No, Lady Stoneheart won't be appearing in Game of Thrones

No, Lady Stoneheart won't be appearing in Game of Thrones
(Image credit: Facebook.com/GameofThrones)

Game of Thrones' fourth season finale was pretty eventful — but anyone who read George R.R. Martin's books was surprised by the one thing that didn't happen. And while some fans were holding out hope that the twist was being saved for next season, a recent interview seems to confirm that the story has been cut altogether.

[If you haven't read the books, MASSIVE Game of Thrones spoilers to follow]

To recap: in the books, Catelyn Stark's corpse is pulled from the river after the Red Wedding and resurrected as "Lady Stoneheart" — a pale, silent, deathless woman who wanders the countryside, seeking revenge on anyone she believes betrayed her family.

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It's a major, major twist that has serious (and ongoing) ramifications in the books — but it's a story those who stick to the TV show will never get to see. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Michelle Fairley, who played Catelyn on the HBO series, confirmed that there are no plans for Lady Stoneheart to appear in Game of Thrones.

"Yeah, the character's dead. She's dead," said Fairley. "You respect the writers' decision. I knew the arc, and that was it. They can't stick to the books 100 percent. It's impossible — they only have 10 hours per season. They have got to keep it dramatic and exciting, and extraneous stuff along the way gets lost in order to maintain the quality of brilliant show."

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.