--- title: Game of Thrones Actors React to Season 5's Biggest Moments description: Kit Harington, Lena Headey and more react to their characters' twists canonical: https://time.com/3921477/game-of-thrones-actor-reactions/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-15T17:43:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:08:30.985Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: What Game of Thrones Actors Said About Season 5's Big Twists og:description: Kit Harington, Lena Headey and more react to their characters' twists og:url: https://time.com/3921477/game-of-thrones-actor-reactions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt664a985172cd6d2e/698853755f570f105cb1bddc/gameofthrones15_186.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4495 og:image:height: 2528 og:image:alt: gameofthrones15_186 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Game of Thrones Actors Said About Season 5's Big Twists twitter:description: Kit Harington, Lena Headey and more react to their characters' twists twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt664a985172cd6d2e/698853755f570f105cb1bddc/gameofthrones15_186.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What _Game of Thrones_ Actors Said About Season 5's Biggest Moments > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Is 'Games of Thrones' Treatment Of Women Too Much? [Watch (HLS stream): Is 'Games of Thrones' Treatment Of Women Too Much?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vn6UV5cw.m3u8) (2:05)  _Published 2015-06-12. This season of 'Game of Thrones' has been brutal towards women. But is it too much?_ by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jun 15, 2015 5:43 PM UTC by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jun 15, 2015 5:43 PM UTC **Warning: Spoilers from the season 5 finale of** **_Game of Thrones_** **follow.** _Game of Thrones’_ fifth season may not have been a complete [crowd pleaser](http://time.com/3920771/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-10-finale-reactions/), but it was certainly full of eventful twists and turns for its characters. From Sansa’s brutal rape scene to Sunday night’s cliffhanger-ridden finale, actors from the show have been weighing in on their characters’ fates all season long. **Sophie Turner on Sansa’s rape:** Fans may have been horrified by Sansa’s brutal wedding night, but actress Sophie Turner [told _Entertainment Weekly_](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/17/game-thrones-sansa-wedding) that she was excited when she saw the script: --- > “” --- **Birgitte Hjort Sorensen on becoming a White Walker** Danish actress Birgitte Hjort Sorensen won viewers over in her one episode as a Wildling killed in an attack by White Walkers. She described shooting the battle scene as reminiscent of childhood fantasy [to the New York _Times_](http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/game-of-thrones-white-walkers-battle-interview-birgitte-hjort-sorensen/): --- > “” --- As for whether we’ll meet her again on the other side of the battlefield, she said she’s not yet sure: “I’ve been told that no one knows what happens in the future on ‘Game of Thrones.’ To my knowledge, I’ve shot one episode. So I’m as excited as anyone else to find out what happens.” ### See The Real-Life People Who Inspired Game of Thrones Characters  From left: Cersei and Margaret of Anjou HBO; Getty Images  From Left: Khaleesi and Queen Elizabeth I. HBO; Getty Images  From Left: Melisandre and Bloody Mary Helen Sloan—HBO; Getty Images  From left: Talisa Stark and Anne Boleyn. Helen Sloan—HBO; Getty Images  From left: Brienne of Tarth and Joan of Arc. HBO; DeAgostini—Getty Images  From left: Henry VIII and Robert Baratheon. HBO; Getty Images  From left: Joffrey and Caligula. HBO; De Agostini—Getty Images **Kerry Ingram on Shireen’s death:** Many thought Shireen’s death by burning was over-the-top gruesome, but the 16-year-old actress took it in stride: > [](https://twitter.com/Kerry%5FIngram/status/608188708408410112) Nevertheless, Liam Cunningham (who plays her friend Davos) [told the New York _Times_](http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/game-of-thrones-interview-davos-shireen/?%5Fr=1), “It did hurt.” --- > “” --- **Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage on their characters meeting:** Tyrion and Daenerys are two of the most cunning political minds on _Game of Thrones_, yet for much of the series they have lived worlds apart. In season five, they finally met and began to unite forces, much to the delight of viewers. Clarke[ told _EW_ ](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/03/game-thrones-dinklage-clarke-interview)that their scenes together were a pleasure to shoot: --- > “” --- Dinklage, for his part, saw their conversation as the beginning of a professional development for his character: --- > “” --- **Kit Harington on Jon Snow’s death:** Harington knew what was coming for his character before he saw the script, but was pleased with the way the episode actually played out, [telling _EW_](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/14/game-thrones-jon-dies-interview), “I didn’t realize it would be the final shot of the season and that made it extra special. As to whether Snow might not be dead after all, or might be raised from the dead, he said the show-runners phrased it to him in no uncertain terms: “I’ve been told I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m not coming back next season. So that’s all I can tell you, really.” **Lena Headey on Cersei’s walk of shame:** Say what you will about the conniving Cersei, but watching her walk naked through the city as penance for her sins was a brutal moment for the season 5 finale. Actress Lena Headey [told _EW_ ](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/14/game-thrones-walk-shame)she doesn’t think anyone deserves that treatment. --- > “” --- Let the countdown begin until another season filled with brutal fates for characters good and evil—season 6 arrives in April 2016. ## Transcript Has Game of Thrones gone too far for viewers? That's been the question hanging over most of the fifth season of Game of Thrones, which has depicted rapes, attempted rapes, brutality against women, and women being literally caged. Spoilers by the way. Now the series obviously does not shy away from brutal scenes In fact fans have come to expect and even anticipate scenes like the infamous red wedding in season three, and the day that the knights watch finally encountered the white walkers. But the backlash over Sansa's rape scene, Shareen's unbearable death, and even Gillie's attempted rape has gotten so strong that Martin was forced to address the influx of email complaints on his blog. He said Please stop emailing me about them, or posting off topic comments here on my Not a Blog. Yes, I know that The Hollywood Reporter named me the third most powerful writer in Hollywood. You would be surprised at how little that means. Over the past seasons, Martin has made a point to acknowledge the fact that the HBO show and his series of books are two completely separate entities. But some of the more brutal female plot lines such as Sharine's extremely hard to watch sacrificial scene seemed to actually stick with the book. Show runner David Benioff confirmed in the Inside the Episode video that this plot line was suggested by Martin. When George first told us about this. It was one of those moments where I remember looking at Dan and It was just like, oh that's so horrible and so good in the story sense because it all comes together. There have been scenes of female empowerment like when Brienne battled the Hound or when Daenerys emerged from a flaming pyre alive and with Baby Dragon. But this season, there doesn't seem to be the same balance between positive and negative plotlines. Besides the rapes and the deaths, we've seen both Margaery and Cersei thrown into prison. Denearys constantly battling the masked Sons of the Harpy, and Arya essentially stuck in the House of Black and White washing dead bodies. So this season begs the question, when are the women going to get a break? 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