10 Most Shocking TV Episode Endings
2. Game Of Thrones - The Rains Of Castamere
"Now you know why your nerdy friends were depressed thirteen years ago."-- George R. R. Martin, responding to the aftermath of this episode.
This entry is cheating a little, as Game of Thrones quickly grew a reputation for having massive, game-changing moments in the ninth episode of each season. After Ned's beheading in season 1 and the battle for King's Landing in season 2, people were expecting something big to happen in this episode. But book-readers aside, nobody expected this.
While some viewers complained that the final scene was needlessly nihilistic, (the words "hopeless" and "what's the point?" were thrown around a lot in the aftermath) this was the episode that turned Game of Thrones from a popular show to a cultural event. Suddenly, everyone was talking about this show, even people who would never usually watch epic fantasy.
With The Rains of Castamere, the show earned its place in pop culture. It cemented itself as a show where nobody felt safe, where everything could change at any moment.