Your question “Can these scenes be alluded to and be as powerful?” is also intriguing. It seems as if the answer is no, otherwise I imagine you wouldn’t have been so moved to leave the room to give yourself a break from the horrific sounds and imagery. I then wonder if the more appropriate question wouldn’t be “Is it tasteful/cheap for a show to depict these events so to create a heightened emotional experience for its audience?” There is little doubt that these scenes provoke physical responses in many of us, but then isn’t the act of feeling — be it positive or negative — itself one of the major reasons for watching film and television? And aren’t disgust, trauma, and moral transgressions some of the best ways to provoke these responses?

(On a side note… why oh why is there a prequel to Psycho?)