An inherently horrible scene for obvious reasons, the "Bastard Murders" in episode 2.1 - in which the soldiers of King's Landing are ordered by King Joffrey to kill any Baratheon bastards that might be out there in the world in order to cover his right to the throne - also marks one of the most uncomfortable moments in Game of Thrones history. The reason, of course, is because said scene contains moments in which babies are murdered, amongst children and others. You have to ask yourself - was it all too much? By Games of Thrones standards, the scene was not particularly graphic, but was this really something the show felt like it needed to depict? Couldn't there have been a scene where Joffrey is merely told that all the bastards in King's Landing had been taken care of? No matter how you do it, it's gonna be nasty, but there's a lingering feeling that actually showing soldiers killing babies was a step too far for what is essentially a TV show.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
