GOT Communicator of the Week - Episode 5: The Bells

Each week our team will select a GoT Communicator of the Week, highlighting the character who understood their audience, stayed on brand, and most effectively communicated their message.

In the penultimate episode, our favorite duo of Arya and The Hound arrive in King’s Landing ready to take care of some unfinished business. While Arya is intent on striking Cersei off her kill list, The Hound has some family matters to settle with his brother, The Mountain. Both characters have been fueled by anger for years, so it’s hard for them to focus on anything but revenge. But knowing that if they go into to the Red Keep, neither of them will make it out alive, The Hound delivers a message as pointed as Arya’s Needle - and  saves A Girl’s life one last time by reminding her that she has more to live for than revenge.

He uses himself as an example that Arya knows and recognizes - and communicates a message to her that is clear: you don’t have to be like me. He stresses that Cersei’s fate is already sealed, and that there is no need for Arya to sacrifice herself. He manages to invoke a stronger sense of purpose in her with this message - reminding her that she is no longer “a girl with no name,” but Arya Stark of Winterfell who still has things to accomplish. It’s obvious the message was received, as Arya thanks her friend, whom she finally addresses by name (Sandor), as she walks away.