If Game of Thrones has taught us anything this season it's to believe in the possible. From resurrections to even something as monumental as time travel, there's no supernatural barriers this show is afraid to break, which is why fans are more confident than ever that Lady Stoneheart will eventually appear on Game of Thrones , despite the writers' claims to the contrary. And while Catelyn Stark was certainly mentioned a lot more than usual during Sunday night's episode — which some may take as a surefire sign of her zombie-esque return — "The Broken Man" also contained one clue that makes me think Lady Stoneheart isn't happening after all.
At one point in the episode, we saw Brother Ray (played by Ian McShane) leading a discussion about life to his group of workers, which was shortly interrupted by a few rogue members of the Brotherhood Without Banners. After a heated exchange the men left, but you knew from their sinister glares that trouble was on the horizon for these people, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened. The Hound found them all slaughtered later that day, not because they did anything wrong, but because those guys were clearly just a bunch of evil jerks. And that right there is all the proof I need that Lady Stoneheart isn't involved in any of this.
You see, in the books, Stoneheart becomes the new leader of the brotherhood once Beric Dondarrion bestows upon her the kiss of life. And since these men have a clear association with the brotherhood, that would imply she willingly allows them to wreak havoc on innocent people. Granted, Lady Stoneheart isn't exactly known for her kindness in the George R.R. Martin novels (hence the name Stoneheart), but her wrath is mainly reserved for those who have wronged her family. Yes, she wants revenge, but on those who truly deserve it. So it wouldn't make sense for her to simply be OK with what these men did. If anything, it would anger her to see more innocent blood shed, just like her own family.
Honestly, I want Lady Stoneheart to appear just as much as you do, so don't mistake my misgivings for wishful thinking. This character is such a fascinating aspect to the books and would make for a compelling plot twist, especially if she were to come face-to-face with any of Catelyn's children. The writers may have lied to us in the past about Jon Snow's return, but that doesn't mean they're lying to us about everything. Maybe Lady Stoneheart just doesn't fit into the narrative they have in mind for the show's endgame, and this latest development simply drives that point further home. These brotherhood men clearly weren't acting on her orders, which probably means she's not their leader... which probably means, she doesn't exist.
Images: HBO; Giphy (2)
