4. Interactions Between Tywin Lannister And Arya Stark
In The Books In A Clash Of Kings, the second book, Arya Stark, disguised as Arry the orphan boy, is taken to Harrenhal after she and the Nights Watch recruits that were travelling north with Yoren are attacked and taken prisoner by Lannister men, though not before Arya has saved the lives of three shackled recruits. There, she works as a servant for a steward named Weese and becomes acquainted with Jaqen Hghar, one of the three men she saved, who turns out to be a mysterious assassin willing to repay his debt to her by taking three lives of her choosing. After requesting the deaths of two insignificant individuals, she chooses to make the third count, tricking Jaqen into freeing a group of Northmen that have been brought to the castle, who then capture it before Jaqen proceeds to literally change his face and leave after giving Arya a special coin. The Northern lord Roose Bolton then takes command of the stronghold, making Arya (who he doesnt recognise despite her being the daughter of his liege lord) his cup-bearer as a reward for her role in the takeover. Roose soon turns the castle over to the mercenary leader Vargo Hoat, prompting Arya to escape with her friends Gendry and Hot Pie by killing a guard.
In The Series The storyline of Arya (Maisie Williams) in the show is consistent with the book until Harrenhal, where it begins to diverge with the arrival of Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), the Lannister family patriarch who is barely seen in the book. She becomes his cup-bearer, rather than Roose Boltons, as the castle remains in Lannister hands throughout the season, becoming something of a confidant to the lord in the process as he begins to divulge details about his life. Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) remains mostly true to his book counterpart, as Arya has him kill two insignificant (albeit different) characters before she tricks him into creating a way for her, Gendry (Joe Dempsie) and Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) to escape following Tywin's departure. She then acquires the coin during an additional encounter with Jaqen outside of the castle, where he performs his face change.
Reaction This was a welcome change, making the Harrenhal location a less confusing one by eliminating a number of minor characters who added nothing to the plot, whilst also making Tywin a more sympathetic character and giving his actor, the esteemed Charles Dance, a reason to appear in the earlier parts of the season. The only disappointment is that by making Arya use her third request to secure her escape, she has yet to take anybodys life on the television series, though this is redeemed somewhat by the fact that Maisie Williams exchanges with Dance are nothing short of excellent, as the two have strong chemistry together.