Spoilers abound in this article if you haven’t caught the sixth episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.” If you haven’t watched, yet, skedaddle out of here and check out one of our other lovely stories, including everything we’ve seen from Season 5.
For weeks now, we’ve been dealing with Arya learning the ropes at the headquarters of the Faceless Men, and at the start of the episode, it seems as if she hasn’t come that far. That girl who cleans dead bodies with Arya is still taunting her about her lack of understanding of her newfound mission and purpose. In addition, her former mentor Jaqen H'ghar is not particularly helpful, either. But in the middle of Episode 6, Arya figures out the key to unlocking the Faceless Men’s secrets, and it all comes at the expense of gifting a sick young girl with her death.
It’s been clear for some time that Arya is about to embark on a strange journey, but the show has really put off giving her much to do during Season 5. Today, however, after dealing with a few more training scenes, Arya is scrubbing the floor when a father and his young daughter enter the House of Black and White. The young girl has been ill for quite some time and is looking for peace. Her father also wishes for the House of Black and White to take away her pain. Arya, after weeks of unsuccessfully lying, tells the girl that she was once ill and that her father dropped her off at the House of Black and White, where she was healed. She then gives the little girl a bowlful of the liquid in the chamber, sealing her fate. We next see Arya washing the body of the young girl, peaceful in death.
This is where the real surprises start. Jaqen H'ghar takes her into the usually locked chamber where the organization houses what seems to be thousands and thousands of the faces of corpses. (So far, the show is still a bit hazy on what that means, but those who have read the books should have knowledge about where the show is going.) The imagery is quite shocking and possibly horrifying to some viewers, but Arya seems entranced and filled with wonderment about the whole experience. H’ghar then makes one of the most intriguing statements of the season:
Is the girl ready? To give up her ears, her nose, her tongue, her hopes and dreams, her loves and hates, all that makes a girl who she is… forever. No, that girl is not ready to become no one, but she is ready to become someone else.
Stop reading now if you haven’t read the books. To satisfy fans we are going to get into a few minor spoilers.
Of course, if you’ve read George R.R. Martin’s popular book series, you should have a good idea of where Arya is headed in her duties with the Faceless Men. If all sticks to the books, soon the Faceless Men will be sending her on missions in Braavos, where she will begin serving the Faceless Men and carrying out orders as a trained assassin. Arya’s future is about to get incredibly badass, and we’re happy this is one plotline that is sticking to the books a little more closely.
You can catch new episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. In the meantime, if you are looking for a more in-depth look at “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” check back for our full reaction, soon.
