Last week’s “Game of Thrones” ended on possibly the most controversial scene in the show’s five year history: the rape of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) by her new husband, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). With little else dominating the discussion for the past week, would “The Gift” follow up on this moment that left some fans saying, “I’m done,” and others defending the show?
Here’s every big moment that happened this week — and let’s see if this episode ends up being as fractious as last week’s:
Let’s get this one out of the way first, because it’s definitely what we’ve been waiting to know all week long. Sansa hasn’t just been raped the once: Ramsay has been keeping her locked in her room, assaulting her each and every night. She’s sobbing, beaten, and barely wearing any clothes. And it’s here that Reek (Alfie Allen) approaches her.
She begs him to help her, calls him Theon, says it can’t get any worse. “It can always be worse,” mutters Reek. She tells him that there are people who will help her, all he has to do is put a candle in the North tower. He says he can’t, he’s just the lowly Reek… And there, she stiffens up, looks him in the eye. “Your name is Theon Greyjoy,” she tells him, which gives him the strength to march out… And straight to Ramsay.
It’s a heartbreaking moment, and doesn’t necessarily excuse what happened last week — but the agency, the strength Sansa shows proves that Ramsay didn’t break her. He attacked her, she’s not letting it go… And if anything, she’s pulling strength from it.
Though she gives as good as she gets in a conversation with Ramsay, pointedly noting that his royal decreed title was given to him by another bastard — Tommen — and it seems she’s gotten the upper hand… The problem is, she can’t match Ramsay for physical cruelty. He’s not just discovered her plot to leave, he killed and crucified the woman who was going to help Sansa escape.
Crying, Sansa is returned to her room… And us to the ongoing conversation.
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