Several users responded to his post, looking for the same thing. “Everyone is eagerly sharing files, just look around.” So how do I watch the uncensored version?” All along it was Tencent that deleted the scene, completely ruining it. (“Horse” is a homonym for an extremely common Chinese curse word.) “Censoring to the point where the plot is cut down what’s the point? I was thinking that in the whole episode, I didn’t see a single ghost, and found it so weird. He continued on his rant in a post that was filled with crying emoji and horse emoji. In order to censor blood and violence, the entire story has been affected.” I want a refund, I don’t want the censored version of #GameofThrones #EighthSeason.”Īnother user noted: “When other people discussed the episode and said a little lord was burned to death, I really had no idea what they were talking about.
One user wrote a comment half in English and half in Chinese on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform: “I want my money back, #TencentVideo. But others simply suggested that pirating the show was a better solution than watching a bowdlerized version. Many fans were angry about the censorship because it kept important plot points hidden from them, including the fall of the Last Hearth, the death of Ned Umber, and the Night King’s message. “When other people discussed the episode.I really had no idea what they were talking about.”Ĭhinese viewers who watched the censored version of the season 8 premiere became confused when they participated in post-episode discussions. There are two potential reasons why the scene was censored: China disapproves of undead creatures being shown on-screen, as they’re considered superstitious, and the dismembered body parts used to make the spiral could be considered too violent and gruesome. HBO’s Chinese partner, Tencent, has the rights to distribute Game of Thrones in China, but to respect local laws, it cut nearly six minutes of the season 8 premiere, “Winterfell.” Most of what was cut was pretty standard, including the nudity when Bronn spends time with three women before Qyburn summons him and the violence when Theon rescues his sister Yara.īut one particularly crucial scene was cut from the premiere: when Ned Umber’s body is found pinned to a creepy sigil on the wall that the Night King has left to send a message. Many say the censored version of Game of Thrones they have ready access to is more like a mundane “medieval documentary” with disjointed plot points.
Strip Game of Thrones of the sex, violence, and supernatural horror, and what’s left? Chinese fans of the show are finding out, as they’re watching a version of the series that’s been censored by the government. Spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 1, “Winterfell.”