[SPOILERS] 5x06 Episode Discussion (airs 17th May 2015)

But here’s the thing: Rape can’t just be used as part of a theme, nor is it a theme unto itself. It is a vicious act that the show has unfortunately treated as almost unspeakable to this point in the story, which has subsequently robbed it of its potential value to the narrative and left behind a problematic set of politics. When the Sansa storyline started, and many of you in the comments insisted that this is where the story was heading, I was skeptical because I didn’t think the show would choose that route again. The scene is not without some value, to be clear. I would agree that this particular instance of rape is less tied to Ramsay’s particularly cruelty and more the generally poor treatment of women in Westeros more broadly, and the scene itself was well-constructed, with the music and the performances selling the terror we are meant to feel in that moment.

The question becomes to what level that terror lives on. “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” ends on its most volatile climax, but it could have ended differently. The episode could have ended on Arya in the vault of faces, or the battle between Bronn and Jaime and the Sandsnakes in a 3-on-2 handicap match, or Tyrion and Jorah being captured, or Margaery being arrested alongside her brother. And the fact that they chose this scene is unsurprising but also disappointing, further heightening the sense that the rape was just for shock value. As much as I want to know what happens next and follow this story forward, it’s hard not to leave the episode feeling a bit uneasy about the path ahead given the way things end here.