This article is a review for the TV show “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” set in the same world as the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, and will contain spoilers.
On Jan. 18, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” began its weekly releases which continued until Feb. 22 when the final episode of the first season aired. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is a new TV show set in the same universe as “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” and is based on “The Tales of Dunk and Egg,” a series of novellas written by George R. R. Martin. The TV show follows hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall, also known as Dunk, played by Peter Claffey, and his squire Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell.
The first season is specifically based on the prequel novella “The Hedge Knight” where Ser Duncan first takes Egg on as his squire and attempts to compete at the tourney of Ashford, which was held as a celebration of Lord Ashford’s daughter’s thirteenth birthday. The show also incorporates many flashbacks that occur before and while Duncan himself was a squire, which help viewers more intimately understand him.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has breathed new life into the TV adaptation of this beloved universe. Where “Game of Thrones” had its famous downfall and “House of the Dragon” has had consistently middling reception, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has created something incredibly charming and comedic that also tackles emotionally intense topics.
From my view, its charm is due in part to its simplicity. The other series illustrate complicated webs of relationships between characters and involve somewhat mysterious fantasy elements, both of which culminate into world-defining events. On the other hand, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is largely devoid of the political scheming and dragons that take center stage in the rest of the franchise.
The main character, Dunk, is unintelligent and awkward, but the way he’s written and played makes those characteristics extremely endearing. Additionally, Dunk is honorable to a fault. He holds his knightly principles close and believes in protecting the weak and innocent, even if he jeopardizes himself.
In contrast, Egg is incredibly knowledgeable about this universe and cunning. It is revealed about halfway through the first season that Egg is actually Aegon Targaryen, the fourth son of the fourth son of the current king of the Seven Kingdoms, King Daeron II, and as such is in truth a prince which explains why he is so well educated.
The largest reason for why the show is so charming is Duncan and Egg’s relationship. They grew up in completely different worlds: Duncan was raised on the streets of the capital city before leaving with Ser Arlan of Pennytree, the knight who Ser Duncan squired for, whereas Egg was raised in the pinnacle of luxury. Despite this, they both deeply care for each other because they see the good in one another. The banter and conversations between Dunk and Egg are arguably one of the best parts of this show.
For Egg, Duncan was an escape from his family, who is known for being ungrounded and morose. Duncan does not want Egg to end up like his family, which is part of the reason he keeps him as a squire; the other reasons, I suspect, are loneliness and a sense of duty to pass on what he was taught by Ser Arlan.
This TV series has a really good balance of elements that many different viewers will like. It has an almost cozy vibe with its simplicity and the dynamic between Dunk and Egg, along with very effective comedy and some of the best fight scenes I have seen in a while that add more to the story than just action.
If you have already watched “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and enjoyed it like I and the critics did, season 2 of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is already in production and the showrunner Ira Parker has big plans for the future of the show.
