The episode was not the first time Game of Thrones had come under fire for their depiction of sexual violence. Typically, members of the cast and crew have justified the presence of rape scenes by arguing that Westeros is a brutal place, sexual violence often occurs as a result of war, and many of the show’s depictions come from the source material. Martin has previously said: "Rape, unfortunately, is still a part of war today. It’s not a strong testament to the human race, but I don’t think we should pretend it doesn’t exist.