( EW.com ) -- `` Game of Thrones '' may have broken the Internet with Sunday 's episode , but it did n't break its ratings record . `` The Rains of Castamere '' delivered 5.2 million viewers , down slightly from the show 's all-time high set earlier this season of 5.5 million . EW : 'Game of Thrones ' Red wedding recap . The performance is n't surprising . EW : 'Game of Thrones ' - Rounding up 'The Red Wedding ' reactions . The episode aired after the show took a one-week break for Memorial Day weekend . And even though it was a highly anticipated hour among hardcore fans , most casual viewers had no idea the episode contained a shockingly violent wedding sequence as HBO intentionally did not promote the episode as anything out of the ordinary to help preserve the surprise . Expect the ratings to rise for next week 's finale , however , possibly to an all-time high . See the original story at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Sunday 's ` ` Game of Thrones '' had a shocking ending . Die hard fans knew what was coming , but they did n't promote . The episode did not break even .