Game of Thrones criticised by Jessica Chastain for depiction of 'little bird' Sansa: ‘Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger’

The Oscar-nominated star disapproved of Sansa's scene with The Hound

The latest episode of Game of Thrones has come under fire for a scene involving Sansa that's led to Jessica Chastain launching her own criticism against the show.

The HBO show continued its eighth and final season with an episode that featured a reunion between the character played by Sophie Turner and Sandor Clegane AKA The Hound (Rory McCann). The latter tells Sansa how her trajectory might have been less tragic had he taken her with him, like he offered, in the early days of the show.

In the seasons that followed, Sansa was tormented by Joffrey and forced into two marriages against her will - one with a man who raped and tortured her.

"None of it would have happened if you had left King's Landing with me," he tells her. "No Littlefinger, no Ramsay, none of it."

Taking his hand, Sansa responds: 'Without Littlefinger, Ramsay and the rest, I would have stayed a little bird all my life." (little bird" being the nickname Clegane gave Sansa in the first few seasons).

This interaction has come under fire - especially considering Sansa's rape was a story invented for the series by showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss. Many believe that Sansa's comment almost credits those who inflicted trauma upon her for helping her become the woman she is in the show right now.

Chastain was one such person who criticised the moment, writing on Twitter: "Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger. A woman doesn’t need to be victimised in order to become a butterfly. The little bird was always a Phoenix. Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone."

The latest episode featured a scene involving Brienne of Tarth that has prompted fans to accuse the episode’s writers – showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss – of “hitting ne lows”

The show will be available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.