The Game of Thrones season 8 premiere updated fans on where all their favorite characters are - and also revealed the horrible fate of Ed Sheeran's character, who was caught up in Daenerys' attack on the Lannister and Tarly armies. In a scene where Bronn tries to enjoy some relaxing downtime with some of the ladies of King's Landing, dialogue reveals that poor "Eddie" survived, but returned from the battle with his face burned so badly that his eyelids are gone. Gruesome!
Sheeran made a cameo appearance in the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere, "Dragonstone," as a Lannister soldier who sings a song called "Hands of Gold" to entertain his brothers-in-arms around the campfire. Arya Stark, having recently slaughtered the Freys as vengeance for the Red Wedding, stops to listen to the song. The cameo was organized as a surprise for actress Maisie Williams, who plays Arya and is a big fan of Sheeran's music. However, Sheeran's appearance was criticized by some Game of Thrones fans (including Hodor actor Kristian Nairn), who felt that having a celebrity cameo broke the immersion of the show.
Perhaps as a way to placate those who were unhappy with Sheeran popping up in the Lannister army, the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere, "Dragonstone," makes it clear that his face will never appear in the show again. While Bronn is trying to take part in some carnal pleasures, two of the three women he's in bed with spoil the mood by chatting about all the horrible ways in which the Lannister soldiers died - or, in one case, came back disfigured:
Craya: That boy Eddie...
Dirah: The ginger?
Craya: That's him. Came back with his face burned right off. He's got no eyelids now.
Dirah: How does he sleep with no eyelids?
While some Game of Thrones fans would probably have preferred for the cameo to never be spoken of again, this allusion is subtle enough to blend into the dialogue, and also makes for a funny moment as Bronn tries and fails to take a break from the bloodshed. As if all the talk of burnt-off faces and eyelids didn't throw enough metaphorical cold water over things, Bronn is then interrupted by Qyburn giving him a new mission: to kill his old companion, Tyrion Lannister, with the same crossbow that Tyrion used to kill his father.
It's safe to assume that we won't be seeing Eddie in Game of Thrones season 8, with only five episodes left and a lot of ground to cover. Still, not everyone was fortunate enough to survive the Battle of the Goldroad, and Eddie at least has a cool story to tell. Even if he doesn't have any eyelids.
Game of Thrones season 8 continues on HBO @9pm on Sunday, April 21.