At a Glance
- George R. R. Martin says he was “a bit surprised” by the projectile-poop scene that opens A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Showrunner Ira Parker defends the moment as key to showing Dunk is “just a nervy kid with a nervous stomach”
- The six-episode HBO series airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET
- Why it matters: The beloved author’s public reaction signals fans may also find the tone shift jarring
George R. R. Martin is wasting no time weighing in on the new Game of Thrones spinoff. In a fresh interview, the 77-year-old author admits he was startled by the graphic bathroom gag that launches HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Martin’s Surprise
Sophia A. Reynolds reported that Martin watched a rough cut months before the January 18 premiere. When the familiar Game of Thrones theme swelled and Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall squatted to projectile poop behind a tree, Martin said he immediately wrote to the creative team.
“Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Not to say that my characters don’t take s—s, but I normally don’t write about them at any length.”
Martin added, “What is this? Where did this come from? I don’t know if we really need the s—.”
Showrunner’s Defense
Showrunner Ira Parker told the same outlet the moment is essential character setup. The script direction read: “Duncan hears the hero theme in his head.”
Parker explained:
- The sound cue was meant to be a generic “call to greatness,” not the iconic GoT theme
- Dunk’s sudden intestinal distress shows “how difficult and scary” heroism feels
- The scene establishes that Dunk “isn’t a hero yet-just a nervy kid with a nervous stomach”
“For him to try and navigate [Westeros] with a decent moral code, it’s always very admirable,” Parker said, noting the first season will track Dunk’s growth from reluctant wanderer to principled knight.
Behind the Shot
When Variety asked if the on-screen rear end belonged to Claffey, Parker joked, “A magician never gives it away,” but insisted the production had “very, very little” budget for digital trickery.
“That’s his butt,” Parker confirmed.
Cast Reaction
Claffey, 29, told News Of Los Angeles before the debut that stepping into Westeros was “terrifying.”
Key points from his interview:
- He binged the original Game of Thrones and understands fan “reverence”
- Dunk is “just a normal guy” who wants to be “a respectable knight and maybe sleep under a roof”
- The knight’s kindness to animals underscores his moral compass
The six-episode season is based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and centers on the unlikely duo of the tall knight and his diminutive squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). HBO states the story unfolds roughly a century before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the pair through “great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits.”
Key Takeaways
- Martin publicly distances himself from the scatological opener, saying he never described such a scene in his books
- Parker maintains the gag is narrative shorthand for Dunk’s anxiety and relatability
- The moment sets the comedic yet grounded tone for a series that aims to explore heroism through an everyman lens
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stream Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.
