'Game of Thrones' creators reveal why Lady Stoneheart was MIA
Actress Michelle Fairley was too good to return as a mute zombie in "Game of Thrones."
"Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss gave three reasons why Catelyn Stark never resurrected as Lady Stoneheart as told in George R.R. Martin's books. One has something to do with Michelle Fairley's talent and the rest about its impact on the show.
The creators skipped out on resurrecting the Stark matriarch as Lady Stoneheart to avoid giving out spoilers on the "things coming up" in Martin's books. The second was to minimise resurrection scenes in the show because they already had Jon Snow's written out.
They wanted his return from the dead in Season 6 to create an impact on viewers. If they had brought Catelyn Stark to life first then it would dampen the shock of Jon Snow's resurrection.
"Too many resurrections start to diminish the impact of characters dying. We wanted to keep our powder dry for that," Benioff told Entertainment Weekly.
The third reason has something to do with the horrible way Catelyn Stark died during the iconic Red Wedding episode. It was considered as one of the show's most powerful moments and the creators thought that bringing Stark back as the mute zombie Lady Stoneheart might weaken the wedding's emotional impact. They thought that it would have been a waste of Fairley's talent.
"Catelyn's last moment was so fantastic and Michelle is such a great actress, to bring her back as a zombie who doesn't speak felt like diminishing returns," Benioff said.
In a nutshell, Weiss and Benioff considered the Red Wedding as the perfect and powerful send-off for Catelyn Stark (and Fairley). Whereas Martin would have wanted it the other way. He said Lady Stoneheart "has a role in the books" regardless if it is "sufficient or interesting enough." He pointed out that he would not have continued writing about her in his books if she was not important. She still factors in the sixth book.
Fans had hoped to see Lady Stoneheart in "Game of Thrones" after Catelyn Stark died. They wanted to see her seek vengeance against the Lannisters and the Freys. But Weiss and Benioff's explanation of her absence in the show is understandable.
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