'Game of Thrones' Season 6 News: Writer Natalie Dormer Defends Rape Scene in Season 5
"Game of Thrones" showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff, and writer-producer Bryan Cogman, who wrote the season 5 episode "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken," have mostly tried to keep away from discussions of the controversial rape scene in that episode. But in the upcoming DVD release of the popular HBO fantasy drama's fifth season, Cogman weighed in on the controversy and explained why the rape scene had to be included in the episode.
The rape scene in question is, of course, the one where Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) is raped by Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) on their wedding night as Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) is forced to witness the act. After it aired, the scene was heavily criticized worldwide.
In the season 5 DVD, Cogman explained that they had decided to combine Sansa's storyline with that of the character (Jeyne Pool) pretending to be the eldest Stark daughter in the George R.R. Martin novels, because they felt that it would be "hugely dramatically satisfying" to have the real Sansa back at Winterfell while it was occupied by enemies. She also had to be reunited with Theon, which is essential to setting her on the path to reclaiming her family's seat and emerging as a major player in the larger "Game of Thrones" story.
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But when they decided to bring the real Sansa to Winterfell to be wedded to Ramsay, they also had to consider what would realistically happen on her wedding night, thus the rape scene. Cogman also reacted to suggestions that Sansa should have killed Ramsay during the scene, saying that not everyone can be Sansa's sister Arya (Maisie Williams). In the DVD, the writer-producer also got emotional talking about the scene, admitting that it was "very difficult" for him to write it, having known Turner since she was a little girl.
"I think it was the attack on our motives behind it that upset me," he explained. "Because I love these characters. I've spent the better part of the last decade with these characters, and I love these actors … and it's … very personal to me and it's not an easy thing to put a character that I love through a scene like this."
Actress Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell on the show, also spoke up about the reactions to the infamous scene, telling the Sunday Times newspaper, "The horror of human nature is prevalent in our world, and I appreciate that some people want to turn on the telly for escapism — but if that's what you want, don't watch 'Game of Thrones.'"
"Game of Thrones" returns to HBO on April 24.
