15 Times S**t Got Real In Game Of Thrones
6. "I Demand A Trial By Combat"
Tyrion Lannister is probably the greatest political mind in Westeros, rivalled only by Lady Olenna, Varys and his father, Tywin.
His initial trial saw the deck stacked against him immeasurably and, thanks to his family's secret deals and the absence of any allies, his fate was all but sealed. With the addition of Shae's hurtful false testimony his heart was broken.
A backdoor deal between Jaime and Tywin offered Tyrion one chance at life; a plea for clemency that would have him sent to The Wall for the rest of his days.
Shae proved however to be just too much for Tyrion to take. Seeing his hopeless predicament and knowing it was his family and lover that had engineered it, a scathing tirade of hard truths and vitriol poured fourth from him. A moment that was as cathartic as it was tense.
In a spiteful but not completely unwise gambit, he snatched away control of his fate from Tywin and Cersei. Coming completely out of left field, this outburst confronted the issues Tyrion had faced since the beginning of the show and beyond. For a show that is as fond of dancing around the truth as it is killing people you like, this was a harrowing but exciting departure.
It stands as one of the few moments the show made us both cringe and punch the air.