George RR Martin expressed reservations about crude opening scene in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
George RR Martin questioned whether crude scene in Game of Thrones prequel was necessary
- George R.R. Martin expressed surprise and questioned the necessity of a graphic defecation scene in the opening episode of HBO Max's new Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- The scene depicts Ser Duncan the Tall, played by Peter Claffey, projectile defecating behind a tree after being inspired to enter a jousting tournament.
- Martin, known for his own graphic storytelling, stated he normally does not write about such bodily functions at length and asked, “Where did this come from? I don’t know if we really need the s***.”
- Showrunner Ira Parker defended the scene, explaining it was intended to show Duncan's nervousness and that he is “not a hero yet,” but rather a “nervy kid with a nervous stomach.”
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's 1998 novella The Hedge Knight, is set 90 years before Game of Thrones and follows Ser Duncan and his squire, Egg.