We Feel Terrible for 'Game of Thrones' Reek

Remember back in those early days of Game of Thrones , when Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy was, at first, nothing more than an eyeroll-worthy idio-douche? Later on he became someone worth hating, for sure — ransacking Winterfell and killing innocent people in the name of petulant grandstanding will garner that sort of reaction — but now he's just a mess. A smelly, mentally deranged, sad sack of an eunuch-y mess. In several new interviews with the star, Allen has revealed some troubling details about the trajectory of the super-messed-up Reek, and our pity train is chugging forward at an ever-increasing pace.

Which has brought us to the next phase of our feelings towards the newly minted Reek: one of supreme and utter pity. But that's the brilliance of George R.R. Martin's writing — nothing is really all that simple, particularly the characters and the audience's feelings towards them (see: Jaime Lannister). Still, it seems as though season four will find us still feeling increasingly sorry for the flayed man. I mean, seriously: just look at how grim all of this sounds.

"He's Reek – he's a different person."

This guy has gone through so much that he's mentally escaped the man he was before? How terrible do things have to be for a person for THAT to happen? My guess is really, really, really terrible — and that much as been evidenced thus far, for sure. But apparently it's only going to get worse! Jeez this show knows how to turn your opinion about its characters.

"It gets dark."

Oh, really? Well, that's great because all this time I've been concerned ol' Reek's been having TOO MUCH FUN. Yeesh.

"It's more of a mental torture than it is physical."

It makes total, perfectly logical sense that after the physical damage comes the mental damage. That always works out well! I'm starting to think the Dreadfort is Westeros' Guantanamo.

"I have to do more telling of the story with my eyes than with words."

That's always a great sign for happy times, when a character is so mentally and physically destroyed that they can't even use their words. Seven Hells!

"It goes down, down, down… and then a little up."

Oh, great. "A little up." What, does someone give him some water to drink or food to eat at the end of season four before they chop off his legs and give them to a disabled White Walker?

"There’s something, which you'll see later on, which is very interesting. It gets pretty cool."

Wait, what?! There's something "interesting" that gets "pretty cool" for Reek? Well that's a hopeful sign...

"People who get brought down to earth tend to get humbled, so maybe for us to see more evidence of that would be great."

Does that mean there might be hope for Reek yet? Seriously? We can't believe we're saying this but: please, Game of Thrones. Please. Give this man a little bit of sanctuary, if only for a moment. I mean you chopped his damn dick off, jeez!