Fans were left in shock after an early scene in the latest Game of Thrones spin-off series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
No, this wasn’t a gory scene like the Red Wedding or a huge set piece that captured everyone’s attention - quite the opposite.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is clearly cut from a different cloth
While it exists in the same universe as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the people behind this latest show, based on George RR Martin’s ‘Dunk and Egg’ novellas, clearly want to set it apart.
Sure, it’s still Westeros as we remember it for much of the original Game of Thrones series, but this prequel is set to be more stripped-back and less showy than its more vaunted siblings.
That means that the big opening credits sequence is gone, no Ramin Djawadi theme tune, and no big fanfare to start the show.
In fact, viewers were treated to something totally different.
The main character taking a dump behind a tree, right there for all to see.
As mission statements go, this one really hit home.
Fans were confused and shocked by this latest Game of Thrones twist
If there is one thing you can rely on a Game of Thrones universe show for, it’s keeping you on your toes. This clearly did that for some fans.
One wrote: “What's the deal with that random crapping scene?”
Another said: “Just finished the premier of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
“Good news is there is action early in the show.
“Bad news is it's just the hedge knight [Ser Duncan the Tall] pooping.”
A third simply posted: “Did we really need to see him taking a s***?”
A solid question.
Well, it didn't actually sound that solid, to be quite honest.
Even the man who wrote the original books was confused.
Yes, even George RR Martin weighed in on the scene.
He said: “Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise. Not to say that my characters don’t take s***s, but I normally don’t write about them at any length.
“When I saw the rough cut, I wrote, ‘What is this? Where did this come from? I don’t know if we really need the s**t.’
“But [showrunner Ira Parker] liked it for whatever reason.”
Speaking of which, Parker did actually justify the inclusion as well, and his insight could help give a bit of context.
He claimed he wanted to set it apart from the other shows.
Mission accomplished, you’d have to say.
Parker explained: “We don’t open up with a camp full of mutilated people, and we don’t end with a kid getting thrown out of a window.
“We open with Dunk by a really nice tree…”
So what is the show actually about?
The first episode premiered yesterday, and introduces the audience to Ser Duncan and his young squire Aegon Targaryen - yes, those Targaryens - played by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell respectively.
The series will follow their adventures as Ser Duncan attempts to prove his worth as a knight in the times before Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and the rest.
Hopefully that’s the last we have to see of his bowel movements, though.