We made it to the morning after the Game of Thrones Season 5 finale, and boy is the internet buzzing. Fan reactions to this show, whether a fan has read the books or not, have always been a main feature. What do Game of Thrones fan reactions say about the fans? I don't want to be bitter (yet) but I've noticed that you can tell a lot about a person by what gets them to throw the towel in on this show. This morning, for instance, different people will be expressing their disbelieve over that Jon Snow cliffhanger than their sudden onset Cersei Lannister feels. Meanwhile, a small fringe group of fans is probably concerned about Myrcella and/or Stannis Baratheon.
Can I categorize Game of Thrones fans by what's dominating their feeds? Here are 11 different "shock" moments and my assessment of their popularity. Since it's still fresh on my mind and my newsfeed, there may be an unfair balance of Season 5 moments to the rest of the series. However, there have been plenty of moments over the previous seasons that sparked major outrage online — to the extend that savvy fans often videotape their friends' reactions at the opportune moment.
To paraphrase Ramsay Bolton, if you think this post doesn't have major book and show spoilers, "you haven't been paying attention."
The Defenestration of Brandon Stark (By Jaime Lannister)
Oh, you sweet summer child. You had no idea what you were getting into with Game of Thrones.
Ned Stark Is Beheaded
See above.
Joffrey Tortures & Kills Ros
You are over the senseless glorification of violence against women, even when practiced by despicable characters. You're also me. No matter what happens on Game of Thrones, I refuse to let go of what Joffrey did to this girl. In terms of isolated incidents/images on the HBO series, I still count it as the most horrific. There was no reason for it, just sport.
Sansa's Wedding Night
You're sick of rape being used as a plot device or motivator for female characters. You were hoping that Sansa Stark's story arc would avoid this trope. A lot of fans, particularly fans of George R. R. Martin's books in which Sansa is a-OK, dropped off after this happened.
The Mountain Beats Oberyn Martell
This was the big shock moment of Season 4 (sorry Joff). If you couldn't wait to post your pain, I'd say you're a huge fan of The Princess Bride and were tricked as kid by the old "peeled grape eyeballs" gag.
Surprise! Dany Speaks Valyrian & You're All Dead
To be fair, there are a lot of shocking Mother of Dragons moments to choose from — she ate a heart and walked through fire in Season 1. But prior to hitching a ride on Drogon this season, I think Dany's acquisition of the Unsullied was her most talked-about moment on social media.
If you were one of those people, I assume you like your female characters Strong and prefer to rant about the positive, empowering moments on Game of Thrones.
The Red Wedding
You're very good at avoiding spoilers. I applaud you. The ambush brutality of that scene is easily the biggest moment in the book and television series.
The Purple Wedding
Okay, so maybe Joffrey's death scene didn't incite a lot of rage. But if it managed to shock you, I'm not surprised. That reception was as tense as Seven Hells. I also believe, if you live-tweeted the Purple Wedding, that you're a big fan of mysteries. There were more suspects than a game of Clue.
Stannis Lets Shireen Burn For His Cause
You've already sent your Father's Day card. You actually thought Stannis was an okay dude.
Lady Stoneheart Still Hasn't Shown Up
You're either a book reader who has been anticipating the appearance of Zombie Cat Stark, or you've been spoiled and don't want it to be for nothing. It's amazing to me that something that hasn't happened on the show ends up being talked about most.
You believe in vengeance at whatever cost and are still in denial about the Red Wedding. I bet you also love Harry Potter and Mad Max: Fury Road for their use of Mom-power.
Jon Snow Is Stabbed By The Night's Watch (Dies????)
You are all of us. You still, despite warnings from Ned and Robb Stark, believe in heroes and happy endings somehow. Basically, everyone who hadn't already threatened to quit Game of Thrones at some point in Season 5 was beyond done after this. To them, I say, "oh — now you're upset? Took you long enough."
Images: Macall B. Polay/HBO; Giphy (10); solidsender/Tumblr
