Curtain Call: Alfie Allen

We are gathered here today to pay our respects to a titan among titans, Alfie Allen, known to Game of Thrones fans the world over as Theon Greyjoy. Allen is one of the series’ OG’s, appearing in the very first episode, “Winter is Coming.” From there, he took a long and winding road to redemption, a road that finally ended in the Winterfell godswood, where he was killed by the Night King himself. Theon might never have joined the Night’s Watch, but it doesn’t change the fact that we shall never see his like again.

Theon started as a Stark ally, an eager if inexperienced right hand to Robb Stark. When Theon was sent to treat with his father Balon Greyoy in season 2, he started down a dark path to damnation. Choosing his birth family over his adoptive family, Theon sacked Winterfell, killing many of his childhood friends in the process, including Ser Rodrick Cassel. Allen really came into his own during this season, taking the character from a sidekick to a complicated antagonist. His speech to motivate the Ironborn in the season 2 finale, “Valar Morghulis,” was a particularly great moment. Like a lot of Theon’s endeavors, it failed, but the effort is appreciated.

In seasons 3 and 4, Theon was a captive of Ramsay Bolton. His mental and physical torture at Ramsay’s hands was hard to watch, and we applaud Allen for rendering Theon’s suffering so well. As horribly as Theon behaved, Allen was making us sympathize with him here, because no one deserves that. Allen made Theon’s transformation from from the cocksure “Prince of Winterfell” to  the sniveling Reek completely believable. It’s no wonder why the producers kept this arc on screen despite it occurring off-page in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books.

In season 5, the broken and shattered Reek slowly regained a level of confidence after coming back into contact Sansa Stark, Ramsay’s latest plaything. As he took us down, Allen brought us back up, and when Theon finally rose up against Ramsay by tossing Myranda off a castle wall, it was a stand-up-and-cheer moment. From then on, Theon would spend the rest of his time on the show seeking redemption.

Season 6 was a bit slow for Theon, although watching him reconnect with his sister Yara was important for his development. Really, Allen has played three characters on Game of Thrones: Theon Greyjoy, Reek, and the new Theon that emerges after he escapes Ramsay’s clutches. He has incredible range when playing a single character.

Allen may have hit his high watermark as a cast member in season 7. Watching Theon regress to Reek in the face of his uncle Euron’s assault might have been infuriating for us as fans, but Allen sold it with subtlety to spare, as usual. All the pain and torment Theon had suffered under Ramsay came flooding back; Allen’s face told that story in just a few seconds of agony.

Theon’s conversation with Jon in the season 7 finale is another showcase for Allen’s skill. He makes us feel the bubbling conflict within Theon, and his lingering guilt over leaving Yara and betraying the Starks years before. No one on the show can inspire sympathy like Allen.

Aside from his final moments defending Bran, season 8 was light on Theon’s storyline, but Allen shined nonetheless, finding redemption and bringing his story full circle.

What is dead may never die, and Allen’s performance as Theon will live on with its power and pain. The only good thing we can say about his departure is that we only have to make it through three episodes without him.

For those interested in finding more of Allen’s work, you can see him in the comedy How to Build a Girl later this year, and in Taika Waititi’s World War II dramedy JoJo Rabbit.

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