Speculation: Littlefinger In King’s Landing

Last week, the GlobeGazers took themselves to Westeros as part of their travels They posted quite a few pictures, but the most interesting is the one above. It’s a shot of Aidan Gillen, in full Littlefinger regalia, hanging out on a King’s Landing street waiting to film.

We’d heard from one of our King’s Landing tipsters that he was present, but couldn’t get confirmation at the time. We’re very excited about this picture surfacing, because it means the scene our tipsters told us about is solid.

A description of the scene Gillen filmed, plus spoiler-filled speculation of how this alters the book story line, after the jump…

Note: The following includes specific details of scenes shot for Season 5, as well as connection to the novels. Beware spoilers!

Our tipster told us that Littlefinger’s scene was filmed in an intersection of King’s Landing streets. Littlefinger and two bodyguards are confronted (or tipster suggested it might be more of an ambush) by the Faith Militants we’ve seen causing havoc in many of the scenes in Season 5. They’re being led by Lancel Lannister, who we haven’t seen since Season 2. The good news is he has had his terrible pageboy cut off. (This jives with what we’ve seen of the Army of the Faithful, who have their heads shaved.) According to what we’ve been told, this is much like when we meet Lancel in A Dance With Dragons, where he has joined the Warrior’s Sons, including denials of his Lannister name, and a glimpse into this more extreme vision of a fire-and-brimstone style Seven.

Except in A Dance With Dragons, that scene doesn’t happen with Littlefinger. Littlefinger, having been an accomplice to Lady Olenna’s regicide, takes himself and his prize of Sansa Stark off to The Vale, with no plans to return. Once Lysa Arryn is dead, he’s in charge of the Vale anyway, and uses that as his excuse not to go back.

So why is the show bringing him back to King’s Landing?

Well, first of all, it’s easy to have a reason to put Littlefinger in King’s Landing. After all, he owns, ahem, profitable businesses there.  Second, many of the more minor nobles have already been streamlined out of the story. Several of those characters have larger roles in A Feast For Crows, as Cersei takes power, and some of the more obsequious move up under her reign. It would make sense to assign some of that plotting and mischief to our Lord of the Chaos Ladder.

More importantly, it gives him more to do. By moving up Sansa’s reveal of herself, instead of spending most of the next season disguised as Littlefinger’s Bastard, much of what he has to do has been done away with. One does not sideline an actor as good as Aiden Gillan, especially when one has him as part of the main cast.

The question is: which plot line is he going to fill in for? The Kettleblacks, for one, have been nowhere to be seen. But I’m not sure that’s who Littlefinger is going to fill in for. After all, he’s too smart to find himself in a torture chamber. (Rowan here: I actually really like the idea of Littlefinger taking the role of the Kettleblacks. He can connive with Cersei up until it serves him to betray her. It fits his character history and the plans he described to Sansa.) Another role that’s currently empty: Kevan Lannister. We saw him in Season 1 and 2, but he’s not listed in the wiki to return this year. We also haven’t seen Taena of Myr. Littlefinger might be the one to arrange that relationship, if it’s happening.

Other plots? Balon Swann going to Dorne is one, but that character is cut in the show, and considering this season is all about the romance of Myrcella and Trystane, I assume that part of the story will be pushed off until Season 6. (My other theory is this is why Jaime goes to Dorne.) There’s also the Stokeworths, but they’re all fools, and if there’s one thing Littlefinger is not, it’s a fool. Besides, we are going to at least see Lollys this season, I assume, because the show isn’t ready to lose Bronn.

So which plot do you think Littlefinger is filling in for? Or is sometimes a trip to King’s Landing just a trip to King’s Landing? (Spoiler Alert: When you’re Littlefinger, there’s no such thing as “just a trip to King’s Landing.”) Sound off in the comments!

• Published on 10/13/2014 at 10:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:40 PM CDT