Entertainment

'Game of Thrones' & 'True Detective' Prove Antlers Are TV's Hottest Instrument of Death

If there is one inanimate object out there really making the most of the positively murderous sort of television that's on TV these days, it's the esteemed head bone that pokes its way out of many a species of deer: the antler. Seems like any show you see on television today that involves serial murderpeople, an antler appearance isn't far behind. I mean, I suppose these folks are hunting, in a way.

Be it the bespoke nature of decorating these days, or yet another representation of sexual selection — only the strong survive! (only in this scenario, by strong we mean clinically insane and bloodthirsty) — mammalian head bones are having a serious moment for their apparently effective and all-out-creeptastic ability to murder people with simultaneous visual insanity. To prove our case you need only look at three shows (and everybody knows, three things make a trend) to see our point. Click through to see the proof.

by Alicia Lutes

'True Detective'

During the premiere of HBO’s True Detective, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey encounter the gruesome scene at left: a young girl murdered and then adorned with antlers. Pretty creepy way to let the cops know you mean business, eh?

Image: HBO

'Hannibal'

Death-by-antler happened several times throughout the first season of NBC’s Hannibal. Here’s just one example of the horror.

Image: NBC

'Hannibal'

The Minnesota Shrike had an entire room made of antlers to hang his victims on while they bled to death. Eugh.

Image: NBC

'Hannibal'

See? Serious antler action, even from a copycat killer. (Ugh everyone’s a plagiarist.)

Image: NBC

'Hannibal'

Adorned as the creepiest amalgamation of all his horrific atrocities, Will Graham’s feverdream version of Hannibal Lecter is super horned-up with two mega-antlers on his head.

Image: NBC

'Game of Thrones'

This little bastard Joffrey’s got some horns on his crown and more than a couple gruesome, serial killer esque murders under his belt, including the horrific death-by-arrow (“Arrows are kind of like horns, yeah?” she asks, knowingly stretching) of a Westerosi prostitute. Poor thing.

Image: HBO

'Game of Thrones'

Murdered would-be king Renly is wearing antlers. It’s like an X marks the spot situation.

Image: HBO

'Game of Thrones'

“Ours is The Fury” was the house words for the family Baratheon, and it takes a furious sort of man to murder his way to the top and wear the antlers to prove it. To say nothing of the fact that former King Robert was murdered by a boar tusk to the belly. Boar tusks are essentially antlers of the mouth, so it all works.

Image: HBO

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