Another year, another mother load of violence, nudity and use of the word "bastard". It can only be Game of Thrones. With the show's popularity growing with each season, so is the expectation that the newest entry in the epic battle for the Iron Throne of Westeros will be the best. The show has attracted a lot of attention for its depiction of violence, but this season has garnered more criticism than any other. Did the show go too far? Why were people so upset over a fictional program? I'll be looking into that scene at the end of episode six ("Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"), but also take a look at other moments which were, for me, just as shocking, and yet weren't as heavily complained about.
Even if you don't watch Game of Thrones, there is no doubt you probably know a few people that do, and have therefore heard about a particular scene. A scene that was so upsetting, that some viewers claimed they would no longer continue watching the show. The scene in question involves the most vile character in the series, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), and his new wife Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). On their wedding night, Ramsay orders his slave Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) to watch as he, off-screen, rapes Sansa. The camera focuses on Theon's (renamed by Ramsay as "Reek" in season 3) reaction, as he is clearly distressed by seeing his childhood friend being raped by his master. Due to the intense and upsetting nature of the scene, many viewers complained about the level of violence displayed, and that the show merely intended to shock audiences. I strongly disagree with the arguments against how the scene was depicted, and indeed having such a traumatising moment in the show. For a start, Game of Thrones has already established dark material, such as rape (along with gory violence and incest) as key factors in the story. The show has appropriately presented these moments as being within the context of character personalities and not as something to be dismissed easily, with character actions having massive consequences on the story.
Looking at the character of Ramsay, it shouldn't be surprising that he would eventually do something as horrific as raping another character. Introduced in season 3, Ramsay is a sadistic individual, who tortured Theon throughout the entirety of the 10 episodes. Not only did he admit to enjoying what he did to Theon, he mentally broke him. Renaming him "Reek" and castrating him, Theon Greyjoy was no-more, and Ramsay established himself as one of the most evil characters in the show's history. In season 4, Ramsay's first scene involved him hunting down a young woman. He does this purely on the basis that she made another young woman "jealous" of having Ramsay's attention. In a later episode, he flays a starving group of soldiers alive after they had surrendered their castle to him. Ramsay is, by every definition, a monster. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's a character written so the audience despise him. All the previously mentioned scenes where depicted as horrific and disturbing, exactly the same as the rape scene in season 5. With the nature of the previous two season's Ramsay scenes in mind, the scene involving Sansa doesn't appear out of character for him. It allows us to sympathise more with Sansa, who has been portrayed as one of the show's more innocent characters.
Furthermore, although it was perhaps the most disturbing scene in the show's history, the decision to focus on Theon's reaction means that it wasn't gratuitous. It seems that some people were more upset with not necessarily the nature of the scene, but with the victim being Sansa. It's true that the character has gone through many unfortunate moments throughout the show: her father being beheaded in front of her, being married off to the cruel King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), and her mother and brother being slaughtered at a wedding. Some understandably felt that having her subjected to the horrors of rape was excessive. I can see why. However, it is important to remember that Sansa isn't the only character who has had several distressing events happen to them throughout the show. The lack of complaints about Theon being tortured throughout season 3, then having people complaining about the rape of Sansa, seems unbalanced to me. Theon's torture has massive psychological effects on his character, in the same way that Sansa will be mentally scarred by her ordeal with the same perpetrator. I think Theon's torture was the more unbearable to witness as, despite his morally wrong actions, his torture made him lose all sense of identity. Sansa, being a more strong minded character, will no doubt be able to withstand her next encounter with Ramsay. With the events of the season finale, "Mother's Mercy", she has been able to help Theon remember who he is and has escaped Ramsay's clutches.
So yes, the rape scene in "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" is certainly one of the most horrific moments in Game of Thrones' history. Why then, if it made so many people upset, were there not as big a fuss over episode nine, "The Dance of Dragons"? In a harrowing moment of choice for would-be-king Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), he allows his daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram) to be sacrificed to the Lord of Light in the hopes that it will bring him good fortune in his bid to win the throne. Like episode six, the focus is on character reactions, and we see how badly the sacrifice affects her (up until this point) rather cold-hearted mother. She attempts to stop the ceremony, but is restrained, and in the next episode we see that she has committed suicide. For me, this scene kept within the context of the story, and wasn't just used for shock value. Stannis has been established as somewhat of an anti-hero throughout the show, being ruthless in his pursuit of glory, but also understanding the importance of family and protecting his daughter. He has been continously manipulated by the priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten), and has walked the line between good and evil. In "The Dance of Dragons", he makes his choice, opting for ruthlessness and power over caring about his loved ones. With such a complex character, and knowing that he can do the right thing and for him to choose evil, was a heartbreaking moment that culminates in the death of a character equally as innocent as Sansa Stark. If anything, Shireen is more innocent due to her younger age and her being protected by her father her entire life.
To summarise, although the two scenes from season 5 were uncomfortable viewing, both fit within the dark tone of the show. They are portrayed as upsetting and emotional moments, exactly how they should have been handled by the show runners. There is more emphasis on what effect these scenes have on the characters rather than the audience's sensitive side, meaning that they don't over-step the mark the show has established since the beginning. Game of Thrones is a show that is not for lovers of light entertainment. It's meadevil setting and themes of power and corruption mean that sequences like the above mentioned play a major part in the story. What's most important is that it is not shock value that Game of Thrones prioritises, but the characters and their story arcs, which in the end is one of the many reasons why the show has a large fanbase and, despite the tough material presented, keeps them coming back year after year.
Even if you don't watch Game of Thrones, there is no doubt you probably know a few people that do, and have therefore heard about a particular scene. A scene that was so upsetting, that some viewers claimed they would no longer continue watching the show. The scene in question involves the most vile character in the series, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), and his new wife Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). On their wedding night, Ramsay orders his slave Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) to watch as he, off-screen, rapes Sansa. The camera focuses on Theon's (renamed by Ramsay as "Reek" in season 3) reaction, as he is clearly distressed by seeing his childhood friend being raped by his master. Due to the intense and upsetting nature of the scene, many viewers complained about the level of violence displayed, and that the show merely intended to shock audiences. I strongly disagree with the arguments against how the scene was depicted, and indeed having such a traumatising moment in the show. For a start, Game of Thrones has already established dark material, such as rape (along with gory violence and incest) as key factors in the story. The show has appropriately presented these moments as being within the context of character personalities and not as something to be dismissed easily, with character actions having massive consequences on the story. Looking at the character of Ramsay, it shouldn't be surprising that he would eventually do something as horrific as raping another character. Introduced in season 3, Ramsay is a sadistic individual, who tortured Theon throughout the entirety of the 10 episodes. Not only did he admit to enjoying what he did to Theon, he mentally broke him. Renaming him "Reek" and castrating him, Theon Greyjoy was no-more, and Ramsay established himself as one of the most evil characters in the show's history. In season 4, Ramsay's first scene involved him hunting down a young woman. He does this purely on the basis that she made another young woman "jealous" of having Ramsay's attention. In a later episode, he flays a starving group of soldiers alive after they had surrendered their castle to him. Ramsay is, by every definition, a monster. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's a character written so the audience despise him. All the previously mentioned scenes where depicted as horrific and disturbing, exactly the same as the rape scene in season 5. With the nature of the previous two season's Ramsay scenes in mind, the scene involving Sansa doesn't appear out of character for him. It allows us to sympathise more with Sansa, who has been portrayed as one of the show's more innocent characters.
Furthermore, although it was perhaps the most disturbing scene in the show's history, the decision to focus on Theon's reaction means that it wasn't gratuitous. It seems that some people were more upset with not necessarily the nature of the scene, but with the victim being Sansa. It's true that the character has gone through many unfortunate moments throughout the show: her father being beheaded in front of her, being married off to the cruel King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), and her mother and brother being slaughtered at a wedding. Some understandably felt that having her subjected to the horrors of rape was excessive. I can see why. However, it is important to remember that Sansa isn't the only character who has had several distressing events happen to them throughout the show. The lack of complaints about Theon being tortured throughout season 3, then having people complaining about the rape of Sansa, seems unbalanced to me. Theon's torture has massive psychological effects on his character, in the same way that Sansa will be mentally scarred by her ordeal with the same perpetrator. I think Theon's torture was the more unbearable to witness as, despite his morally wrong actions, his torture made him lose all sense of identity. Sansa, being a more strong minded character, will no doubt be able to withstand her next encounter with Ramsay. With the events of the season finale, "Mother's Mercy", she has been able to help Theon remember who he is and has escaped Ramsay's clutches.
So yes, the rape scene in "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" is certainly one of the most horrific moments in Game of Thrones' history. Why then, if it made so many people upset, were there not as big a fuss over episode nine, "The Dance of Dragons"? In a harrowing moment of choice for would-be-king Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), he allows his daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram) to be sacrificed to the Lord of Light in the hopes that it will bring him good fortune in his bid to win the throne. Like episode six, the focus is on character reactions, and we see how badly the sacrifice affects her (up until this point) rather cold-hearted mother. She attempts to stop the ceremony, but is restrained, and in the next episode we see that she has committed suicide. For me, this scene kept within the context of the story, and wasn't just used for shock value. Stannis has been established as somewhat of an anti-hero throughout the show, being ruthless in his pursuit of glory, but also understanding the importance of family and protecting his daughter. He has been continously manipulated by the priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten), and has walked the line between good and evil. In "The Dance of Dragons", he makes his choice, opting for ruthlessness and power over caring about his loved ones. With such a complex character, and knowing that he can do the right thing and for him to choose evil, was a heartbreaking moment that culminates in the death of a character equally as innocent as Sansa Stark. If anything, Shireen is more innocent due to her younger age and her being protected by her father her entire life.
To summarise, although the two scenes from season 5 were uncomfortable viewing, both fit within the dark tone of the show. They are portrayed as upsetting and emotional moments, exactly how they should have been handled by the show runners. There is more emphasis on what effect these scenes have on the characters rather than the audience's sensitive side, meaning that they don't over-step the mark the show has established since the beginning. Game of Thrones is a show that is not for lovers of light entertainment. It's meadevil setting and themes of power and corruption mean that sequences like the above mentioned play a major part in the story. What's most important is that it is not shock value that Game of Thrones prioritises, but the characters and their story arcs, which in the end is one of the many reasons why the show has a large fanbase and, despite the tough material presented, keeps them coming back year after year.
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