"Game of Thrones" co-creator D.B Weiss explained the reason for the awful death scene in the show's recent episode on Sunday. Considered one of the most horrifying deaths in the show as reported in The Wrap, fans were said to be outraged and disgusted with the death of an innocent character. [Spoiler Alert!]
According to Weiss, the death was "entirely justified." Episode 9 featured Stannis facing a difficult decision. According to the interview done by Entertainment Weekly, Weiss said that the episode was "set up by the predicament that Stannis was in. It will be awful to see, but it's supposed to be awful," referring to the death of Stannis Baratheon's adolescent daughter Shireen. She did not just die in the show but was killed by her own parents at the urging of Melisandre, Stannis' magical mistress. The young girl was burned alive and was meant as a sacrifice to appease the Lord of Light, which is a powerful entity that was already seen in the previous season.
Weiss added that the awful death may have gone too far for some of the fans but should inspire a larger debate as to how the viewers should view which characters deserve their empathy. He was quoted as saying, "I totally understand where that visceral reaction comes from. I have that same reaction."
David Benioff, another co-creator of the show, justified the death by arguing that the show has been building up for this moment since the character of Stannis was introduced. In the behind-the-scenes video for the episode, Benioff said, "The very first time we saw Stannis and Melisandre, they were burning people alive on the beaches of Dragonstone and it's really all come to this."
Episode 10 of "Game of Thrones" Season 5, which is the season's finale, will be aired on June 14.
