Game of Thrones season 6: Maisie Williams had a rager the night before that Waif chase scene

Brave considering she spent most of the filming in a cold river

I’ve enjoyed the last couple of Game of Thrones episodes on the whole but damn, that climactic, if you can call it that, Arya Stark scene in Braavos was not fun.

When she wandered around the town carefree and with her arms behind her back, before standing vulnerable in an open space and allowing herself to be stabbed five times in the stomach and dumped in the river, many fans thought/hoped that some kind of twist must be afoot.

But alas, episode 8 showed that events really were as they seemed, and the subsequent chase was even more infuriating, with Arya not only very swiftly recovering from her (presumably fairly serious) wounds thanks to a nap but managing to run, leap and sword fight with them.

“I had been to a music festival so I hadn’t slept the whole weekend,” told Entertainment Weekly of filming the scenes. “Then I was jumping in the Irish sea. It was a totally manic day. We did a million different takes.”

Now I’m not saying Maisie’s tiredness is responsible for the scenes’ lacklustre, that particular buck stops with the writers, but at least she was probably as exasperated with them as viewers were.

Williams did, however, suggest that her stabbing was part of a plan of sorts.

“People are going to watch and be like, ‘Don’t put your blood on the wall. Have you learned nothing Arya? I hate you.’ And then they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, she’s a smart girl.’” she added.

“There was this constant spectrum [of conversation with director Mylod] during the chase of about how petrified she needs to look, but also how safe she is.”

Be that as it may, it wasn’t the best tactic ever created, as The Waif could easily have slit her throat instead of stabbing her and the river could have caused her wounds to become infected. After all, Khal Drogo was killed by barely a scratch.

You can find some thoughts on where Arya might head down she’s departing Braavos here.