The Sansa Stark Scene In Game Of Thrones That Went Way Too Far

HBO's "Game of Thrones" did an excellent job of providing non-fantasy fans with a fantasy series they could truly get behind. Sure, it had its fair share of dragons, ice zombie hordes, and genre-appropriate costumes, but they were balanced out by the heavy focus on political intrigue, family drama, and no-holds-barred action. These elements and more were packaged in a dark, dreary aesthetic that rejected the traditionally fun, light-hearted presentation of fantasy media. In doing so, the program took things a bit too far now and again.

Despite its once strong foothold on popular culture, "GoT" wasn't for all viewers of all ages. Multiple episodes depicted gruesome sequences on the battlefield, subjected viewers to unsettlingly graphic sexual scenarios, and showcased the sadly necessary deaths of countless characters, good and evil alike. Over time, it was understood that screening "Game of Thrones" meant facing uncomfortable imagery, and the majority of fans became fairly desensitized to its boundary-pushing nature. Nevertheless, the showrunners still found new ways to catch audiences off-guard here and there.

For example, there's one specific scene involving Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) — one of the few Stark family members who survived to the end of "Game of Thrones" — that's a lot to handle.

In the premiere episode of "Game of Thrones," Sansa Stark was introduced and tragically embarked on a horrific journey from that point on. She had to endure much of her family getting brutally murdered and suffer through not one but two dreadful arranged marriages. The first was to the remorseless Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), who abused and manipulated Sansa but met his end early on in their relationship. Then there was Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), a cruel, sadistic excuse for a human being who made the lives of Sansa, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), and several others as unbearable as could be — loving every minute of it.

Much like Joffrey before him, Ramsay's reign of terror eventually screeched to a halt when Jon Snow (Kit Harington) ousted him from power in Winterfell. He was then thrown in prison and confronted by a liberated and vengeful Sansa, who sends his dogs — the ones who'd torn so many of his rivals to shreds — to kill him. On her command, they savagely ripped him apart, and though the fullest extent of his mutilation wasn't shown on-screen, his screams of terror were proof enough that his final moments were far from peaceful.

After seeing Ramsay destroy lives left and right while getting a sick sense of satisfaction from it all, it's hard to deny that he deserved the punishment he received. At the same time, as Screen Rant points out, it didn't feel right to cheer on Sansa stooping to his level, no matter how much pain he caused. She could have been the bigger person and left him to rot or find another way to give him his just deserts, but she preferred to take things a step too far.