I hadn’t yet watched last week’s episode of “Game of Thrones” so it was a double feature for me last night as I watched “his article, though he definitely piqued my interest when he wrote “something so horrid, so unforgivable happens” in this episode. What?! I hit publish and rushed to my DVR.
I’d noticed some debate over last week’s episode, some calling it too slow, though I found it to be wonderfully intriguing as the pieces seem to be moving around the board in just such a way to offer something compelling come the final four episodes of this fifth season. That said, as much as I would like to discuss the scene where Tyrion first sees a dragon in flight, the horribly shot and edited sword fight in Dorne, Daenerys’ dragons having a little snack, and Cersei, Lady Olenna Tyrell and Margaery at King’s Landing, it’s the final scene in last night’s episode that seems to be all anyone is concerned with discussing. So let’s have at it…
I guess my first question would be to ask, What did you think was going to happen? The scenes involving Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) have been utterly disturbing since he was first introduced. His torture of Theon in season three led to Theon’s castration, so when he stoops to the moral depravity of raping Sansa (Sophie Turner) seems par for the course for this ass hole. So, when I see the outcry against this scene on social media and blog posts I begin scratching my head.
Rape has clearly been used frequently in the stories of Westeros, but then again, so has killing and many other forms of torture and psychological manipulation. In an article at Vanity Fair, Joanna Robinson offers up a couple of paragraphs that seem to do well in collecting the numerous complaints and bits of speculation that followed this scene:
Horrible because this rape scene undercuts all the agency that’s been growing in Sansa since the end of last season. She was at the height of her power earlier in the episode when, stripped back down to her red-headed Tully roots, she told Myranda in no uncertain terms that Winterfell was her home and she would not be intimidated. It’s right in line with the “Game of Thrones” approach to storytelling that Sansa would have the rug pulled out from under her. (Have we forgotten Oberyn so soon?) But did it really have to be rape that brought her low? Is that really the only horror “Game of Thrones” can imagine visiting on its female characters?
I’d never advocate that “Game of Thrones” (or any work of fiction) shy away from edgy plots out of fear of pushback or controversy. But edgy plots should always accomplish something above pure titillation or shock value and what, exactly, was accomplished here? Allen said in an interview that this story would position Ramsay as “the new Joffrey in town, and then probably me followed closely after that.” But haven’t we had ample time to understand the depths of Ramsay’s depravity? If, best case scenario, Sansa and Theon (and probably Brienne and Pod) band together to take down Ramsay over the next few episodes, did we really need this rape scene to drive that engine? I think most audiences would have been happy with Sansa as avenging angel without subjecting her to a rape. After all, these are the people who killed her family.
At first thought, when Robinson asks, “But did it really have to be rape that brought her low?” I would have to answer, given the trajectory of the story that lead up to that scene, “Yes, it sorta did.” The world of Westeros is a primitive one, wedding’s lead to the consummation of the marriage so it’s no surprise what happened, happened.
Would it have made it better or worse had Theon not been in the room? Without him it’s just an act of unwitnessed evil, but with him it’s an act of evil seen and, through Theon, the audience is at least given someone with which to share in the horror. It also suggests Theon’s humanity and remembrance of self isn’t too far in the offing (as has been hinted since he first appeared this season). Honestly, a part of me was waiting for him to bring an axe down on Ramsay’s head, but more on that in a second, let’s consider some more alternatives to this scene first as Robinson’s question of “did it have to be rape?” should be considered, though I have yet to see anyone ask the question and offer up a suitable alternative.
If we can agree, like it or not, a consummation of the marriage was going to take place, would it have been better if it was Sansa that took control of the situation? Had it been Sansa that more-or-less raped Ramsay or, at the very least, seduced Ramsay? Had she used her sexuality as a weapon or even given the audience a moment of pause, thinking she had been wanting this all along, questioning her motivations and whether or not she was intending to attempt to rule at Ramsay’s side. Would that have made it better? In my estimation… probably All the same narrative beats can be accomplished, even to the point it could have been Sansa ordering Theon to stay in the room not to mention a good bit of emasculation due Ramsay. Sansa’s story arc has grown increasingly fascinating and I think I speak for everyone when I say we don’t need to see her in another situation similar to the one she was in with Joffrey.
Another alternative includes Theon interfering, though I think we can all agree for the sake of Sansa, he couldn’t just kill Ramsay. Theon killing Ramsay would have most likely resulted in both Theon and Sansa’s death, or at least derailed every aspect of her character arc to that point. However, Theon interfering in some way, or, perhaps having Myranda (Charlotte Hope) interfere or disrupt the scene might have allowed the scene to not take place, offering a measure of reprieve and delaying of the assumed inevitable.
While I think there is a more satisfying alternative for what ultimately took place, I find it hard to get too worked up over the rape and killing in “Game of Thrones”, though this doesn’t mean you should be entertained by it as much as look at it as a reality of Westeros. This is a show set in a primitive world and when you consider someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. every 107 seconds (source) is it really hard to believe when it happens in “Game of Thrones”? Rape is just as much a weapon in this show as anything else and while I don’t deny the horror in seeing it happen, it’s just so odd to see the complaints from so many coupled with the “Ramsay better be killed!” sentiments.
It’s difficult to consider the ramifications of this scene as it seems those that object to it are merely obsessed with Ramsay’s death, which is sort of hypocritical. I’m also surprised I haven’t read any considerations of what happens when people have sex, not to mention the purpose of marital sex in a world such as Westeros, driven by lineage more than anything. As much as the fate of Ramsay is now (and has been) desired, I can’t help but wonder if the seed of Ramsay now grows in Sansa’s womb and what that could mean for the her future and the future of the North as Stannis (Stephen Dillane) marches toward Winterfell with only four episodes left in the season.
“Game of Thrones” has never been shy about showing us the harsh realities of evil in ways too many to name. Hell, season one, episode one saw Daenerys raped and a young boy pushed out of a window and before the season ended a major character was beheaded. How quickly we forget and how quickly we rush to anger. That was just the first season and you kept watching.
This is a show that has been driven by the battle between good and evil and it has been celebrated largely because of its strong characters on both sides of the gender line and the fact it hasn’t been afraid to allow evil to prosper, while at the same time offering good its own measure of triumph. In fact, good is always expected to win in the end, but it seems people forget this isn’t the end… this is just the fifth season of what is likely to end as a seven season series. I constantly complained last season about how each episode just ended on a cliffhanger and people were constantly trying to tell me I didn’t understand how longform narratives worked. Now I’m the one having to remind you this is only one episode?
I don’t think the outrage is entirely about the rape. I think it stems from the fact it was Sansa, a fan favorite, that was raped and, as Robinson wrote, it “undercuts all the agency that’s been growing in Sansa since the end of last season”. Robinson also sees it as “the last thing we needed… in order for a male character [Theon] to find redemption”. I don’t disagree with her on this point, though I also don’t see that as the entire purpose of the scene. Ramsay and Sansa were going to have sex following their marriage barring one of them dying or some ginned up scenario. It was going to happen and, beyond the rape, I think there’s a measure of frustration that Ramsay didn’t get his immediate just due.
People want everything now. It’s evident in the disdain for what has taken place and the looking forward to the day Ramsay is killed, which is a fascinating bit of psychology on its own. I wonder if these people are also supporters of the death sentence in the real world and would they be just as supportive of the death sentence in one of the many rape cases brought to trial in today’s court system. I only wonder because it seems strange to forget you’re living in the world of Westeros while watching “Game of Thrones” for a personal bit of real world, social media morality and then revel in the world of Westeros when a character you hate gets what’s coming to them.
Now, take a deep breath and let’s all remember the best line from the series so far…
“The dwarf lives until we find a cock merchant.” ~ Malko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)
