Gunpowder: A preview courtesy of Kit Harington

Gunpowder does have Kit Harington, and he’s more than willing to talk the show up. Let’s dive into what you should expect from the HBO miniseries.

Gunpowder has a rather unique situation: HBO is airing the show’s three episodes on consecutive nights, starting tonight with the first episode, so it’s really like three nights of Kit Harington.

Speaking of the actor, Winter is Coming has unearthed some quotes from him, and since tonight is the premiere … time to break it down!

Take it away, Harington, originally to the New York Times:

"Jon Snow’s all about […] doing everything he can to avoid violence in many ways. [Robert] Catesby’s the opposite: He wants to see death and destruction.Sounds like Gunpowder will really earn its TV-MA rating (and that explains quite a bit about how it landed on HBO as opposed to my prediction that BBC America would take it). But hey, even in HBO’s promo for the show, Harington’s Catesby says that he intends to “kill the king of England.” While we think Jon could be convinced to think killing someone would be necessary, it would probably take a couple episodes of plot and character development to bring him to that level if it’s someone other than the Night King (you know, more like an actual person).But we’ll have to see the show to really know what we’re dealing with when it comes to Robert.That’s just where Robert starts, though, according to HBO’s synopsis for tonight’s premiere episode:England, 1603. After the death of Elizabeth I, English Catholics are persecuted and mass is forbidden under the rule of King James I. In Warwickshire, a small, secret ceremony is interrupted by the King’s men, who are searching for a young Jesuit priest. When the priest and the lady of the house, Dorothy Dibdale, are captured and gruesomely executed, a young nobleman, Robert Catesby, resolves to avenge his kin and defend his faith by any means necessary. Meanwhile, in London, Secretary of State Lord Robert Cecil advises the King that he should bring down a heavy hand on the papists, ordering William Wade, lieutenant of the Tower of London, to hunt down Catesby and Father Henry Garnet, the head Catholic in England.Okay, those are a lot of names going around, but here are the ones you probably need to focus on. Robert, obviously, is important. (He’s actually our main character.) Father Henry Garnet will likely play a major role, since this synopsis calls him the “head Catholic in England.” Of course, King James I is the target of the whole plan here, and Robert Cecil is really our antagonist — because he’s the one who sets the countermeasures in motion.Despite all this, however, tonight’s episode will last just an hour, so it seems like the “gruesomely executed” part will likely be one of the early shocking bits that draw uncertain viewers in. It might even drop before the credits sequence!While it might not necessarily grab a ton of viewers in initial viewings, it has the benefit of dropping just as peak holiday travel happens. By Thursday, you’ll be able to watch the entire series — no needing to wait a week for a new episode or having to go through huge amounts of data.Granted, if you’re spending time with family, we recommend watching around them with caution, since, well … executions are going to be a thing in this show. And probably more than that, too … how likely is it that there will be some sort of love interest for someone who doesn’t want them to go through with the plan?Next: 25 of the best family feuds on TVIn the interests of covering a period drama that absolutely goes gonzo, we here at Culturess are happy to watch … and happy to comment on it for your reading pleasure, too. Published on 12/18/2017 at 10:33 AM ESTLast updated on 12/18/2017 at 10:33 AM EST Jon Snow’s all about […] doing everything he can to avoid violence in many ways. [Robert] Catesby’s the opposite: He wants to see death and destruction.England, 1603. After the death of Elizabeth I, English Catholics are persecuted and mass is forbidden under the rule of King James I. In Warwickshire, a small, secret ceremony is interrupted by the King’s men, who are searching for a young Jesuit priest. When the priest and the lady of the house, Dorothy Dibdale, are captured and gruesomely executed, a young nobleman, Robert Catesby, resolves to avenge his kin and defend his faith by any means necessary. Meanwhile, in London, Secretary of State Lord Robert Cecil advises the King that he should bring down a heavy hand on the papists, ordering William Wade, lieutenant of the Tower of London, to hunt down Catesby and Father Henry Garnet, the head Catholic in England."