major war on the show... was then eventually used to end the Great War.

"In a way that dagger made you what you are today," Littlefinger told Bran. "Forced from your home. Driven out to the wilds Beyond the Wall... To go through all that and return home only to find such chaos in the world, I can only imagine—"

"Chaos is a ladder," Bran said, cutting him off with a callback to the reasoning Littlefinger gave Sansa for his plots to destabilize Westerosi politics. Indeed, it seems as though Bran used the chaos of the Battle at Winterfell (like Theon charging the Night King) as a distraction to give Arya the ladder she needed to pull off her wild sneak attack.

Weirdly, Littlefinger turned out to be right, though: This dagger did cause a domino effect that lead Bran to become the Three-Eyed Raven, just like his fall from the tower. And that's also true for Arya. The dagger played a large role in making the War of the Five Kings happen, which lead to the Red Wedding. And the Red Wedding is what motivated Arya to go down the path to becoming an unstoppable assassin who could kill the Night King.

Brienne helped prepare Arya for the most important moment of her life

Image: hbo

Later in Season 7, Bran pointedly gives the dagger to Arya with a suspicious lack of explanation. Now we know it's because he saw what she'd do with it. And we also know why the show took the time to have Arya duel Brienne, when she wins by pulling out the dagger with her left hand in exactly the same way she did with the Night King in Season 8. 

That's even more impressive when you consider that, despite being right-handed in real life, Maisie Williams made a point to depict Arya as left-handed. And looking back, we can assume that she probably committed to this small detail so that there was precedent for the left-handed trick shot that saves the world.

But the foreshadowing to Arya's sneak attack carried over into Season 8, too. And not just because of the prophecy Melisandre reminds Arya of earlier in Episode 3. 

When Jon and Arya reunited in the Godswood in Episode 1, he's surprised by her sudden appearance. "How'd you sneak up on me?" he asks her. Well, she'll sneak up on a different King of Winter in the exact same spot two episodes later.

Arya's masterclass sneaking saved the entire world

Image: hbo

This all goes to show that on Game of Thrones, hindsight is always 20/20. Someone could have pieced all the hints together to predict this unpredictable twist, but the the foreshadowing only really becomes clear after the fact. And the exchange between Bran and Arya when he gives her the dagger in Season 7 might've foreshadowed yet another twist that flew over our heads at the time.

"I saw you at the crossroads... I thought you'd go to King's Landing," Bran tells Ayra after their reunion.

"So did I," she says. And when Sansa asks why Arya would go there, Bran explains, "Cersei's on her list of names."

At this point, we should take all of Bran's inexplicable actions, reactions, and creepy stares as hints at what's to come. So now we can't help but read this exchange as foreshadowing that Arya will go to King's Landing in the three remaining episodes to finally strike Cersei off her list. 

Because at the time, Bran said that his visions were all a jumbled, fragmented mess. He seems to have gotten a better grasp on them in Season 8. But back then it's entirely possible he confused a vision of Arya killing Cersei in King's Landing in Season 8 with her Season 7 choice to go to Winterfell instead of King's Landing first.

Arya and her daggar can wipe that smirk right off Cersei's face

Image: hbo

What's true is that — like the poetic justice of Littlefinger getting executed by Arya with the very weapon he tried to use to manipulate Bran — the Catspaw Dagger has become a symbol of Arya as the avenging angel of death for House Starks. Since its reintroduction in Season 7, she's now slain two of her family's most major enemies with it. 

And as we saw in the previews for the upcoming Episode 4, the show is not only going back to King's Landing but also seemingly returning to the Stark versus Lannister feud that started everything. It's also notable that in Melisandre's prophecy, she says that Arya will shut many eyes forever, "brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes." Walder Frey had brown eyes. The Night King had blue. And Cersei has green eyes.

Arya killing Cersei with the dagger might ruin the popular theory of Jaime as the valonqar. But don't forget that Arya can wear anyone's face, including Cersei's "little brother" Tyrion or Jaime.

Ultimately, though, Arya doesn't need to kill Cersei in order to complete the character arc that her list of names represents. Because to cope with the deaths in her family, Arya clung onto that list like her life depended on it. But after staring into the many faces of death with the Faceless Men and coming back home, she has chosen life, love, and family instead of revenge again and again.

The last enemy was death. And Arya conquered death without even needing her list.

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https://mashable.com/article/game-of-thrones-arya-valyrian-dagger-night-king-explained/

2019-04-30 10:38:00Z
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Maisie Williams responds to THAT huge 'Game of Thrones' moment with the perfect Instagram video - Mashable

Go, Arya, GO!

Image: hbo

By Sam Haysom2019-04-30 09:19:20 UTC

Warning: Contains ice-shattering spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, episode 3.

All men must die.

We know this. But we also know that it's possible — if you're well equipped with some ninja fighting skills and a pointy dagger — to delay the inevitable for a little bit.

Following Arya Stark's triumphant, world-saving act of heroism in episode three, Maisie Williams shared her reaction on Instagram.

It came in the form of a video of her co-star and BFF Sophie Turner singing "Crank That" by Soulja Boy, coupled with a photo of the Night King himself (swipe right).

"How am feeling after that episode," wrote Williams. "Not today bby."

Legend.

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https://mashable.com/article/maisie-williams-season-8-episode-3-instagram-reaction/

2019-04-30 09:19:00Z
52780278583549