By TIME Staff
Warning: Spoilers for Sunday night’s episode ‘The Dance of Dragons’ to follow
There was plenty of Internet hate for Stannis Baratheon after Sunday night’s Game of Thrones, which saw the character oversee the burning at the stake of his own daughter Shireen, a sacrifice he hopes will turn his flagging fate around. But showrunner Dan Weiss says it’s all part of what makes Game of Thrones the show it is.
“Horrible things happening to people in this show, and this is one that we thought was entirely [narratively] justified,” Weiss told Entertainment Weekly. “It was set-up by the predicament that Stannis was in. It will be awful to see, but it’s supposed to be awful.”
Read more at Entertainment Weekly
See The Real-Life People Who Inspired Game of Thrones Characters
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![Portrait of Henry VIII. By Hans Holbein Date c. 1540. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) and claimant to the Kingdom of France.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/melisandre-bloody-mary.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Portrait of Henry VIII. By Hans Holbein Date c. 1540. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) and claimant to the Kingdom of France.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/anne-boleyn-talisa.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/brienne-of-tarth-joan-of-arc.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Portrait of Henry VIII. By Hans Holbein Date c. 1540. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Portrait of Henry VIII. By Hans Holbein Date c. 1540. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) and claimant to the Kingdom of France.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/king-henry-viii-robert-borathean-copy.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/joffrey-caligula.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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