I don't know if it's even a matter of him not selling out Sansa as much as I suspect his end game is to have her for himself and he would want to protect her as his possession meanwhile. Morality certainly doesn't come into it.

I was sufficiently disturbed by last night that I'm not sure I'm going to keep watching the show. It was just so narratively unnecessary and gratuitous to me. It told us nothing about the characters we didn't already know, and if anything negated the growth we've seen in Sansa becoming a player in her own right. I know what kind of show I'm watching, and I don't expect it to be pretty or easy for anyone, but that scene was beyond what I bargained for even with this particular brand of grimdark.

Gliding over the frightfulness of that last scene: but didn't Sansa look like Queen Elizabeth I in that dress? (I think it was the giant collar.)

I think that the producers doomed themselves to this as soon as they changed Sansa's storyline and merged it with the book character who isn't in the tv show. And sadly, we were doomed to watch it. It was both horrific and predictable.

They didn't doom anything. They didn't have to follow that storyline to the letter. They could have adjusted it for the fact that, you know, Sansa is a very different character and a very different person.

Patti Lupone on Penny Dreadful! I love this show.

I've been rewriting that scene in my head all week. If they really wanted to keep close to the book plot but with Sansa in the book character's place, I would've found it more believable as something she didn't just walk into with Baelish's encouragement. I found it A) too contrived that a player as well-connected as Baelish wouldn't know Ramsay is a sadistic sociopath, and B) unbelievable that Sansa would need to go straight to Winterfell and marry a Bolton to try to reclaim the North instead of making straight for Stannis's army or any number of families with fond memories of her family who would support her in claiming the Stark inheritance. If they'd made her try to do one of those things and be CAPTURED by the Boltons, the plot would make more sense to me.

Or they could've actually had her join up with Stannis or the Mormonts or whoever and claim Winterfell that way. I'm not saying it would have to be a happy, easy thing--this is GoT, after all. What we got on screen was both appalling AND made no sense in terms of story logic.

I was initially defensive of the choice earlier in the week, but I think that was partially-fueled by reluctance to criticize what has been an outstanding television show until now. But I have to agree with all the criticism here and with you Susan - having Ramsay rape Sansa was appalling and made no sense.

GRRM has always treated the Starks with a certain level of respect while bringing the PAIN to them. Even with Bran's maiming, Eddard's beheading, the Red Wedding murders, etc. they were betrayed and murdered, but never really demeaned. Arguably, the worst thing GRRM did to Sansa in the books was kill her direwolf, severing that special bond the rest of them have with their wolves. (That's one thing I wish they'd highlight more in the show.) After the initial being betrothed to the monster Joffrey ended in his death, she lucks out with Tyrion who treats her amazingly well, and then goes on the run with Littlefinger. Sure things are precarious for her, but she's never violated. Same goes for Jon, Arya, Bran and the little one (memfault).

So raping her on the show, for all the talk of merging storylines and whatever, is just Wrong. It's not how GRRM treated the Starks and it doesn't sit right with me.

the little one (memfault)

Rickon.

Speaking of Rickon, wasn't he supposed to be in the town near the wall that got destroyed by the Wildings last season? Isn't that where he went with Sosha or whatever her name is?

No, that was a different town.