Game of Thrones ended its second season last year after a third season finale that added even more tension to the long hiatus than fans would usually expect. The show finally returned to screens on April 6.
Those who have read the books know that things are going to get tumultuous (more so than the usual battling and murdering) for their favorite characters, just as readers knew about the infamous Red Wedding before it occurred. The show does a decent job of sticking to the plot of the books, making it enjoyable for fans of the series, as well as keeping things fascinating and understandable for those who started with the show.
However, with the return of the show comes the return of fans squabbling over character importance—most often, surprisingly enough, over the Stark sisters. The general consensus is that the more “tomboy-ish” of the two, Arya, is superior.
Granted, there’s no doubt that the sword-wielding, scrappy younger sister is a brilliant character. But with that admiration, the elder Sansa is far too often pushed out of the picture. Criticism of this character ranges from the fact that she’s too feminine to that she’s far too boring. The foil that the two sisters provide each other has apparently been lost on a large portion of viewers.
Sansa Stark is playing her part in the game she’s been raised in. Just as Ned Stark stalwartly stood by his honor, as he’d been taught to do (even though this led to his untimely death), Sansa is doing what she has been taught—and in a rather clever way, at that. Even Tyrion Lannister, a fan favorite, approves of and admires her ability to stay alive in an environment where she is surrounded by her enemies.
Arya is doing the opposite. By sword fighting, dressing as a boy and vainly attempting to escape to the Wall, she is doing the opposite, and going against the game. Neither one is better than the other. In the game of thrones, you win or you die, and they’re obviously both staying alive.
The new season brings the relationship between Sansa and Tyrion into play, and it’s executed well. They have effectively switched roles, and, as seen at the Purple Wedding, Sansa is beginning to feel sympathetic toward her unwanted husband.