4.03 Breaker of Chains

[Culhwch]

Tyrion ponders his options. Tywin extends an olive branch. Sam realizes Castle Black isn’t safe, and Jon proposes a bold plan. The Hound teaches Arya the way things are. Dany chooses her champion.

 

[Mouse]

I haven't watched this episode yet, so what follows may be spoilers if you've not yet watched it either. But, if someone who has watched it can confirm this for me, that'd be great. Cos if this is true, I probably won't be watching.

I've just read that Jaime rapes Cersei in this episode. Been reading people's comments about it over on the Facebook GOT group - didn't realise they were talking about the ep, otherwise I wouldn't have read it. One man's comment was 'I know I should be against rape, but Cersei's so evil I was cheering Jaime on.' RAGE. So, if a woman's horrible she deserves to be raped??? Are there going to be other men watching this episode, cheering Jaime on? That makes me so angry.

I don't recall Jaime ever raping Cersei in the books.

 

[Dozmonic]

I don't recall it happening in the books either.

In the episode she's saying no, but not putting up much of a fight physically. I know in some cultures that's a grey area, but I'd consider it rape. Thankfully it was quite a short part of the episode.

 

[Mouse]

If someone says no and the other person does it anyway, that's rape. So yeah, looks like I'll be giving this ep a miss then! What an idiotic decision by the writers.

 

[RebeccaTheWrecker]

Yeah, the scene in the book was consensual. In the book, if I remember correctly, she said no then changed her mind and said yes. In the TV show, she just said no. It really set back Jaime's character - the one who wouldn't let Brienne, a woman he barely knew, get raped. All that development for nothing. I'll probably continue to like him, but only because I know book Jaime. Those who only watch the show may not be able to.

 

[Culhwch]

Yeah, that was a strange choice by the writers for sure. I'm not sure what their motivation was there - but perhaps they are taking Jaime's character in a different direction. Not a pleasant scene. Felt like it was done for shock value more than anything.

 

[Lenny]

It seemed to be a theme throughout the entire episode - here are characters you've probably come to like doing horrible things because, deep down, they are monsters (and always have been):

* Littlefinger had Ser Dontos killed after being instrumental in his plan to dispose of Joffrey
* Ygritte picks off a father walking home with his young son
* Jaime forces himself upon his grieving sister
* The Hound assaults and steals from a farmer and his daughter who fed him and Arya and put them up for the night

Dany may be the one breaking literal chains, but every POV story (not just these four) saw the characters breaking chains in some form or fashion (apart from Tyrion, of course).

---

And episode thoughts:

* Charles Dance showed, once again, why he's playing Tywin, with a fantastic lesson of what makes a good King to Tommen in front of his brother's body.

* Dany is actually having a badass story at the beginning of the series! How novel.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Jaime raping Cersei over the funeral bier of their eldest son takes the award of being the most ridiculous thing I've had the misfortune to watch.

I was wondering whether to cancel Sky after Season 4 finishes, but I've already done it as I've lost interest in the series. Calling it "Dynasty in armour" would actually be a higher praise than it demands, because now it's nothing more than random conflict for it's own sake, and none of the characters are worth caring for.

It's just people doing random brutal things to each other, with porn intermissions. It's little different to Penthouse's Caligula.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

I was also very disappointed with the way they decided to do that scene. I'm about done with the show, although I'm sure I'll end up continuing to watch it. The sex, nudity, rape, etc is just getting to be too much, and a bit annoying. I feel like they think they have to outdo themselves with every new episode. It's not working in their favor.

 

[svalbard]

I was also very disappointed with the way they decided to do that scene. I'm about done with the show, although I'm sure I'll end up continuing to watch it. The sex, nudity, rape, etc is just getting to be too much, and a bit annoying. I feel like they think they have to outdo themselves with every new episode. It's not working in their favor.

The ratings would seem to disagree with you. For a TV channel that is all that matters. If they continue to get high viewing numbers, the producers will feel that any changes they have made are justified.

 

[ArstenWhitebeard]

I guess I have to play Devil's Advocate here, but I had no issues with the scene in question. Not that I would ever condone rape, and i certainly wasn't cheering Jaime on, but this show is doing a pretty good job of telling a very brutal story and this scene fit in with scenes like the Red Wedding or Joffrey's Death. How many people were happy to see Joffrey die and were glad that he suffered? Joffrey, for everything else he was, was like 15 years old when he died. Apparently murdering evil children is okay but semi-unconsensual sex with a completely evil b*tch is going to far.

again, I am not condoning what Jaime did, and it was very uncomfortable to watch, but I think it fit in with the rest of the show and story, just as it did in the books.

 

[Phyrebrat]

For all my mithering and complaining about the amount of sex/deviant sex/fetishisation of demeaning women sexually in GOT, I have to say that I didn't consider it rape, and was more disgusted by the fact that they were doing it at Joffrey's 'pyre' (or whatever it's called).

It may be a miscalculation in the choreography of the scene, and whilst Cersei is indeed saying 'no', she has her left leg wrapped high around Jaime's waist and at times is kissing him. To me that's not the physicality of a woman who considers she's being raped.

I had to watch this largely tedious episode twice as my partner is a total GOT fan. I still think it's more indicative of Cersei's mental and emotional landscape than anything else. However, the glut of hateful sex in the show means that it's easier to see this as rape.

IMO

pH