HBO

‘Game of Thrones' Coffee Cup Is a Scene Slayer

Some thought the cup looked like it came from Starbucks. A "GOT" executive producer says, "we're sorry"

Even Queen Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Lady of Dragonstone, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons needs a tea break. 

"Game of Thrones" fans on Twitter were abuzz over the appearance of a stray coffee cup that appeared in a scene in Sunday's episode, "The Last of the Starks." Some sharp-eyed viewers recognized it as a drink from Starbucks. 

The cup appeared on a table near Daenerys, who was holding her own drink during a celebration of the living having defeated the dead in the Battle of Winterfell. The beverage was topped with a white lid, presumably crafted from the finest plastic available to those outside the realm. 

SPOILER ALERT: "Game of Thrones" finally had the anticipated bloody Battle of Winterfell and we're looking back at who died and other shocking moments.

The cup could still be seen in the streaming version of the show on Monday morning.

HBO, leaning directly into the controversy, replied Monday afternoon to "those who saw a craft services coffee cup.

"The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea,” HBO said.

Bernie Caulfied, an executive producer on the show, joked about the mishap and apologized during an interview with WNYC radio

"Westeros was the first place to actually have Starbucks, and it's a little known fact," Caulfied said.

Caulfield said usually the show's "on-set prop people and decorators are so on it a thousand percent." But she conceded that in this case the coffee cup storyline was more than lore.   

"I guess maybe that was there," she said.  "I'm not sure. We're sorry." 

If the cup was the worst thing that viewers spotted, "then they're in good shape," she added. 

Caulfield joked that Starbucks should "send us money." 

Starbucks, for its part, responded to fan theories about the coffee giant invading Westeros.

Only two more "GOT" episodes remain in the series.

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