Those who have read George RR Martin’s books while watching the series have surely wondered when they would be able to see Lady Stoneheart. The producers explain why they didn’t choose to include the characters on the show.
Despite Catelyn Stark’s tragic end to season 3, viewers expected to see her again soon. The expectations were so high that they even forced Lena Headley (TV series Cersei Lannister) to remove the photo from her Instagram profile, which had a heart made of stones. Fans took this post as a hint and sneak peek at the reappearance of Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) on the show. Ultimately, the character did not appear, unconditionally closing the plot of the mother of young wolves.
There were several reasons for this decision. In the book Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, producers David Benioff and DB Weiss provide several important points that determined the fate of Lady Stoneheart. One was awareness of Jon Snow’s upcoming resurrection. The creators feared that the series would lose its ruthlessness if they decided to bring not one, but two main characters back to life. Killing fan favorites has finally become a recognizable feature of the production. Another important factor was the show’s attitude to the book. The TV version surpassed the plot of the novel, the continuation of which we are still waiting for. The producers did not want to reveal the plot of Wichry Zimyand get in the way of its author. Martin himself, however, regretted that the character of Mrs. Stoneheart did not appear in the series. She claims she has a role to play in A Song of Ice and Fire. If it were otherwise, he would not have chosen to revive Catelyn. The problem was also .. Michelle Fairley’s acting talent. According to the creators, the end of her character was touching and emotional, and the actress herself played her role flawlessly. So they felt that bringing her back to the show as a zombie-like mute would be a detraction from the storyline. So we didn’t see Lady Stoneheart and we have to wait for the official premiere of Winter’s Winds. Although most of the production was delayed by the prevailing pandemic, in the case of the novel, it significantly accelerated work on it.According to the author, it will be released in 2021.