Editor's Note: The 5.15.16 episode of Game of Thrones breathed new life into this old story, which contains no nudity and, ultimately, was based on a rumor about Lena Headley not Emilia Clarke.
Daenerys nudity? What Daenerys nudity? HBO is famous or infamous as a network that shows a lot of skin, and it has been for many, many years - from its early days as a movie channel for adults to its current incarnation as a home for serious, lifelike dramas... dramas with a lot of sex in them. Sex and dragons. Well, in "Game of Thrones" season 4, Daenerys is doubling down on the dragons and cutting out the nudity altogether.
Daenerys, as portrayed by Emilia Clarke, has been getting naked on screen since all the way back in "Game of Thrones" season 1, when it was kind of creepy, because her character was so young. By "Game of Thrones" season 3, it got kind of creepy for an entirely different reason: it happened really distressingly often. There's a lot of nudity in "Game of Thrones," but the Khaleesi naked had become an incredibly common sight. And as Emilia Clarke became more well known as an actor, she decided - reasonably enough - to end it. The "Game of Thrones" season 3 finale offered the last naked Daenerys you're ever going to get.
And really, can you blame her for it? HBO sucked everyone into the original "Game of Thrones" premiere with promises of sex and magic. Both promises have been delivered, but those were really just bait. Bait for the world of intrigue, diplomacy, and multifaceted characters that has made the show such a hit. At this point, the sex scenes had simply become gratuitous, especially for such an important character.
The "Game of Thrones" season 4 release date, which is in April, may well become a more mature show now that naked Daenerys is out of the picture. Not that I'm prudish: there will surely be lots of other nudity scattered throughout the show. But, heck, the Daario and Khaleesi nude scene in the bath really was gratuitous. There is no reason, story or otherwise, to require Dany to be in the bath for that scene. It was pure titillation. It makes perfect sense that Clarke has better plans for her acting career.
When it suits the story, the "Game of Thrones" season 4 premiere will bring us just as much nudity as ever. But we may see a decrease in the unnecessary sexposition that has increasingly become a target for ridicule. Good for Emilia Clarke for standing up for story and character.
"Game of Thrones" season 4 premieres on HBO on April 6, 2014.
