It has been more than a decade since we got one of the most disturbing episodes in any TV show, the Red Wedding. The event shown in Season 3 Episode 9 titled The Rains of Castamere continues to haunt Game of Thrones fans to date. But George R.R. Martin loved a major aspect that made the episode more significant in the history of television.
One of the most striking elements of the Red Wedding was its shock value. Initially, this shock value was at risk as George R.R. Martin’s readers already knew the inevitable. But the author was surprised how none of the readers spoiled the fun. Instead, they got together in a worldwide trend to show how their close ones were affected by the scene.
George R.R. Martin thanks his fans for achieving this major feat during the Red Wedding
While the execution of Ned Stark almost made it evident that anything can happen to anybody in GoT, Red Wedding was the ultimate stamp that plot armor does not exist in George R.R. Martin‘s universe.
Considered one of the greatest betrayals in pop culture, the Red Wedding was the fateful event where Richard Madden’s Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their entire army were killed by The Freys. According to The Guardian, George R.R. Martin was highly impressed how none of the readers of A Song of Ice and Fire spoiled the iconic tragedy to the non-reading viewers.
Martin added that the fans not only kept the scene a secret but also pulled off a historical task by recording the shocking reactions of dismay and shock of their loved ones.
Suddenly, there were videos all over the internet of people reacting to the Red Wedding, all set up by their relatives who wanted to capture the grief and shock of their husbands, wives, siblings… Has that ever happened in the history of television? Not as far as I know.
The Red Wedding went on to be one of the most heartbreaking and painfully beautiful stories ever shown on television. The penultimate episode of the third season also marked the final appearance of two of the most significant GoT stars Richard Madden and Michelle Fairley.
What made the Red Wedding so hauntingly beautiful to watch?
As the Game of Thrones progressed towards its end, countless events shocked the audiences. While the earlier seasons had the readers of George R.R. Martin’s works prepared, the latter seasons also shocked them due to the unavailability of source materials.
Many fans may argue that nothing was as shocking as Daenerys Targaryen going mad and taking down all of King’s Landing as well as the quality of the finale. But jokes aside, hardly anything was comparable to the pain felt in the eyes of Robb and Catelyn Stark as everything fell apart before them.
While numerous Pedro Pascal admirers must have felt disastrous when his Oberyn Martell faced the most surprising and scariest death, the scene of Rob Stark’s dead body being marched with the head of his dire wolf still brings bad memories. The episode also boasted a cinematic beauty as the dreadful event slowly unfolded with the ominous tune of The Rains of Castamere.
Screen Rant reports that George R.R. Martin was also inspired by certain historical events to create such a stellar scene. Notably, the author used the Black Dinner of 1440 and the Glencoe Massacre of 1692 to shape one of the most memorable Game of Thrones moments ever.
All the episodes of Game of Thrones can be streamed on Max.
