Arya was smarter than his banners, literally she could read better that the generals and that was before she turned into the most deathly assassin on the 7 realms
@@KobyMorris-w5ybut two things could be true at the same time. You could be smart and also not as smart as you think...the trick is to know what you know and understand what you dont.
Yeah it was said that only his wife could make him laugh. Arya did that though. If Arya would have grown up a Lannister he would have most likely made him his heir. They were a lot alike and had a certain kinship.
@@lilott1 doubt it, i honestly belive Tywin was like that with Jaime and Cersei when they where young and he was present, but of course kids always grow up and need to know they have responsabilities when that happened Tywin stopped treating them as kids and started treating them as adults. So in my honest belive if Arya had been a Lannister yes they would have gotten along but once she grew up she would have to do as he said and follow his command. Plus when a kid is not yours sometime people tend to enjoy them more.
I think this is where Arya removed any doubt that she's not the low born girl she claimed to be. Unlike Arya, Tywin knows all too well that smallfolk never "eat a lot" as she put it. And if they somehow did, they would certainly never mention it so flippantly in his presence.
Agreed. I also love the Hound scene when the gaurd asks if he is going to die over a chicken and the Hound takes a long pause and says, someone is. Awesome.
Catlyn "I've know men like you my whole life" Jamie's response almost with sadness in his voice, " There are no other men like me." The dude knows his assignment
@@Johnny-rj9onthese conversations between Arya and tywin didn't happen in the books. Instead it was roose Bolton and Arya at harrenhal after the brave companions capture it
@@Ragitsu No. But I'm not the only one pointing out GRRM doesn't seem to understand the developmental stages of children, for lack of a better phrasing. In ASoIaF, it's partially due to the time span of the plot being much shorter than he had planned (not to mention the planned five-year gap), so that's something just best to ignore. Edit: I just realized GRRM isn't to blame for this instance here at all, lol, since these scenes were entirely invented for the show.
This is literally peak happiness of Tywin in the entire show. Not winning a battle, not Jaime, not Cersei, not his progress in achievements. THIS IS. Just sitting back and casually talking to his cupbearer who keeps surprising him with her witty, well mannered yet playful nature, a cupbearer whos supposed to be on his death list. Oh Tywin, Tyrion could have been the child you wanted if only you werent so hateful.
i think the real issue with tywin is he saw the worst in each of his children in Jaime he can see his fighting skill but not the smarts to use it with Cersei she is just hateful and arrogant with a bit of smarts but too incompetent because of her ego and with Tyrion he sees his ferocity and his intellect but Tyrion also has tywin's vices which i think is what makes him hate Tyrion it isn't the fact he is a dwarf or that his mother died for his birth it's the fact he has the exact same flaws and vices tywin has and tywin doesn't like the fact he has a living reflection of all his quality and defects just a bit shorter it's like tyrion says in the books i am you writ small and it's true he is basically tywin but a dwarf who hasn't' become as cold as tywin yet even tywin admits it internally but will never admit it to Tyrion because he despises faults in himself that tyrion basically broadcasts for people to see
Tywin sees himself in Tyrion, but because he is a dwarf, he sees him as a mockery of himself. Like the gods are saying, "look what a small man you are Tywin" . Killing his wife on birth, was the cherry on the poisoned cake.
Tywin is like that manager at your workplace who hates every single part of his job but still does it because he's better at it than anyone else could be and the place would go to complete shit without him around
"Careful now, girl. I enjoy you but be careful." That one line, the sharp little smile and his narrow eye of scrutiny had more gravitas than all of Season 8.
@@JcakRitchie It's pretty bad. It's just wheel spinning. Jon loiters around the wall forever. Arya loiters around Bravos forever. Season 6 repeated all the same story beats, just with victorious resolutions.
I feel as if Tywin truly wished he could've raised his "cup bearer" in some capacity. He saw every quality Arya had. Quick witted, decisive, calculating. All the attributes he wished for in Cersei.
@@Tay-v6v Tyrion could never be that Lannister in his father's eyes for being the reason his wife died. Tyrion's fault regardless of the circumstance that will always be the stain he wears, his outer appearance was just the constant reminder and his undeniable forever affliction. But for him I suppose Tyrion never really saw it that way because of the circumstance, but Tywin's mind would never change. Add Tyrion's hedonistic habits didn't really help lol. Just so happens he was really damn smart and witty, those books aye. Only through the GOT time line did he start to recognize his youngest's abilities in said capacity. But Tywin would never accept him for his true status as his best son.
This was the writing the show deserved... For those who don't know, Arya and Tywin never met in the books. The entire Harrenhal sequence is completely different in the books. But this version is just pure gold. Excellent writing and dialogue that told us more about both characters... It showed just how smart Tywin Lannister was... And how clever Arya was.
I've been coming back to these early season scenes. The last few seasons really soured me on the show, as it did many people, but there's a lot of gold in the early seasons. Despite how it ended, it is still a great show.
it's a fantastic scene like many that they added early on because it basically condenses most of the exposition and character development that couldn't really be directly adapted from the books since they had to cut scenes and trim dialogues. The problem with the later seasons is precisely that they stopped writing scenes like these which make it so exposition is either delivered in the most stilted way possible or entirely skipped and character development is just nowhere to be found. That leaves the audience feeling like we have no idea what characters' motivations and feelings are anymore and the larger plot is just a foggy mess beyond the immediate events being shown.
D&D were really great writers when it came to adapting a story someone else had written. the ending made them a laughingstock but people forget that the first 4 seasons are some of the best adaptations of any source material put to screen. the problem is that they can't plot out a story to save their lives. these intimate moments are where they shine, so long as the big picture is imagined and mapped out by someone else. once they ran out of books and had to start moving the pieces around for themselves, they fell on their faces. of course, this is all GRRM's fault for refusing to finish his goddamn books
The reason was pretty simple, Tywin was a bad father. He fought hard to keep his family in high esteem, but couldn’t teach his kids the values that the Stark children embody. Even the Tyrells children were loyal to one another.
my understanding is that tywin's got a blind spot for his own children. he doesn't view them as people, but as manifestations of his legacy. the most fatherly thing i remember him doing was teaching jamie to read, but that wasn't out of fatherly devotion. it was because he refused to have an illiterate heir.
That is one part, looking back on it, that shows how cocky tywin can be in his own way. He just heard her admiration for Robb, and the northern host, and then she makes that comment, and he still keeps her around as his cup bearer, knowing full well what she meant by that comment lol
That mini-pause before he says ".... YOU IDIOT!" was hilarious. Perfect delivery. It's like he was a little impressed that Arya had disguised herself, then remembering he had to insult the guard.
Charles Dance... actually very similar characterisation as his Benedict in Last Action Hero where he calls his mafia boss "you spaghetti eating twerp" which I dont wonder was improvised by him as I cant imagine an american screenwriter using the word twerp.
The writing has a lot to do with it, but it's Tywin's intrigue with his new cupbearer that really ties all these scenes together. It's all of his little comments and probing questions that hint that he knows the cupbearer is not who she pretends to be. It's a very restrained and nuanced performance that is elevating Maisie's acting.
Watching this back years after and I cannot remember another time when Tywin talked so respectfully to another character. It's so obvious that he, on some level, admires this girl. I absolutely love it when actors like Charles Dance get to chew on scenes so masterfully created like these
I kind of feel the opposite. He's Tywin God Damn Lannister. He can't talk respectfully and openly with anyone important, he always has to be playing the game. The feeling I get from these scenes is that he enjoys having small human moments with someone, and that someone has to be a lowly cup-bearer because there's no-one else.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431 He'll look weak in front of his bannerman if he spoke like a human instead of an invincible machine to them after all his power is based on fear
I wouldn't say he respects her, but he enjoys her. A little tit-for-tat. He's playing a game, letting her think he is fooled by her "I'm just a commoner from the North" game. And instead of freaking out and crying when she gets busted for her act, she continues playing. I suppose because the moment he thinks he's "won" (pointing out her obvious lie about being a commoner) she knows that she is winning -- even as recognizing she's high born, he doesn't realize she's the Stark girl he's searching for! The Stark girl he could use to take the North.
He has nothing to gain from her and has no expectations for how she should act and I think that’s why he’s the most genuine with her. It’s actually out of character for Tywin to leave her the way he does given how sharp she is, but it would make a small book deviation huge for him to do that. I also think he understood on some level that she wanted to remain unnoticed and respected that, even if he didn’t know why. Best scenes in season two in my opinion
@@koolaidman6251 was reading your comment and just thought What if Tywin knew who she was Probably not canon but would be cool like his sort of atonement or smth
“You’re a sharp little thing, aren’t you” is probably the kindest thing Tywin ever said to anyone, including his family. A true struck of genius putting these two together.
Tywin caught alot of cues Arya showed that made him suspect she was high-born way before. Choosing the book he said before he pointed it out, her education, and her poise taking witty jabs, and looking him straight in the eyes no fucks given and denying his offer to eat. The final nail was the "I eat alot, I just don't grow" meaning that she was never in need or unable to afford food.
"I eat a lot, I just don't grow" was just part of the cover. It was not proper etiquette to ever let on to a Lord, or anyone else really, how poor you were. It can be interpreted as ingratitude, or just be looked upon snobbishly in a classist way. It was common (and still is) for peasants to act richer and better fed than they are. Not really fed nowadays as most people are well-fed. But now people do it with flashy cars they can't afford. I heard of a guy who lived in a village in Africa, working for the Peace Corps, who said he knew a family that bought expensive vegetables nobody in the family actually liked just so they could avoid the perception of being poor.
@@blubberbernd2347 This is honestly what made me hopeful for the rest of the show. If D&D kept up scenes like this throughout the show, instead of basically dumping it out and ditching GRRM, it could have been one of the greatest. Seasons 1-4 will still be remembered though, but its sad.
@@寝子猫-j4yIt's honestly super ironic that the writers created this original dialogue between Arya and Tywin, intricately woven between the scenes of the plot-moving writing to provide more depth to these characters with brilliant writing. It's ironic because DnD could write good nuanced dialogue between two characters that captivated the audience, but could not write a grand closure to the series that seemed consistent with the pacing of the earlier seasons. Also logistically a lot of it didn't make sense either, and a lot was left unanswered. I guess DnD should be criticized more for their laziness and lack of ambition towards closing the series out than they should for their writing ability. Given the time, I think they could write well, but they just gave up
@@RendezvousWithRama he died in the most undignified spot imagineable but still died with his character intact wich is more dignefying then those who had there characters frizzle up into nothing
"Killers respect killers." Tywin didn't know she was a Stark but he saw that ruthless nature, guile, and cunning. He was more proud of his cup-bearer than any of his bannermen (or children). Suspense in these scenes is just palpable, and I could never tell which one of them was the bigger threat. Just stellar production.
He saw all the traits in Arya that he wished he saw in his own children. He saw Cersei's ruthlessness and ambition, Jaime's bravery and audacity, and Tyrion's cleverness and cunning. None of his children had all of these traits, which frustrated him greatly.
@@NoPastNoFate More than one lord and lady in the North. His grandson murdered her father. There is nothing a ruler desires more than to make sure retribution is never a factor. If he knew she was a Stark after that, she'd have been sent chasing after her own intestines after he sliced her open. How long between when he knew and when he cut her open? With luck...six SECONDS.
Tywin was a man who desperately sought his match in intelligence. Not seeing it in his peers, he sought to raise his children to his level. Cersei and Jaime lacked his spark, and he refused to acknowledge it’s existence in Tyrion. He then tried to educate his grandchildren, only ever glimpsing it in Tommen. He saw the spark of intelligence in his cup-bearer and wanted to nurture it as best he could. A non-familial asset is still an asset to the Lannisters.
this is some of the best scenes original to the show in the whole series. Actually humanizes Tywin quite a bit. He even respects her a bit. She is clever and just trying to get home (half true) and doesn't feel any hostility to her trying to get home. Heck he might even expect she was a member of the Stark household staff at KL but doesn't care.
Yes... chemistry doesn't always mean romance. This is more captivating than any romantic scene in this entire show. Ned and Catlyn were a great couple though, ngl
That scene with the food hits different after you realize that Tywin was using Arya as an improvised food taster because he was mindful of poison after Jaqen killed Lorch.
I love how she has been saying my lord the whole time and he reveals it gave her away from the very start. Tywins curiosity was simply too great for him to call her out without seeing where it goes.
Yep. Fun fact, Tywin knew the moment he saw her. She's neither kneeling nor averting her gaze. Why would you kneel to someone of equal or lesser statues than you? She isn't accustomed to kneeling, so she has no reflex to do so, while all the commoners in the pen do. She literally stands out to him.
@@realynw87not kneeling, so probably highborn. Traveling disguised as a boy, so smart. Addressing him as “my lord,” another sign she’s highborn, and he can probably tell from her accent that she’s a northerner.
Tywin knew in his gut that Arya was royalty. He kept trying to get her to give it up. Hinse why he says “you’re too smart for your own good”. He just couldn’t prove it but his Intuition told him better😂
@@jcolinmizia9161 And she can read and knows chunks of history, so she's received a significant amount of education. Very highborn. Probably didn't believe that last cover story she gave him about serving Lady Dustin either. He just couldn't place exactly where she came from.
Tywin is not stupid. He knows Arya is highborn but he's too intrigued with her that he just lets her be in her disguise. His only mistake was not knowing she was actually Arya Stark.
@Nanobot1989 I think he only didn't let that cross his mind because he assumed Cersei still held Arya at Kings Landing, and Cersei never mentioned she escaped. Had he known that, he wouldve likely instantly knew it was her and had her captured and returned. Lucky for Arya, Cersei's too proud to admit a mistake, and Tywin didn't meet her before, or she'd grown so much she wasn't recognizable
@@kitsunefire1yeah I’ve seen a lot of people complain that Tywin should have known it was Arya. But last he heard, she was in kings landing missing. He also likely had never met arya, so besides uncovering that she is a highborn northerner, there’s no reason for him to believe it was arya. As well as u mentioned that Cersei never told him, because she didn’t want to admit a mistake
Tywin was one of the sharpest minds in that world. I've always held the suspicion that he was well aware of who she was, or at least strongly suspected. It was definitely within his character.
@@diogenesesenna9323 personally that doesnt make sense to me because if he knows arya is who she is, then hes an idiot for letting her go and not taking her with him everywhere to keep an eye on her. because arya would be a very valuable hostage and probably stop robb from attacking. but i dunno, he could, but he also couldnt
You can tell how much Tywin appreciates talking to smart people, unfortunately he is legit surrounded by idiocy 90% of the time. The son he's embarrassed by and a 12 year old girl offer him the most intelligent conversations he has the entire series.
“This one’s a girl… you idiot.” I don’t know why, but his little pause before calling the soldier an idiot adds so much character to Tywin. It shows that he cares about unraveling the truth of things than simply belittling or insulting others, or at least, from his perspective, his air of superiority comes second to his observations.
When Maisie Williams was asked which fellow cast member she respects the most she said it was Charles Dance. Apparently she was very nervous about their scenes and- even though he didn't have to- he took the time to sit her down, soothe her and have a very encouraging talk with her. You can tell they loved working with each other, it's great to see mutual appreciation :) In an interview charles even said it's his favorite scenes, and it is the ONLY time we get to see a tiny bit of the REAL Tywin, a bit playful side that can be fun and warm. honestly you can see his genius, ambition, wittiness, carefulness, and joy in just from his eyes, oh and fear, he will never show it to anyone but when he said dragons and shook his head 7:57 tha't's the ONLY time. And when he says you remind of my daughter is not that she is like cersei but extreme polar opposite. Cersei believes all women are dumb and all wars are won by any means necessary, politically and through marriage, she would never wield a sword let alone ride a dragon even if she said she wanted as a kid it was by pure frustration of inequality. Arya considers girls to be dumb because she is a warrior. she would ride a dragon, she would lead battles....Cersei is just talk and stare out the window
Honestly it was probably the line that gave away her noble status to Tywin. Other than general speech stuff, being a stone mason's daughter of qutie a young age who's consistently eaten enough to make a statement like that? You can kinda tell that he picks up on it as more than amusement
@@Bloodjen Also when he said his father died of loyalty, it was a dead giveaway. What kind of stonemason died of loyalty and taught his little daughter how to read and history. That's too far-fetched in this setting
@@timy9197it’s a line that really made me realize “oh yeah Arya is still a little girl” and there’s these moments in the show that bring that up because of the brave and smart face she puts on
Arya never backs down when challenged! It’s admirable and respectable. He constantly has her under pressure and she fires back consistently and never falters. Such a great chemistry between these two.
@@derfderf0 because arya is at her best when she interacts with other characters around her, in the books she's constantly making friends with braavosi people while training with faceless men, the show never understood her character - idk why she's constantly wearing that smug self satisfied smirk
The sly “yes” at the end to being told she’s “too smart for her own good” makes me smile every time. Some of the best scenes from back when the show was at its best
Yup. This was the show at its peak. Good thing Charles Dance's character died before he could live long enough to watch everything become a clown college.
It's just masterful writing. I love it. Such depth to characters that you can't just write any of them off. Even as despicable as Joffery was, when Margery came into the picture he suddenly became the manipulated one. God I would kill for this to have been properly completed by RR Martin.
@@Mr.Angel1996 the way he smiles to himself after is such a tiny moment but such a cool one for hos character. its like the only time we see him genuinely smile in the whole series. The closest he came other than that was when the mountain detonated Oberyn's melon
@@jv-lk7bc well she was staring at him with a death stare, because she knows who she is and who he is. However he doesn't know who she really is, and may have interpreted it differently. You get the sense he's a bit chilled by her words and stare, but his admiration for her grew.
@@Crichjo32 I also interpret it as Tywin was a bit insulted(But fascinated by it if that makes sense). A commoner refusing to let go of eye contact with a lord is unwise.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431 even so, the books guided them. The writers of this show excelled when - and only when - they had material to work from. Once it was gone, they completely lost their way.
@@MrSameion Well they're not wrong. Somehow the quality just bleeded into stuff, that diverged from the source material. Suppose them having to follow the broader plot of the books meant that changes they'd make had to organically bounce off from that and rest is just down to actors across the line being solid as fvck.
@@MrSameion ? This fits with exactly what he said lmao. He didn't say it was copying the books. If they were copying the books, it wouldn't be worth praise. The show did a fantastic job at individual scenes and pieces of dialogue. It did a terrible job at overarching plot. When it had an overarching plot to follow from the books, it did an incredible job fitting original scenes like this into it.
I always loved when Tywin pours his own cup at 7:38, rather than have his servant cupbearer do it for him, and then sits down to speak with her while she eats. It says something about both characters, and how they're relating to one another in that moment, and does so without saying a word.
In an alternate world, they would love each other. She's the absolutely brilliant daughter he wanted, and he's the powerful mentor that teaches her more than he ever could teach Cersei or Tyrion.
he could teach tyrion everything, he just rejected him. You people are idolizing his character because you're simply taken away by his charisma. He bewitched your mind with his acting hahaha.
Cersei and Tyrion are not stupid and inherrited and learned a lot from him. But they didn't agreed with him on everything. They weren't willing to dismiss their personal needs only for a legacy. They disappointed him at 40+ adult not as children. He compares Arya to Cersei with a positive intention. He very likely wasn't disappointed with them as children. He is also very likely someone you can never ever statistify and he will always criticse you for pushing more forward.
My take is that Tywin had expectations of of his own children, but Arya is a pleasant surprise. That's why he's able to have such great interactions with her. Tyrion was deformed (in his mind) and Jaime wasn't smart enough and Cersei's cruelty takes precedence over her intelligence.
@@saudude2174 well we appreciate a good and well written villain with just as many redeeming qualities as ones that make us hate him. But I agree, his disdain for Tyrion was his greatest weakness, and had he only embraced him; they would have washed everything and won. He knew Tyrion didn't kill Joffery, but saw it as his opportunity to get rid of him. Which honestly boils down to pride. Jamie was the ideal son, but was a bit of an idiot, he couldn't stand the idea of Tyrion being the one to carry the Lannister name.
These Arya/Tywin scenes are another very nice change from the books. I'm also positive that if Tywin knew it was Arya Stark, he would've imprisoned her immediately. He's pretty sure she's part of a northern noble family though. But in the grand scheme of things, considering she's not in the north, he probably figures her house and been defeated and as a young girl and most likely not an heir, would most likely not be a valuable hostage (unless he knew she was a Stark).
I think he believes she's the daughter of Lord Dustin, that reaction he had to her saying her family served House Dustin and was able to list off everything he had asked for.
There’s also the fact that Tywin plays the long game. He knows she noble northern born but not sure which family. No matter what family she’s from if her family is killed and she’s alive and remembers that he was “kind” she would be the one in control of the noble house and would be able to help spread the word that the Lannisters are kind and merciful once Robb Stark is killed. He wasn’t banking on her being Arya. Arya was dead. He needed more of an in to the north than just Sansa, he needed nobles coming home singing his family’s praises so they would willingly switch to his side
It’s so crazy that such a valuable hostage was right under his nose for weeks and he had no idea. Was Jaime captured at this time? If so, this was his golden bargaining chip and she’s just filling cups and clearing plates. Obviously this is fiction but makes you realize in the world before social media (any media, actually) , it would be so much easier to hide/get away with things. Everyone may know your name but few have ever seen your face
I like to think he suspected it, or at least was one of the possibilities crossing his mind. The look on his face when Arya talked about her father, as if he could acknowledge the pros of Ned as a family man in the way one can respect a formidable enemy. Also, why would one of Robb’s banner-men bring his daughter down south to war? The number of northern noble girls down south must have been pretty limited at that time. I guess if he considered the possibility, he preferred to have her close so he could better keep an eye on her himself. Although I’m assuming Tywin was aware of Arya being a fugitive, which I don’t remember if it was the case.
Charles Dance was a near perfect casting for Tywin Lannister, IMO. He may not look how the character is described in the books but he nails the very essence of Tywin. He commands every scene he is in. Hear Me Roar!
Him and the actress that played Cersei were an absolute treat for me acting wise. Such perfection and elegance in their tone, and facial expressions and mannerisms as they delivered lines was everything!
Lots of great subtle writing and acting here. For example, in 0:34, while commoners instinctively bow when they meet a lord (which everyone did), Arya being of noble birth does not and that was probably a clue that Tywin picked up on Arya's past.
His interactions with Arya are literally the only times I can think of when he showed any kindness or praised anyone without condition. Even the moments when she crosses him he treats almost as fatherly teaching moments.
You can tell she wants to be bigger because she's such a tomboy. She sounds as though she ruminates on it often... perhaps even over eating in an attempt to grow! Haha.
He really loved Jamie, but he was rigid with him because he wanted him to be his heir. With Arya he had no expectations, so he could be just a little more "soft".
Tywin was a brilliant Machiavellian. He knew when he had to do cruel things, Red Wedding and having the Mountain as his enforcer. But when he saw that he could use able body skilled men for work, he didn’t torture them unnecessarily.
I actually thought of that. Arya ate like a commoner (coz she was starving) but the part where tywin handed her the utensils. She took the knife with finess.
I figured he suspected his food was poisoned, or suspected she knew it might be and wanted to gauge her reaction. But your theory ties together better I think.
It definitely confirmed his suspicions of her bieng a highborn child of some fallen northern house in hiding, Tywin definitely did not entertain the idea of her being a descendant of a literate stonemason who was killed over loyalty.
I love the "I eat alot...I just don't grow" feels like a true grandfather granddaughter moment between Arya and Tywin. Almost sweet without the greater context of him being responsible for the systematic slaughter of most of her entire family.
To be fair, it wasn't personal. And it wasn't like Arya did not do the same later on. She was his finest pupil. Even enemies can respect one another, admire one another, and even love one another.
_Man_ their scenes were some of the most memorable in the entire series. Tywin showing the most amount of vulnerability and kindness we had ever seen from him up until that point, to the point where we _almost_ forget that he's the head of the house responsible for killing his young new companion's father. Two of the best early-season characters bouncing off each other with enough tension to stick the pointy end with. All driven by phenomenally-written dialogue. ...dang, this show was so good once upon a time...
Ned Stark killed an innocent peasant despite telling the truth in the very beginning. He also supported his friend Robert Baratheon while the Targaryen children should have been the rightful successors of the throne. GoT is fantasy but it is a universe like in realistic medival times and realstic portray of humans and not plain black and white we are way too used to. There are very few characters in GoT which are 100% villians like Joffrey, Roose and Ramsey Bolton and the nightking. You could pprtray the story of Tywin in his favor. His family story is kinda tragic.
@@kidaria1333 The Targaryens lost their rights to the throne when Daenerys' father started burning people for fun. He wasn't called the Mad King for nothing. When Robert claimed the Crown, he took it by right of conquest After that the Targaryens were pretenders at best, there is no rightful heir to the throne
@@ASillyHistoryBuff They didn't lost anything. Moral has nothing to do with how aristocratic inheritance law and geopolitics works. And a child cannot be taken responsible for the behavior of the father. They should have arrested the mad king and get the oldest child in power. It was very stupid behavior of both Reghar Targaryen and Robert Baratheon to cause a war because Lyanna (but of course Rhegar the most). Yet if Robert Stark truely would be a 100% men of right and honour he wouldn't have supported Robert in getting after the life of Targaryen children.
@@kidaria1333 It isn't to do with morality By the laws of feudal contract, there are certain expectations from a king or queen, including justice, fair government and protection for his/her subjects Aerys violated it in every way: he arbitrarily ignored the law for example during Brandon starks 'trial by combat' by burning Lord Rickard Stark. Aerys mismanaged the realm after he dismissed Tywin, routinely violating the rights and customs of his subjects, for example trying to spite Lord Tywin by naming his heir apparent to the kingsguard- alienating and antagonising one of the most powerful vassals in the realm. Finally, Aerys torture and murder of subjects by burning them to death with wildfire made him a tyrant. By his own actions he effectively dug his own grave. And forfeited his right to the crown, along with the rights of his children. The Targaryen children have a claim to the throne but its one of many You forget, Robert Baratheon has Targaryen blood through his grandmother, hence how he is able to usurp the throne. The throne belongs to the person who rules the realm justly yet firmly with a strong hand. Aerys was not strong or wise, but a weak, jealous King
It was such an odd pairing. Despite her hatred of him, I wonder if Arya thought of Tywin as a mentor of sorts? He did save her from certain death, respected her as much as a high level aristocrat can respect someone he views as a low born commoner, taught her lessons on power, and never took advantage of her. Just wish there had been a scene after Tywin had gone to Kings Landing where he learned Arya's true identity.
I think that he believed that she was the daughter of Lord Dustin, a minor lord whose daughter's capture wouldn't really make much of a difference to the war. He clearly doubted that her father was a stonemason and her mother a servant to Lady Dustin. He didn't believe she was low born because of how well she spoke, my lord instead of m'lord, nor did he seem to believe her explanation of her mother teaching her to speak "proper...properly."
It was odd but made for such great scenes. And Maisie did such an amazing job keeping up with Charles, for how young she was and new at acting. I love that even though these two seem to actually enjoy conversing because they’re both intelligent and not gross (she’s been with only men for a while, most of them either dirty, cruel, or vulgar so his company was probably a weird relief), they would’ve turned on each other in a nanosecond if the opportunity presented itself. Like the scene with the knife, even during a casual chat, she never lost sight that he was at war with her family and looked for any opening to help them. And she would’ve been the perfect hostage to get Jaime back. He would have her tortured without a second thought until his son was home, had he realized who was sitting across from him.
He cant help himself, his instincts are to talk and pass his insight to everyone who shows promise. He is frustrated so much by his bannermen and children it's a miracle he is not just pick random people and having them listen to him!
He cant help himself, his instincts are to talk and pass his insight to everyone who shows promise. He is frustrated so much by his bannermen and children it's a miracle he is not just pick random people and having them listen to him!
i think all his kindess towards arya served two purposes. when he first met arya, he was definitely impressed by her wit and had her work as his cup bearer. but when arya slipped up by not knowing her pretend house's banner, he realized she was faking an identity. later on when she picked up the book before he told her where it was, i think that's when he knew she might have been a highborn. and then finally, the food bit. while yes, it was a gesture of kindness, it let him be alone with arya and also let him poke her some more to see if she really is highborn. it lets him see her table manner and hear her manner of speech without having anything to get in the way. and i think thats exactly what happened when he corrects her pronunciation of "my lord". he heard that and all the pieces fell in place for him. too bad he didnt realize it was arya lol
@@yutongdai8645 she was patronizing his position as a lord, pointing out that he probably never lowered himself to even interact with a lower class stone mason. Her possessing such skillful wit intrigued him--his own kids were a disgrace.
These were the only moments Tywin appeared almost kind and soft in front of someone, it's touching how he seems seeing in Arya a sharper minded child than his children, maybe the kind he would've wanted as a father.
He can relax a bit with her, as he doesn't play the game with her. Every character he meets has an agenda or he needs to project power. With a little girl he doesn't need to be careful as much, she's just an anonimous person with no real importance.
@@alexk6343 Yes. He very much needed someone like this in his life, someone he could relax his guard with and even talk casually about his family. The conversations of these two are my favorite scenes in the whole saga. Small, quiet, and clever.
He was very likely not like this with his children when younger. Strict yes, but he said you remind me of my daughter in a praising way. They disappointed him as adults not children. And many wouldn't be willing to sacrife their personal happiniess only for a legacy. I doubt Arya would have.
@@kursor52 He also put his hand on Tommens eyes when Joffrey had been dying. He had to take Tommen away before Cersei gives him wrong ideas and to put her in place. Quite cod hearted but that is how he is. Duty over feelings for the sake of the Lannister Legacy. However in the end he overdid it and it led to opposite. But this a quite common fate for many GoT characters.
This was the show during its peak. Some of the best writing and scenes from the entire show took place in this season. Arya and Tywin was a change in story that the show did better than the books imo.
"A mind should always be valued as a weapon." For all his atrocities, Tywin was one of the most dangerous men ever in this universe. Wish he had lived to the Long Night.
I wonder if Tywin would have ever sen Night King and his White Walkers, not to mention wights, would he still maintain his cold and astute demeanour? I believe he would be scared
It isn’t necessarily his fault I blame the Targaryens, he was perhaps the most loyal and he was treated like absolute shit and a joke they delve more into the books
THIS! Right here is what makes a show great. Not stupid cgi dragons and cropped up dialogue. This scene has everything. Great dialogue, setting up characters, tension and most of all it shows of the amazing talents these actors possess to be put up screen.
What I loved about this is how similar they both were in the relationship. Arya wanted to kill him, yet also found the only person since her father's death to have moments with that didn't have to be guarded. You'd see her relax, like when she was talking about the Targaryns. She was so childlike in that moment with her excitement telling him about them. And Tywin was much the same in relaxing. He knew she was not who she said she was, yet he had some very open unguarded conversations with her, like she was the effective daughter he wished he had. Almost like they both found safety in each other's company that they couldn't find anywhere else. They could just be human and forget why they were both there for a while. Arya knew Tywin would never hurt her. And Tywin knew that whatever she was up to, he was enough steps ahead of her to not have to worry. One of the best dynamics in the whole show.
best dynamics absolutely, but 'relaxed' isn't quite the right word. Neither of them was capable of ever being completely relaxed. 'comfortable' would be closer. the fact that they shared that and so many other characteristics made for a precious sliver of comeraderie which neither had with anyone else.
This! What always surprised me about their interactions with each other was the fact that Tywin spoke to her of unguarded thoughts that he could not or would not share with anyone else. He recognized her breeding,intelligence and the lengths she would go to stay alive and was intrigued enough to open up to her and give her some of his hard fought wisdom. Life made Tywin hard, but he could relax enough with Arya to be a grandfatherly influence. As long as he kept an eye on her she was safe. Would Arya have killed him if the opportunity arose? I wonder.
I'd argue that these scenes were some of the most tense in the series given the consequences of either Arya letting slip her true identity. It was hard to tell how close he was to figuring it out and every time she overstepped the tension rose further. Not to mention the undercurrent of her looking for an opportunity to kill him
The most underrated detail about this entire sequence of interactions is how it indicates what kind of attitude Tywin actually has towards authority and power: the fact he shows more respect to Arya than his council despite her status as his cup bearer not only suggests how much more he values competence over positions of authority, but also says a lot about how much competence the weight of his own authoritative reputation is built on by contrast (we also see this in the way he's willing to commit himself to clerical work like writing letters and organizing council as much as to manual work like catching fish and skinning deer). Conversely, these scenes also highlight a new level of character development for Arya and her journey up to this point: the ability to think on her feet and match wits with the patriarch of House Lannister of all people. When compared to the fool-hardy and violent tomboy she was introduced as at the beginning of the series, the growth she demonstrates here is made all the more gratifying to witness as the audience by the fact that Tywin respects it for his own in-character reasons. I think I speak for everyone here when I say it's this top quality level of character writing that keeps us coming back to this clip.
Kind of reminds of how it’s stated somewhere that Cersei believes Tywin doesn’t respect/trust her with power because she’s a woman, when in fact it’s because he recognises that she simply isn’t intelligent/ competent enough to wield it
It’s been a while but wasn’t Bronn knighted by Tywins orders? You could argue it was a power play to give Bronn less reasons to stand up for Tyrion but Bronn was very competent at defending Kings Landing in the Battle of Blackwater. Showing how Tywin values competent people.
I really like Tywin dispite if his bad side His actually a very good character He protects his family He inspires fear to protect his house and family He liked Arya and he was proud of her He was nice to her and gave her some lessons
I really wouldn't say his bad side, because that's what required in that era. Even the net Stark is a perfect character of a nice person; however, people like them win survive the game. So Tywin had to be like that because of the survival of him and his family.
@@nikssu His not a bad guy He knows how to survive in westeros and how to maintain power I do agree when you say his a winner When i say bad guy which is wrong his not, he is capeble of doing what needs to be done like being feared cruel to other houses and ruthless to keep the family alive and to keep their power
@@Asif-kh-n9r ye as good as hotd is it will never hold a candle to seasons 1-4 of got. those seasons are arguably the greatest showing in history, movies included
I disagree. I think this was one of the great subtleties of the series. Review the tape. "A man just tried to poison me, I want his head". "Your supper sir." You eat it. No, I eat later as a servant. No. You will eat as I watch. Arya became Tywinn's food taster. Tywinn, who believed that an expert assassin just tried to poison him. He then orders his servant (a 12 year old girl) to eat in front of him as he watches to see if a poison takes effect. He has never asked this 12 year old girl to eat food until someone tried to poison him. Tywinn, genius Machiavellian, used Arya as his food taster, to watch if she was poisoned. Tywinn, was watching a 12 year old girl to see if she was poisoned. (Little did he know that she was responsible for the poisoning and the target was the man who was actually poisoned). Watch that scene again, include Tywinn chastising the Mountain, then watch Tywinn watching a little girl eat to see if his food was poisoned. If Tywinn hated mutton, he would have told the cook. This was Tywinn at his most genius and cruel.
@@mikeburke7053 She is expendable to him incase of a potential poisoning, sure, of course. yet he also seems to genuinely enjoy her company and their gamesmanship conversation.
@@Baratheon. Sure, he enjoyed the conversation. As a matter of fact the only time Tywinn laughed during the entire series was with Arya. "You remind me of my daughter". He was impressed with her and thought her smarter than most of his staff. He also seemed to like verbally sparring with her, until he thought she crossed the line. But in his mind she was simply the daughter of a lower unimportant Northern Lord, or perhaps even a bast+rd, not someone important enough to ransom or use as a tool of war/politics. She fooled him in that regard as she was actually one of the most valuable children in all the seven kingdoms. But that does not change the fact that he was willing to poison her and watch her die, using a child as a shield in case someone was trying to poison him again through his food. That's cruel and perhaps one of the most immoral acts of the series, but genius, as she did not guess the real reasoning of why he ordered (not "invited", ordered, he did not accept her refusal) her to eat in front of him. Perhaps his action was even worse because he actually liked the innocent child he was willing to poison.
@@mikeburke7053 Yeah, basically what i'm trying to say is Tywin has never been hand-rubbingly evil like a cartoon villain. He's willing to dispose of anyone to further House Lannister, except his heir, Jaime. Despite being fond of her, this girl is dispensable if it saves him from poisoning.
These two matched wits so perfectly... Arya knew how to be the perfect balance of subservient, insightful and sassy with Tywin... who rather appreciated her banter to that of the Southern Lords.
10:00 I like how even though Tywin sees through her double bluff, he's unable to keep his composure at how impressed he is with her. His face absolutely twitches with excitement. You can tell he admires intellect over all and is grateful to know her. In a way, Arya likely encourages his mentality as she's an example of the kind of standard he puts on his own children and peers... and so young!
Okay. I don’t think he knew it was Arya. I think he saw something in her, the thing he wished to instill in his own children. The thing that a caring/loving father (Ned) DID instill in his children. I think the point here is that Tywin’s strong hand couldn’t mold his children to what he sees in Arya. I think it makes him casually WONDER what “peasant” or second-hand lord raised her.
I don’t know if he knew she was a Stark he could’ve used her against Robb but He obviously figured out she wasn’t who she said she was and was from some noble northern family
@@mysteryjunkie9808 Well, just because she posed as a lowborn and was discovered not to be, doesn't mean she is noble. There may be a few classes in between.
He used the comparison to Cersei in a praising way. His children disappointed him as 40+ adults not as children. He very likely wasn't disappointed with them as children. He is also very likely someone you can never ever statistify and he will always criticse you for pushing more forward. Also if people would do their research on the character they would know why he is like he is and even form this scenes it should be obvious: his father was nice but a fool and people laughed at him with disrespect and he nearly ruined house Lannister. It is also very likely he would cursh with Arya because I doubt she would follow everything only of the sake of a legacy. The big question is more how he was when is wife still lived and if he would have been that ignorant to his children emotional need ifshe hand't died.
I would like to learn history from him :) or at the very least, just listen to him tell stories over a meal. He has that kind of voice and underlying charisma that makes you want to keep listening - kinda like Morgan Freeman and Sam Elliot
@@myladynaynay I actually had a history teacher who was very much like him. Not quite the same gravitas but he was a well-spoken, severe older gentleman who stayed sharp with constant study and travel. Very memorable experience.
"Look at it now. A blasted ruin." Forshadowing for what would be left of Tywin's legacy; His only children (he never truly considered Tyrion his son), Cercei and Jamie, dead in each other's arms, buried under a blasted ruin. His house forever cast into irrelevance.
No the house is still around and he accepted Tyrion in birthtright. If not he would have killed him like he once said and wouldn't let live the luxury life he lived with Lannister money. He challanged him but he also gave him opportunities which he most of the time ruined. He also never plant to kill him what Tyrion didn't know though.
As much as Tywin was a man often seen as cruel and conniving person, he was a man who respected intellect, until he couldn't with his own son, which is what got him killed in the end. A truly master class case of writing.
When Arya asks Tywin if he’s ever lost a war, he instantly turns on Arya and she turns her face away from him. It’s such a great moment that reminds you of the danger and tension underlying their conversation. Tywin’s tolerance of Arya only goes so far.
![Arya Encounters Littlefinger [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f9jac7Qg9w4/mqdefault.jpg)
![Arya Encounters Littlefinger [HD]](/img/tr.png)
"You're a sharp little thing aren't you..."
Man respected a cup bearer more than all his banners
Everyone needs a friend, ngrtt. Even tywin. If you can't make a friend with a person, their are always trees.😉
@@Christrulesall2 i piss on trees like a dog
That’s because he was always surrounded by fools. This cupbearer was a refreshing change.
Arya was smarter than his banners, literally she could read better that the generals and that was before she turned into the most deathly assassin on the 7 realms
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Twyin and Tyrion later on.
"I want Casterly Rock."
"No. I'm giving it to my cupbearer."
😂That would have been crazy
🤣🤣🤣
Knives Out
😂😂😂😂
Im totally going to make this alternative universe fanfic.
Tywin to Arya:
“You’re too smart for your own good”
Tywin to Cersei:
“You’re not as smart as you think you are”
“You remind me of my daughter.”
she would of made and old man proud as his daughter.
Lol @@KobyMorris-w5y
@@KobyMorris-w5ybut two things could be true at the same time. You could be smart and also not as smart as you think...the trick is to know what you know and understand what you dont.
@@thediaz07 and that is the lesson. His daughter never learned.
"Student of history ar' ya"
If only he connected those two words
Clever, I didn't notice that. I wonder if it was an intentional pun by the writer
-_- let me guess genius writing -_-
Says "are you"… English must be your second language
Haha, how funny it would've been if Arya misheard that and answered with "What, how do you now my name?"
@@MrIlleismEnglish is also my second language but I get his joke. Sadly, you didnt.
“Most girls are stupid”
“lol” said Tywin and he never laughed another day in his life.
Yeah it was said that only his wife could make him laugh. Arya did that though. If Arya would have grown up a Lannister he would have most likely made him his heir. They were a lot alike and had a certain kinship.
I like how his laugh is more of a grunt
Uhm she actually said idiots. Mandela effect much? 🤓
Love Tywin's guffaw at Arya's sass. A fatherly moment, to me.
@@lilott1 doubt it, i honestly belive Tywin was like that with Jaime and Cersei when they where young and he was present, but of course kids always grow up and need to know they have responsabilities when that happened Tywin stopped treating them as kids and started treating them as adults. So in my honest belive if Arya had been a Lannister yes they would have gotten along but once she grew up she would have to do as he said and follow his command. Plus when a kid is not yours sometime people tend to enjoy them more.
"I eat a lot. I just don't grow." "Hmph." Closest to a grandfather he ever sounded.
He’s also closely watching her table manners! No stonemasons daughter would have the same education and mannerisms as Arya is showing
I think this is where Arya removed any doubt that she's not the low born girl she claimed to be. Unlike Arya, Tywin knows all too well that smallfolk never "eat a lot" as she put it. And if they somehow did, they would certainly never mention it so flippantly in his presence.
@@scottavenged7xAnd that’s why I think she’s not AS smart, she makes many small mistakes.
@@AdamFeueraugewell, she’s still a kid after all lol she’s like 10 here. She’s smart for her age
I think that's also the moment he confirmed that the food wasn't poisoned as well.
"What killed him?" "Loyalty." Quite possibly my favorite line of the whole show
Agreed. I also love the Hound scene when the gaurd asks if he is going to die over a chicken and the Hound takes a long pause and says, someone is. Awesome.
Catlyn
"I've know men like you my whole life"
Jamie's response almost with sadness in his voice, " There are no other men like me."
The dude knows his assignment
My favorite line is “Habit”
@@jmmichael188 You've lived your whole life for the king and now you're gonna die for some chicken ?
agreed. I loved how he took a measuring look at her and summed it up, "You're a sharp little thing, aren't you?"
“Loyalty.”
One of the best lines in the series and it was from a conversation that never happened in the books.
@@Johnny-rj9onthese conversations between Arya and tywin didn't happen in the books. Instead it was roose Bolton and Arya at harrenhal after the brave companions capture it
I dunno, it seems a bit much for a...how old is Arya at that point, ten, twelve? Children that age don't speak that way.
@@wawawuu1514 You are certain?
@@Ragitsu No.
But I'm not the only one pointing out GRRM doesn't seem to understand the developmental stages of children, for lack of a better phrasing. In ASoIaF, it's partially due to the time span of the plot being much shorter than he had planned (not to mention the planned five-year gap), so that's something just best to ignore.
Edit: I just realized GRRM isn't to blame for this instance here at all, lol, since these scenes were entirely invented for the show.
This is literally peak happiness of Tywin in the entire show. Not winning a battle, not Jaime, not Cersei, not his progress in achievements.
THIS IS. Just sitting back and casually talking to his cupbearer who keeps surprising him with her witty, well mannered yet playful nature, a cupbearer whos supposed to be on his death list.
Oh Tywin, Tyrion could have been the child you wanted if only you werent so hateful.
His fatherly instincts kicked in.
i think the real issue with tywin is he saw the worst in each of his children in Jaime he can see his fighting skill but not the smarts to use it
with Cersei she is just hateful and arrogant with a bit of smarts but too incompetent because of her ego and
with Tyrion he sees his ferocity and his intellect but Tyrion also has tywin's vices which i think is what makes him hate Tyrion it isn't the fact he is a dwarf or that his mother died for his birth it's the fact he has the exact same flaws and vices tywin has and tywin doesn't like the fact he has a living reflection of all his quality and defects just a bit shorter it's like tyrion says in the books i am you writ small and it's true he is basically tywin but a dwarf who hasn't' become as cold as tywin yet even tywin admits it internally but will never admit it to Tyrion because he despises faults in himself that tyrion basically broadcasts for people to see
@@lordsathariel4384 Tywin also blames Tyrion for killing his wife during birth. It's not fair, of course but definitely understandable.
Tywin sees himself in Tyrion, but because he is a dwarf, he sees him as a mockery of himself. Like the gods are saying, "look what a small man you are Tywin" . Killing his wife on birth, was the cherry on the poisoned cake.
Tywin is like that manager at your workplace who hates every single part of his job but still does it because he's better at it than anyone else could be and the place would go to complete shit without him around
"Careful now, girl. I enjoy you but be careful." That one line, the sharp little smile and his narrow eye of scrutiny had more gravitas than all of Season 8.
Or season 5
@@indoorplant2392 season 5 was not a bad season
To be fair that’s more of a warning than he’d ever have offered anyone else
Be fair, the worst episode of sesame Street is more tense than the most exciting episode of season 8 of game of thrones
@@JcakRitchie It's pretty bad. It's just wheel spinning. Jon loiters around the wall forever. Arya loiters around Bravos forever. Season 6 repeated all the same story beats, just with victorious resolutions.
I feel as if Tywin truly wished he could've raised his "cup bearer" in some capacity. He saw every quality Arya had. Quick witted, decisive, calculating. All the attributes he wished for in Cersei.
If only he had a child who was quick witted, decisive or calculating...
Alas his 2 children did not inherit these traits.
@@Tay-v6v I take your point. But Tyrion was tainted in his father's eyes. Saw him as a little monster.
Clearly the perfect child Tywin wished to have came out as 3 living beings. For Tywin it's a curse.
@@Tay-v6v Tyrion could never be that Lannister in his father's eyes for being the reason his wife died. Tyrion's fault regardless of the circumstance that will always be the stain he wears, his outer appearance was just the constant reminder and his undeniable forever affliction. But for him I suppose Tyrion never really saw it that way because of the circumstance, but Tywin's mind would never change. Add Tyrion's hedonistic habits didn't really help lol. Just so happens he was really damn smart and witty, those books aye. Only through the GOT time line did he start to recognize his youngest's abilities in said capacity. But Tywin would never accept him for his true status as his best son.
Tyrion had all those qualities, but Tywin hated him for reasons he had no control over.
“I enjoy you but be careful” Tywin always being the biggest voice in the room.
I love that tiny warning. Tiny warning for a tiny lady. Tywin was a douche but a man of culture.
@@HittokiriBattousai17 He enjoyed being challenged, but not being mocked.
I love when Tywin says "No wine, just water. We're going to be here a long time", and the looks of defeat on the faces of all the other lords. 😂
Think of this whenever that work zoom meeting goes on longer than scheduled :D
@Vik-711 with zoom you can put it in your coffee mug lol
@devanov3103still give all your effort though. Don’t be complacent because it’s convenient. Reach your goals my guy!
It's a great line. Comforting in an odd way.
@devanov3103what online course are you doing launch school? I’m planning on doing Codesmith in the upcoming months
Having Tywin call you a sharp little thing is probably the biggest compliment given on this show.
This was the writing the show deserved... For those who don't know, Arya and Tywin never met in the books. The entire Harrenhal sequence is completely different in the books. But this version is just pure gold. Excellent writing and dialogue that told us more about both characters... It showed just how smart Tywin Lannister was... And how clever Arya was.
I've been coming back to these early season scenes. The last few seasons really soured me on the show, as it did many people, but there's a lot of gold in the early seasons. Despite how it ended, it is still a great show.
it's a fantastic scene like many that they added early on because it basically condenses most of the exposition and character development that couldn't really be directly adapted from the books since they had to cut scenes and trim dialogues. The problem with the later seasons is precisely that they stopped writing scenes like these which make it so exposition is either delivered in the most stilted way possible or entirely skipped and character development is just nowhere to be found. That leaves the audience feeling like we have no idea what characters' motivations and feelings are anymore and the larger plot is just a foggy mess beyond the immediate events being shown.
Agreed.
This was much better than her interactions with Roose Bolton.
I think this is the best 'off book' contribution to GOT. It really made me wish the scenes had happened in the book.
D&D were really great writers when it came to adapting a story someone else had written. the ending made them a laughingstock but people forget that the first 4 seasons are some of the best adaptations of any source material put to screen.
the problem is that they can't plot out a story to save their lives. these intimate moments are where they shine, so long as the big picture is imagined and mapped out by someone else. once they ran out of books and had to start moving the pieces around for themselves, they fell on their faces.
of course, this is all GRRM's fault for refusing to finish his goddamn books
The old lion almost adopted the wolf cub.
best comment
Pup
It makes me wonder whether Arya joining Tywin could've prevented the red wedding.
Tywin gets along better with everyone else’s kids instead of his own. It’s poetic, sad, and hilarious all at once.
The hatre for tyrion is unjust but he did everything he could for jaime and cersei.
The reason was pretty simple, Tywin was a bad father. He fought hard to keep his family in high esteem, but couldn’t teach his kids the values that the Stark children embody. Even the Tyrells children were loyal to one another.
My parents are like this. I thought this was the norm until I saw my friend’s parents show genuine compassion toward him
To be fair, Tyrion would've been the perfect heir if he'd have been treated like a human being. Unfortunately his upbringing damaged him permanently.
my understanding is that tywin's got a blind spot for his own children. he doesn't view them as people, but as manifestations of his legacy.
the most fatherly thing i remember him doing was teaching jamie to read, but that wasn't out of fatherly devotion. it was because he refused to have an illiterate heir.
“Anyone can be killed..” with a stone-cold stare at Tywin.. Arya is such a badass!
That is one part, looking back on it, that shows how cocky tywin can be in his own way. He just heard her admiration for Robb, and the northern host, and then she makes that comment, and he still keeps her around as his cup bearer, knowing full well what she meant by that comment lol
can't say I ever met an 8 year old badass........
LOVED that part!
@@BrendanDormanMMA Have you met many 8 year olds?
@@Solidsnaik careful now, Rob. I enjoy you, but be careful.
"And this one is a girl, YOU IDIOT."
I've rewatched those two seconds like a hundred times. Perfect sound and facial expression hahahahaha
1:15 Instant replay
That mini-pause before he says ".... YOU IDIOT!" was hilarious. Perfect delivery.
It's like he was a little impressed that Arya had disguised herself, then remembering he had to insult the guard.
Same here 😂😂😂
@@Kncperseus he did that with the follow up of "Smart! More than I can say for this lot..." especially with his expressions 🤣
Charles Dance... actually very similar characterisation as his Benedict in Last Action Hero where he calls his mafia boss "you spaghetti eating twerp" which I dont wonder was improvised by him as I cant imagine an american screenwriter using the word twerp.
“Forgive me, my lord. I shouldn’t ask questions.”
“No. But you’ve already begun.”
Clearly he loved being with her. Didn’t mind her questions at all.
He was always suspicious
I would have gladly watched an entire season of just these two
facts
plus arya and the hound! maisie had incredible chemistry with some of the actors
And yet we got season 8 instead..!
@@wavemaster181 Same people who wrote season 8, wrote this
@@staticcharm3808 back when they had some book material and weren't working on star wars
Maise's ability to act so strongly against a seasoned actor like Charles Dance is breathtaking.
For real. She is a baby at this point and yet is incredibly talented.
I don’t think I’ve seen better chemistry between two actors. I love that one is old and one is young. Incredible talent on display.
@@exposett246 this alone tells me youve never been drunk
Omg how breathtaking is it? It’s almost like it’s her job and the reason she got hired to play such a major role. Crazy
The writing has a lot to do with it, but it's Tywin's intrigue with his new cupbearer that really ties all these scenes together. It's all of his little comments and probing questions that hint that he knows the cupbearer is not who she pretends to be. It's a very restrained and nuanced performance that is elevating Maisie's acting.
Watching this back years after and I cannot remember another time when Tywin talked so respectfully to another character. It's so obvious that he, on some level, admires this girl. I absolutely love it when actors like Charles Dance get to chew on scenes so masterfully created like these
I kind of feel the opposite. He's Tywin God Damn Lannister. He can't talk respectfully and openly with anyone important, he always has to be playing the game. The feeling I get from these scenes is that he enjoys having small human moments with someone, and that someone has to be a lowly cup-bearer because there's no-one else.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431 He'll look weak in front of his bannerman if he spoke like a human instead of an invincible machine to them after all his power is based on fear
I wouldn't say he respects her, but he enjoys her. A little tit-for-tat. He's playing a game, letting her think he is fooled by her "I'm just a commoner from the North" game. And instead of freaking out and crying when she gets busted for her act, she continues playing. I suppose because the moment he thinks he's "won" (pointing out her obvious lie about being a commoner) she knows that she is winning -- even as recognizing she's high born, he doesn't realize she's the Stark girl he's searching for! The Stark girl he could use to take the North.
He has nothing to gain from her and has no expectations for how she should act and I think that’s why he’s the most genuine with her. It’s actually out of character for Tywin to leave her the way he does given how sharp she is, but it would make a small book deviation huge for him to do that. I also think he understood on some level that she wanted to remain unnoticed and respected that, even if he didn’t know why. Best scenes in season two in my opinion
@@koolaidman6251 was reading your comment and just thought
What if Tywin knew who she was
Probably not canon but would be cool like his sort of atonement or smth
“You’re a sharp little thing, aren’t you” is probably the kindest thing Tywin ever said to anyone, including his family. A true struck of genius putting these two together.
Tywin caught alot of cues Arya showed that made him suspect she was high-born way before. Choosing the book he said before he pointed it out, her education, and her poise taking witty jabs, and looking him straight in the eyes no fucks given and denying his offer to eat. The final nail was the "I eat alot, I just don't grow" meaning that she was never in need or unable to afford food.
I'm convinced that he knew she was high born just that he has lots of bigger things to attend to, to give it much thought
Pretty surr he knew, but didnt know which house, he wasnt thinking it would be a stark more likely a minor house of the north still a noble one
I always thought he knew but assumed that she was from a very small noble house. Or maybe a high ranking servant’s daughter.
Tywin probably asked her that on purpose to see what she would say.
"I eat a lot, I just don't grow" was just part of the cover. It was not proper etiquette to ever let on to a Lord, or anyone else really, how poor you were. It can be interpreted as ingratitude, or just be looked upon snobbishly in a classist way. It was common (and still is) for peasants to act richer and better fed than they are. Not really fed nowadays as most people are well-fed. But now people do it with flashy cars they can't afford. I heard of a guy who lived in a village in Africa, working for the Peace Corps, who said he knew a family that bought expensive vegetables nobody in the family actually liked just so they could avoid the perception of being poor.
It's such a briilant stroke of writing to have the "big villain" have an affinity for the hero's child.
Danarys is the big villain though
no
@@josephmelton4721
one of the all time greatest things in this show, considering this wasn't even in the books
@@blubberbernd2347 This is honestly what made me hopeful for the rest of the show. If D&D kept up scenes like this throughout the show, instead of basically dumping it out and ditching GRRM, it could have been one of the greatest. Seasons 1-4 will still be remembered though, but its sad.
@@寝子猫-j4yIt's honestly super ironic that the writers created this original dialogue between Arya and Tywin, intricately woven between the scenes of the plot-moving writing to provide more depth to these characters with brilliant writing. It's ironic because DnD could write good nuanced dialogue between two characters that captivated the audience, but could not write a grand closure to the series that seemed consistent with the pacing of the earlier seasons. Also logistically a lot of it didn't make sense either, and a lot was left unanswered.
I guess DnD should be criticized more for their laziness and lack of ambition towards closing the series out than they should for their writing ability. Given the time, I think they could write well, but they just gave up
I truly believe Charles Dance is one of the greatest actors of his generation. I cannot peel my eyes away from him. He dominates every scene he's in.
I bet he still fks hard
So do you wana screw him?
Glad he wasn't in the show in the later seasons. Didn't end up debasing himself the way the rest of that excellent cast was forced to.
@@RendezvousWithRama I really like your take on this. I'd not given it any thought until you wrote that. Thanks!
@@RendezvousWithRama he died in the most undignified spot imagineable but still died with his character intact wich is more dignefying then those who had there characters frizzle up into nothing
"Killers respect killers."
Tywin didn't know she was a Stark but he saw that ruthless nature, guile, and cunning. He was more proud of his cup-bearer than any of his bannermen (or children).
Suspense in these scenes is just palpable, and I could never tell which one of them was the bigger threat. Just stellar production.
Pretty sure he did know. He calling him “my lord” apparently gave her away from the start. He knew she was from Stark’s court at the very least.
He saw all the traits in Arya that he wished he saw in his own children. He saw Cersei's ruthlessness and ambition, Jaime's bravery and audacity, and Tyrion's cleverness and cunning. None of his children had all of these traits, which frustrated him greatly.
@@NoPastNoFate More than one lord and lady in the North. His grandson murdered her father. There is nothing a ruler desires more than to make sure retribution is never a factor.
If he knew she was a Stark after that, she'd have been sent chasing after her own intestines after he sliced her open. How long between when he knew and when he cut her open? With luck...six SECONDS.
Tywin was a man who desperately sought his match in intelligence. Not seeing it in his peers, he sought to raise his children to his level. Cersei and Jaime lacked his spark, and he refused to acknowledge it’s existence in Tyrion. He then tried to educate his grandchildren, only ever glimpsing it in Tommen. He saw the spark of intelligence in his cup-bearer and wanted to nurture it as best he could. A non-familial asset is still an asset to the Lannisters.
Had he married Olenna, Westeros would not have had a chance.
Cersei is intelligent no doubt, but her cruel nature often overpowers her ability to think
@@-THE_META Can you imagine the monster they'd raise together? Cunning, intelligent, disciplined.
@@anirudhsilverking5761 so true. He cruel nature caused her downfall
That was beautiful! (Slow clap) 👏👏
The chemistry between Charles Dance and Maisie Williams was *on point* in every scene they had together.
Amazing actors for an amazing series.
this is some of the best scenes original to the show in the whole series. Actually humanizes Tywin quite a bit. He even respects her a bit. She is clever and just trying to get home (half true) and doesn't feel any hostility to her trying to get home. Heck he might even expect she was a member of the Stark household staff at KL but doesn't care.
@@davidlewis5312KL?
@@M_marks_th3_spot Kings Landing
Yes... chemistry doesn't always mean romance. This is more captivating than any romantic scene in this entire show. Ned and Catlyn were a great couple though, ngl
@@zvezdoblyat I think Jon and Ygritte were amazing too
That scene with the food hits different after you realize that Tywin was using Arya as an improvised food taster because he was mindful of poison after Jaqen killed Lorch.
Mind blown...thank you for this
Damn never caught that
Woah, and here I thought he was strangely nice towards her.
Thanks for pointing that out 👍🏼
If he respected her as a person why would he kill her? why not get one of the other slaves?
Damnnnnn I never picked up on that!!! Brilliant. Catch!
"Careful now, girl. I enjoy you, but be careful."
They used to be able to make their own compelling dialog.
I love how she has been saying my lord the whole time and he reveals it gave her away from the very start. Tywins curiosity was simply too great for him to call her out without seeing where it goes.
Yep. Fun fact, Tywin knew the moment he saw her. She's neither kneeling nor averting her gaze. Why would you kneel to someone of equal or lesser statues than you? She isn't accustomed to kneeling, so she has no reflex to do so, while all the commoners in the pen do. She literally stands out to him.
Indeed. The way she made the comeback with pride "My mother..." was just the best rebuttal hands down with such confidence.
@@realynw87not kneeling, so probably highborn. Traveling disguised as a boy, so smart. Addressing him as “my lord,” another sign she’s highborn, and he can probably tell from her accent that she’s a northerner.
Tywin knew in his gut that Arya was royalty. He kept trying to get her to give it up. Hinse why he says “you’re too smart for your own good”. He just couldn’t prove it but his Intuition told him better😂
@@jcolinmizia9161 And she can read and knows chunks of history, so she's received a significant amount of education. Very highborn.
Probably didn't believe that last cover story she gave him about serving Lady Dustin either. He just couldn't place exactly where she came from.
Tywin is not stupid. He knows Arya is highborn but he's too intrigued with her that he just lets her be in her disguise. His only mistake was not knowing she was actually Arya Stark.
I agree that he for sure thought she was. Which is surprising because he also believes she’s a northerner. Surprised he didn’t have her questioned.
@Nanobot1989 I think he only didn't let that cross his mind because he assumed Cersei still held Arya at Kings Landing, and Cersei never mentioned she escaped. Had he known that, he wouldve likely instantly knew it was her and had her captured and returned.
Lucky for Arya, Cersei's too proud to admit a mistake, and Tywin didn't meet her before, or she'd grown so much she wasn't recognizable
@@kitsunefire1yeah I’ve seen a lot of people complain that Tywin should have known it was Arya. But last he heard, she was in kings landing missing. He also likely had never met arya, so besides uncovering that she is a highborn northerner, there’s no reason for him to believe it was arya. As well as u mentioned that Cersei never told him, because she didn’t want to admit a mistake
Tywin was one of the sharpest minds in that world. I've always held the suspicion that he was well aware of who she was, or at least strongly suspected. It was definitely within his character.
@@diogenesesenna9323 personally that doesnt make sense to me because if he knows arya is who she is, then hes an idiot for letting her go and not taking her with him everywhere to keep an eye on her. because arya would be a very valuable hostage and probably stop robb from attacking. but i dunno, he could, but he also couldnt
You can tell how much Tywin appreciates talking to smart people, unfortunately he is legit surrounded by idiocy 90% of the time. The son he's embarrassed by and a 12 year old girl offer him the most intelligent conversations he has the entire series.
Also the deleted scene with maester Pycelle.
Don't forget Lady Olenna.
The saddest thing is Tyrion is the one who came closest to his intellect out of all his kids. Sadly he hated him for something he never actually did.
Now all I can hear is him talking like Scar😂
tyrion was sharp but tywin hated him
I could watch a entire season of these two having a conversation.
5:19
"I'm cold."
"I'll fetch more wood for the fire, my lord..."
"No, I'm describing my character."
You improved it+
"Then I'll fetch even more wood for your stake... my lord. Anyone can be kiIIed."
“This one’s a girl… you idiot.”
I don’t know why, but his little pause before calling the soldier an idiot adds so much character to Tywin. It shows that he cares about unraveling the truth of things than simply belittling or insulting others, or at least, from his perspective, his air of superiority comes second to his observations.
I always enjoyed that moment because I assume he thought "He's too stupid to realise he's stupid, better drive it home"
This isn't even a reach, you're stretching out to damn Neptune
@@j.p.westwater2334 🤷
Tywin literally helped his son overcome dyslexia.
And that’s y he’s the goat
One son, wouldn't do the same for the other.
I guess he wasn’t a fan of liberal parenting...
Amen!
He also paid a bunch of soldiers to rape his other son's girlfriend
When Maisie Williams was asked which fellow cast member she respects the most she said it was Charles Dance. Apparently she was very nervous about their scenes and- even though he didn't have to- he took the time to sit her down, soothe her and have a very encouraging talk with her. You can tell they loved working with each other, it's great to see mutual appreciation :)
In an interview charles even said it's his favorite scenes, and it is the ONLY time we get to see a tiny bit of the REAL Tywin, a bit playful side that can be fun and warm. honestly you can see his genius, ambition, wittiness, carefulness, and joy in just from his eyes, oh and fear, he will never show it to anyone but when he said dragons and shook his head 7:57 tha't's the ONLY time. And when he says you remind of my daughter is not that she is like cersei but extreme polar opposite. Cersei believes all women are dumb and all wars are won by any means necessary, politically and through marriage, she would never wield a sword let alone ride a dragon even if she said she wanted as a kid it was by pure frustration of inequality. Arya considers girls to be dumb because she is a warrior. she would ride a dragon, she would lead battles....Cersei is just talk and stare out the window
"I eat a lot, I just don't grow." That wasn't Arya Stark, that was Maissie XD
Lol that was the most light hearted thing Arya has ever said
Honestly it was probably the line that gave away her noble status to Tywin. Other than general speech stuff, being a stone mason's daughter of qutie a young age who's consistently eaten enough to make a statement like that? You can kinda tell that he picks up on it as more than amusement
@@Bloodjen Also when he said his father died of loyalty, it was a dead giveaway. What kind of stonemason died of loyalty and taught his little daughter how to read and history. That's too far-fetched in this setting
That's tyrion too 🤣🤣🤣
@@timy9197it’s a line that really made me realize “oh yeah Arya is still a little girl” and there’s these moments in the show that bring that up because of the brave and smart face she puts on
Arya never backs down when challenged! It’s admirable and respectable. He constantly has her under pressure and she fires back consistently and never falters. Such a great chemistry between these two.
Because they have similiar features.
Arya vs Tywin and the Hound when all she has are her wits were her best scenes. Emo faceless assassin Arya was just annoying.
I always thought they nailed strong female roles in the show. It can be hard to get right without it seeming patronizing.
"Hah! You remind me of my daughter" I wonder if this was the first time we see Tywin joyful. Does anyone know?
@@derfderf0 because arya is at her best when she interacts with other characters around her, in the books she's constantly making friends with braavosi people while training with faceless men, the show never understood her character - idk why she's constantly wearing that smug self satisfied smirk
The sly “yes” at the end to being told she’s “too smart for her own good” makes me smile every time. Some of the best scenes from back when the show was at its best
Yup. This was the show at its peak. Good thing Charles Dance's character died before he could live long enough to watch everything become a clown college.
That little smirk sells it. Yes, she's been told. No, she doesn't worry about it.
@@goombapizza6335100%
The "Yes" was for the question "has anyone ever told you that?"
It's just masterful writing. I love it. Such depth to characters that you can't just write any of them off. Even as despicable as Joffery was, when Margery came into the picture he suddenly became the manipulated one.
God I would kill for this to have been properly completed by RR Martin.
"Anyone can be killed"
I can't help but think Tywin was a little impressed that she would say that
"You're too smart for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"Yes."
Always gets a smile out of me
And also Tywin's calm, friendly tone when he said ''Now, go on'' sounded just like a father would say to his child.
@@Mr.Angel1996 the way he smiles to himself after is such a tiny moment but such a cool one for hos character. its like the only time we see him genuinely smile in the whole series. The closest he came other than that was when the mountain detonated Oberyn's melon
Those cold eye contact between Arya and Tywin in their first conversation was just menacing. Such a shame we only got 10 minutes of this masterpiece.
The old lion and the she-wolf stare each other down.
@@Crichjo32 no. If that were true, he would have had her killed. it was much more complicated.
@@jv-lk7bc well she was staring at him with a death stare, because she knows who she is and who he is. However he doesn't know who she really is, and may have interpreted it differently. You get the sense he's a bit chilled by her words and stare, but his admiration for her grew.
@@Crichjo32 I also interpret it as Tywin was a bit insulted(But fascinated by it if that makes sense). A commoner refusing to let go of eye contact with a lord is unwise.
❤❤😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
"You're a sharp little thing."
This show was so friggin good when it still had the books to use.
This isn't from the books though. They made this bit up themselves.
@Damien Thorne feeling stupid now hmm? :D
@@pavarottiaardvark3431 even so, the books guided them. The writers of this show excelled when - and only when - they had material to work from. Once it was gone, they completely lost their way.
@@MrSameion Well they're not wrong. Somehow the quality just bleeded into stuff, that diverged from the source material.
Suppose them having to follow the broader plot of the books meant that changes they'd make had to organically bounce off from that and rest is just down to actors across the line being solid as fvck.
@@MrSameion ? This fits with exactly what he said lmao. He didn't say it was copying the books. If they were copying the books, it wouldn't be worth praise.
The show did a fantastic job at individual scenes and pieces of dialogue. It did a terrible job at overarching plot. When it had an overarching plot to follow from the books, it did an incredible job fitting original scenes like this into it.
I always loved when Tywin pours his own cup at 7:38, rather than have his servant cupbearer do it for him, and then sits down to speak with her while she eats. It says something about both characters, and how they're relating to one another in that moment, and does so without saying a word.
In an alternate world, they would love each other. She's the absolutely brilliant daughter he wanted, and he's the powerful mentor that teaches her more than he ever could teach Cersei or Tyrion.
he could teach tyrion everything, he just rejected him. You people are idolizing his character because you're simply taken away by his charisma. He bewitched your mind with his acting hahaha.
Cersei and Tyrion are not stupid and inherrited and learned a lot from him. But they didn't agreed with him on everything. They weren't willing to dismiss their personal needs only for a legacy. They disappointed him at 40+ adult not as children. He compares Arya to Cersei with a positive intention. He very likely wasn't disappointed with them as children. He is also very likely someone you can never ever statistify and he will always criticse you for pushing more forward.
My take is that Tywin had expectations of of his own children, but Arya is a pleasant surprise. That's why he's able to have such great interactions with her. Tyrion was deformed (in his mind) and Jaime wasn't smart enough and Cersei's cruelty takes precedence over her intelligence.
like Iroh and Toph?
@@saudude2174 well we appreciate a good and well written villain with just as many redeeming qualities as ones that make us hate him. But I agree, his disdain for Tyrion was his greatest weakness, and had he only embraced him; they would have washed everything and won. He knew Tyrion didn't kill Joffery, but saw it as his opportunity to get rid of him. Which honestly boils down to pride. Jamie was the ideal son, but was a bit of an idiot, he couldn't stand the idea of Tyrion being the one to carry the Lannister name.
These Arya/Tywin scenes are another very nice change from the books. I'm also positive that if Tywin knew it was Arya Stark, he would've imprisoned her immediately. He's pretty sure she's part of a northern noble family though. But in the grand scheme of things, considering she's not in the north, he probably figures her house and been defeated and as a young girl and most likely not an heir, would most likely not be a valuable hostage (unless he knew she was a Stark).
I think he believes she's the daughter of Lord Dustin, that reaction he had to her saying her family served House Dustin and was able to list off everything he had asked for.
There’s also the fact that Tywin plays the long game. He knows she noble northern born but not sure which family. No matter what family she’s from if her family is killed and she’s alive and remembers that he was “kind” she would be the one in control of the noble house and would be able to help spread the word that the Lannisters are kind and merciful once Robb Stark is killed. He wasn’t banking on her being Arya. Arya was dead. He needed more of an in to the north than just Sansa, he needed nobles coming home singing his family’s praises so they would willingly switch to his side
It’s so crazy that such a valuable hostage was right under his nose for weeks and he had no idea. Was Jaime captured at this time? If so, this was his golden bargaining chip and she’s just filling cups and clearing plates. Obviously this is fiction but makes you realize in the world before social media (any media, actually) , it would be so much easier to hide/get away with things. Everyone may know your name but few have ever seen your face
@@lindsay9838 Jaime was a captive at this time
I like to think he suspected it, or at least was one of the possibilities crossing his mind. The look on his face when Arya talked about her father, as if he could acknowledge the pros of Ned as a family man in the way one can respect a formidable enemy. Also, why would one of Robb’s banner-men bring his daughter down south to war? The number of northern noble girls down south must have been pretty limited at that time. I guess if he considered the possibility, he preferred to have her close so he could better keep an eye on her himself.
Although I’m assuming Tywin was aware of Arya being a fugitive, which I don’t remember if it was the case.
Charles Dance was a near perfect casting for Tywin Lannister, IMO. He may not look how the character is described in the books but he nails the very essence of Tywin. He commands every scene he is in. Hear Me Roar!
Him and the actress that played Cersei were an absolute treat for me acting wise. Such perfection and elegance in their tone, and facial expressions and mannerisms as they delivered lines was everything!
He's in the new Netflix series The Sandman. I'd recommend it. He's not in it very long but perfect casting !
You mean Tywin Lannister was a near perfect casting for Charles Dance?! (xD)
All the Lannisters were perfectly casted
@Jermy Wermy but can you imagine someone else being so fucking good at it
Lots of great subtle writing and acting here. For example, in 0:34, while commoners instinctively bow when they meet a lord (which everyone did), Arya being of noble birth does not and that was probably a clue that Tywin picked up on Arya's past.
That wasn’t subtle at ALL lol she stood out like a sore thumb
His interactions with Arya are literally the only times I can think of when he showed any kindness or praised anyone without condition. Even the moments when she crosses him he treats almost as fatherly teaching moments.
"I eat a lot, I just don't grow."
The most adorable thing Arya has ever said 😂
The mouthful of food makes it 😂❤
So cute
She gave herself away as not a commoner though
You can tell she wants to be bigger because she's such a tomboy. She sounds as though she ruminates on it often... perhaps even over eating in an attempt to grow! Haha.
@@zerjiozerjio but she lived when there was food. Not during the time mothers smothered their babies because it was ‘winter’….
The conversations Tywin has with Arya are more respectful, tender, and equal footed than any he ever has with anyone else. Including his own children.
"Why is he such an awesome grandfather when he was such an awful father?"
-bart simpson
He really loved Jamie, but he was rigid with him because he wanted him to be his heir. With Arya he had no expectations, so he could be just a little more "soft".
Charles Dance! Not one bad performance in this entire series. A treasure of an actor.
fr!
His character died before the writing went to shit
Tywin was a brilliant Machiavellian. He knew when he had to do cruel things, Red Wedding and having the Mountain as his enforcer. But when he saw that he could use able body skilled men for work, he didn’t torture them unnecessarily.
He was one of the few characters that I’ve seen pull off the “lawful evil” character alignment so well.
Ruthless and cruel are two very different things, Tywin is ruthless without being cruel
Just noticed, Tywin probably forced Arya to eat to see how she's accustomed with utensils and to confirm she's high born.
I actually thought of that. Arya ate like a commoner (coz she was starving) but the part where tywin handed her the utensils. She took the knife with finess.
I figured he suspected his food was poisoned, or suspected she knew it might be and wanted to gauge her reaction. But your theory ties together better I think.
Hmm. It's possible, I took it at face value. He took a quick liking to her and wanted temporary ease from his monstrous persona.
It definitely confirmed his suspicions of her bieng a highborn child of some fallen northern house in hiding,
Tywin definitely did not entertain the idea of her being a descendant of a literate stonemason who was killed over loyalty.
Also, to see if the food was poisoned
Arya : Have you ever lost before ?
Tywin: Is my name Tylose ?
Copy pasted
HAHAJHAHAJAJAH
Underrated comment right here.
“Careful now girl. I enjoy you, but be careful.”
These two were so good together!
I love the "I eat alot...I just don't grow" feels like a true grandfather granddaughter moment between Arya and Tywin. Almost sweet without the greater context of him being responsible for the systematic slaughter of most of her entire family.
To be fair, it wasn't personal. And it wasn't like Arya did not do the same later on. She was his finest pupil. Even enemies can respect one another, admire one another, and even love one another.
_Man_ their scenes were some of the most memorable in the entire series. Tywin showing the most amount of vulnerability and kindness we had ever seen from him up until that point, to the point where we _almost_ forget that he's the head of the house responsible for killing his young new companion's father. Two of the best early-season characters bouncing off each other with enough tension to stick the pointy end with. All driven by phenomenally-written dialogue.
...dang, this show was so good once upon a time...
For real. Seems like the writers just fell off a cliff
Ned Stark killed an innocent peasant despite telling the truth in the very beginning. He also supported his friend Robert Baratheon while the Targaryen children should have been the rightful successors of the throne. GoT is fantasy but it is a universe like in realistic medival times and realstic portray of humans and not plain black and white we are way too used to. There are very few characters in GoT which are 100% villians like Joffrey, Roose and Ramsey Bolton and the nightking. You could pprtray the story of Tywin in his favor. His family story is kinda tragic.
@@kidaria1333 The Targaryens lost their rights to the throne when Daenerys' father started burning people for fun.
He wasn't called the Mad King for nothing.
When Robert claimed the Crown, he took it by right of conquest
After that the Targaryens were pretenders at best, there is no rightful heir to the throne
@@ASillyHistoryBuff They didn't lost anything. Moral has nothing to do with how aristocratic inheritance law and geopolitics works. And a child cannot be taken responsible for the behavior of the father. They should have arrested the mad king and get the oldest child in power. It was very stupid behavior of both Reghar Targaryen and Robert Baratheon to cause a war because Lyanna (but of course Rhegar the most). Yet if Robert Stark truely would be a 100% men of right and honour he wouldn't have supported Robert in getting after the life of Targaryen children.
@@kidaria1333 It isn't to do with morality
By the laws of feudal contract, there are certain expectations from a king or queen, including justice, fair government and protection for his/her subjects
Aerys violated it in every way: he arbitrarily ignored the law for example during Brandon starks 'trial by combat' by burning Lord Rickard Stark.
Aerys mismanaged the realm after he dismissed Tywin, routinely violating the rights and customs of his subjects, for example trying to spite Lord Tywin by naming his heir apparent to the kingsguard- alienating and antagonising one of the most powerful vassals in the realm.
Finally, Aerys torture and murder of subjects by burning them to death with wildfire made him a tyrant.
By his own actions he effectively dug his own grave.
And forfeited his right to the crown, along with the rights of his children.
The Targaryen children have a claim to the throne but its one of many
You forget, Robert Baratheon has Targaryen blood through his grandmother, hence how he is able to usurp the throne.
The throne belongs to the person who rules the realm justly yet firmly with a strong hand.
Aerys was not strong or wise, but a weak, jealous King
It was such an odd pairing. Despite her hatred of him, I wonder if Arya thought of Tywin as a mentor of sorts? He did save her from certain death, respected her as much as a high level aristocrat can respect someone he views as a low born commoner, taught her lessons on power, and never took advantage of her. Just wish there had been a scene after Tywin had gone to Kings Landing where he learned Arya's true identity.
I agree. I would have loved for him to have lived and then meet the new improved Arya and find out she was a Stark.
I think that he believed that she was the daughter of Lord Dustin, a minor lord whose daughter's capture wouldn't really make much of a difference to the war. He clearly doubted that her father was a stonemason and her mother a servant to Lady Dustin. He didn't believe she was low born because of how well she spoke, my lord instead of m'lord, nor did he seem to believe her explanation of her mother teaching her to speak "proper...properly."
He knew she was of Noble heritage.
It was odd but made for such great scenes. And Maisie did such an amazing job keeping up with Charles, for how young she was and new at acting. I love that even though these two seem to actually enjoy conversing because they’re both intelligent and not gross (she’s been with only men for a while, most of them either dirty, cruel, or vulgar so his company was probably a weird relief), they would’ve turned on each other in a nanosecond if the opportunity presented itself. Like the scene with the knife, even during a casual chat, she never lost sight that he was at war with her family and looked for any opening to help them. And she would’ve been the perfect hostage to get Jaime back. He would have her tortured without a second thought until his son was home, had he realized who was sitting across from him.
I think I prefer how he never knew who she really were
The "anyone can be killed" conversation -- some of the best moments of a series filled with great moments.
8:54 Arya is the only character who made Tywin laugh. Even Tyrion couldn’t do that.
Clearly Tywin sees her as an asset, but the way he almost instinctively acts as a mentor to her is a fascinating piece of his character.
mentor is too strong a word.
He cant help himself, his instincts are to talk and pass his insight to everyone who shows promise. He is frustrated so much by his bannermen and children it's a miracle he is not just pick random people and having them listen to him!
He cant help himself, his instincts are to talk and pass his insight to everyone who shows promise. He is frustrated so much by his bannermen and children it's a miracle he is not just pick random people and having them listen to him!
i think all his kindess towards arya served two purposes.
when he first met arya, he was definitely impressed by her wit and had her work as his cup bearer. but when arya slipped up by not knowing her pretend house's banner, he realized she was faking an identity. later on when she picked up the book before he told her where it was, i think that's when he knew she might have been a highborn. and then finally, the food bit. while yes, it was a gesture of kindness, it let him be alone with arya and also let him poke her some more to see if she really is highborn. it lets him see her table manner and hear her manner of speech without having anything to get in the way. and i think thats exactly what happened when he corrects her pronunciation of "my lord". he heard that and all the pieces fell in place for him.
too bad he didnt realize it was arya lol
Probably the best change from the books. All these scenes are gold
Agreed. These were the scenes that got me hooked on the show, which led me to read the books.
"No my lord, anyone can be killed " is the most badass line in all of television
"Have you met many stonemasons?" LOL love that whole scene.
That was a nice little jab. Tywin was impressed.
@@stefanbernhard2710 Agreed!
@@stefanbernhard2710 could you please explain a bit more about the subtext behind that line?
@@yutongdai8645 she was patronizing his position as a lord, pointing out that he probably never lowered himself to even interact with a lower class stone mason. Her possessing such skillful wit intrigued him--his own kids were a disgrace.
These were the only moments Tywin appeared almost kind and soft in front of someone, it's touching how he seems seeing in Arya a sharper minded child than his children, maybe the kind he would've wanted as a father.
He can relax a bit with her, as he doesn't play the game with her. Every character he meets has an agenda or he needs to project power. With a little girl he doesn't need to be careful as much, she's just an anonimous person with no real importance.
This and his talk with Tommen. Though the fact it was in front of Joffrey's corpse was weird.
@@alexk6343 Yes. He very much needed someone like this in his life, someone he could relax his guard with and even talk casually about his family. The conversations of these two are my favorite scenes in the whole saga. Small, quiet, and clever.
He was very likely not like this with his children when younger. Strict yes, but he said you remind me of my daughter in a praising way. They disappointed him as adults not children. And many wouldn't be willing to sacrife their personal happiniess only for a legacy. I doubt Arya would have.
@@kursor52 He also put his hand on Tommens eyes when Joffrey had been dying. He had to take Tommen away before Cersei gives him wrong ideas and to put her in place. Quite cod hearted but that is how he is. Duty over feelings for the sake of the Lannister Legacy. However in the end he overdid it and it led to opposite. But this a quite common fate for many GoT characters.
This was the show during its peak. Some of the best writing and scenes from the entire show took place in this season. Arya and Tywin was a change in story that the show did better than the books imo.
"My legacy will be told in the coming months" his legacy *crossbowed on the toilet by his imp kid*
Tywin always reminded me of Count Dooku in Star Wars. He will do evil things, but he respects his enemies and will give them credit where it’s due.
The only real evil in this story are the Boltons and *maybe* the Night King. The rest are antiheroes. Not even many of the horselords.
@@PRubin-rh4sr and the Mountain
@@PRubin-rh4sr Euron Greyjoy?
@@Crafty_Spirit in the books yeah
@@karasguro6919 yeah true
"A mind should always be valued as a weapon." For all his atrocities, Tywin was one of the most dangerous men ever in this universe. Wish he had lived to the Long Night.
"My brother has his sword, and I have my mind. And a mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone."
“You will marry Night King and that will be the end of it” said Tywin to Cersei calmly.
I wonder if Tywin would have ever sen Night King and his White Walkers, not to mention wights, would he still maintain his cold and astute demeanour? I believe he would be scared
@@dominykasrudokas4034 I don't know about that for certain. But if it did, he'd make every effort not to make it visible.
It isn’t necessarily his fault I blame the Targaryens, he was perhaps the most loyal and he was treated like absolute shit and a joke they delve more into the books
THIS! Right here is what makes a show great. Not stupid cgi dragons and cropped up dialogue. This scene has everything. Great dialogue, setting up characters, tension and most of all it shows of the amazing talents these actors possess to be put up screen.
Yeh but dragons
Wym cgi dragons, u want real dragons? LMAO
Agreed
I love that this wasn't chopped up and cut down into a shorter scene.
What I loved about this is how similar they both were in the relationship. Arya wanted to kill him, yet also found the only person since her father's death to have moments with that didn't have to be guarded. You'd see her relax, like when she was talking about the Targaryns. She was so childlike in that moment with her excitement telling him about them. And Tywin was much the same in relaxing. He knew she was not who she said she was, yet he had some very open unguarded conversations with her, like she was the effective daughter he wished he had. Almost like they both found safety in each other's company that they couldn't find anywhere else. They could just be human and forget why they were both there for a while. Arya knew Tywin would never hurt her. And Tywin knew that whatever she was up to, he was enough steps ahead of her to not have to worry. One of the best dynamics in the whole show.
best dynamics absolutely, but 'relaxed' isn't quite the right word. Neither of them was capable of ever being completely relaxed. 'comfortable' would be closer. the fact that they shared that and so many other characteristics made for a precious sliver of comeraderie which neither had with anyone else.
This! What always surprised me about their interactions with each other was the fact that Tywin spoke to her of unguarded thoughts that he could not or would not share with anyone else. He recognized her breeding,intelligence and the lengths she would go to stay alive and was intrigued enough to open up to her and give her some of his hard fought wisdom. Life made Tywin hard, but he could relax enough with Arya to be a grandfatherly influence. As long as he kept an eye on her she was safe. Would Arya have killed him if the opportunity arose? I wonder.
I'd argue that these scenes were some of the most tense in the series given the consequences of either Arya letting slip her true identity. It was hard to tell how close he was to figuring it out and every time she overstepped the tension rose further. Not to mention the undercurrent of her looking for an opportunity to kill him
Thats was im saying, they had amazing potential to shift the whole show to them being frienemies. That would be fun to watch
Well said
The most underrated detail about this entire sequence of interactions is how it indicates what kind of attitude Tywin actually has towards authority and power: the fact he shows more respect to Arya than his council despite her status as his cup bearer not only suggests how much more he values competence over positions of authority, but also says a lot about how much competence the weight of his own authoritative reputation is built on by contrast (we also see this in the way he's willing to commit himself to clerical work like writing letters and organizing council as much as to manual work like catching fish and skinning deer).
Conversely, these scenes also highlight a new level of character development for Arya and her journey up to this point: the ability to think on her feet and match wits with the patriarch of House Lannister of all people. When compared to the fool-hardy and violent tomboy she was introduced as at the beginning of the series, the growth she demonstrates here is made all the more gratifying to witness as the audience by the fact that Tywin respects it for his own in-character reasons.
I think I speak for everyone here when I say it's this top quality level of character writing that keeps us coming back to this clip.
It also foreshadows when he speaks with Tommen about what makes a good king. reference: /watch?v=doY0IjisBlk
Kind of reminds of how it’s stated somewhere that Cersei believes Tywin doesn’t respect/trust her with power because she’s a woman, when in fact it’s because he recognises that she simply isn’t intelligent/ competent enough to wield it
It’s been a while but wasn’t Bronn knighted by Tywins orders? You could argue it was a power play to give Bronn less reasons to stand up for Tyrion but Bronn was very competent at defending Kings Landing in the Battle of Blackwater. Showing how Tywin values competent people.
I really like Tywin dispite if his bad side
His actually a very good character
He protects his family
He inspires fear to protect his house and family
He liked Arya and he was proud of her
He was nice to her and gave her some lessons
I really wouldn't say his bad side, because that's what required in that era. Even the net Stark is a perfect character of a nice person; however, people like them win survive the game. So Tywin had to be like that because of the survival of him and his family.
@@anenglishmanplusamerican7107 agreed
Good and bad are relative.
He's a bad guy depending on the side you choose. In my opinion he's a winner and legend.
@@nikssu His not a bad guy
He knows how to survive in westeros and how to maintain power
I do agree when you say his a winner
When i say bad guy which is wrong his not, he is capeble of doing what needs to be done like being feared cruel to other houses and ruthless to keep the family alive and to keep their power
My god, this show used to be perfection
So true. I like house of the dragon but this was leagues ahead in its prime
@@Asif-kh-n9r ye as good as hotd is it will never hold a candle to seasons 1-4 of got. those seasons are arguably the greatest showing in history, movies included
@@zacknewton1064 I can't argue with that, it genuinely was the best thing I'd ever seen. It was brilliant in every way.
8:58 Tywin has no idea how much he insulted Arya
In her youth, Cersei was like a tomboy. Wanted to be a knight, just like Jaime.. But Tywin didn't allow it
@@Patrickbatemanharvard Yeah, but how does Arya feel about being compared to the woman involved in her father and his men's death?
@@hansolobutimdead she felt honored
@@gottago1885 Ah yes, I would too feel honoured if someone told me I was just like the person second on my hitlist
Cersei is the most reviled character in the series. I don't blame Arya lol.
"Have you met many stone masons my lord?"
I love Tywins smile at that moment... He's genuinely impressed...
That "Eat what you want" at 9:31 showed that streak of kindness in Tywin.
I disagree.
I think this was one of the great subtleties of the series. Review the tape.
"A man just tried to poison me, I want his head".
"Your supper sir."
You eat it.
No, I eat later as a servant.
No. You will eat as I watch.
Arya became Tywinn's food taster.
Tywinn, who believed that an expert assassin just tried to poison him.
He then orders his servant (a 12 year old girl) to eat in front of him as he watches to see if a poison takes effect.
He has never asked this 12 year old girl to eat food until someone tried to poison him.
Tywinn, genius Machiavellian, used Arya as his food taster, to watch if she was poisoned.
Tywinn, was watching a 12 year old girl to see if she was poisoned. (Little did he know that she was responsible for the poisoning and the target was the man who was actually poisoned).
Watch that scene again, include Tywinn chastising the Mountain, then watch Tywinn watching a little girl eat to see if his food was poisoned.
If Tywinn hated mutton, he would have told the cook.
This was Tywinn at his most genius and cruel.
@@mikeburke7053 i like how you explain basic things in a very detailed and thorough manner to the people in the comments. They seem to need it
@@mikeburke7053 She is expendable to him incase of a potential poisoning, sure, of course. yet he also seems to genuinely enjoy her company and their gamesmanship conversation.
@@Baratheon. Sure, he enjoyed the conversation. As a matter of fact the only time Tywinn laughed during the entire series was with Arya. "You remind me of my daughter". He was impressed with her and thought her smarter than most of his staff. He also seemed to like verbally sparring with her, until he thought she crossed the line. But in his mind she was simply the daughter of a lower unimportant Northern Lord, or perhaps even a bast+rd, not someone important enough to ransom or use as a tool of war/politics. She fooled him in that regard as she was actually one of the most valuable children in all the seven kingdoms.
But that does not change the fact that he was willing to poison her and watch her die, using a child as a shield in case someone was trying to poison him again through his food. That's cruel and perhaps one of the most immoral acts of the series, but genius, as she did not guess the real reasoning of why he ordered (not "invited", ordered, he did not accept her refusal) her to eat in front of him. Perhaps his action was even worse because he actually liked the innocent child he was willing to poison.
@@mikeburke7053 Yeah, basically what i'm trying to say is Tywin has never been hand-rubbingly evil like a cartoon villain.
He's willing to dispose of anyone to further House Lannister, except his heir, Jaime. Despite being fond of her, this girl is dispensable if it saves him from poisoning.
Best change from the books the show made. Whoever thought to put these two together is a genius.
The moment she said "loyalty" was very sad
These two matched wits so perfectly... Arya knew how to be the perfect balance of subservient, insightful and sassy with Tywin... who rather appreciated her banter to that of the Southern Lords.
10:00 I like how even though Tywin sees through her double bluff, he's unable to keep his composure at how impressed he is with her. His face absolutely twitches with excitement. You can tell he admires intellect over all and is grateful to know her. In a way, Arya likely encourages his mentality as she's an example of the kind of standard he puts on his own children and peers... and so young!
“Anyone can be killed.” Arya said that softly and with her whole chest. And that look she gives.
Okay. I don’t think he knew it was Arya. I think he saw something in her, the thing he wished to instill in his own children. The thing that a caring/loving father (Ned) DID instill in his children. I think the point here is that Tywin’s strong hand couldn’t mold his children to what he sees in Arya. I think it makes him casually WONDER what “peasant” or second-hand lord raised her.
I don’t know if he knew she was a Stark he could’ve used her against Robb but He obviously figured out she wasn’t who she said she was and was from some noble northern family
@@mysteryjunkie9808 Well, just because she posed as a lowborn and was discovered not to be, doesn't mean she is noble. There may be a few classes in between.
He used the comparison to Cersei in a praising way. His children disappointed him as 40+ adults not as children. He very likely wasn't disappointed with them as children. He is also very likely someone you can never ever statistify and he will always criticse you for pushing more forward. Also if people would do their research on the character they would know why he is like he is and even form this scenes it should be obvious: his father was nice but a fool and people laughed at him with disrespect and he nearly ruined house Lannister. It is also very likely he would cursh with Arya because I doubt she would follow everything only of the sake of a legacy. The big question is more how he was when is wife still lived and if he would have been that ignorant to his children emotional need ifshe hand't died.
Am I the only one who'd love to have Tywin as a teacher? He's strict but he makes sure you learn
I would like to learn history from him :) or at the very least, just listen to him tell stories over a meal. He has that kind of voice and underlying charisma that makes you want to keep listening - kinda like Morgan Freeman and Sam Elliot
@@myladynaynay I actually had a history teacher who was very much like him. Not quite the same gravitas but he was a well-spoken, severe older gentleman who stayed sharp with constant study and travel. Very memorable experience.
What if he wanted to tap dat
Those are the best types of teachers. The ones you actually want to learn from, not some weak fool with a chip on their shoulder.
"Look at it now. A blasted ruin."
Forshadowing for what would be left of Tywin's legacy; His only children (he never truly considered Tyrion his son), Cercei and Jamie, dead in each other's arms, buried under a blasted ruin. His house forever cast into irrelevance.
Disagree on the irrelevance part. Tyrion is still around and there are millions of Lannister cousins.
I thought u were gonna talk about the show, how it was the best and now a blasted ruin😂.
No the house is still around and he accepted Tyrion in birthtright. If not he would have killed him like he once said and wouldn't let live the luxury life he lived with Lannister money. He challanged him but he also gave him opportunities which he most of the time ruined. He also never plant to kill him what Tyrion didn't know though.
Somewhere in a beautiful place out in the country
@@Joker129 Nope because the ending was good if you undertsood the themes and characters of the show.
Their acting impressed me. So much chemistry. I miss when Game of Thrones had peak dialogue and plot lines
As much as Tywin was a man often seen as cruel and conniving person, he was a man who respected intellect, until he couldn't with his own son, which is what got him killed in the end. A truly master class case of writing.
- anyone can be killed
Then arya stares at him, goddddddd this show was awesome
such a great show, too bad it got cancelled after season 6. hopefully we can get the ending when George finishes the book.
fr
like... in 25 years? xD
you mean after S4
@@kool4209 nahhh s5-s6 were still good
lmfao explain. @@baggedbread
I could’ve watched a whole season of Tywin and Arya just chatting and interacting. What chemistry!
I think Tywin liked Arya more than his own children.
Like any other parent that were impress by other people children but their own.
@@edreenpasang7537oh how true this comment is
I just love when those two are together...so much not being spoken, so much power play, admiration, ego...
These are such great scenes 😍
I believe your mind contains something wrong. Tywin would never sleep with a little child.
When Arya asks Tywin if he’s ever lost a war, he instantly turns on Arya and she turns her face away from him. It’s such a great moment that reminds you of the danger and tension underlying their conversation. Tywin’s tolerance of Arya only goes so far.
Missed the part where he asks for a book and she grabs it, which is when he learns she can read.