After eight long seasons of Game of Thrones, Arya Stark’s schoolgirl crush on Gendry finally paid off. While those hunkered down at Winterfell contemplated their last night on earth ahead of a showdown with the Night King’s army, Arya decided that she didn’t want to die a virgin. And with Robert Baratheon’s bastard just happening to be on the premises, Arya took charge — and damn, home-girl really made sure that she didn’t die a virgin.
Actress Maisie Williams, now 22, later told EW that she thought it was a prank when her co-star Sophie Turner got to that part in the script before her, which wouldn’t be the first time David Benioff and Dan Weiss have pulled one over on their stars. “I was like, ‘Yo, good one.’ And [the showrunners were] like, ‘No, we haven’t done that this year.’ Oh f—k!”
But ultimately, Williams was happy to see Arya have a rare human connection, as it was “an emotion we’ve never really seen her engage with.”
It was that moment where she says, ‘We’re probably going to die tomorrow, I want to know what this feels like before that happens.’ It’s interesting to see Arya be a bit more human, speak more normally about things people are scared of.”
But Williams wasn’t the only one cheering on her character, as evidenced by the reactions online during and after the episode. Although some fans were torn between being happy for Arya and horrified to see the little girl we’ve all watched grow up release her inner woman.
https://twitter.com/IsauraMora1/status/1120176074707464193
think of what could've been, Arya pic.twitter.com/X8zeA8xcL0
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 22, 2019
At the end, Arya looked like she was about to add Gendry to her list.
I’m just sayin. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/UqgdwzJ1IO
— Imani Gandy (Orca’s Version) ⚓️ (@AngryBlackLady) April 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/ChefResha/status/1120171826385227778
Arya: “take your own bloody pants off”
— Katie Nolan (probably) (@katienolan) April 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/Lizzy03910404/status/1120281143302029312
https://twitter.com/evan72678179/status/1120173129693913089
https://twitter.com/JvittalTV/status/1120175476574760960
https://twitter.com/jahgarciaa/status/1120202235193872384
I like the idea that Arya was only asking Gendry how many women he’s been with so she didn’t waste her virginity on some virgin.
— Allie Goertz (@AllieGoertz) April 22, 2019
How I felt it should’ve gone down with Arya and Gendry. #GameOfThornes pic.twitter.com/EgyNjsC5Eh
— Dean (@DeanRizzo) April 22, 2019
Arya and Gendry deserve an award for that slow burn. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/NeIlglcDUv
— Benonwine (@benonwine) April 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/aryagendry/status/1120296021647478785
With any luck, these two of them make it out of next week’s big bloody episode alive so fans can continue shipping them.
