'Game of Thrones' Shocker Defended by HBO Prez (MAJOR SPOILERS)

Those who have been watching "Game of Thrones" recently know that the most recent episode featured a shocking twist. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read any further...because there's a MAJOR SPOILER ALERT in effect!

No, seriously, this was one of the most shocking moments I've seen on TV in a long time. You don't want this spoiled.

Okay, I think it's safe.

Characters die. That's a fact of TV life. We saw it happen plenty in "Lost," and almost always to characters we didn't want it to happen to. And in such a bloody, betrayal-filled show as "Game of Thrones," you expect to see many characters die.

But you don't expect to see the main character bite the dust.

For those who read George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice novels (on which "Game of Thrones" is based), Ned's beheading at the command of Joffrey was no surprise. For the rest of us, myself included, it left us staring at the television screen in shock. I believe I actually said "what?!" out loud.

The twist has lead to something of an outcry among fans. Even those who read the books had to wonder if "Game of Thrones" was really going to go through with it. After all, this show was marketed with Sean Bean on every poster, but now he's gone. I struggle to think of any other TV show that has been so bold as to kill its lead within the first nine episodes of the first season.

HBO president Sue Naegle defended the decision, though: "I loved it. The book series was filled with unexpected twists and turns. I loved this idea we’d bring together the group of characters, then once you started to believe all the tropes of heroes, you pull the rug out from under them. It’s the opposite of feeling manipulated."

In any case, it looks like the fallout is going to make next week's episode, the last of the season, a really exciting one. Check out the preview below: