Fans of the television series are likely still reeling from the after-effects of the Red Wedding in ‘The Rains of Castamere,’ which premiered Sunday on HBO, and book fans are still drinking in all the delicious sadness of those around them. But everyone can agree that the events that unfolded at the end of the third season’s 9th episode were the makings of television history.
Of course, longtime TV show fans shouldn’t be too shocked, after the groundbreaking 9th episode of first season, where the series’ assumed protagonist, Ned Stark, lost a very vital organ at the hands of an executioner. The second series brought a relatively tame second season — in terms of main characters staying alive — which laid the groundwork for the action-packed third season. There were a few close calls — Tyrion’s life-threatening attack at Blackwater Bay and Theon’s unknown fate after sacking Winterfell — but we mainly said goodbye to lovable red-shirt side characters, such as Maester Luwin, Renly, and a couple unfortunate farmboys.
But there was something about the Red Wedding that no one saw coming, and yet, perhaps should have, knowing how George R.R. Martin likes to deal swift justice to those who don’t act in the best interests of the realm.
This featurette provides a behind-the-scenes look into the minds of showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, and their thoughts about the most anticipated episode of the series, how to structure a scene that makes audiences more uncomfortable than ever imagined possible, and what it’s like to say goodbye to the talented actors we’ve come to love over the past couple years.
This Sunday, the final episode of season 3 of ‘Game of Thrones’ airs on HBO. After that, the long winter between episodes begins.
