Did GAME OF THRONES Finally Go Too Far? If So, It Wasn't This Past Sunday
The brutal final scene from the latest episode of Game of Thrones caused quite a stir online, with many fans and critics going so far as to claim that they're now "done" with the show altogether. But haven't we seen far worse already? Join the discussion, and let us know where you stand on this...
Poor Sansa Stark just can't catch a break can she? Just when it looked like the character was going to to be given an arc that didn't revolve around her being the victim, she goes and meets the vilest piece of garbage (yes, he'd give Joffrey a run for his money) in Westeros, Ramsay Bolton. With the help of some Littlefinger persuasion, Sansa had agreed to marry Ramsay in the hope that an opportunity to avenge her family would present itself. Unaware of the extent of the little bastard's sadism, she was even prepared to endure losing her virginity to him... but she could never have guessed what was in store for her once they said their vows.
Ramsay rapes Sansa while forcing Theon/Reek to watch. It's undoubtedly a disturbing scene, but after all of the other rapes, decapitations, infanticides, castrations, immolations, and various other horrible stuff that's occurred over the course of the show's 5 year run, why is this the final straw for so many? Just last season, Ramsay hunted a terrified young girl through the woods and had his dogs tear her to pieces - and yet Sansa's rape is seen as going too far? For some, apparently so. Many fans have taken to social media to express their disgust, with website The Mary Sue (who are fans of the books) ceasing all Game Of Thrones promotion altogether.
One of the main issues seems to stem from this being yet another example of the TV show adding a rape scene that wasn't in the books, but that's not entirely accurate. True, Sansa isn't raped by Ramsay, but Jeyen Poole is... and far worse besides. This character was never introduced in the show and so Sansa (who is all but absent from A Dance With Dragons) was given her storylines. Doesn't it follow that she'd suffer the same fate? Why be okay with one woman's suffering and victimization in print and not another's on screen?
Of course you don't have to be okay with any of it, but that's the point: Game Of Thrones is a brutal, bleak show where more often than not the weak and the gentle-hearted suffer the most. If that's not for you, then don't watch, but why act as if it's only now veered off into unsavoury territory?
The bottom line is we still don't know how this will affect Sansa. Yes, it looked as if she was beginning to stand up for herself and show some strength, but Ramsay's appalling treatment of her doesn't make her weak. Was the scene necessary to further demonstrate how evil the former bastard of Bolton is? No - but it may have been necessary to further the story the showrunners have planned for Sansa and Theon, which will now surely differ significantly from the source.
How do you feel about this? Did Game Of Thrones finally go too far in your eyes, or are you used to life in Westeros at this stage?
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.