THE NEW series of Game of Thrones has wasted little time in revealing what became of Ed Sheeran’s character from the previous season – and it’s not pleasant.
Sheeran made a cameo appearance in the season 7 premiere “Dragonstone” playing the part of Lannister soldier who plays a song called “Hands of Gold” for Maisie Williams’ Arya Stark.
It was a cameo that attracted widespread attention and some disapproval with Hodor actor Kristian Nairn among those to criticise the cameo as an unnecessary distraction.
The good news for Nairn and his fellow critics is that it doesn’t look like Sheeran’s character, who was rather unimaginatively named Eddie, will be making a return.
In the season 8 premiere it is revealed that Eddie met a gruesome end during Daenerys’ attack on the Lannister and Tarly armies.
During a scene where Jerome Flynn’s Bronn is busy trying to enjoy some “downtime” with three of the ladies of King’s Landing, the women discuss what happened to Eddie – and it’s the kind of visceral, nightmare depiction fans have come to expect from Game of Thrones.
“That boy Eddie...” one of the women remarks
“The ginger?” her colleague replies.
“That's him,” the first says. “Came back with his face burned right off. He's got no eyelids now.”
“How does he sleep with no eyelids?” her co-worker asks.
At that point Bronn stops the conversation in its tracks, unhappy at the mood-killing discussions taking place between his bedfellows.
But the damage has been done. Eddie is in a bad way and, truth be told, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to live to see one true ruler upon the Iron Throne.
Living without eyelids doesn’t sound all that viable, with infection likely to see him off in the coming weeks if the approaching army of the living dead don’t.
He certainly won’t be playing guitar anymore, that’s for sure.
It’s true what they say: “In the Game of Thrones you either win or you die”.
