Game of Thrones New Episode Review: 'The Dance of Dragons' Has Most Brutal Death Yet?

The latest episode of HBO's Game of Thrones, entitled "The Dance of Dragons," featured perhaps the most brutal death in the history of the series. And bear in mind this is a series in which people are disemboweled, decapitated, and tortured on a regular basis.

Stannis Baratheon had one of the quickest heel turns in Game of Thrones' entire run when he burnt his daughter alive as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light. But this wasn't a quick, shocking death in the typical manner of this series. No, this was a slow, drawn-out process that forced you to curl up into a ball on the couch and watch the first 15 minutes through your fingers.

From the moment Stannis spoke to Davos after Ramsay Bolton took his group of 20 men to set fire to some of the camp and kill some horses, you knew he had made up his mind. And Davos knew it, too, as he tried to convince the king to let him take Shireen with him to Castle Black rather than have her remain at the dangerous campsite. But Stannis refused because he knew he was going to kill her.

Davos then went and spoke to Shireen because he knew she was going to die. He gave her a gift and hoped that she would still be there when he returned. And sweet little Shireen just thanked him and talked about her book, "The Dance of Dragons."

Stannis then talked to his daughter, who heartbreakingly told her father that she wanted to do whatever she could to help him in his mission. Little did she know that she had signed her life away. Stannis gave a speech about how a man must claim his destiny no matter the cost, even if he hates himself for it. And at that moment, plenty of viewers hated him for what he was about to do.

But if you think about it, this seemingly emotionless decision is consistent with Stannis' character. He has always been single-minded in achieving his goal of reaching the Iron Throne, and he does whatever is necessary to get there. He slept with Melisandre to create a shadow demon to kill his own brother. He was ready to bleed Gendry dry to appease the Lord of Light. He saved Jon Snow and the Night's Watch to further his own goals. Not all of Stannis' actions are evil, and not all are good. He just does what is necessary because he has seen the results of Melisandre's work.

But this was horrifying. The blood-curdling screams of his own daughter as she, scared and confused, begged for her life, were almost unbearable. And the eerie silence when the screams stopped surely reduced many viewers to tears. It's a horrible fate for such an innocent character, but sadly it's just par for the course in the world of Game of Thrones.

Shireen's death was the horrifying stunning moment of the episode, but Drogon's return to save Daenerys at the end was the one that made you pump your fist and cheer. Sure, the CGI wasn't the greatest, particularly when Dany was riding his back, but it was still a cool action sequence in which the dragon roasted the Sons of the Harpy as they tried to attack the queen. Oddly, Dany just took off on Drogon and left the rest of her friends in the pit, but let's just assume they're all fine.

It would have been nearly impossible for Game of Thrones to top last week's "Hardhome" but this was still an emotional gut punch of an hour. The finale next week should leave us all wanting more during the lengthy hiatus.