Josh Reviews A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

I fell in love with Game of Thrones right away when I watched season one, and I was a huge fan of the show through to the final season.  Yes, there are a lot of weaknesses in those final episodes that went past what George R. R. Martin had written in his books, but there was still a lot that I enjoyed.  The second episode of that final season, which takes place in Winterfell on the eve of the final battle with the White Walkers — and which, in a funny coincidence, is also titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” — is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series’ run!  Things went quickly downhill after that episode, sadly, and ultimately I felt that final season was a major disappointment.  I did watch the first season of House of the Dragon, and while I found enough to enjoy, I found it too confusing and too dour.  I didn’t ever consciously decide not to continue watching the show, but when season two was finally released after the long break between seasons, I just let it pass me by.  In my mind I always said I’d go back and watch it, but I’ve found that I haven’t been in any rush to do so.  Nor did I rush to see the newest spin-off show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, when that was released.  Was I done with Game of Thrones?

But I kept hearing that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was good, and it’s short length (six half hour-ish episodes) was appealing.  So I decided to watch the first episode.  And dang it if I wasn’t quickly sucked back into the world of Game of Thrones!  I blew through the six episodes.  I am happy to report that they’re terrific!  What a wonderful recapturing of everything I used to love about this fantasy world!

This show was overseen by Ira Parker, and it’s based on George R. R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” series of novellas.  (There are three so far, published between 1998 and 2010.  Mr. Martin has said he intends to write many more, perhaps as many as twelve in total.  I must confess I am doubtful that he will actually write even one more, based on his lengthy current spell of A Song of Ice and Fire writer’s block, though I’d love to be wrong.)  These stories are set 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and while they touch on aspects of the complex history that Mr. Martin has crafted for this world, they are designed to be stand-alone tales.  You could enjoy this show having not seen any of Game of Thrones.  And certainly if you’re not up to date on House of the Dragon, that’s no problem at all.

This story centers around two characters: Dunk and Egg.  Dunk is Ser Duncan the Tall, played by Peter Claffey.  Dunk is a “hedge knight”, meaning he is a wandering knight, not attached to any great house, and so called because they often wind up sleeping by a hedge on the side of the road.  As the story begins, the knight for whom Dunk was a squire has just died, and for the first time Dunk finds himself alone in the world, looking to find his place and his purpose.  Egg is a young bald boy, played by Dexter Sol Ansell, who meets Dunk in an inn and decides that he wants to become Dunk’s squire.  This is a classic odd couple: Dunk is tall and Egg is short; Dunk is naive and not so bright, while Egg is savvy and well-learned.  This is a well-worn device, but it is perfectly deployed here, and both Mr. Claffey and young Mr. Ansell are absolutely perfect in these roles.  What incredible casting!!  The show sings because these two are amazing.  I very quickly fell in love with this mismatched pair, and I was rooting for them to succeed.

One of the many reasons this show works so well is because, rather than the sprawling, complicated stories found in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragons, following dozens of characters scattered across the world, this show is laser-focused on these two characters, and it basically all takes place in a single location: at a jousting tournament being held at the small town of Ashford.  As a result, not only is the story easy to follow, but even in this short season we’re allowed to get to know both Dunk and Egg extremely well; they’re quickly developed into fully-realized characters in whom we’re deeply invested.

I was also pleased that this was a far more upbeat show than I’d expected!  I’m not sure if I’d go so far as to call it a comedy (as I’ve seen others do), but there’s a lot of fun and humor in the show, particularly in the first three episodes, and I found that to be delightful!  Also important was that, while Game of Thrones taught us early on that good, noble characters will meet a quick and ugly demise in this world, here in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, our two sweet and heroic lead characters do, well, if not exactly win the day, at least do OK for themselves and survive to their next adventure.  They even manage to gather other good-natured characters around them, spreading their generally positive worldview in an almost Ted Lasso style.  This was quite a surprise, and I loved it.

That’s not to say that we’re not still in the Game of Thrones universe.  There’s definitely some tough stuff that happens in the back half of the season, and some awful things befall some noble characters.  We also get a viscerally intense extended action sequence that had me on the edge of my seat in the way that classic Game of Thrones could regularly do to me in its prime.  I think Ira Parker and his team managed to strike a strong balance of tone as the show unfolded.

My only real complaint about the show was that I was never quite sure who was who among the clan of Targaryen royalty visiting the tournament.  This was never so confusing that the show lost me, but I wish I’d more clearly understood who was related to who, and how.  (I’ll also mention here that I was surprised that Dunk’s pleasant conversation with one of the Kingsguard early in the show never amounted to anything later in the season; and I’d have loved a final scene between Dunk and Tanselle.  But these are minor quibbles.)

While the show rests firmly on the shoulders of Dunk and Egg, we get to meet a fun array of supporting characters.  I’d love to see some of these people again in future seasons (though I’m not sure how connected the subsequent novellas are or aren’t).  Let’s start with Daniel Ings as “the Laughing Storm”, the wealthy and powerful party-loving guy who Dunk somehow befriends during a night of drunken revelry.  (Post-show reading online tells me that he’s Ser Lyonel Baratheon).  Mr. Ings is a hoot, joyous and fun-loving while never losing his edge of danger.  I loved this guy and wish we’d gotten to see more of him.  Shaun Thomas is wonderful as the sweet and brave Raymun Fossoway, the young squire who takes an immediate linking to Dunk, and helps Dunk find his way through this new-to-him world of the tournament.  Bertie Carvel is terrific and very memorable as the Hand of the King, Prince Baelor Targaryen.  After Game of Thrones and especially House of the Dragon, it’s nice to see a Targaryen in a position of power who actually seems to be a noble, smart, good-hearted dude!  I really enjoyed this character.  Of course, the noble Baelor has a counterpart in his brother, Prince Maekar Targaryen, played by Sam Spruell with the perfect amount of spoiled grumpiness.

I was as taken as Dunk was with Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, the very tall Dornish puppeteer.  (I really hope we see her down the road again!)  Youssef Kerkour makes quite an impact in just a few scenes as the gruff but ultimately good-hearted blacksmith Steely Pate.  Rowan Robinson does lovely work as the prostitute “Red”; we don’t get to spend too much time with her, but Ms. Robinson does a great job quickly establishing Red as someone we like.  Danny Webb is wonderful as Ser Arlan of Pennytree, beautifully playing both Arlan’s good and not-so-good qualities.  I love the way the show allows us to discover Ser Arlan through Dunk’s memories of him.  (We also get to see Ser Arlan’s, well, let me quote Inga from Young Frankenstein: “enormous schwanzstucker”, in the series’ brief but hilarious spin on the nudity that Game of Thrones was known for.)  Finn Bennett is perfectly awful and evil as Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen, the main villain of this first season.  (I wonder if Aerion is out of the show now, or if we’ll see more of him??)  Chloe Lea (who was a stand-out performer in Dune: Prophecy) is great as Dunk’s childhood friend Rafe.

Other thoughts:

• Not knowing too much about all of the mythology/history that George R.R. Martin has constructed by this world, I was intrigued by the prophecy about Egg (which I won’t spoil here).  I’m assuming that all comes true, which is both great and awful news for sweet Egg.  I wonder how far this series will go, and how much of what ultimately happens to Dunk and Egg we’ll get to learn.  (Will the show eventually move past what Mr. Martin has written, as Game of Thrones did?)
• Despite not having read the novellas this series is based on, I wasn’t that surprised by Egg’s secret.  But that wasn’t a problem for me (and I think the show wisely understands that most of the audience will probably be able to guess this).
• Wow, how did Dunk survive his injuries in the big battle in episode 5??  The show’s biggest narrative stretch might be that Dunk (and also Raymun!) made it out of that fight alive.
• It works OK here, but I am tired of streaming shows with short seasons devoting all or much of an episode to an extended flashback, as I am also tired of what’s become a trope of the penultimate episode sidestepping the main narrative to tell a different story.  Both ideas were once cool and are now overused and played out.  Thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms!  If, as I had, you’d skipped this show at first because you were tired of Game of Thrones, I highly recommend you give this show a chance.  It’s an extremely winning combination and a perfectly calibrated spin-off, one that pulls together the best elements of this particular fantasy world.  I am happy to be excited about Game of Thrones again.  Bring on season two!!

Please support my website by clicking through one of my Amazon links the next time you need to shop!  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  That means I’ll receive a small percentage from ANY product you purchase from Amazon within 24 hours after clicking through.  Thank you!