Game of Thrones season 6 ‘lives up to the hype’, says Maisie Williams, defends season 5’s slowness

'I feel like it’s really ramping up now'

(HBO)

Every year Game of Thrones seems to grow in scale, ambition and, consequently, expectation.

Maisie Williams has no fears about the new episodes disappointing fans who have been so patiently waiting for them however.

“Coming into season 6, I feel like it’s really ramping up now and story-wise it’s matching the hype, which is exciting,” she told The Independent, “knowing that you’ve got just as strong stories to go along with the buzz of the end of season 5."

Williams’ character Arya has always been operating somewhat on the outside in the show, far away from the power struggle the others are involved in; Maisie sees this as a plus.

“[Arya]’s never really been part of the game of thrones and I’m actually so pleased about that,” she explained, “because the people who get sucked into it always start out fighting for one thing but the power game and the Iron Throne make them start fighting for the wrong reasons.

“I’m really glad that Arya is away from all of that and hasn’t been sidetracked from her plan.”

Her struggle to put this plan behind her in order to become a Faceless Man is something she feels was important to get across however, and is why her story perhaps progressed a little slowly in season 5.

“She’s had the same goal this whole time and no-one’s ever come in and changed that, which is why it’s so difficult for her now to give up everything that she’s worked for.

“You can’t make someone else feel the pain that Arya feels. She can say that she’s lost her mother and brother and watched her father get beheaded but you can’t make someone else feel that, so when Jaqen [H’ghar] turns to her and says you have to give this all up if you want to become No-one - this is her life, she’s recited these names every night and it’s a lot deeper than that, which is ultimately why she’s doing so terribly at becoming an assassin and ultimately why I feel like season 5 was a lot slower because you have to see the process that goes into becoming a Faceless Man."

Williams may say that Arya is a struggling assassin, but photos from the set of season 6 - which start on HBO and Sky Atlantic on 24 April - suggest otherwise.

Game of Thrones season 5 is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 14 March.

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