Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

The Waif tells Arya that to pass the Game of Faces she must be able to convincingly lie. Arya plays with Jaqen, who is able to detect that Arya is lying about her hatred for the Hound, despite her insistence to the contrary. Later, when a man brings his sick daughter to the temple so that she can die in peace, Arya lies to her that she was ill like her in the past and gives her the temple's poisoned water to end her suffering. Jaqen takes Arya to a chamber where the Faceless Men store the faces of all the people that have died in the temple and tells her that she is not yet ready to become no one, but she is ready to become someone else.

Tyrion tells Jorah that his father Jeor is dead. Soon after, they are captured by slavers. After hearing that Daenerys has reopened the fighting pits, Tyrion convinces the slavers to take them to Meereen, saying that Jorah is an accomplished warrior.

Baelish arrives in King's Landing and tells Cersei that Sansa will marry Ramsay at Winterfell, and gets her approval to lead the Knights of the Vale to destroy the victor of Stannis' attack on the Boltons and be named Warden of the North. Olenna arrives and tells Cersei that her actions have put the Lannister-Tyrell alliance in peril, but Cersei claims that she had nothing to do with Loras' arrest. At Loras' inquest, the High Sparrow interrogates Loras and Margaery, who both deny that Loras is homosexual. Olyvar testifies against Loras and the Faith Militant arrests Loras; Margaery is also arrested for perjury.

Trystane Martell professes his love for Myrcella and insists they will be married one day. As the Sand Snakes prepare to abduct Myrcella, Bronn and Jaime disguise themselves as Dornish guards and infiltrate the Water Gardens to rescue her first. A skirmish between the two parties ensues before Dornish guards, led by Areo Hotah, arrive and arrest both groups. Ellaria Sand is also taken into custody.

Before her wedding to Ramsay, Sansa is visited by Myranda claiming she was ordered to bathe her. While doing so, Myranda tries to intimidate Sansa by telling her not to bore Ramsay like "all the other girls". After his wedding to Sansa, Ramsay takes her to his chambers and rapes her. A horrified Theon attempts to leave, but Ramsay forces him to stay and watch.

File:Bryan Cogman Fan Photograph (cropped).jpg

This episode was written by the series producer Bryan Cogman, who has written at least one episode in every season of the show. It contains some content from George Martin's novel A Feast for Crows, chapters Arya II, The Queenmaker, Cat of the Canals, and Cersei X and A Dance with Dragons, chapters the Ugly Little Girl, Tyrion X, and the Prince of Winterfell, though series consultant Elio Garcia describes the portrayal of some of these events as "vastly different" from the original.{{cite web|url=http://www.westeros.org/GoT/Episodes/Entry/Unbowed_Unbent_Unbroken/Book_Spoilers/#Book_to_Screen|title=EP506: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken|last1=Garcia|first1=Elio|last2=Antonsson|first2=Linda|work=Westeros.org|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2015}}

Like other episodes this season, it also included content and storylines written specifically for the television adaptation. Myles McNutt of A.V. Club points out that this changes the way the viewers interpret the showrunner's decisions. When describing his opinion of the decision to show Sansa raped by Ramsay on their wedding night (a storyline given to a different character, Jeyne Poole, in the books),{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2015/05/19/its-a-stark-reality-outrage-over-sansa-rape-scene-misses-the-point/|title=It's a Stark reality: Outrage over Sansa rape scene misses the point|last=Stewart|first=Sara|work=New York Post|date=May 19, 2015|access-date=May 19, 2015}} he compares the scene to a similar one between Daenerys and Drogo in season one (which was consensual in the novels): "While we could frame the shifted events of Dany and Khal Drogo’s wedding night in light of where we knew Dany’s story was going, here we have no idea what this does to Sansa’s storyline."{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/tvclub/game-thrones-experts-unbowed-unbent-unbroken-219563|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520213559/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/game-thrones-experts-unbowed-unbent-unbroken-219563|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 20, 2015|title=Game of Thrones (experts): "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"|last=McNutt|first=Myles|work=AV Club|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2015}} Most critics questioned the decision to show Sansa raped on her wedding night, but, as Business Insider pointed out, "The book version of this scene was much, much worse," with Theon ordered, graphically, to participate in Jeyne's mistreatment.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-sansa-wedding-2015-5/|title=The biggest scene on Sunday's 'Game of Thrones' was toned down dramatically from the books|last=Renfro|first=Kim|work=Business Insider|date=May 18, 2015|access-date=May 19, 2015}} In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, show writer Bryan Cogman was asked about the decision to decrease the level of violence, responding, "Lord no. No-no-no-no-no. No. It’s still a shared form of abuse that they have to endure, Sansa and Theon. But it’s not the extreme torture and humiliation that scene in the book is."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/17/game-thrones-sansa-ramsay-interview?hootPostID=946f5fbe46c5ea4b1f185fca1cb9cbd4/|title=Game of Thrones producer explains Sansa's wedding night horror|last=Hibbard|first=James|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 19, 2015}}

However, in other ways, the episode veers back to book canon: "Whereas Loras’ arrest suggested the show was replacing Margaery's alleged dalliances with his homosexuality, here the show gradually builds to Margaery's arrest for lying on her brother's behalf."

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He also directed the previous episode, "Kill the Boy".{{cite magazine |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/15/game-of-thrones-season-5-directors/ |title='Game of Thrones' season 5 directors chosen |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=James |last=Hibberd |date=July 15, 2014 |access-date=July 15, 2014}}

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" was watched by 6.24 million American viewers during its first airing.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/19/sunday-cable-ratings-game-of-thrones-tops-night-keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-mad-men-more/405665/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521012355/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/19/sunday-cable-ratings-game-of-thrones-tops-night-keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-mad-men-more/405665/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 21, 2015|title=Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Tops Night + 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Mad Men' & More|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|work=TV by the Numbers|date=May 19, 2015|access-date=May 19, 2015}} With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 8.79 million viewers, and a 4.5 in the 18-49 demographic.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/01/game-of-thrones-leads-adults-18-49-viewership-gains-orphan-black-tops-percentage-increases-in-live-7-cable-ratings-for-week-ending-may-17/410970/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602094243/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/01/game-of-thrones-leads-adults-18-49-viewership-gains-orphan-black-tops-percentage-increases-in-live-7-cable-ratings-for-week-ending-may-17/410970/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 2, 2015|title='Game of Thrones' Leads Adults 18-49 & Viewership Gains, 'Orphan Black' Tops Percentage Increases in Live +7 Cable Ratings for Week Ending May 17|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|work=TV by the Numbers|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=June 1, 2015}} In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.285 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.126 million timeshift viewers.{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-10?|title=Top 10 Ratings (18-24 May 2015)|work=BARB|access-date=April 7, 2016}}

The episode received polarized reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received a 54% approval rating from 50 critics with a rating average of 7.55 out of 10, the lowest of any episode in the series at that time. The critical consensus states: "Unbalanced storytelling and unnecessary, excessive brutality add up to disturbing viewing, although 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' still includes enough plot revelations to offer hope for future episodes."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game-of-thrones/s05/e06/|title=Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken at Rotten Tomatoes|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=May 19, 2015}} The majority of professional criticism concerned the decision to have Ramsay rape Sansa on their wedding night, with most critics describing the scene as gratuitous and artistically unnecessary. "This grim scene was difficult for the show to justify," said Charlotte Runcie of The Daily Telegraph.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/11608928/Game-of-Thrones-Unbowed-Unbent-Unbroken-season-5-episode-6-review.html|title=Game of Thrones: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, season 5 episode 6, review: 'raw emotion'|last=Runcie|first=Charlotte|work=The Telegraph|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2015}} Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair added, "this rape scene undercuts all the agency that’s been growing in Sansa since the end of last season. [...] I’d never advocate that Game of Thrones (or any work of fiction) shy away from edgy plots out of fear of pushback or controversy. But edgy plots should always accomplish something above pure titillation or shock value and what, exactly, was accomplished here?" Christopher Orr wrote in The Atlantic, "I continue to be astonished that showrunners Benioff and Weiss still apparently believe that their tendency to ramp up the sex, violence, and—especially—sexual violence of George R.R. Martin’s source material is a strength rather than the defining weakness of their adaptation."{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/05/game-of-thrones-roundtable-season-5-episode-six-unbowed-unbent-unbroken/393503/|title=Game of Thrones: A Pointless Horror and a Ridiculous Fight|last1=Kornhaber|first1=Spencer|last2=Orr|first2=Christopher|last3=Sullivan|first3=Amy|work=The Atlantic|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2015}} Myles McNutt of The A.V. Club wrote, "The issue with the show returning to rape as a trope is not simply because there have been thinkpieces speaking out against it, and is not solely driven by the rational concerns lying at the heart of those thinkpieces. It’s also that the show has lost my faith as a viewer." Writers from Vanity Fair, The Mary Sue and The Daily Beast all disapproved of the decision to use Sansa's victimization as a motivating agent for Theon, saying that the scene undermined Sansa's character development: "Was it really important to make that scene about Theon's pain?" wrote Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/game-of-thrones-rape-sansa-stark |title=Game of Thrones Absolutely Did Not Need to Go There with Sansa Stark |magazine=Vanity Fair |first=Joanna |last=Robinson |date=May 17, 2015 |access-date=May 18, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/19/the-rape-of-sansa-stark-game-of-thrones-goes-off-book-and-enrages-its-female-fans.html|title= The Rape of Sansa Stark: 'Game of Thrones' Goes Off-book and Enrages Its Female Fans|last=Leon|first=Melissa|work=The Daily Beast|date=May 19, 2015|access-date=May 20, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.themarysue.com/we-will-no-longer-be-promoting-hbos-game-of-thrones/|title= We Will No Longer Be Promoting HBO's Game of Thrones|last=Pantozzi|first=Jill|work=The Mary Sue|date=May 18, 2015|access-date=May 20, 2015}}

Other critics responded positively to the scene. Sean T. Collins of Rolling Stone wrote: "[B]y involving a multidimensional main character instead of one introduced primarily to suffer, the series has a chance to grant this story the gravity and seriousness it deserves.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/recaps/game-of-thrones-recap-stark-reality-20150517|title='Game of Thrones' Recap: Stark Reality|last=Collins|first=Sean T.|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 23, 2015}} Sarah Hughes of The Guardian wrote: "I have repeatedly made clear that I’m not a fan of rape as a plot device – but the story of Ramsay and Sansa’s wedding was more than that. [...] The writers are walking a very fine line here. They handled it well tonight, telling a gothic tale of innocence sacrificed".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/18/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-six-unbent-unbowed-unbroken|title=Game of Thrones recap: season five, episode six – Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken |last=Hughes|first=Sarah|work=The Guardian|date=May 18, 2015|access-date=May 23, 2015}} Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post wrote that the scene "managed to maintain a fine balance, employing a dignity and care for the experiences of victims that Game of Thrones has not always demonstrated."{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/05/17/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-6-review-unbowed-unbent-unbroken/|title='Game of Thrones' Season 5, episode 6 review: "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"|last=Rosenberg|first=Alyssa|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 23, 2015}}

Some critics questioned why this scene in particular should generate outrage when similar scenes have not. Sara Stewart of the New York Post pointed out that the rape and sexual abuse of both female and male characters is typical for Game of Thrones: "Why are we suddenly so outraged about the rape of Sansa Stark, when this show has served up a steady diet of sexual assault and violence against women since its first season began?" Cathy Young of Reason magazine, writing in Time noted what she calls a lack of complaint in response to the sexual mistreatment of male characters in earlier seasons, specifically the literal emasculation of Theon Greyjoy and the sexual assault of Gendry.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3891450/the-problem-with-the-backlash-to-the-game-of-thrones-rape-scene/|title = The Problem with the Backlash to the Game of Thrones Rape Scene|magazine=Time|date=May 21, 2015|access-date=May 22, 2015}}

Criticism of the scene has not extended to the quality of the acting. Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair wrote, "And if we can say one positive thing about that scene it's that Allen nailed his performance. Theon's horror mirrored our own and the camera—focusing on his reaction—let our minds fill in the blanks." Sophie Turner defended the scene as an artistic challenge for herself as an actor, saying, "When I read that scene, I kinda loved it. I love the way Ramsay had Theon watching. It was all so messed up. It’s also so daunting for me to do it. [...] I think it's going to be the most challenging season for me so far, just because it's so emotional for her. It’s not just crying all the time, like seasons 2 or 3, it’s super messed up." She had since gone on to interview for the DailyMail about it and that the scene had inspired her to work for organizations to stop violence against women and to help underprivileged girls and women in Africa in similar situations.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/17/game-thrones-sansa-wedding/|title=Game of Thrones: Sophie Turner says she 'loved' that horrifying scene |last=Hibberd|first=James|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 17, 2015|access-date=May 20, 2015}} Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) agreed, referring to Turner's performances this season as "absolutely amazing."{{cite news |last1=Pallotta |first1=Frank |title=I'm done with 'Game of Thrones' over gratuitous rape, says Senator McCaskill |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/19/media/game-of-thrones-claire-mccaskill/ |access-date=10 March 2020 |work=CNN |publisher=WarnerMedia |date=May 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818125319/https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/19/media/game-of-thrones-claire-mccaskill/ |archive-date=August 18, 2017}}

Some viewers, including U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, announced that they would stop watching the show because of this scene.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/a-us-senator-says-shes-going-to-stop-watching-game-of-thrones-over-gratuitous-rape-scene-2015-5|title=A US senator says she's going to stop watching 'Game of Thrones' over 'gratuitous' rape scene|last=Tani|first=Maxwell|work=Business Insider|date=May 20, 2015|access-date=May 29, 2015}} According to Business Insider, this scene and increased use of streaming services are likely reasons why ratings dropped from 6.2 million viewers for this episode to 5.4 million for the next episode, "The Gift".{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-season-5-ratings-2015-5?r=US|title='Game of Thrones' ratings are falling: Here are two possible reasons why|last1=Acuna|first1=Kirsten|last2=Renfro|first2=Kim|work=Business Insider|date=May 28, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2015}} However, there is some question as to how much of this drop is attributable to its Memorial Day weekend air date. Rebecca Martin of Wetpaint maintains that the air date was probably the only reason for the decrease in ratings.{{cite web|url=http://www.wetpaint.com/2015-05-28-game-of-thrones-ratings-drop-sansa/|title=Game of Thrones Ratings Drop — Is It Because of Sansa Rape?|last=Martin|first=Rebecca|work=Wetpaint|date=May 28, 2015|access-date=May 29, 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

{{wikiquote|Game_of_Thrones/Season_5#Unbowed.2C_Unbent.2C_Unbroken_.5B5.06.5D|Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken}}

• [https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season-5/6-unbowed-unbent-unbroken "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"] at HBO.com
• {{IMDb episode|3866842|Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken}}

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Category:2015 American television episodes

Category:Game of Thrones season 5 episodes

Category:Obscenity controversies in television

Category:Television controversies in the United States

Category:Television episodes about rape

Category:Television episodes directed by Jeremy Podeswa