While “Game of Thrones” characters were getting drunk in Winterfell Hall, at least one person was imbibing something non-alcoholic yet out of place in Westeros.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted an errant coffee cup that was accidentally left in a brief scene of season eight’s fourth episode. It appears at about the 17:40 mark. The episode aired Sunday, May 5 — and by the next day, the out-of-place latte had gone viral.
You can see where the craft services cup appeared in front of actress Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, in the scene screenshot below. The image was posted by Twitter user @slippish with the comment “Whoopsie lol.”
Whoopsie lol pic.twitter.com/H25vfbDD6W
— vogueress (@slippish) May 6, 2019
Though the cup doesn’t definitively appear to be from Starbucks, fans had fun wondering how their local Starbucks barista would manage to jot down the Mother of Dragons’ epically long name on the side of a latte.
“That Winterfell starbucks cashier ain’t ready to write Dany’s name on her coffee cup,” quipped @TheGeneralSYD.
That Winterfell starbucks cashier ain't ready to write Dany's name on her coffee cup #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/N4ktWH1NlJ
— Joseph (@JosephTheJStar) May 6, 2019
Others took it a step further and shared what they thought Daenerys’ cup would like with all her alternate names.
Starbucks girl 😂#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/7DRQu440aY
— Kathy H. (@birinsan) May 6, 2019
The coffee giant managed to capitalize on the humorous error and sneak in a plug for one of its new beverages. “TBH we’re surprised she didn’t order a Dragon Drink,” the official Starbucks account tweeted.
TBH we're surprised she didn't order a Dragon Drink.
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) May 6, 2019
How did the show’s creators respond?
“We’re sorry! Westeros was the first place to actually have Starbucks and it’s a little known fact,” Bernadette Caulfield, “Game of Thrones” executive producer, said in a radio interview with WNYC on May 6. She added, “I guess if that’s the worst thing that they’re finding, we’re in good shape.”
The coffee cup has achieved full-on meme status, although one insider claims the hype is overblown.
“Things can get forgotten on set,” said “Game of Thrones” art director Hauke Richter in an email to Variety. He also pointed out no other such egregious continuity errors have been caught on camera on the show before.
But GoT’s official Twitter account had the best reaction. “News from Winterfell. The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. #Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea,” it tweeted. That sentiment was also used in an HBO press release.
News from Winterfell.
The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. #Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea. pic.twitter.com/ypowxGgQRl
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) May 6, 2019
Did you spot the forgotten cup in the Winterfell scene, GoT fans?