Which ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 Episode Has George R.R. Martin Scared?

Little over one week remains until viewers get their first taste of the second season of HBO's 'Game of Thrones,' but fan reaction isn't everything on the minds of the showrunners.  According to the man himself, one upcoming episode has even series creator George R.R. Martin worried about its execution.

One the biggest episodes to come out of 'Game of Thrones' second season will undoubtedly be its ninth installment, "Blackwater," which in and of itself features an hour-long adaptation of one of George R.R. Martin's biggest set pieces throughout 'A Clash of Kings,' the titular Battle of Blackwater.  Taking a full month to shoot as opposed to a standard 'Game of Thrones' episode's ten days, George R.R. Martin even penned the episode himself to ensure proper adaptation of such a challenging story.

In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, Martin says of the battle, which features two factions warring for control of the Westeros capital King's Landing, "I'm on tenterhooks to see what sort of production values (were used) and how much they were able to capture on screen. The Battle of the Blackwater is a gigantic set piece in the book;  it occupies 12 chapters, or something like that. It fills up the entire episode, and we had to cut certain elements of it, or it would have demanded a 'Lord of the Rings'-style budget."

Of course, 'Game of Thrones' maintains a relatively high budget even at ten episodes per season, but Martin reminds "we (have) a high budget for a TV show, but we are low-budget for a feature film."

For those unfamiliar with the fantasy adventure series, season 2 of ‘Game of Thrones’ adapts its story from the second entry of George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series, ‘A Clash of Kings.’  In it, the “War of the Five Kings” begins while different factions vie for the throne of Westeros, left somewhat vacant by the death of King Robert Baratheon, and quickly usurped by his young (suspiciously blonde) son Prince Joffrey.  That's all we'll tell you, you'll have to watch the new season to learn what erupts at the Battle of Blackwater that has Martin so concerned!

Will you be watching when 'Game of Thrones' premieres its second season Sunday, April 1 at 9:00 p.m. on HBO?  What events from the 'Song of Ice and Fire' books have you been most dying to see put on screen?  Pick your side in the War of the Five Kings, and let us know in the comments beneath!