George R.R. Martin’s Criticism of Shocking Game of Thrones Spinoff Scene Makes No Sense

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I just read George R.R. Martin’s thoughts on that really surprising moment in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and it’s interesting! He points out how different this new show is from Game of Thrones and even House of the Dragon. It’s not trying to be this huge, sprawling epic with dragons and the whole kingdom hanging in the balance. It’s much more focused, a little lighter in tone, and clearly made on a smaller budget. But honestly? That doesn’t make it any less captivating or fun to watch!

The show immediately signals a shift in tone with a humorous scene: Ser Duncan the Tall uses the restroom as the iconic Game of Thrones theme song begins. This moment emphasizes the show’s lighter approach compared to the original series, quite literally subverting expectations. George R.R. Martin discussed the scene with The Hollywood Reporter, expressing surprise at its inclusion and admitting he wasn’t entirely convinced by it, but ultimately trusted showrunner Ira Parker’s vision.

I was pretty surprised by that scene. My characters are people, so of course they experience things like that, but I usually don’t focus on those details in my writing. When I first saw the edited version, I questioned it – I wondered where it came from and if it was really necessary. But the showrunner, Ira Parker, actually liked it, so it stayed in.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Poop Scene Was Important (& GRRM Forgets The Books)

I get why Martin is questioning whether a certain scene is necessary, honestly. It’s reasonable to wonder if it really adds to the story. But it’s a little weird coming from him, because let’s be real, stuff like that has happened in his books before – and in pretty memorable ways! He’s usually really detailed when it does happen, too. Forget about the infamous Tywin Lannister scene for a minute, remember Strong Belwas in A Storm of Swords? That was… something, and Martin definitely didn’t shy away from the details.

Guards on the city walls shot crossbow bolts at Belwas, but they didn’t reach him, falling short or bouncing harmlessly. In response, the eunuch turned away from the attack, pulled down his pants, and defecated toward the city. He then used Oznak’s cloak to wipe himself, took time to search the body of the fallen hero, and mercifully killed the hero’s wounded horse before walking back to the olive grove.

A key scene involving Belwas was removed from Game of Thrones, meaning fans didn’t get to see it. Something even more significant suffered the same fate. In A Dance with Dragons, a major storyline focuses on a dysentery outbreak—referred to as the pale mare—in Meereen, and even Daenerys Targaryen gets sick. The very last chapter from Daenerys’s perspective that readers have access to includes this passage:

As the sun set, she was crouched in the grass, suffering. Each bowel movement was worse than the last, and increasingly unpleasant. By the time the moon rose, she was passing only watery stool. The more she drank to relieve herself, the more she needed to go, and the more she went, the thirstier she became, driving her to drink more water. Finally, as she closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to open them again.

Luckily, the show didn’t show that violent scene, but the creators of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms clearly wanted to bring that part of the story back, even though it had been left out of the TV series.

It’s a significant choice because it clearly signals that this show is different from what audiences expect, and presents a new type of hero. Unlike the familiar setting of Westeros, and while House of the Dragon maintained the Game of Thrones theme song, the Dunk scene intentionally emphasizes this shift. This was the goal of the showrunner, who decided to keep the scene despite some concerns from George R.R. Martin, as he explained to The Hollywood Reporter:

The script described a moment where Duncan hears a heroic theme internally. It wasn’t initially intended to be the Game of Thrones theme, but rather a musical representation of the feeling you get when you commit to a challenging, new task—that mix of excitement and fear when you decide to take action. As he picks up the sword, he’s experiencing that internal call to greatness, that feeling of, ‘I’m the one who’s going to do this!’ He’s lost in thought as he contemplates it.

Facing the actual challenge is terrifying for him, and it really rattles him. He’s not a hero at this point – he’s just a scared kid, like a lot of us, who gets anxious easily. It’s one thing to want to do something amazing, but quite another to actually take the leap and do it, and that’s what this season is all about for his character.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release Sundays at 10pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

What were your thoughts on that scene in the prequel? Share your opinion in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-19 17:41