New Westeros Show Shocks Fans With Crude Opening Scene

The newest Game of Thrones spinoff just dropped, and right off the bat, viewers know they're getting something completely different from previous Westeros adventures. Fair warning: some light spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't caught the first episode yet.

The premiere kicks off with Ser Dunk the Tall laying his former mentor Ser Arlan of Pennytree to rest, then standing around wondering what comes next. Right then, that epic, recognizable Game of Thrones music starts building up... only to get cut short when Dunk suddenly has explosive diarrhea behind a tree.

Behind the Bathroom Break

Showrunner Ira Parker explained the choice to Variety: "It was written in the script very early on as the hero theme. We tried a bunch of different versions, and the one that felt the most iconic was the major theme. Because we were not going with an opening title sequence, it felt right to give everybody a little bit of a taste of it to launch into our show. It comes out of how Dunk is feeling in that moment, going from hero to the opposite of hero, as so many of us do sometimes."

Fan Reactions Pour In

The bathroom humor represents a major shift from typical Westeros storytelling, leaving some viewers scratching their heads. One Reddit user wrote: "I thought it was amazing. Loved Lyonel Baratheon such a fun character. Did a good job of getting into the story quick. My only critique was the build up to the GOT theme and then Dunk shitting which was funny but took away the hype I was feeling. I wish it had maybe one small action scene to show Dunk's prowess but I am sure that will come."

Another viewer chimed in: "Good first ep! Wasn't sure in first 5 min, not the biggest fan of the short cutaway gags or the shit joke, but Dunk is great and loved his interactions with Lyonell."

Mixed reactions kept rolling in: "The scene with the Laughing Storm was great and I was pleased with the episode as a whole. The shitting caught me off guard though. I have high hopes for this series," and "Apart from the shitting joke, I really loved this as a premiere. I love the vibes. Was able to watch it with my father without being too embarrassed, lol."

Not Everyone's Laughing

Some fans weren't having it at all: "Dunk having the runs at the start was not needed," and "Despite the existence of s8, GoT theme music did not deserve 'THAT' kind of transition."

New episodes drop weekly on HBO stateside and Sky/NOW across the pond. The show continues building its own identity separate from its predecessor's more serious tone.