Ed Sheeran's Game of Thrones character probably wasn't roasted alive by a dragon after all
![Ed Sheeran on Game of Thrones.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WQmzRmYM7AwmWpwmdV7M7n-415-80.jpg)
Ed "at least it wasn't Justin Bieber" Sheeran earned mixed reviews for his appearance as a Lannister soldier during Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere, but any fans gleefully hoping he was toast after Drogon's attack in Sunday's "The Spoils of War" might be out of luck, Mashable reports.
"The Spoils of War" director Matt Shakman told Mashable: "I did not meet Ed Sheeran [on the set]. The idea behind the question [of if he was burned to a crisp] is an interesting one and I think the earlier scene that was so great with Arya meeting those Lannister soldiers, where we humanize what those Lannisters are like, that they’re generous with her, only helps this sequence because it helps you feel for the men who are shaking in terror as their death is upon them."
Mashable pressed Shakman on the apparent sidestep:
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Ahh, justifying that Sheeran cameo are we? Sure, the scene probably made us feel for these guys a little, but there's no justifying that clunky line where Arya remarks that she doesn't recognize the song he's singing and Sheeran says "it's a new one!"But it also doesn't totally deny that Sheeran's "Lannister soldier" is fighting at The Reach, now does it? What say you, Shakman?"I don't think literally those soldiers were there," he told us. [Mashable]
Read the full disappointing investigation at Mashable, and how nevertheless, "The Spoils of War" was one of the best Game of Thrones episodes ever here at The Week.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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