Real or Prosthetic? The Mystery Behind A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Frontal Scene Revealed
Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) would have been just another easily forgettable character if not for the meticulously curated scenes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which made every little moment as memorable as possible. The show has been hailed for bringing back the joy of low-stakes, pleasant TV in an age where obsession with spectacle has repeatedly overshadowed good storytelling. Ser Arlan stumbling out of a brothel in the morning to take a leak while stark naked in the opening scene of “Hard Salt Beef,” the show’s second episode, continues to attract fan reaction, with many wondering whether his “formidable weapon” was real or prosthetic.
The mystery was further perpetuated by the co-showrunner, Ira Parker, who, in an interview with EW, feigned ignorance when asked whether the appendage in question was real or a prosthetic. “Was that a prosthetic? I forget… I thought he just showed up on set that way, but maybe it was prosthetic,” he said.
While he didn’t clear up the confusion, he gave a convincing explanation as to why the creators made the decision to give Ser Arlan such a significant boost. “I felt bad for Ser Arlan at some point…He was the only person who’s ever looked out for Dunk and really stuck with Dunk. And he died on a muddy road in the middle of nowhere, was buried without ceremony, and now Dunk is going around trying to find somebody who just even remembers him — people that he served for, people that he bled for, these knights and these lords. They can’t even remember his name. I felt the need to give him his one special thing, to channel a little Boogie Nights, I suppose.”
According to Parker, they never meant for Ser Arlan’s manhood to become the center of attention. It was only their way of giving the character a superpower of sorts, albeit to explain the survival instinct that kept him alive all those years as a lowly hedge knight. “In order to survive to be an Old Man Hedge Knight, you had to be made of solid f—ing iron. Those were tough days for anyone, let alone a fighting warrior who lives under trees in the 14th century. So, you know, he’s a small guy and he’s slim. I figured he’s got something that helps him get through those really intense battles. He’s got a certain energy about him, if you will,” he told EW.
The move inadvertently paid off as Ser Arlan of Pennytree has now become a legendary aspect of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms despite appearing only through Ser Duncan the Tall’s (Peter Claffey) flashbacks. The scene quickly birthed a plethora of memes as fans reacted online. “Dunk should have pickeled it until finding a c*ck merchant,” one Redditor said, referencing a Game of Thrones scene involving Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and slave traders in Essos. “Would also explain why he couldn’t win sh*t. It’s hard to joust and fight when you’ve got a third leg you gotta maneuver around,” another one added.
While some viewers would have used a little warning before having to confront all 10 inches of the old Hedge Knight’s manhood, the long-lasting comedic impact of the scene has proved more valuable than the initial discomfort it caused. Reacting to the scene’s growing popularity on their Instagram, UK-based prosthetic supplier Waldo Mason gladly took credit for the creation, explaining the whole process of how Ser Arlan’s “sword” came to be.
“Very proud to have forged Ser Arlan Pennytree’s formidable weapon for the opening moments of this episode… We were asked to create a 10” prosthetic penis for the fantastic Danny Webb (Ser Arlan of Pennytree) to wear, naked. Luckily, he was a consummate professional and was happy to work with us to make it as realistic as possible, coming in for fittings that culminated in a very intimate application process in a white tent in the Belfast countryside.” Waldon Mason posted.
The prosthetic designer is no stranger to the Game of Thrones universe, having worked extensively on House of the Dragon. His biggest contribution to the show is probably the image of the White Walker in Daemon Targaryen’s vision in the second season of the show. Waldon Mason later clarified that the vision was of one of the Night King’s generals and not the dreaded villain himself.
Regarding Ser Arlan’s “weapon,” Waldon Mason gave the intimate details of the process involved in generating the scene, including the tricks used to hide any edges and make it look as real as possible. “Because of the size we reinforced the contact area & edges with wig lace for minimal stretch under its weight and makeup designer Pippa Woods @pipwoods and Lucille Harding @lucille_wigs applied a knotted merkin, hiding any visible edges. It also contained tubing for urination, which we taped down the back of his leg.”
Despite the uncomfortable details involved, the end result was welcome as the scene is probably the most epic moment in the episode, which retains a perfect RT score. All episodes of the show kept a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the finale drawing a whopping 9.5 million viewers according to HBO.
