Breaking the rules of guest right and removing the Northern forces from the War of the Five Kings in one fell swoop, the Red Wedding was probably the single most devastating event of the show so far, even eclipsing the execution of Ned Stark in Season 1. It appalled even the strategic Tyrion Lannister, whose fortunes were greatly improved by the deaths of Robb and Catelyn Stark. Tywin may have orchestrated it, and Walder Frey may have set the stage, but the Red Wedding never would have occurred were it not for the mercenary opportunism of Roose Bolton. "The Lannisters send their regards," said Roose, and he shoved a blade through his liege lord's heart. As it happens, he is also the lord of an ancestral home known as the "Dreadfort," bearer of a flayed man as a sigil, and father to flaying-enthusiast Ramsay Snow, so his odds of remaining on the side of the good guys even without the Red Wedding were pretty slim. Overall, Roose Bolton is a particularly despicable character in a show filled with despicable characters. And yet...Michael McElhatton is magnetic on screen, and his voice is shiver-inducing. He is sinister in a way that other Game of Thrones villains are not, and the strains of "The Rains of Castamere" as played at the Red Wedding will forever recall him as well as the Lannisters. Also, on a lighter note, watching him troll Jaime Lannister at Harrenhal in Season 3 was pretty funny. Granted, this was pre-Red Wedding and Roose wasn't so clearly evil yet, but Jaime's redemption arc doesn't exactly cancel out certain of his past misdeeds. Whether Bolton was making puns about hands or taunting Jaime with word of his sister's fate, it was just fun to watch him toy with Jaime a little bit. Roose Bolton is a terrible man, but he is a remarkable character. Watch Roose Bolton Welcome Jaime Lannister To Harrenhal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfXCZF8Pbuo
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
