ADVERTISEMENT
Along with The Real World and Sex and the City, Game of Thrones used to be the kind of show that I would never, ever consider watching with my parents. It seemed that every third scene or so, the show would cut to a brothel in King’s Landing where topless women mingled amongst reclining men. Some of the time, these scenes were relevant to a character's story arc. Most of the time, though, there was no point to the nudity. Characters pranced around naked because it was an HBO show and hey, why not. One viewer even coined the term "sexposition" to describe the gratuitous nudity.
Over the course of its seven seasons, nudity is now depicted far less frequently, and far more deliberately, on Game of Thrones. When I compare the scene of Littlefinger’s brothel to this season’s sex scene between Grey Worm and Missandei, I see how significantly the show has evolved in its depiction of nudity. Now, if a character is unclothed, it’s because she’s emerging from a fire or walking to the Red Keep in shame. Essentially, nudity serves a purpose.
Looking back, I’m shocked by the frequency of Game of Thrones' unnecessary nude scenes. Odds are, you will be too.
ADVERTISEMENT