In this Saturday’s interview round up, Maisie Williams talks Arya with Nylon and the end of Game of Thrones with her fellow cast mates at The Hollywood Reporter. In a video interview with IGN, Daniel Portman discusses Pod, Brienne, Sansa and that damned candle in the window.

On the cover of Nylon, Maisie Williams goes into taking on the role of Arya Stark, what it means to her and her character’s fan impact.

Arya is really popular with a lot of people because she’s just a broadly funny character—witty, dry, ballsy, feminist.

She goes on to defending the role of women on Game of Thrones and the controversies that arise surrounding them:

They’re written as whole characters. Of course, there are elements in the show where women are treated badly, but it’s representative of that era. And yes, it is disturbing watching a woman get raped on-screen, but it’s also disturbing watching kids getting killed, babies getting killed, horses being killed, basically everything you can think of on the show being killed, murdered, tortured.

She even jokes her mother’s role in ensuring she understands the harsh themes she’s exposed to on set.

For a lot of the most violent scenes, my character was there. I was there for the filming of Ned Stark’s beheading, I was there when Joffrey got his arm bitten. I was there for a lot. So it was more intriguing than scary for me to watch how it was all cut together. [on the nude scenes] My mum was cool with that, too, like, ‘It’s where babies come from.

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) even chimes in on her TV sister:

“I’m very protective of her as a friend and as a quasi-sister. It’s important for people to know that, despite all of her badassery and extraordinary circumstances, Maisie is still just a normal teenager and isn’t immune to the effect that words on social media can have.”

Williams continues her interview over at Nylon where she goes into the endless adjustment to fame and growing up in the spotlight, future roles, and more!

We recently reported that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were considering shortening the final season(s?) of the series. While some fans were pleased, some were not. Maisie Williams has some comforting words with The Hollywood Reporter that may ease some.

We’re building up to a massive downhill sprint. That’s what it feels like. We’re getting more riled up. At the end of this [season], people will obviously be waiting for the next season of the series, but it will feel like the end is in sight.

Fellow co-stars of Thrones John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane), and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) share their thoughts on the end of this incredible journey.

Bradley: You get the sense that stories are coming to a conclusion

He also describes the next season as one of “redemption” where “loose ends are tied up.”

McElhatton: They can move so fast as writers. They can cut swathes of people, just killing people off. Suddenly, a person’s gone, and that journey’s over, and that journey’s over…with all these characters, [the writers] can move incredibly fast with the storytelling.

Hivju comments on tv series’ knack for rebooting storylines in their sixth season which he contrasts with Game of Thrones.

This is a big journey for all the characters. It’s one big story. We don’t have to redefine the essence of the show. We’re just continuing.

Alfie Allen shares the fan view on the end of the show:

No. I want it to carry on forever.

Same. But with even chances of a spin-off already being debunked, we may need to accept that all good things must come to an end…even Game of Thrones. Head on over to The Hollywood Reporter where Bradley compares the series to Breaking Bad and more!

In a video interview with IGN, Daniel Portman (Podrick) teases going back to “square one” this season by calling last season “a series of near misses” for Pod and Brienne on their mission to save Sansa Stark.

Let’s hear from you guys! How do you feel about the end of Game of Thrones? Did the cast ease your worries? Let us know below!