2015-05-28, 09:20 PM
I think the reason people are so upset is because Sansa is a character they essentially grew up with, so to speak. They watched her grow into the person she is now. So it hurts a lot more to see her raped 5 years into the series than Daenerys, who was basically raped in Episode 1 (or did they wait until 2?). Basically, the opposite transition happened between the two characters.
Daenerys started off weak and a device, and grew into a powerful figure.
Sansa started off strong (in that her family was strong and she was in a place of power), and has been reduced to the point where she gets raped and has no control what so ever over the situation. Additionally, this nearly happened 2-3 other times in the show alone and was always able to escape it. So the fact that she finally hit a situation where she was unable to escape really hits some people.
I think the scene is bad, but more because of the scenario where Theon/Reek is forced to watch. Someone who literally watched her grow up from a girl is forced to watch said girl get raped and there's nothing he can do about it. Additionally, I feel like the scene is a reverse on her character development. She's supposed to be becoming strong, able to hold herself up, and able to manipulate others to her needs. That's supposed to be what she learned from Littlefinger, and she started exhibiting this at the end of Season 4. But then, it all gets abandoned suddenly. She doesn't even make a single attempt to defend herself, which you'd think she would have learned to do by now in some way (secreted knife in that giant dress somewhere?).
I think the argument that people use is bad (in that they are just plainly disgusted at the showing of rape on the show), because it's been done before and I would be surprised if it doesn't get done again. However I do think that in its own way the scene was anti-climatic to Sansa's story. When she's finally in a position to utilize the experience Littlefinger gave her, she doesn't, when she was clearly showing signs of learning how to do things differently.
Daenerys started off weak and a device, and grew into a powerful figure.
Sansa started off strong (in that her family was strong and she was in a place of power), and has been reduced to the point where she gets raped and has no control what so ever over the situation. Additionally, this nearly happened 2-3 other times in the show alone and was always able to escape it. So the fact that she finally hit a situation where she was unable to escape really hits some people.
I think the scene is bad, but more because of the scenario where Theon/Reek is forced to watch. Someone who literally watched her grow up from a girl is forced to watch said girl get raped and there's nothing he can do about it. Additionally, I feel like the scene is a reverse on her character development. She's supposed to be becoming strong, able to hold herself up, and able to manipulate others to her needs. That's supposed to be what she learned from Littlefinger, and she started exhibiting this at the end of Season 4. But then, it all gets abandoned suddenly. She doesn't even make a single attempt to defend herself, which you'd think she would have learned to do by now in some way (secreted knife in that giant dress somewhere?).
I think the argument that people use is bad (in that they are just plainly disgusted at the showing of rape on the show), because it's been done before and I would be surprised if it doesn't get done again. However I do think that in its own way the scene was anti-climatic to Sansa's story. When she's finally in a position to utilize the experience Littlefinger gave her, she doesn't, when she was clearly showing signs of learning how to do things differently.