starks on starkcest

Perhaps the biggest problem you would have when marrying the man you once thought was your brother is the reaction of your two other siblings. Such a wedding would be a very awkward family reunion. I asked @jen-snow @kitten1618x and @indra-rey what they thought Bran and Arya being home meant for Jon x Sansa. 

@jen-snow “It would be so sweet…”

It was wonderful to see the last three Starks (apart from Jon of course) walk into Winterfell’s courtyard together. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for for years and I was not disappointed. Like Sansa, I missed Jon being there for the Starkling reunion, and that’s what I’m going to discuss.

In the Inside the episode feature, Sophie Turner touched upon the fact that the reunion is somewhat bittersweet, because the siblings can’t even really trust each other.  At first I thought this was odd and that it was more nonsensical Starkbowl teasing, but I think in the end it’s just Sophie trying to give us some insight, and perhaps not wanting to give too much away while also not always being good with words.

So what was Sophie trying to say? That all three of the Starks have trust issues actually isn’t that far-fetched, but I think she meant something else, something which is especially true for Sansa. The key to deciphering it, I believe lies in the different Stark reunions.

Sansa was so incredibly happy to see her little brother and then her sister again, but in my opinion reuniting with them also left her confused, worried and feeling a little lonely. Unlike with Jon, Sansa had a much closer and better defined relationship with Bran and even with Arya, despite them never seeing eye to eye as children.

And now that they’re seeing each other again after all these years, they’ve changed so much, that I believe it scares Sansa a little. I think something similar was going on with Jon trying to reconcile the little girl he remembered with the Sansa who came to Castle Black in season 6.

From Sansa’s point of view however, I think her relationship with Jon sort of started from scratch. They were practically strangers to one another, but Arya and Bran aren’t, except that in a way they are now.

Sansa is also the eldest and is inevitably going to take on a sort of mother role. She is going to take care of Bran and Arya and worry about them constantly. We already saw that in the last episode. I believe this is only going to make her feel Jon’s absence even more.

Sansa and Jon’s relationship has evolved into a true partnership, and while Sansa is perfectly capable of ruling the North alone, she’ll wish to have Jon by her side, to have his support and his comforting presence. She’ll miss arguing with him. She needs someone she trusts to share her worries over her siblings with, someone to simply talk to, and that someone is Jon.

Sansa is happy that Bran and Arya are home, but having them back there won’t be able to replace what she shares with Jon. Sansa is going to miss Jon terribly. It will be very interesting to see what happens when they reunite.

@kitten1618x: The Pack Survives

Before I get started, I must say that I found the Stark sister reunion to be very satisfying. It wasn't overly emotional -but then again, neither of these girls ever really were towards one another. Therefore, I found it to be truthful and felt it worked well for who these two characters are, and really showcased how they've both matured since the last time they saw each other. Petty squabbles are a thing of the past -family is everything. So how does the Jonsa dynamic change with more Starks in Winterfell? So far, it appears to be running smoothly in Jon's absence. The younger Stark siblings seem content to have Sansa at the helm, and she's doing a good job of it. I suspect she will take on more of a maternal role now too, especially if all these Ned/Cat parallels mean more than just a subliminal seed for a future romance plot. (And I fully believe they do). Let me start by saying that if Jonsa is truly endgame (it is) then I believe that Bran already knows, therefore I don't expect much resistance from him. Arya is my wildcard. Beings that she was probably closest to Jon out of all of them (aside from Robb), I wonder if she'll take Jon's parentage reveal just as hard as he will? When Jonsa comes to pass, I don't believe that her unease or apprehension would come from a place of jealousy (although it might), but more so just weirdness -if she even feels this way at all. She may be completely fine with it, who knows? The funny thing is that if Jon and Sansa marry, Jon will become her brother again. Oh, the irony. lol What it boils down to in the end, is that I believe the Stark siblings will do whatever's necessary to protect their home and each other -at all costs. This will always include Jon because even after he's revealed to be a Stark/Targ, he will always be just a Stark to them. The Starks have always revolved so much around family -it's literally the cornerstone of their strength, and with the pack together -they will be a force to be reckoned with.

@indra-rey​: “A very rich man wanted me dead.”

I suppose this could be more of a headcanon, but here’s how I think Bran, Sansa and Arya, using all their skills in conjunction, are going to kill Littlefinger, avenge Ned, steal all Littlefinger’s money and become closer as a family in the process!  

I do think in the show it will be Littlefinger who sent the assassin after Bran.  He gave the assassin the Valyrian steel dagger to kill Bran with.  I think Bran knows all of this, but biding his time for whatever mystical tree wizard reasons, so Littlefinger is this “very rich man” Bran knowingly speaks of.  Aside from the pricelessness of Valyrian steel, I think Littlefinger’s wealth has been brought up because, giving that dagger to Arya, Bran also knows Arya is destined to kill him.  However, he’d also know specifically that Arya has Faceless Man training. 

I think Sansa isn’t just putting up with Littlefinger because of his Vale ties, but also his wealth and resources that – as we see especially when we look at the struggles in the South – would be vital for the war and winter to come.  If Sansa discovered a way they could acquire that wealth without having to continue to be dependent on Littlefinger (who isn’t going to stop haranguing Sansa to accept his marriage proposal and scheme to take the Iron Throne)?  I think she’d take it.  Though providence would come in Bran finally telling Sansa and Arya, Littlefinger betrayed Ned at King’s Landing.  This not only gives Sansa and Arya the drive to work together, regardless of whatever awkwardness or hypothetical new Starkbowl Littlefinger may be attempting to concoct.  

The siblings, using their individual skill-sets, execute Littlefinger, Arya takes his face, she goes to the Iron Bank or wherever he has his loot stashed, bleeds every cache dry and lo and behold, it’s direct mirror (or contrast) to the Lannisters/Tarlys looting Highgarden, but the Starks probably coming off a whole lot more like Robin Hood. The Starks chiefly considering the good of their people and the crises to come, they use that money for altruistic purposes.   

Long headcanon short: if the Starks are capable of doing this together, I think they’d be capable of doing a whole lot together, even what seems impossible, for the greater good.  Like maybe save their pseudo-sibling/cousin from perhaps an unseemly betrothal?

As always, I’d like to thank everyone who has participated in it this week, and every other week. This will be the last jonsameta roundtable. I currently have a lot going on and contributors have been unreliable. Cheers!