A magnificent ensemble of some of the most notorious villains on television was seen on Game of Thrones. While some villains are merely unpleasant, the audience cheers for the aspirations of the ambitious ones. Ramsay Bolton, played by Iwan Rheon, was a hybrid of the two, but occasionally more brutal than ambitious. Rheon didn’t enjoy the part, but he gave it everything he had, enduring a battering for the whole day in what was perhaps one of the most gratifying Game of Thrones climax sequences.
Game of Thrones showrunners wanted a brutal death for Ramsay
Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were among the millions of Game of Thrones fans who wanted Ramsay to have the most brutal death scene possible. Director Miguel Sapochnik, who filmed the sequence, recalled in an interview with EW:
“I must admit I kind of wanted to make people start to feel for Ramsay in that wonderful way Thrones turns these things on their head but [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] were clear: They didn’t want anyone to sympathize with Ramsay Bolton and this time they wanted blood.”
“In a way I agree, this is not a time to be morally ambiguous. Ramsay needs to die, and horribly. This is what the audience has been waiting to see. That said, there’s no need to dwell on the actual carnage. What’s left to our imagination is always way worse. “
Sansa’s reaction to Ramsay’s death completed the scene
Sapochnik further talked about how Sansa’s reaction was key to the sequence, “The most effective moment for me was the sound of a squealing pig you hear from Ramsay in the background as Sansa walks away. Apparently it’s actually what happens when you rip someone’s wind pipe open while they’re still alive and gasping for air.
The other thing I loved was the close-up shot of Sansa as she watches the dogs attack. There’s a moment where she turns to leave but then stops and leans back in, lingering a moment longer. It’s my favorite shot of my episodes this year.”
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