Even George R.R. Martin Was Stunned by That Poop Scene in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

By now, for those who’re a Recreation of Thrones fan, you’ve seen the primary episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The brand new HBO collection set in George R.R. Martin’s Westeros introduces a more humble hero: Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, a hedge knight with goals of glory however whose nerves aren’t fairly as much as the duty—but. That is vividly illustrated within the first act of episode one, when Dunk declares he simply may attempt his luck at a close-by event… then finds his enthusiasm briefly undercut by a sudden bout of gastrointestinal misery.

io9 asked showrunner Ira Parker in regards to the scene at a current A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms press day, particularly within the context of Dunk listening to the Recreation of Thrones theme music as he fantasizes about his future tourney success.

“Instantly, as quickly as he hears that music, the truth of what it takes to truly go off and do this, and the way terrifying it’s, hits him and forces him into a really unheroic [situation],” Parker stated. “Which hopefully could be very comprehensible to lots of people who’ve had massive concepts and [then] they’ve been hit with the truth of ‘How do I am going off and do that?”

We redacted “state of affairs” there in order to not spoil the second itself, which sees Dunk crouch behind a tree as projectile diarrhea spews out of his butt. It’s vivid and memorable and reasonably disgusting, and Recreation of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin—an outspoken fan of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, in contrast to certain other adaptations of his works—wasn’t so certain in regards to the selection at first.

Talking to the Hollywood Reporter, Martin admitted, “Yeah, that was a little bit of a shock.”

However trusting Parker’s imaginative and prescient, he rolled with it. “To not say that my characters don’t take shits, however I usually don’t write about them at any size. After I noticed the tough lower, I wrote, ‘What is that this? The place did this come from? I don’t know if we actually want the shit.’ However [showrunner Ira Parker] appreciated it for no matter purpose.”

Parker advised THR the poop scene wasn’t meant to be disrespectful to Recreation of Thrones or Martin’s characters and story. It’s extra meant to seize Dunk’s relatable emotions of self-doubt in what finally ends up being a pivotal second in his life.

“All we’re making an attempt to say right here is that Dunk isn’t a hero but. He’s only a nervy child with a nervous abdomen—identical to me,” Parker stated. “And as badly as you wish to do one thing nice, as quickly as you truly should go off and do it, it turns into trickier. And that’s what the entire season is for him.”

The subsequent episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrives Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

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