No, ‘Game of Thrones’ Probably Didn’t Kill Ed Sheeran in ‘The Spoils of War’
It seems like a lifetime ago Game of Thrones fans were arguing about Ed Sheeran’s cameo in the Season 7 premiere, but we never did quite learn the Lannister soldier’s fate. Some speculated he and his merry brood were among those incinerated in Sunday’s “The Spoils of War,” but sadly, the shape of Sheeran remains in tact.
Granted, there’s a head-scratching amount of geography and timing questions that go into Jaime leading the Lannister men to Highgarden and returning in the span of two episodes; it stands to reason a large number of soldiers were barbecued in Daenerys’ dragon/Dothraki assault. It’s entirely plausible that the northern Lannister garrison Arya ran into were called to aid in the Highgarden mission, or the return of said “Spoils” to King’s Landing, but as director Matt Shakman told Mashable, he doesn’t consider Sheeran’s character among them:
I did not meet Ed Sheeran. The idea behind the question 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 … I don’t think literally those soldiers were there.
Gratuitous or otherwise, it was still an admittedly odd cameo in the first place; to portray Lannister soldiers in a human light, but never reveal if Arya had to stick any with the pointy end. Sheeran’s appearance was more or less a gift to Maisie Williams, and we’ll only know his fate for sure if Arya reveals Sheeran’s among the faces she keeps handy (read: never).
In the meantime, this coming Sunday’s “Eastwatch” will hopefully reveal any significant casualties to the dragon attack, but feel free to keep your hopes of roasted Sheeran on the fire.