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Game of Thrones: George RR Martin hits out at most shocking scene yet

Fans of Sky Atlantic’s hit fantasy show upset by disturbing ‘rape’ in latest episode.

Game of Thrones: George RR Martin hits out at most shocking scene yet

George RR Martin, the creator of the books that hit show ‘Game of Thrones’ is based on, has responded to fan feedback following the broadcast of the latest shocking episode.

The 65-year-old author took to his blog to say "The scene was always intended to be disturbing... but I do regret if it has disturbed people for the wrong reasons."

Warning: Plot spoilers coming up…


The episode, ‘Breaker of Chains’ broadcast on Sky Atlantic last night, featured a graphic scene that left many watchers up in arms.

The sequence in question saw Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Jaime Lannister forcing himself on his sister (and lover) Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, while their dead son Joffrey lies in state.

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It may take a little while to appreciate how many levels that sentence is wrong on, but that’s par for the course for fans of ‘GOT’.

However, it’s not the content of the scene that has fans incensed, but rather the context.


US entertainment site A.V. Club has a detailed breakdown on the outrage which asks: Why are the Game Of Thrones showrunners rewriting the books into misogyny?

It explains that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss deviated from the source novels, adding the ‘rape’ element to an already disturbing set-up.

"In the novels, Jaime is not present at Joffrey's death, and indeed, Cersei has been fearful that he is dead himself, that she has lost both the son and the father/ lover/ brother,” explains Martin on his blog.

"And then suddenly Jaime is there before her. Maimed and changed, but Jaime nonetheless. Though the time and place is wildly inappropriate and Cersei is fearful of discovery, she is as hungry for him as he is for her.”


He adds: "If the show had retained some of Cersei's dialogue from the books, it might have left a somewhat different impression”.

It seems the change was made by the show’s makers without consulting Martin who clarifies in his blog post, “[Benioff, Weiss and I] never discussed this scene, to the best of my recollection.”

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The fictitious world of Westeros is a cruel one, where rape, pillage, and murder are commonplace, but it seems like the makers of the show may have gone a step too far this time.

‘Game of Thrones’ airs every Sunday on Sky Atlantic at 9pm.