The Rains of Castamere is the most infamous episode of Game of Thrones. Even non-viewers have heard of the Red Wedding, and it was a moment that shocked pretty much everyone who watched it, even those whod read the books caught at least a little off-guard by the events at the nuptials of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. Although its one sequence, it can be broken down into two separate moments, the first of which makes you sit on the edge of the seat, then fall off it completely while tearing at your hair and screaming an infinite amount of obscenities. Although its a brutal and bloody moment, the key to the build-up is in the subtly of it. Theres the musical shift to Rains of Castamere, and then Catelyn notices that Roose Bolton is wearing armour, and one of the Freys is locking the door. It gradually gets to the moment, leaving the viewers suspenseful that something is going to happen, but with no way to prepare for the massacre that does occur. Men are slaughtered, Robb is hit with multiple arrows and, most shockingly - and a scene book readers had no idea of, as its a TV only character - his heavily pregnant wife Talisa is stabbed repeatedly in the stomach by Lothar Frey. Its that moment that is the end of act 1, if you like, but theres hardly time to draw breath, and even if there was you wouldnt have been physically able to.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
