8 Shocking Game Of Thrones Scenes That Could Change TV Forever

8. Cersei And Jaime Are Discovered

Winter Is Coming | Season 1 | Episode 1 What better place to start than with a scene from the first episode. The audience was already aware this was an unusual TV program, with a number of locations, sprawling cast and fictional customs crammed into the episode's first 45 minutes, but the final scene really was startling. Bran climbs to the top of the highest tower in Winterfell and unexpectedly stumbles upon the Queen having sex with her brother Jaime. Most shows would have ended the episode at this point - the perfect 'cliffhanger'. However, this was not the case. Jaime instead strides to the window and pushes Bran out. Of course we learn an episode or two later that Bran will live (minus his ability to walk), but the subject matter and cruelty in this one scene really pushes the boundaries of what an audience can expect from a television show. Incest and infanticide are rarely dealt with at all on prime time TV, let alone in the same scene. Whether it's your cup of tea or not, it's certainly bold. Ever since the first episode, the show has eschewed 'cliffhangers', and particularly in relation to the bigger, more important episodes, opted to make something more self-contained. This is not merely coming from Game of Thrones - it is a hallmark of many top shows at the moment - but it's certainly leading the charge.