And so, it finally happened. A full 13 years after 'Game of Thrones' creator George R.R. Martin published the third of his series "A Storm of Swords," HBO finally reached the "Red Wedding" event that drove producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to pursue the series in the first place. So while we all share a pint of ice cream and some traumatized glances this morning, what do the cast and creators have to say about "The Rains of Castamere?"

If 'Game of Thrones' fans weren't hopelessly devoted to the abusive relationship series creator George R.R. Martin maintains with his characters before, they are now. Last night's "The Rains of Castamere" dropped the traditional ninth episode bomb on viewers, staging the infamous "Red Wedding" that claimed the lives of Robb and Catelyn Stark, as well as Robb's bannermen and even pregnant Lady Talisa, whose literary counterpart was spared such a horrendous fate.

Martin, Benioff and Weiss, along with actors Richard Madden and Michelle Fairley made the interview rounds with Entertainment Weekly, as Benioff artfully summarized what about the event resonates with fans and critics alike:

One of the things I love about the books is that we’re used to, in books and movies when a major character dies, we’re used to a bittersweet final moment. The death speech. You don’t get that here at all. There’s no redemptive moment. There’s just horror and slaughter. You want revenge so quickly for it and you’re not getting it, so you’re deprived of even that satisfaction. It’s just like a kidney punch. That’s the feeling we got in the books and that’s what we’re trying to emulate here on screen.

Martin admitted that he had received equal flack and praise for his depiction of the "Red Wedding," which was itself inspired by several events in Scottish history that saw brutal slaughters follow arranged meetings of apparent hospitality and diplomacy, most notably the "Black Dinner." "No matter how much I make up, there’s stuff in history that’s just as bad, or worse," said Martin of his storytelling.

Amid the emotions running high on the set between Fairley, Madden and the rest of the cast and crew, Madden insisted producers carry out the Red Wedding as written, rather than alter Martin's work to continue on with the character artificially. "The Rains of Castamere" added a particularly gruesome end for the pregnant Talisa, which afforded the HBO adaptation some genuine surprise for those already anticipating the bloody scene. Said Madden of the decision:

I think it’s a full stop to the story of [Robb's] army. I think it’s more tragic that there’s nothing left over from it. There’s no possibility that Talisa’s in hiding and having that baby and one day that baby will become the King in the North. There’s something more tragic about having it all be cut short.

Of course, fans well know that next week's 'Game of Thrones' season 3 finale "Mhysa" will see a few more shocks from the fallout of the "Red Wedding," but there can be no doubt that HBO's adaptation last night offered the biggest shock of the series to date, and likely one of TV's all-time biggest twists.

What say you? Were you surprised to see 'Game of Thrones' drop such an intense bomb on its fans with "The Rains of Castamere?" What future 'Game of Thrones' events have we to look forward to now? Give us your thoughts after the finale preview below!

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