Sansa Stark. If you’re still with me, let me explain. Fans of the “Song of Ice and Fire” books and/or the “Game of Thrones” TV show have had a difficult relationship with Sansa (Sophie Turner) from the beginning. By difficult I mean they fall somewhere on the spectrum of complete indifference to utter hatred.
Late last week, George R. R. Martin released a new The Winds of Winter chapter focusing on Sansa/Alayne. Martin has released chapters on his website before, most of the time it seems to be done to reassure fans that he is, in fact, still writing these books. A chapter release is typically met with excitement but often features a character not necessarily considered a fan favorite (an obvious example is the first sample The Winds of Winter chapter told from Reek’s point of view).
Despite being an out of context chapter about a character no one likes from a book with no discernible release date, I got to the last line with a sense of urgency and really want to know what happens to Sansa. Yes, “book Sansa” is still fretting over the idea of marrying her idea of a gallant knight, something anyone who’s been remotely paying attention in Westeros would know doesn’t exist. Importantly though, she is now developing her own sense of cunning and agency.
She schemes on how best to keep Robin Arryn, the heir to the Eyrie, happy. And simultaneously ruminates on methods to attract Robin’s cousin and biggest rival for control of the Vale of Arryn, Harrold Hardyng. She’s been a pawn for as long as we’ve known her but it finally seems like she’s realizing that being a player is a lot more fun (and has a much longer life expectancy).
The start of this transition is something viewers of the HBO show have already seen. Personally, I’ve been more invested in Sansa’s journey for a while now, mostly thanks to Sophie Turner’s performance. Although once again under the control of someone else, becoming Littlefinger’s (Aidan Gillen) protégé has allowed Sansa to blossom. When she descends the stairs in her Mockingbird outfit during the second half of season 4, her physical transformation portends the psychological one that is to come.
There are “strong” female characters on both sides of the Narrow Sea. We see queens, warriors, and assassins young and old but witnessing a meek, naïve child grow into a self-possessed, confident woman is rare in not only the fantasy genre but pop culture in general.
“Game of Thrones” certainly treads on well-worn tropes on the page and on the screen, and it doesn’t always treat its female characters with the same amount of nuance as their male counterparts. However, if the show and the books can take an almost comically obnoxious character and turn her into one that is proactive, intelligent, and independent, I’m more than a little encouraged.
The way the show has moved, changed, and removed events from the books has started keeping readers on their toes. And now with news that season 5 is poised to break from the known narrative more than any prior season, each week will be an exercise in extended breath holding for book readers. One thing I hope after having read this newest chapter is for show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to continue down the path they started Sansa on last season and the one that Martin seems determined to carry forward.
I’m rooting for Sansa Stark and I won’t apologize for it. She may still grate, she may still annoy but as she grows into a full-fledged player in Westeros, for the first time I’m excited to see her in the game and I hope you’ll join me each week here at RopeofSilicon as I recap and open up the discussion on each new episode of season five. For now, here’s a trailer for the upcoming season, which kicks off this Sunday.
