I Really Did Like The Way They Chose To Portray Her Reaction - Tumblr Posts

A lot of people wanted Haelena to emote more during Blood and Cheese. First of all, y'all have clearly never experienced an adrenaline rush so hard you trip past outward panic and right into dissociation. But second of all, Haelena is a very witness to this event.

Haelena in the books is an ordinary young woman. Haelena in the show is a dreamer. She witnesses the tragedies in her family happen before they happen. She has already seen her son's fate and from the moment the scene begins, she knows she is helpless to stop it. It's like being in a recurring nightmare for her. You can see the moment where she stares in horror and fumbles for words before simply pointing. Because she knows she can't save her son so she's going to save her daughter.

When she goes to pick up her daughter and just walks as quickly as she can away, she is brimming with emotion, but she doesn't have the luxury to feel it because she has to get to safety (or else these men could kill her or her daughter next). She goes into shock and she moves.

It was an excellent performance by the actress. Not what we'd typically expect, but still deeply impactful