Game of Thrones Making Stannis Sadistic: a Brilliant Twist or a Terrible Mistake?
Stannis Baratheon allowing his own daughter to be burned at the stake was a shocking moment in season 5 of Game of Thrones.
Regardless of any other factors, it is a storyline that raises so many questions. But for fans of the show and the book series, it has caused huge debate over the years as to whether the showrunners found a fantastic plot twist that nobody saw coming, or made a catastrophic error.
This plotline certainly seemed to develop quite quickly and went against what most viewers probably thought (up until that point) was Stannis' strong moral code (even if those morals were a little warped at some points).
But many avid fans of George RR Martin's books are adamant that the 'book Stannis' would never have agreed to it under any circumstances.
It could be argued that Stannis in the show (played by Stephen Dillane) found it a tough decision – first to allow the execution to happen and then to stand back and watch. But it could equally be asserted that he didn't appear like a man who was tortured by having to make what he felt was a tough but righteous call.
There is also the question of whether the scene in the show is an accurate representation of the character. In the books, he refused to burn his daughter. This refusal was a direct action in keeping with the character.
In the show, what was more evident was his inaction. And this seemed jarring to many fans who simply saw this as just too out of character for Stannis.
So, while much of the debate that has raged in recent years has been around whether Stannis turning sadistic was a brilliant twist or terrible mistake, it might be more realistic to ask whether his turning weak was a brilliant twist or terrible mistake.
Because Stannis pretty much had a passive role in the whole scene. Sure, he knew what was going on. But you might say he acted like a coward throughout the whole sorry affair. Maybe with more build-up and development to this shocking twist, it would have at least made more sense. But in the end, there is a feeling that his failure to act and, thus, culpability in Shireen's death just didn't feel like it fit with Stannis.
So, in conclusion, whether you call it sadism or weakness, the consensus of opinion seems to be that this particular scene (in the way it was played out) was more of a mistake than a brilliant twist.