There are a great many characters on Game of Thrones. Some might say there are too many characters on Game of Thrones. Regardless, all these damn people are scheming, manipulative folks who put their own personal interests above the greater good of the realm. That's pretty much why Cersei blew up an entire church full of people at the end of last season. But of all these sly men and women, the two most mysterious and most adept at pulling the strings of Westeros politics are Varys and Littlefinger. Some have even posed the theory that the political turmoil in Westeros is all a battle between these minds and the people they control or trick.
Where does Littlefinger's true allegiance land? Above all else, it's with Littlefinger, and he'll take sides with whomever can benefit him in any given moment. Which is precisely why we've most recently seen him deliver Sansa into the hands of the evil Ramsay, arrive to save Jon Snow and Sansa's forces from Ramsay by bringing the Knight's of the Vale as reinforcements, and claim he wants to sit on the Iron Throne with Sansa as the queen.
The dude is playing the long game.
But one Littlefinger move that's never been clear was way back in Season Two. He meets with Tywin Lannister at Harrenhal where Arya is working secretly as a serving girl—whom no one recognises as a Stark, conveniently. While serving them wine, he looks her in the eye, but never exposes her identity to Tywin—who could have really used her as leverage in their little war.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Littlefinger actor Aidan Gillen comments on the interaction.
"It was unclear if he recognised her or not, but I have my own thoughts on that," Gillen told EW. "Yes, I did recognise her—I just didn't say anything or do anything about it."
(Please note: Gillen often refers to himself in the first person as Littlefinger, which I know because I've interviewed him before, and it was both kind of cool and kind of unsettling.)
So even though he's not entirely clear, what does that mean for Littlefinger's true motives? It's possible, but not likely, that he wanted to hang onto the information to use in the future...then he kind of just forgot? Or he wanted to wait it out and see what happened. Or, more likely, he's truly loyal to the Starks (because of his love for Catelyn Stark), which could mean he's telling the truth when all he really wants is to sit on the Iron Throne with Sansa by his side.
"I finished last season on a promising note by laying my cards on the table—at least to Sansa," Gillen told EW. "I was [sowing seeds of doubt about Jon Snow] throughout my appearances in Season Six, and, yeah, that will continue. It's pretty obvious what my game is there."
And, since we last see Littlefinger trying to wedge his way between Sansa and Jon Snow's alliance, it could be that he'll stop at nothing to get what he's wanted all along.
