Torture

Liam McLean tortures Aidan Waite in Being Human.

Torture is a process by which one exacts mental or physical cruelty upon another person for purposes of either interrogation or revenge for a past crime. Sometimes, a torturer commits acts out of sheer sadism. The process of torturing someone usually takes place over a prolonged period of time.

In most cases, the person being tortured is confined to a small space with restricted movement, allowing the torturer the ability to more efficiently torment them. In some circles, aggressive forms of interrogation conducted by military or law-enforcement agencies could be construed as acts of torture, and has given rise to controversey and scandal over the years.

Examples of torture

Yes, they even torture people on Supernatural. But it's a demon, so it's okay, right?

• American Horror Story: In the season two story-arc of American Horror Story titled "Asylum", psychiatrist Oliver Thredson, who is also the notorious 1960s serial killer known as Bloody Face, kidnaps reporter Lana Winters and brings her back to his home. She is bound to his bed where Thredson taunts her with the knowledge of how he murdered her friend and lover Wendy Peyser.

• Audition: Asami Yamazaki paralyzes Shigeharu Aoyama then sticks acupuncture needles in his stomach and face then cuts his left foot off with a razor wire.

• Being Human: On the North American version of the UK series Being Human, a middle-aged werewolf named Liam McLean captured vampire Aidan Waite and bound him to a wall with chains. Liam hated all vampires, but especially despised Aidan for killing his son, Connor. He tormented Aidan by injecting him with infected blood, which introduced a lethal virus into his system. Aidan's friend, Josh Levinson, came to his rescue, but was scratched by Liam during the scuffle, thus inheriting the curse of lycanthropy (for the second time).

• Book of Blood: Simon McNeal undergoes physical and psychological torture at the hands of Wyburd. He is also shown crucified later. Throughout the film, Simon suffers physical trauma from the writing that appears carved into his flesh.

• Bitten: In season one of the Canadian werewolf series Bitten, the character of Clayton Danvers captured a rival "mutt" werewolf named Zachary Cain, who was part of a group that was responsible for murdering their pack-mate Antonio Sorrentino and poisoning their Alpha, Jeremy Danvers. He tranquilized in his werewolf form, forcing him to shift into human form, at which point, Clayton chained him to the bars of a cell in such a way that were he to attempt to shift, he would break his arms. Unable to procure any useful information out of him, Clayton used large metal clippers to cut off parts of his lower extremities until finally killing him.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a mad preacher named Caleb - a follower of The First captured Buffy Summer's friend Xander Harris and tortured him at length. Remarking, "You're the one who sees everything, aren't you? Well, let's see what we can't do about that.", he pushed his thumb through one of Xander's eyes.

• Preacher: Pat, a thug for Viktor Kruglog, tortures a man in a special room in Viktor's mansion. He sprays him with some kind of acid and does other horrific things, ultimately leading to the man's death.

• Seed 2: Max Seed takes a woman named Claire into the desert after she has already been stabbed. He lays her upon the ground then hammers metal stakes through her hands and feet, pinning her to the ground in the hot-ass sun.

• Teen Wolf: On the MTV television series Teen Wolf, an insane and unscrupulous werewolf hunter named Gerard Argent captures two neophyte werewolves named Vernon Milton Boyd and Erica Reyes as well as the non-lupine Stiles Stilinsky. He tortures all three of them, not only for his own pleasure, but also to draw out their friend, Scott McCall.

• True Blood: On the HBO series True Blood, members of the Vampire Authority captured Bill Compton and Eric Northman and brought them to their headquarters in New Orleans. They were tortured and interrogated in order to pressure compliance, and also fitted with iStakes, which could administer a fatal stabbing directly to the heart and could be activated via remote control.

• Walking Dead, The: The Governor has Merle Dixon torture Glenn Rhee physically at length, and even has him fight up against a walker while tied to a chair. The Governor himself psychologically tortures Maggie Greene by forcing her to strip naked in front of him. Negan punishes one of his Saviors, Mark, for sleeping with one of his wives, Amber, by burning him with a hot iron across the side of the face.

See also

• Appearances of torture