Chicken and rice! In a new TV spot running in the U.K. and Ireland, Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn resurrected his character Hodor in conjunction with KFC’s newly announced “ricebox.”
In the ad titled “Lunchtime Is Coming ” — a play off the Game of Thrones tagline “Winter is Coming” — Nairn plays a frazzled KFC employee who anxiously anticipates the lunchtime rush. As the clock strikes noon, a horde of determined customers storm the counter, each demanding “chicken with fries.”
Nairn becomes overwhelmed by the mob’s requests, leading him to repeat “chicken and fries” as he turns his back to the ravenous crowd, much like Hodor repeated his missive in his most memorable Game of Thrones episode, until the order mysteriously evolves into “chicken and rice.” A customer then breaks through the crowd to claim his “icebox.”
KFC’s nod to Game of Thrones — through similarities to Hodor’s shocking death scene at the end of season 6 — has proven to be a sensitive subject with viewers.
“Too soon,” commented one viewer on YouTube.
“Why they gotta bring this back up? Making me cry watching a KFC commercial,” said another.
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on Sunday, July 16, at 9 p.m. ET.
