At the weekend, I rewatched ‘The Door’, and it was a terrible idea.
Now known as one of the most heartbreaking episodes in Game of Thrones history, it’s impossible for any fan to forget those final moments, which finally taught us how Hodor got his name, while simultaneously stealing him away from us forever.
The lovable giant sacrificed himself so that Bran and Meera could escape from the White Walkers, holding the door closed as wights tore at him from behind. If you fancy beating yourself up all over again by reliving the scene, well, here it is.
There was a certain sad genius in the origins of Hodor’s name being so simple that it’s almost silly. The theories bandied about by fans over the years were far more complex, but the fact that it’s basically nothing more than a pun somehow made the whole scene feel that bit more tragic.
Which is why it’s unacceptable – unacceptable – that KFC have swooped in far too soon (it’s been more than a year, but it’ll always be to soon) with this new advert, starring Kristian Nairn, which is giving us very real flashbacks.
Nairn, now that he’s free from Game of Thrones commitments, appears to have found himself behind the counter at the fried chicken joint, and it’s all a little overwhelming for him.
As lunchtime hits, customers barrel through the restaurant’s doors demanding their chicken and fries. “CHICKEN AND FRIES. CHICKEN AND FRIES. CHICKEN AND FRIES.”
Nairn goes full Hodor as he repeats the orders to himself, and “chicken and fries” turns into “chicken and rice” – which just so happens to be the new product KFC are promoting.
The the colonel bursts in through the back and rips Nairn limb from limb (OK nah we’re kidding).
The one thing we can’t help but think (other than how weird it is to see Hodor saying something that isn’t Hodor) is that surely the Hound would have been a better choice for this ad? We all know how much he loves his chicken.
