Kit Harington’s new drama is enough to fill that Game of Thrones-shaped hole in your life but one scene was too much for some people.
We all know the story, but how many of us know the events that led up to it?
It is 1603, and as England wars with Spain and the bloody persecution of Catholics intensifies, a young nobleman resolves to avenge his kin and defend his faith by any means necessary.
The BBC’s new gritty three-part series Gunpowder documents the actions of Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and a close group of English Catholics as they plan to destroy the House of Lords by igniting gunpowder that’s stored underneath Westminster.
As you may have heard, Harington is a distant relative of Robert Catesby and the Game of Thrones star is actually serving as a producer on this show. See, he does know something!
The first episode aired last night and after an intense opening sequence which showed Catholics on the run, viewers were treated to one of the most gut-wrenching and gruesome scenes in recent TV history.
Given Harington’s work on Game of Thrones, that’s saying a lot!
If you’ve ever wanted to see an accurate portrayal of someone getting hung, drawn and quartered then Gunpowder is the show for you. Hands and feet get chopped off, decapitations occur and people get crushed to death.
It’s not an easy watch but just like Game of Thrones, the violence is necessary though in order accurately portray the events of the time. 17th Century Britain wasn’t exactly a forgiving place and in order to understand Catesby’s motives to instigate the Gunpowder Plot, it’s a very necessary evil.
This being said, plenty of viewers were hooked by the narrative and surprised by the levels of gore that were shown in the first episode.
I wonder how many BBC viewers will complain about the graphic scenes in #Gunpowder even though this stuff actually happened regularly? 🤔
— Bethany Farmer (@BethanyFarmer_) October 21, 2017
Well… #Gunpowder may have trumped #GOT for gore! Bravo Kit Harrington. pic.twitter.com/y38Pbab2K2
— Dan Jackson (@MrDJJackson) October 21, 2017
To those who are horrified at the "Gore" please pick up a history book. Britain was build on blood, rape and plundering #Gunpowder
— Rachel (@rachelannharri1) October 21, 2017
Wow, #gunpowder looks set to be an epic series! It's history people, stop moaning about the gore etc. This is what it was like, but worse!
— Darren Lacey (He/Him/Homo AF) (@dazlarrr) October 21, 2017
Well #Gunpowder started slow but boy did it pick up! Blood. Gore. Plotting. Bring on next week
— Clare Hughes (@klayrelizabeth) October 21, 2017
And I though GoT was bad. BBC taking prime time Saturday night viewing to new levels of gore #Gunpowder
— Ellen Crick (@ellenrubycrick) October 21, 2017
Some viewers felt that the gore was a bit too much.
I found that there was no need to show so much gore in the execution scene in #Gunpowder made for very uncomfortable viewing #bbc
— James Kapp (@jimbobkapp) October 21, 2017
#BBC #Gunpowder too much violence, too much gore. Not entertainment. #disgusting
— Pete Timmins (@petertimmins3) October 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/lydia_hazel/status/921844353622007809
The overall impression?
It’s about time we saw a more historically accurate drama. Yes we were once barbaric over whose god was best. Well done BBC 👏🏻 #Gunpowder
— White Hart Liz (@WhiteHartLiz) October 21, 2017
Brutal but historically accurate. Maybe you more delicate souls should go to bed before 9pm if it upsets you. #Gunpowder
— DDD ⚰ (@heavenrise) October 21, 2017
All these people complaining about #Gunpowder, there’s no escaping history and it’s true horrid, horrid colours and harsh reality
— Megan-Anne (@MeganAnneFilm) October 21, 2017
Yes, it's graphic & gory, but it has to be for us to understand the depth of persecution, and why Catesby & co did what they did. #Gunpowder
— Knitty42 / @[email protected] (@Knitty42) October 21, 2017
This execution scene is one of the most painful things I've ever witnessed on TV #Gunpowder
— Megan (@meganmaryrose) October 21, 2017
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