When Arya and her friends are imprisoned at Harrenhal during Season 2, they encounter a vile man known to them only as The Tickler. Under the orders of the Mountain, Tickler tortures his prisoners for information using an utterly hideous technique. He takes a bucket and places it over the stomach of the person he is interrogating before placing a rat inside. If they refuse to provide information, he lights a fire underneath the bucket, which causes the rat to become distressed and attempt to escape through the stomach of the prisoner. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this results in an incredibly gruesome, slow and painful death for the person being tortured. This moment comes as the events of Game Of Thrones' second season started to hot up. It's a reminder of the real brutality of the universe and a terrifying display of malice towards an innocent character.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
