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The popular HBO series 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� has angered many fans following the airing of a scene that includes a rape.聽

The sequence is only the newest in various scenes with sexual violence that have turned off viewers.

In the most recent 鈥淭hrones鈥� episode, which aired on Sunday May 17, the character Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) married the sadistic Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Ramsay then raped Sansa on her wedding night.聽

Last year, the show also divided fans after an episode included Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) having sex with his sister, Cersei (Lena Headey). The two had previously been romantically involved but many fans felt Headey鈥檚 character did not consent during the scene. 鈥淵es, of course that was rape on last night鈥檚 鈥楪ame of Thrones,鈥欌�� writer Margaret Lyons wrote at the time. 鈥淚f there's a point at which we're supposed to believe this is anything other than nonconsensual sex, I don't know what it could be.鈥澛�

Some fans were troubled all the way back in season one when the character Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) had sex with her husband聽that someone believed was not consensual. writer Sonia Saraiya wrote, 鈥淭he other significant rape scene in the series happens in the pilot, when Daenerys Targaryen is sold in marriage 鈥� Much has been made of the fact that Dany falls in love with [her husband] Drogo, despite that initial rape.鈥�

For some, the incident involving Sansa was the last straw. US Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) of Missouri, for one, tweeted,

And Jill Pantozzi of the website wrote that 鈥渨e will no longer be promoting HBO鈥檚 Game of Thrones鈥� following the newest episode.

Part of the debate occurred because the incident didn鈥檛 occur in the Game of Thrones books (at least not with Sansa 鈥� another character is the subject of sexual assault in a similar incident). For some, this was the basis of their objection to the plot development as well as a belief that the incident didn鈥檛 need to be in the narrative.

鈥淩ape is not a necessary plot device,鈥� Pantozzi wrote. 鈥淚n this particular instance, rape is not necessary to Sansa鈥檚 character development (she鈥檚 already overcome abusive violence at the hands of men); it is not necessary to establish Ramsay as a bad guy (we already know he is); it is not necessary to prove 'how bad things were for women' ('Game of Thrones' exists in a fictional universe, and we already know it鈥檚 exceptionally patriarchal)鈥� As far as character growth goes, Sansa has been in this exact narrative place before.鈥� (Sansa was already subject to abuse and humiliation at the hands of the former king of the country, Joffrey.)

writer Chris Cillizza agreed. 鈥淲hat does this rape scene tell us about either Ramsay Bolton or Sansa Stark that we don't know already?鈥� Mr. Cillizza wrote.

For her part, Ms. Turner told , 鈥淲hen I read that scene, I kinda loved it鈥� It was all so messed up.鈥� Of fans鈥� possible objections of 鈥淗ow can they do this to Sansa?,鈥� Turner said, 鈥淚 completely agree with them!... But I kind of like the fact she doesn鈥檛 really know what a psycho he is until that night. She has a sense, but she鈥檚 more scared of his father.鈥�

鈥淭hrones鈥� producer Bryan Cogman told , 鈥淭his is聽鈥楪ame of Thrones.鈥� This isn鈥檛 a timid little girl walking into a wedding night with Joffrey. This is a hardened woman making a choice and she sees this as the way to get back her homeland. Sansa has a wedding night in the sense she never thought she would with one of the monsters of the show. It鈥檚 pretty intense and awful and the character will have to deal with it.鈥� Mr. Cogman later tweeted,聽

And some viewers believed the sequence was needed, like writer Laura Bradley, who wrote, 鈥淕ame of Thrones聽may have a history of mishandling rape, but this particular scene was necessary. And, unlike some of the others, it was treated with appropriate gravity: as an act of war鈥� Sansa鈥檚 rape was, indeed, as predictable as it was painful. But it鈥檚 also a pain Sansa must have predicted would happen, and one that she knew she could withstand, in service of her larger goal,鈥� which could be, Ms. Bradley suggested, taking down the family of her new husband.

The question is, when will sexual violence on the show become too much for some viewers? According to , 鈥淭hrones鈥� passed 鈥淭he Sopranos鈥� to claim the title of the most popular HBO show ever back in 2014. But with the depictions of sexual violence piling up, viewers seem to be getting more and more frustrated.

Those behind the scenes at 鈥淭hrones鈥� may further address the growing criticisms and weigh more carefully what they鈥檙e including in the show, particularly when it strays from the source material. But for some fans, it's too little, too late.