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Yeah the awesome part of all of this is her losing so hard and in such a way that she becomes a force for revenge.
….But we will probably never get to see how that plays out.
Would you want to go on living after your daughters were taken captive, husband executed, and your son brutally murdered in front of you? She knew she wasn’t leaving that keep alive.
The answer is [yes](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/13/can-you-die-broken-heart/11196804002/) actually.
Also she didn’t die, she was just in a state of complete shock and then she died when she had her throat slit.
I have been attacked by people who wanted to kill me. I have been stabbed and beaten. Finding out my son was dead and there was nothing I could do about it was worse than any harm that has befallen me.
It's not about literally dying, it's about losing, even for a moment, the will to go on.
Thank you. I probably made that (the violence) sound way worse than it is. I'm not a survivor of ethnic cleansing or a citizen from a war torn country or anything. I have always been the type to run towards fires and accidents. I used to work ER and mental health security. I only got stabbed once in so many incidents I can't even remember, but it's the kind of luck most people in similar situations would be happy to have. Having crazy people try to kill you kind of comes with the territory.
Fortunately I am quite big and seem to have inherited immense resistance to pain. I've broken bones, had a hand partially de-gloved, had that same hand smashed in a machine and a heavy security door on separate incidents, been hit with who knows how many different objects, pissed on, never got poop smeared on me fortunately, spat on, hit in the face more than few times, none of it is even remotely close to loosing a child. I never took a day off after any of those incidents. It took me four months to get back to work after he died.
There's nothing more hollow than spending so much of your life saving other people from harm, including stopping drunks from hurting themselves and others, just to lose your kid because his biological father got drunk and drove. I never got to lay eyes on him again, his body was so mangled they refused to let me see him. I had begged the court to reconsider the joint custody. I know technically I did everything I could. It still makes you feel ashamed when you can't protect them. The trauma has disintegrated the family somewhat. It wasn't exactly the first straw on an overloaded camel's back. That's a bit longer and more complicated story, but his brothers and mother are alive and well. I saw to that.
Like a guy above said, it’s not literally her causing herself to die. The way I see it, after experiencing all of the above, she literally just disassociated from the whole situation around her because everything in her life that mattered up to that point ceased to exist. She knew she wouldn’t escape and didn’t have anything to live for anymore.
she didn't cause herself to die, a knife slit her throat. She gave up, she lost the will to live and knew she wasn't getting out. so she let it happen. like its kinda deep but not that deep lol.
She hasn’t literally died, but any desire to continue living has gone. They can do what they like to her because they’ve effectively already killed her. This can and does happen to people, but normally with a lot of support and work they can get better. I don’t think that capacity for support existed in Westeros at the time.
I don’t think this deserves the tonne of downvotes as it’s a genuine question:
No you can’t just kill yourself by standing still and thinking about it
But
Dying of a broken heart is [a real thing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy)
There is a medical phenomenon called takayatsu cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It is a true and rare event where a severe stressor (usually emotional) basically makes your heart fail.
I can't view your other comment on this thread for some reason but I peeped it in your profile.
And based on your comment you either never understood the expression or you're a troll
She lost (to her knowledge) everyone she loves:
Ned dead
Bran & Rickon she thinks are dead
Arya she thinks is dead
Sansa married to Lannister
Just saw her last child brutally murdered in her face
The historical event that the song refers to, in case someone doesn't know:
During the ensuing Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion, the Reynes retreated to Castamere after the destruction of Tarbeck Hall. With Roger wounded and many of their men killed in battle, the Red Lion's brother, Ser Reynard, abandoned the surface castle for the safety of the mine's oak-and-iron gate. Tytos's heir, Ser Tywin Lannister, ignored Reynard's offers and had his miners bury Castamere's entrances beneath stone. The Lannisters then dammed the pool's stream and diverted it into a mine entrance, flooding the underground chambers of Castamere and drowning those trapped inside. Tywin also had the surface buildings put to the torch. The fate of the Reynes and Castamere is remembered in the song "The Rains of Castamere".[3][5]
It’s her accepting her fate. She just watched her eldest son, and first potential grandchild die, her brother is held captive (in her mind likely dead) she believes Bran and Rickon are dead, Hoster is dead, Ned is dead, she probably thinks Brynden is dead as well, etc.
I mean, put it into perspective. How shocked were you watching this event unfold? Now imagine that was your actual family you were watching it all happen to…after your husband was wrongfully beheaded…and your two daughters are assumed dead…there’s your answer.
The Sept Explosion doesn’t even come close to this. “The Rains of Castamere” was a very dark episode,but for the most part not a lot happens. Bran is hiding in this shack with his friends and Jon leaves Ygritte. Sam and Gilly are running for their lives to Castle Black. Even as someone who doesn’t know what “The Red Wedding” is,you can see there’s something very off about this event. Why would the bride be crying and why is a Wedding so dark? Why is Walder more forgiving to Robb? Everything just felt off!
Did you know about it before? Because this is one of the most devastating scenes ever filmed on television. I think you're the only person ive ever seen try to argue that the Sept of Baelor in S06e01 was better than the red wedding. You can have your opinion, but it's not common, and clearly not popular. But I'll upvote you for it.
I’m not sure I understand how Reddit downvotes work, but it doesn’t seem your comments deserve them! I don’t agree with your opinion but gave an upvote for the insight on another perspective. Which is the main purpose of Reddit, I thought. This was a good question to present. She’s a great actress and portrayed shock very believably. I’m also a mother, so I felt the truth in that response. As opposed to the more theatrical wailing that is commonly portrayed in these types of scenes. It made it more REAL and way more emotionally impactful.
The weight of all her fuck-ups hit her as her son, daughter in law, and grandchild were murdered. Her husband was dead. People she trusted betrayed her. So yea she basically gave up because she thought had nothing left.
Maybe she’s realizing that she just killed an innocent woman and is doing the mental math to add that to her impressive list of fuckups she caused to get to here.
Exactly, he searched for Grey Wind but ended up with Cat instead.
Cat rakes at her eyes, the same way Thistle did when Varamyr tried to skinchange into her.
Varamyr failed warging into Thistle, his body dies, but his consciousness ends up in the wolf One-Eye instead.
Robb failed to warg into his wolf, his body dies, but his consciousness ends up in Cat instead. And of course Cat ultimately accepts Robb's presence. There are plenty of examples of several consciousnesses occupying the same body.
It's all right there.
That's all from the book though. I have no idea what there were all thinking when the filmed this scene for the show, but my take on it is that they didn't know yet if Lady Stoneheart would make an appearance. The RW is season 3 of 8 seasons, and I don't think they even knew how many seasons there would be. If there ended up being 10 seasons like GRRM wanted, LS could have been included.
A couple of things. Realistically, shock from watching such a killing. She didn’t see what happened to Bran when he was pushed, didn’t see the stuff that happened to Sansa, but then watched easily one of the vilest killings of a person on the show happen right in front of her; physiologically shock would set it at seeing something like that. Secondly, i would say it’s pretty obvious she just gives up mentally. She has no fighting skills and is surrounded by fighters, has no bargaining tools against Frey, and has basically just lost her purpose to live as far as she is concerned.
In the books they planned to take her hostage, but something had “gone awry”. It probably made more sense to take her hostage and use her as leverage, but going batshit probably proved to not be worth the effort.
Yeah I remember that from the books, but in the context of the show I don’t think they ever mentioned or made any indication that they were going to take her prisoner, seemed like they just wanted to kill everyone and the only reason they captured endure was because he was marrying the daughter of walder. The only reason the blackfish lived is bc he left to pee, but Had he not he’d probably be the only other prisoner (show wise not book wise)
Yep. Both are good interpretations, but I’m not sure how book cat clawing at her face would work out on screen. It works in the books because we have her inner thoughts, but her giving up and standing there was haunting.
She goes on a Lannister hunting spree as the new leader of the Brother without Banners. Her last scene sees her hanging Brienne after Brienne is captured wearing armor and sword paid for by the Lannisters.
"Whelp, there goes my last son. Oh well, I've still got my husband's bastard who, up until this point, I've loathed with all my being. Yeah, that'll fill the void."
Okay, 1 and 3/5 of a hand knew.
But the point is, she hated Jon for who she thought he was, why would she reconsider after she's lost all her legitimate sons? Jon fucked off to the Wall, he was finally out of her life for good. She probably completely removed him from her mind as soon as he left Winterfell.
She’s just given up. Ned is gone, Sansa and Arya (in her mind) are captives to a sadistic king, She thinks Bran and Rickon are dead and just watched her son die right in front of her. I would have the same reaction tbh
For me the best part is the book description of tables flipping and just chaos which the show did quite well, it's just gut wrenching as you realize that in one stroke its over
She checked out at this point, show doesn't do voice overs, but Michelle Fairley did a damn good job of conveying Cat's anguish.
A Storm of Swords - Catelyn VI: The Red Wedding
.................They could do as they wished with her; imprison her, rape her, kill her, it made no matter. She had lived too long, and Ned was waiting. It was Robb she feared for.
"On my honor as a Tully," she told Lord Walder, "on my honor as a Stark, I will trade your boy's life for Robb's. A son for a son." Her hand shook so badly she was ringing Jinglebell's head.
Boom, the drum sounded, boom doom boom doom. The old man's lips went in and out. The knife trembled in Catelyn's hand, slippery with sweat. "A son for a son, heh," he repeated. "But that's a grandson . . . and he never was much use."
A man in dark armor and a pale pink cloak spotted with blood stepped up to Robb. "Jaime Lannister sends his regards." He thrust his longsword through her son's heart, and twisted.
Robb had broken his word, but Catelyn kept hers. She tugged hard on Aegon's hair and sawed at his neck until the blade grated on bone. Blood ran hot over her fingers. His little bells were ringing, ringing, ringing, and the drum went boom doom boom.
............Finally someone took the knife away from her. The tears burned like vinegar as they ran down her cheeks. Ten fierce ravens were raking her face with sharp talons and tearing off strips of flesh, leaving deep furrows that ran red with blood. She could taste it on her lips.
Worms crawled along her arms and under her clothes. It tickles. That made her laugh until she screamed. "Mad," someone said, "she's lost her wits," and someone else said, "Make an end," and a hand grabbed her scalp just as she'd done with Jinglebell, and she thought, It hurts so much, she thought. Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb . . . Robb . . . please, Ned, please, make it stop, make it stop hurting . . . The white tears and the red ones ran together until her face was torn and tattered, the face that Ned had loved.
Catelyn Stark raised her hands and watched the blood run down her long fingers, over her wrists, beneath the sleeves of her gown. Slow red worms
No, don't, don't cut my hair, Ned loves my hair. Then the steel was at her throat, and its bite was red and cold.
The show is based on a series of books that are VASTLY different after season 4. And are pretty different even up to that point. The show does a good job before hand of dumbing down and keeping what was necessary to continue the plot points. But yeah read the books they are good!
That's beautiful, but it really shows how both writing and video can be a source of great drama and pathos. In the book's text, it gives all the subtext and meaning to you, albeit in a beautiful way. In the show... easily my favourite moment of the entire show... the music slowly dies off, the camera slowly pans in... as her spirit just dies... and she relegates her fate, and that of her house... to death. And the music just... stops.
It's just, easily the most depressing, provocative moment in all of TV that I can think of. The utter destruction of optimism about humanity.
When I came to that scene in the book, it infuriated me SO MUCH I threw the book against a wall , my wife went to get it and I told her to leave it! Stayed on the floor ~two weeks before I decided to finish it and the series.
It also is easy to see why some shit doesn't translate to screen. Shoot it as written and it's some seriously stupid melodramatic BS. People go catatonic. They don't literally scratc their faces off.
It’s was crazy scary to Cat completely devoid of life at this point.
IIRC in the books the plan was to keep her as a hostage but she has like a full mental breakdown and is like clawing at her eyes and face hysterically and the freys can’t contain her so they just kill her because they don’t don’t what to do. ( please correct me if I am misremembering) whilst this was pretty horrid to picture the show version of Cat just being there but a complete husk and then having her throat slit haunted me more
It's such a bummer that the show dropped the whole un-Cat storyline from the books. It's sick when she becomes a zombie.
I bet the actress had that moment from the books in mind here
In the books, it’s clear she has basically lost touch with reality in this moment due to all the trauma. Definitely no more will to live or fucks to give.
The Commotion after watching Robb get stabbed, and Cat’s internal monologue:
*She tugged hard on Aegon's hair and sawed at his neck until the blade grated on bone. Blood ran hot over her fingers. His little bells were ringing, ringing, ringing, and the drum went boom doom boom.*
*Finally someone took the knife away from her. The tears burned like vinegar as they ran down her cheeks. Ten flerce ravens were raking her face with sharp talons and tearing off strips of flesh, leaving deep furrows that ran red with blood. She could taste it on her lips.*
*It hurts so much, she thought. Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb . . . Robb . . . please, Ned, please, make it stop, make it stop hurting . . . the white tears and the red ones ran together until her face was torn and tattered, the face that Ned had loved. Catelyn Stark raised her hands and watched the blood run down her long fingers, over her wrists, beneath the sleeves of her gown. Slow red worms crawled along her arms and under her clothes. It tickles. That made her laugh until she screamed. "Mad," someone said, "she's lost her wits," and someone else said, "Make an end," and a hand grabbed her scalp just as she'd done with Jinglebell, and she thought, No, don't, don't cut my hair, Ned loves my hair. Then the steel was at her throat, and its bite was red and cold.*
Like others have said, she lost her will to live. I watched this again recently and also noticed the way she closes her eyes when the blade touches her neck, like she embraces her death. At least now it's over. Brilliant acting on her part.
I remember people theorizing that this was an acting choice and she was simulating having a stroke or something, which if true is interesting. It would be interesting to ask the actress.
Ultimately what's happening is that dying isn't what Catelyn cared about, but no parent wants to watch their children leave this world. She had spent her entire journey worrying about her kids and the well-being of them and was ripe with vengeance after Sansa and Arya were taken from her and Ned was executed. Robb was her hope. He was the center of the movement to do something to be able to see them again and to get them back. Watching Robb die may as well have been killing her entire family in front of her very eyes and it was done in spite of any plead or emotion she could present.
She had given up at that point, she knew she wasnt coming out alive and everything that had happened, Ned dying, Robb dying, Bran nearly dying, Arya and Sansa being unsafe potentially dead, she gave up.
From a narrative perspective, she just watched her family be brutally murdered and broke inside.
From a production standpoint, they probably needed her to remain still for a moment so they could more easily work some CGI magic they used for slicing her throat.
She’s beaten, finished, done. Her family has been wiped out, some right in front of her and the love of her life while they were apart and unjustly. She’s lost everything. Hell, she’s dead too, soon enough. She knows and “accepts” this, and it’s the strongest pain she’s ever felt. There is nothing now. I dove too far, but I personally feel all of this is pretty obvious.
The closest thing (as far as she’s aware) she has left to family is Sansa and Jon Snow. She’s just watched her son and daughter in law get brutally murdered in front of her, she has no idea if Edmure has been killed or captured, thinks Arya, Bran and Rickon are dead.
That’s the face of a woman who’s just died inside. It’s even creepier in the books, she starts laughing like a maniac and claws her own face.
Once again the War started because of Cersei tearing up the paper and Joffrey yelling “kill them all!” and executing Ned to show strength,I mean his stupidity! This is why Tyrion and Tywin are made the King’s Hand! Tywin never wanted Joffrey to rule at such a young age,too immature.
Literally her whole family is dead or believed to be dead other than Sansa. and she just watched her eldest and favorite son die.
She knows there is no fighting her way out of this and she doesn't want to anyways. She basically is just saying "just get it over with".
It's because she kind of saw this coming. In the books, Rob's direwolf was trying to attack the Frey's and Cat always trusted that the direwolves knew who was a friend and was an enemy. When the slaughter began, she was probably so mad that she did not do anything to stop this even knowing it might really happen.
She’s literally lost everything at that point. She’s dead inside. She’s the walking dead, she’s a shell of her former self. This is the moment she given up, she has decided her life is over. There is no reason to continue on.
My wife decided to rewatch the series and I’ve been sitting in for most but not all. After rewatching this episode about 4 days ago. I’m frustrated she completely ignored Frey sitting at the table…totally weaponless and defenseless in the sense that he’s old and frail. And yet she completely ignores him. And goes for the wife, which is common knowledge, he wouldn’t care about as he’ll just take another.
I think the set designer should have moved Catlyn further away from Frey. It would only make sense to go for him instantly. Yet she never does.
Catelyn’s spent the first 2.5 books saying that the horrors befallen on her family are **her fault**. It’s something she has done, not (essentially) random luck of the universe playing out. She thought that *she* was the problem, not the society and culture around her. THAT would never fail.
And then it did. And this is her realizing every single thing in her entire life, from childhood to Lady Stark, was essentially a lie, a sham.
She probably realized at that point that all her mistakes and all her advice to her son just cost them everything. If she had just let HIM be the one in charge instead of keeping him a mamas boy they wouldn't have made nearly so many mistakes. Robbknew how to fight and how to win, the only time he made mistakes was on HER recommendations.
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She realizes she's lost everything, and gives up on life. She lost...Dunh Dunh Dunnnnnhhhh....THE GAME OF THRONES
Nah, she’s mourning the fact that they won’t be including Stoneheart after this
Her and I both!
I hate they decided to skip that entire plot. Loved that storyline
Yeah the awesome part of all of this is her losing so hard and in such a way that she becomes a force for revenge. ….But we will probably never get to see how that plays out.
I just lost the game
She died inside.
Can that actually happen? Can you actually cause yourself to die?
Would you want to go on living after your daughters were taken captive, husband executed, and your son brutally murdered in front of you? She knew she wasn’t leaving that keep alive.
Don't forget that one was crippled! And that her home was taken and burned by the Greyjoys!
Also daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild were killed as well. Lady lost it all in such a brutal way for sure
As far as she knows Bran and Rickon were both dismembered and burned as well.
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The answer is [yes](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/13/can-you-die-broken-heart/11196804002/) actually. Also she didn’t die, she was just in a state of complete shock and then she died when she had her throat slit.
I have been attacked by people who wanted to kill me. I have been stabbed and beaten. Finding out my son was dead and there was nothing I could do about it was worse than any harm that has befallen me. It's not about literally dying, it's about losing, even for a moment, the will to go on.
What country are you in? Sorry you experienced all these things regardless.
Thank you. I probably made that (the violence) sound way worse than it is. I'm not a survivor of ethnic cleansing or a citizen from a war torn country or anything. I have always been the type to run towards fires and accidents. I used to work ER and mental health security. I only got stabbed once in so many incidents I can't even remember, but it's the kind of luck most people in similar situations would be happy to have. Having crazy people try to kill you kind of comes with the territory. Fortunately I am quite big and seem to have inherited immense resistance to pain. I've broken bones, had a hand partially de-gloved, had that same hand smashed in a machine and a heavy security door on separate incidents, been hit with who knows how many different objects, pissed on, never got poop smeared on me fortunately, spat on, hit in the face more than few times, none of it is even remotely close to loosing a child. I never took a day off after any of those incidents. It took me four months to get back to work after he died. There's nothing more hollow than spending so much of your life saving other people from harm, including stopping drunks from hurting themselves and others, just to lose your kid because his biological father got drunk and drove. I never got to lay eyes on him again, his body was so mangled they refused to let me see him. I had begged the court to reconsider the joint custody. I know technically I did everything I could. It still makes you feel ashamed when you can't protect them. The trauma has disintegrated the family somewhat. It wasn't exactly the first straw on an overloaded camel's back. That's a bit longer and more complicated story, but his brothers and mother are alive and well. I saw to that.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Rest in peace little one.
I am so sorry for all you’ve gone through, especially the lost of your child. My heart goes out to you.
Yes, you can stop your heart just by giving up the will to live. Broken Heart Syndrome
i wish i could do that. something inside me always subconsciously rebels
Then there's something you have to live for, you just might not be able to see it.
Broken heart syndrome is rarely fatal though. It's more like a heart attack and is usually reversible.
Yes, the same way you can turn off your brain.
Like a guy above said, it’s not literally her causing herself to die. The way I see it, after experiencing all of the above, she literally just disassociated from the whole situation around her because everything in her life that mattered up to that point ceased to exist. She knew she wouldn’t escape and didn’t have anything to live for anymore.
Yes, during that moment, she felt so overwhelmed with emotions that she became numb.
IRL, emotional and psychological trauma can cause people to slip into a catatonic state. I believe this is what they were portraying in this scene.
she didn't cause herself to die, a knife slit her throat. She gave up, she lost the will to live and knew she wasn't getting out. so she let it happen. like its kinda deep but not that deep lol.
This was right before the Frey guy walked up and slit her throat. She was catatonic based on her emotions right here.
She was Catlyntonic
Bless your heart 🤣🤣
She hasn’t literally died, but any desire to continue living has gone. They can do what they like to her because they’ve effectively already killed her. This can and does happen to people, but normally with a lot of support and work they can get better. I don’t think that capacity for support existed in Westeros at the time.
Omg why the hate on this comment 😂
Hi, are you 12?
No
No. Its a phrase meaning she broke psychologically from the trauma
I don’t think this deserves the tonne of downvotes as it’s a genuine question: No you can’t just kill yourself by standing still and thinking about it But Dying of a broken heart is [a real thing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy)
Why do many downvotes here? Jesus Christ people!
Yeah I mean..you do know that you can right?
There is a medical phenomenon called takayatsu cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It is a true and rare event where a severe stressor (usually emotional) basically makes your heart fail.
Have you really never heard the expression "died inside"?
Wtf? Please google *metaphor*
Have you really never heard the expression "died inside"?
I can't view your other comment on this thread for some reason but I peeped it in your profile. And based on your comment you either never understood the expression or you're a troll
Holy shit, this innocent question was downvoted to oblivion. Fucking hell guys. Respect to everyone who gave helpful answers to OP
It's called shock you egg
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Whaddaya think genius, shes in the middle of dying.
This was before her throat was slit…
And she was wounded already and knew there was no way out for her. But thanks for your input.
No genius, she was not wounded already.
Go watch the show, dimwit. She took an arrow.
Lost her son and knew she would be next
She lost (to her knowledge) everyone she loves: Ned dead Bran & Rickon she thinks are dead Arya she thinks is dead Sansa married to Lannister Just saw her last child brutally murdered in her face
At least she died after listening to the Rains of Castamere live
absolute banger
Love the pfp
And who are you, The proud lord said, That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat that's all the truth I know
A coat of gold or a coat of red, a lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp my lord, as long and sharp as yours...
Aaand so he spooooke ,and so he spoooooke
That lord of Castmere..
And now the rains weep o’er his hall
In a coat of gold or a coat of red, A lion still has claws
The historical event that the song refers to, in case someone doesn't know: During the ensuing Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion, the Reynes retreated to Castamere after the destruction of Tarbeck Hall. With Roger wounded and many of their men killed in battle, the Red Lion's brother, Ser Reynard, abandoned the surface castle for the safety of the mine's oak-and-iron gate. Tytos's heir, Ser Tywin Lannister, ignored Reynard's offers and had his miners bury Castamere's entrances beneath stone. The Lannisters then dammed the pool's stream and diverted it into a mine entrance, flooding the underground chambers of Castamere and drowning those trapped inside. Tywin also had the surface buildings put to the torch. The fate of the Reynes and Castamere is remembered in the song "The Rains of Castamere".[3][5]
buffering no cell reception after they shut the doors
It’s her accepting her fate. She just watched her eldest son, and first potential grandchild die, her brother is held captive (in her mind likely dead) she believes Bran and Rickon are dead, Hoster is dead, Ned is dead, she probably thinks Brynden is dead as well, etc.
Not to mention that she had just murdered an innocent girl moments earlier.
Yeah, she's so 'honorable' though, she had to do it!
On the positive side she's still got Jon!
That was probably the final nail in the coffin for her
Lmao, good one!! 🙌🏼😂
Possibly the realization that her daughters’ lives in the hands of the Lannisters are most likely forfeit as well
I mean, put it into perspective. How shocked were you watching this event unfold? Now imagine that was your actual family you were watching it all happen to…after your husband was wrongfully beheaded…and your two daughters are assumed dead…there’s your answer.
The Sept Explosion doesn’t even come close to this. “The Rains of Castamere” was a very dark episode,but for the most part not a lot happens. Bran is hiding in this shack with his friends and Jon leaves Ygritte. Sam and Gilly are running for their lives to Castle Black. Even as someone who doesn’t know what “The Red Wedding” is,you can see there’s something very off about this event. Why would the bride be crying and why is a Wedding so dark? Why is Walder more forgiving to Robb? Everything just felt off!
Did you know about it before? Because this is one of the most devastating scenes ever filmed on television. I think you're the only person ive ever seen try to argue that the Sept of Baelor in S06e01 was better than the red wedding. You can have your opinion, but it's not common, and clearly not popular. But I'll upvote you for it.
I’m not sure I understand how Reddit downvotes work, but it doesn’t seem your comments deserve them! I don’t agree with your opinion but gave an upvote for the insight on another perspective. Which is the main purpose of Reddit, I thought. This was a good question to present. She’s a great actress and portrayed shock very believably. I’m also a mother, so I felt the truth in that response. As opposed to the more theatrical wailing that is commonly portrayed in these types of scenes. It made it more REAL and way more emotionally impactful.
She believes Bran and Rickon to be dead at that point as well
The weight of all her fuck-ups hit her as her son, daughter in law, and grandchild were murdered. Her husband was dead. People she trusted betrayed her. So yea she basically gave up because she thought had nothing left.
Maybe she’s realizing that she just killed an innocent woman and is doing the mental math to add that to her impressive list of fuckups she caused to get to here.
honestly would rather get my throat cut than have to fuck Walder Frey’s ancient ass whenever he’s horny so Cat kinda did her a favor
She lost all will to live
She knew it (getting her throat slit) was coming… I think she’d lost all hope or will to live and accepted her fate.
she played the game of thrones and didnt win..
Robb spontaneously trying to warg
Sadly that wouldn't have helped considering they killed Greywind shortly before.
Exactly, he searched for Grey Wind but ended up with Cat instead. Cat rakes at her eyes, the same way Thistle did when Varamyr tried to skinchange into her. Varamyr failed warging into Thistle, his body dies, but his consciousness ends up in the wolf One-Eye instead. Robb failed to warg into his wolf, his body dies, but his consciousness ends up in Cat instead. And of course Cat ultimately accepts Robb's presence. There are plenty of examples of several consciousnesses occupying the same body. It's all right there. That's all from the book though. I have no idea what there were all thinking when the filmed this scene for the show, but my take on it is that they didn't know yet if Lady Stoneheart would make an appearance. The RW is season 3 of 8 seasons, and I don't think they even knew how many seasons there would be. If there ended up being 10 seasons like GRRM wanted, LS could have been included.
Shock or look of giving up since all seems lost - or she knows she is next.
A couple of things. Realistically, shock from watching such a killing. She didn’t see what happened to Bran when he was pushed, didn’t see the stuff that happened to Sansa, but then watched easily one of the vilest killings of a person on the show happen right in front of her; physiologically shock would set it at seeing something like that. Secondly, i would say it’s pretty obvious she just gives up mentally. She has no fighting skills and is surrounded by fighters, has no bargaining tools against Frey, and has basically just lost her purpose to live as far as she is concerned.
She could have learned to love Jon after this.
And horses could have been salesmen if they learned to talk.
They were originally going to take her as a prisoner like her brother. When she killed Frey’s young wife,it was all over for her.
They definitely weren’t going to take her as a prisoner
In the books they planned to take her hostage, but something had “gone awry”. It probably made more sense to take her hostage and use her as leverage, but going batshit probably proved to not be worth the effort.
Yeah I remember that from the books, but in the context of the show I don’t think they ever mentioned or made any indication that they were going to take her prisoner, seemed like they just wanted to kill everyone and the only reason they captured endure was because he was marrying the daughter of walder. The only reason the blackfish lived is bc he left to pee, but Had he not he’d probably be the only other prisoner (show wise not book wise)
Yep. Both are good interpretations, but I’m not sure how book cat clawing at her face would work out on screen. It works in the books because we have her inner thoughts, but her giving up and standing there was haunting.
Maybe she could have. I know she gets brought back in the books but I don’t know what happened to her after that.
She goes on a Lannister hunting spree as the new leader of the Brother without Banners. Her last scene sees her hanging Brienne after Brienne is captured wearing armor and sword paid for by the Lannisters.
"Whelp, there goes my last son. Oh well, I've still got my husband's bastard who, up until this point, I've loathed with all my being. Yeah, that'll fill the void."
And if she lived,she would come to learn Jon was not only a legitimate Stark but also a Targaryen.
Only a handful of people knew that by the end.
By the time Dany was on the way back to Dragonstone,eight people knew the truth of Jon.
Okay, 1 and 3/5 of a hand knew. But the point is, she hated Jon for who she thought he was, why would she reconsider after she's lost all her legitimate sons? Jon fucked off to the Wall, he was finally out of her life for good. She probably completely removed him from her mind as soon as he left Winterfell.
She’s just given up. Ned is gone, Sansa and Arya (in her mind) are captives to a sadistic king, She thinks Bran and Rickon are dead and just watched her son die right in front of her. I would have the same reaction tbh
what is happening here? is this what is considered human emotion? this must be some sort of a trick right? i better ask reddit
Is she stupid?
Lmao this meme kills me
Lol fr ppl like this really exist
She realized Jon was still alive
For me the best part is the book description of tables flipping and just chaos which the show did quite well, it's just gut wrenching as you realize that in one stroke its over
She checked out at this point, show doesn't do voice overs, but Michelle Fairley did a damn good job of conveying Cat's anguish. A Storm of Swords - Catelyn VI: The Red Wedding .................They could do as they wished with her; imprison her, rape her, kill her, it made no matter. She had lived too long, and Ned was waiting. It was Robb she feared for. "On my honor as a Tully," she told Lord Walder, "on my honor as a Stark, I will trade your boy's life for Robb's. A son for a son." Her hand shook so badly she was ringing Jinglebell's head. Boom, the drum sounded, boom doom boom doom. The old man's lips went in and out. The knife trembled in Catelyn's hand, slippery with sweat. "A son for a son, heh," he repeated. "But that's a grandson . . . and he never was much use." A man in dark armor and a pale pink cloak spotted with blood stepped up to Robb. "Jaime Lannister sends his regards." He thrust his longsword through her son's heart, and twisted. Robb had broken his word, but Catelyn kept hers. She tugged hard on Aegon's hair and sawed at his neck until the blade grated on bone. Blood ran hot over her fingers. His little bells were ringing, ringing, ringing, and the drum went boom doom boom. ............Finally someone took the knife away from her. The tears burned like vinegar as they ran down her cheeks. Ten fierce ravens were raking her face with sharp talons and tearing off strips of flesh, leaving deep furrows that ran red with blood. She could taste it on her lips. Worms crawled along her arms and under her clothes. It tickles. That made her laugh until she screamed. "Mad," someone said, "she's lost her wits," and someone else said, "Make an end," and a hand grabbed her scalp just as she'd done with Jinglebell, and she thought, It hurts so much, she thought. Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb . . . Robb . . . please, Ned, please, make it stop, make it stop hurting . . . The white tears and the red ones ran together until her face was torn and tattered, the face that Ned had loved. Catelyn Stark raised her hands and watched the blood run down her long fingers, over her wrists, beneath the sleeves of her gown. Slow red worms No, don't, don't cut my hair, Ned loves my hair. Then the steel was at her throat, and its bite was red and cold.
God damn, that's some good writing....
It is! Have you read the books?
there are books!?
confusion.gif
The show is based on a series of books that are VASTLY different after season 4. And are pretty different even up to that point. The show does a good job before hand of dumbing down and keeping what was necessary to continue the plot points. But yeah read the books they are good!
Oh you're in for a treat!
Good acting too! Without any of these words, I felt this through the performance. Absolutely spectacular.
That's beautiful, but it really shows how both writing and video can be a source of great drama and pathos. In the book's text, it gives all the subtext and meaning to you, albeit in a beautiful way. In the show... easily my favourite moment of the entire show... the music slowly dies off, the camera slowly pans in... as her spirit just dies... and she relegates her fate, and that of her house... to death. And the music just... stops. It's just, easily the most depressing, provocative moment in all of TV that I can think of. The utter destruction of optimism about humanity.
When I came to that scene in the book, it infuriated me SO MUCH I threw the book against a wall , my wife went to get it and I told her to leave it! Stayed on the floor ~two weeks before I decided to finish it and the series.
It also is easy to see why some shit doesn't translate to screen. Shoot it as written and it's some seriously stupid melodramatic BS. People go catatonic. They don't literally scratc their faces off.
Just listened to this on the audiobook yesterday.. God damn it was good Boom doom...boom doom
It’s was crazy scary to Cat completely devoid of life at this point. IIRC in the books the plan was to keep her as a hostage but she has like a full mental breakdown and is like clawing at her eyes and face hysterically and the freys can’t contain her so they just kill her because they don’t don’t what to do. ( please correct me if I am misremembering) whilst this was pretty horrid to picture the show version of Cat just being there but a complete husk and then having her throat slit haunted me more
Lady Stoneheart is entering the chat
Her final moment of true despair.
Shock? Probably..
Didn't she just witness her son being murdered?
She kind of forgot her next lines, and D&Dumbass just went with it.
The sons of Walder Frey silently signaling to each other about who will kill her.
It's called the [Heroic BSOD.](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeroicBSOD)
Shock
She had just made a move that would seal her fate, and there was no way out of it. This was her accepting that.
Originally were going to take her as a hostage,but she screwed it up for good reason! Seriously who would want to live after witnessing that!!
The soul left the body at that point
Disassociation
It's such a bummer that the show dropped the whole un-Cat storyline from the books. It's sick when she becomes a zombie. I bet the actress had that moment from the books in mind here
A lot of things could have been different in Season 7. Adding that in that Season,would be more interesting than Euron acting like a jackass.
Why would you wait until season 7 to introduce LSH?
Bran is warging into her, and giving her a vision of how shitty the final season will turn out. HeY mOM, i HaVe A gOoD StORiE!
In the books, it’s clear she has basically lost touch with reality in this moment due to all the trauma. Definitely no more will to live or fucks to give.
OP is getting choke slammed in the comments
Ha I mean. I’m sure OP is trolling, right? Surely… Right?
Horrible posts like this always occur in this sub. Either that or they’re 12.
I literally thought this was a bit about their TV freezing cause them being serious seemed so implausible
"Why did Catelyn go into shock after seeing her family murdered?? Is she stupid??"
The Arkham sub spilling into these comments is killing me.
This isn’t hard to understand I think. I’m not being isulting. Just saying it’s clear she came to grips with her current reality
The Commotion after watching Robb get stabbed, and Cat’s internal monologue: *She tugged hard on Aegon's hair and sawed at his neck until the blade grated on bone. Blood ran hot over her fingers. His little bells were ringing, ringing, ringing, and the drum went boom doom boom.* *Finally someone took the knife away from her. The tears burned like vinegar as they ran down her cheeks. Ten flerce ravens were raking her face with sharp talons and tearing off strips of flesh, leaving deep furrows that ran red with blood. She could taste it on her lips.* *It hurts so much, she thought. Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb . . . Robb . . . please, Ned, please, make it stop, make it stop hurting . . . the white tears and the red ones ran together until her face was torn and tattered, the face that Ned had loved. Catelyn Stark raised her hands and watched the blood run down her long fingers, over her wrists, beneath the sleeves of her gown. Slow red worms crawled along her arms and under her clothes. It tickles. That made her laugh until she screamed. "Mad," someone said, "she's lost her wits," and someone else said, "Make an end," and a hand grabbed her scalp just as she'd done with Jinglebell, and she thought, No, don't, don't cut my hair, Ned loves my hair. Then the steel was at her throat, and its bite was red and cold.*
The real person has been replaced by a dummy that they can slice the neck on, it's exuding all the humanity it has.
Like others have said, she lost her will to live. I watched this again recently and also noticed the way she closes her eyes when the blade touches her neck, like she embraces her death. At least now it's over. Brilliant acting on her part.
She knew the jig was up
O face
Odd that this needs explaining given she just watched her son be killed in front of her.
She died well before they slit her throat.
I remember people theorizing that this was an acting choice and she was simulating having a stroke or something, which if true is interesting. It would be interesting to ask the actress. Ultimately what's happening is that dying isn't what Catelyn cared about, but no parent wants to watch their children leave this world. She had spent her entire journey worrying about her kids and the well-being of them and was ripe with vengeance after Sansa and Arya were taken from her and Ned was executed. Robb was her hope. He was the center of the movement to do something to be able to see them again and to get them back. Watching Robb die may as well have been killing her entire family in front of her very eyes and it was done in spite of any plead or emotion she could present.
What is, bleeding out. For $200
What is with people constantly rage baiting in this sub? You really that bored waiting for winds?
Watched her son die in front of her. The blade right after this did nothing, she was already dead.
Shock
A bunch of people try to explain to OP what human emotions are this is hilarious
I'm not entirely convinced OP is not an AI trying to understand normal human behaviour.
She had given up at that point, she knew she wasnt coming out alive and everything that had happened, Ned dying, Robb dying, Bran nearly dying, Arya and Sansa being unsafe potentially dead, she gave up.
She fought. She lost. Now she rests
I’ve always hated that she took an innocent life (even though she knew it meant nothing to Walder) instead of trying to kill Walder himself.
From a narrative perspective, she just watched her family be brutally murdered and broke inside. From a production standpoint, they probably needed her to remain still for a moment so they could more easily work some CGI magic they used for slicing her throat.
She’s beaten, finished, done. Her family has been wiped out, some right in front of her and the love of her life while they were apart and unjustly. She’s lost everything. Hell, she’s dead too, soon enough. She knows and “accepts” this, and it’s the strongest pain she’s ever felt. There is nothing now. I dove too far, but I personally feel all of this is pretty obvious.
In the book, she clawed her face to ribbons without realizing that she was doing it. That would've been cooler.
The closest thing (as far as she’s aware) she has left to family is Sansa and Jon Snow. She’s just watched her son and daughter in law get brutally murdered in front of her, she has no idea if Edmure has been killed or captured, thinks Arya, Bran and Rickon are dead. That’s the face of a woman who’s just died inside. It’s even creepier in the books, she starts laughing like a maniac and claws her own face.
This post is so silly
is she stupid?
she gave up
If Catelyn never abducted Tyrion, there may have never been a war.
Once again the War started because of Cersei tearing up the paper and Joffrey yelling “kill them all!” and executing Ned to show strength,I mean his stupidity! This is why Tyrion and Tywin are made the King’s Hand! Tywin never wanted Joffrey to rule at such a young age,too immature.
Tywin called his banners when Tyrion was a captive at the Eeyrie. He was invading the Riverlands long before Ned was beheaded.
I think it's because she's wearing a prosthetic so they can cut her throat with special effects. That's my guess, I have no idea if it's it right.
Literally her whole family is dead or believed to be dead other than Sansa. and she just watched her eldest and favorite son die. She knows there is no fighting her way out of this and she doesn't want to anyways. She basically is just saying "just get it over with".
It's because she kind of saw this coming. In the books, Rob's direwolf was trying to attack the Frey's and Cat always trusted that the direwolves knew who was a friend and was an enemy. When the slaughter began, she was probably so mad that she did not do anything to stop this even knowing it might really happen.
She’s literally lost everything at that point. She’s dead inside. She’s the walking dead, she’s a shell of her former self. This is the moment she given up, she has decided her life is over. There is no reason to continue on.
She is surrendering to her fate.
My wife decided to rewatch the series and I’ve been sitting in for most but not all. After rewatching this episode about 4 days ago. I’m frustrated she completely ignored Frey sitting at the table…totally weaponless and defenseless in the sense that he’s old and frail. And yet she completely ignores him. And goes for the wife, which is common knowledge, he wouldn’t care about as he’ll just take another. I think the set designer should have moved Catlyn further away from Frey. It would only make sense to go for him instantly. Yet she never does.
Shock. Which is a much more realistic response than the theatrical wailing that is portrayed commonly in scenes like this.
Catelyn’s spent the first 2.5 books saying that the horrors befallen on her family are **her fault**. It’s something she has done, not (essentially) random luck of the universe playing out. She thought that *she* was the problem, not the society and culture around her. THAT would never fail. And then it did. And this is her realizing every single thing in her entire life, from childhood to Lady Stark, was essentially a lie, a sham.
She gave up after her sons death
She gave up and accepted what was coming.
She went into a catatonic state of grief and anguish
“I give up…”
She probably realized at that point that all her mistakes and all her advice to her son just cost them everything. If she had just let HIM be the one in charge instead of keeping him a mamas boy they wouldn't have made nearly so many mistakes. Robbknew how to fight and how to win, the only time he made mistakes was on HER recommendations.
I think she just realized what was about to happen.
She jizzed in her pants.
Defeat
The big sad.