Did GAME OF THRONES Finally Go Too Far? If So, It Wasn't This Past Sunday

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...

Editorial Opinion
By MarkCassidy - May 19, 2015 04:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Game of Thrones
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?
GAME OF THRONES Author George R.R. Martin Admits That He May Never Finish THE WINDS OF WINTER
Related:

GAME OF THRONES Author George R.R. Martin Admits That He May Never Finish THE WINDS OF WINTER
SNOW: There May Still Be Hope For HBO's Shelved GAME OF THRONES Sequel Series
Recommended For You:

SNOW: There May Still Be Hope For HBO's Shelved GAME OF THRONES Sequel Series

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?
Want to contribute?
1 2 3 4 5
DrKinsolving
DrKinsolving - 5/19/2015, 5:01 AM
I think everybody should have saw this coming.... the previous episode was leading up to this too, when Ramsay made Reek bring her down the isle.

I think this means a lot for the story and ultimately Ramsay is taking things to far, and what comes around goes around

Can't wait to see how the story progresses
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 5/19/2015, 5:05 AM
Most of these type of scenes in GoT are just there for shock value which is why i lost interest a while ago. I have no desire to feel for any character and feel desensitized when something like this happens.
Meteor
Meteor - 5/19/2015, 5:09 AM
I really don't find this was too far. I actually was surprised seeing reactions like that. This is GoT and we did see this coming. Plus, it's good to have a character who can "replace" Joffrey in this special "hate place" ^^
DrKinsolving
DrKinsolving - 5/19/2015, 5:13 AM
Ramsay has no idea what's coming for him
VictorMancha
VictorMancha - 5/19/2015, 5:15 AM
No this was the line where we must say no.
She is 19 years old for [frick]s sake
I hope he gets killed brutally, by Theon.
Minty
Minty - 5/19/2015, 5:17 AM
I wasn't a fan. Part of it felt like the writers just wanted to be controversial for controversy's sake. Ah well, I can rest easy knowing that little shit's going to get what's coming to him soon...
BigFoster
BigFoster - 5/19/2015, 5:18 AM
Rape was used to make a very unlikable character seem even worse. Its not like we are supposed to like Ramsey or be in favour of rape. What is wrong with using rape to show how evil a character is?
Nenured
Nenured - 5/19/2015, 5:18 AM
Theon was raped. Not Sansa. She could have find a way around, but she let it hapened.
MercwithMouth
MercwithMouth - 5/19/2015, 5:19 AM
We've seen Jamie/Cersei incest next to the corpse of their bastard child.

We've seen castration.

We've seen what Ramsay did to Theon.

We've seen Joffrey have a hooker violated by another hooker, then use the hooker for target practice.

We've seen the worst things imaginable of Game of Thrones.

How is this scene possibly the line that shall not be crossed?
groundrunner15
groundrunner15 - 5/19/2015, 5:23 AM
It's the fact that the writers feel the need to add unnecessary sexual violence to the female characters on the show to show suffering or turmoil, as if that's the only way to show it. They've done that with Daenerys, Cersei, and now Sansa. Trying to justify it by pointing out that it happened to another character in the books makes no sense. What did we learn from it? We already knew Ramsay was a sadistic piece of trash, we knew Theon had been turned into his torture puppet, and we knew Sansa was in a terrible situation surrounded by terrible people. It served no purpose. Add that to its deviation from the books and that's why you have so many people outraged by it. It's like rape is the writers' go to plot device.
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/19/2015, 5:29 AM
Daenerys was raped on her wedding night in the first AND second episodes of the show after being sold by her brother! And then she actually falls in love with her rapist. Were the people at Mary Sue asleep this whole time or do they just pick and choose when the show has gone too far?

Sansa took over 'fake Arya's' story line. People should have seen this coming the moment the marriage was announced. Ramsay does far worse things to his bride in the books. What? Did they actually expect him to treat her like a princess? He's a [frick]ing psycho.

Our actual history is far more despicable and disgusting than anything we have seen on this show.
Desr0w
Desr0w - 5/19/2015, 5:29 AM
@Typhoon20

My thoughts exactly.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/19/2015, 5:30 AM
groundrunner15, I'm sorry but pointing out that it happens in the books makes perfect sense here... why be ok with Jeyne's horrendous treatment and not Sansa's when she's replacing that character on the show? They didn't "invent" a rape scene, they just had it happen to a different character. Plus, like I said, we don't KNOW the ramifications yet. You say we didn't learn anything, I say we need to wait and see.

Nenured, go away.
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/19/2015, 5:32 AM
People would have complained if he hadn't done anything to her. That's the sad part.
But based on the storyline, it was clearly leading to that. There was no way around it. If she marries Ramsay, she's going to suffer. There's no way he wasn't going to do anything considering that the consumption of marriage on the wedding night is a big deal to people in westeros.
Osborn
Osborn - 5/19/2015, 5:33 AM
Remember when Daenerys met Khal Drogo? It was less creepy but come on it's not the first time we see something like this on the show.

I get why some people begin to find that lazy but there's no reason to attack the show on this particular scene for me.
Carl
Carl - 5/19/2015, 5:36 AM
everyones all shocked about the finally...
what about Brohn being cut by what is probably a poisoned blade.
hes a dead man.
AgentX
AgentX - 5/19/2015, 5:36 AM
Boo hoo. It's entertainment, people. If you're not entertained, don't watch.

Duh.
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 5/19/2015, 5:37 AM
For 5 seasons Sansa has done nothing but cry, mope, and get shit on. She's the most one-dimensional character on the show.
JasonBlue
JasonBlue - 5/19/2015, 5:38 AM
I think what shocked me more was the reveal that the girl Ramsey had his dogs eat up was pregnant with his child.
Even the Joker would think this guy needs a cool aid.
AgentX
AgentX - 5/19/2015, 5:39 AM
Our sense of entitlement is shameful.

I'm sure if Shakespeare were writing today, we would post long rants about how the ending of Hamlet goes too far.
Smo13
Smo13 - 5/19/2015, 5:54 AM
It's a TV show people. Hopefully they are just trying to make people hate Ramsey as much as possible leading up to eventual demise. I personally can't wait to see what his fate is.
groundrunner15
groundrunner15 - 5/19/2015, 5:57 AM
@Ror No one's saying they're okay with what happened to Jeyne. People are just tired of seeing rape as a plot device on this show. It's offensive and lazy. Plus, this didn't happen to Sansa in the book and it did nothing to further the narrative or show something new in the story. The writers keep using sexual violence as a way to heighten the stakes as if there aren't other ways.

@AgentX What entitlement are you referring to?
TheGambitFreak
TheGambitFreak - 5/19/2015, 5:58 AM
WAIT A MINUTE!

Fans of the BOOKS are mad at the content of the show? The books are 100 times more sadistic and disturbing because Martin enjoys using dozens of adjectives to describe situations. For [frick]s sakes, he spends 3 pages just on describing a fat slob eating a turkey leg! Besides, it was WELL known, long before this season began, that it'd be detouring from the books. If someone should be mad, be mad at Martin. This rape scene (which I haven't a problem with. It's natural progression for the characters) is a result of Martin's fat, lazy ass not finishing the books.
thedangle1
thedangle1 - 5/19/2015, 6:03 AM
People in this country are a bunch of f*cking pussies!!!! It's a TV show for Christ's sake!!! Lighten the f*ck up or grow a pair or don't watch the show.
spang2005
spang2005 - 5/19/2015, 6:05 AM
The issue isn't that it happened, it's that they decided to show it. The scene just serves no purpose in the narrative. We already knew Ramsey was an evil sh!t and that Sansa was in danger. But depicting the rape scene as they did was gratuitous and exploitative. It was lazy writing done to shock viewers, not advance the story in a meaningful way.
TheGambitFreak
TheGambitFreak - 5/19/2015, 6:05 AM
Another thing... Rape, compared to a dude repeatingly stabbing the stomach of a woman with a child growing in her womb? People praised the Red Wedding episode for how shocking it was. This is why I stay inside and masturbate by myself. I hate people. Utterly despicable, volatile and don't know what they want. Psycho Mantis was right.

As someone said. IT'S ENTERTAINMENT! You think people are gonna go recreate scenes from Grand Theft Auto 5? No! Cause it's an ESCAPE FROM REALITY!
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/19/2015, 6:05 AM
Why would people stop at this episode? I would at least finish the season before dropping it.
nordberg
nordberg - 5/19/2015, 6:06 AM
My hope is that Sansa will find some way to get revenge during Stannis's eventual siege of Winterfell. Being that her story line has diverged so much from the books then perhaps Ramsey's has as well.

SEMI SPOILER:
Speaking of comeuppance, I'm looking forward to what happens to Cersei. Based on that shot of Margaery smiling in her cell in the preview of next week's installment, I think it might be happening very soon. :)
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/19/2015, 6:07 AM
@spang2005
How do you know that? Have you seen the rest of the season?
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/19/2015, 6:09 AM
groundrunner15, but you don't know that it did nothing to further the narrative yet... it was the last scene in that episode! Even just from watching the scene, I think it's unfair to say it was unimportant or served no purpose. Yeah, we knew Ramsay was just about as twisted as could be, but what about the other 2? We see that Theon is still human... that Ramsay hasn't managed to completely erase who he was, and that will most definitely come into play. And though we didn't see it in that ep, I'm sure it'll play a huge part in ultimately strengthening Sansa as a character too.
Minty
Minty - 5/19/2015, 6:09 AM
@InfiniteMonkey - Haha, first off thanks for the kind words! ;) I do see where you're coming from, and perhaps "controversy for controversy's sake" was too general. This scene did serve to portray Ramsey in a more despicable manner, that's true, but what I didn't enjoy was the fact it had to be Sansa. She's a former victim, built up as a potential major player in the Game under the guidance of Littlefinger this season. The writers tore all of that away from her in one moment - all to make Ramsey seem more terrible.
1 2 3 4 5
Related Headlines
Latest Headlines

Hot Headlines Hot Headlines

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Anime & Manga

Gaming

Horror

Cartoons & Animated Features

Action Movies & TV

Pro Wrestling & MMA News
View Recorder