In the lead-up to the release of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, George R.R. Martin has been quite vocal about how enamored he is with this TV adaptation. After watching the entire season, it’s easy to see why. Not only does AKOTSK rise above nearly every previous A Song of Ice and Fire adaptation, but this latest HBO original series also breathes new life into a world that was becoming too familiar, too “standard.” Showrunner Ira Parker is working from a completely different story than Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. However, the novelty of the source material is just the foundation of how Parker and his writing team make AKOTSK feel distinct.
The Tales of Dunk and Egg is a prequel novella series comprised of three brisk stories, vignettes really, featuring Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they perform knightly duties across Westeros. When stacked up against the main A Song of Ice and Fire books, the novellas are considerably shorter and lighter. In the first story, on which this season is based, Dunk decides to enter a tournament at Ashford following the death of his master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), in order to prove himself as a hedge knight. Along the way, and under strange circumstances, he meets Egg and reluctantly decides to take him on as his squire.
The Sitcom Hits Westeros
The relatively low-stakes premise immediately sets A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms apart from HBO’s previous George R.R. Martin adaptations. Now, a sitcom in Westeros might sound strange, but given the show’s emphasis on levity and humor, paired with its short runtime, the descriptor fits. Many may lament AKOTSK averaging about 40 minutes per episode. After all, episodes of both other Game of Thrones shows run around the hour mark. However, fans must consider how short the Dunk and Egg novellas are.
As for the humor, it works incredibly well in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and immediately sets the series apart from its predecessors in the first 5 minutes. Fret not, the comedy isn’t overbearing, and there is still plenty of character drama. It wouldn’t be a proper Game of Thrones spin-off if the audience wasn’t emotionally pummeled every now and then.
A New Generation of Dragons
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms explores an era of Westeros that viewers haven’t seen before. It’s the first adaptation set in Spring and takes place after House Targaryen has recently concluded yet another civil war. A brief moment of peace in the realm brings all sorts of pomp and pageantry, like the tourney. House Targaryen makes an appearance at Ashford, and not everyone is happy to see them. At their head is the Crown Prince Baelor Breakspear (Bertie Carvel), who by all accounts is one of the most decent and honorable members of House Targaryen we have seen on screen.
Joining Breakspear are his younger brother, Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell), and his three sons: Aegon Targaryen, otherwise known as “Egg,” Aerion “Brightflame” (Finn Bennett), as he likes to call himself, and the elusive Daeron the Drunken (Henry Ashton). House Targaryen no longer has dragons at this point in history, and Aerion alone is reason enough to be grateful that they don’t. The second-eldest son of Maekar is reminiscent of Joffrey Baratheon, and while he is not the focus here, audiences are sure to love to hate him. Still, the Targaryens are not the protagonists this time around, but rather the lesser noble houses and the smallfolk.
The Tournament
This show is not about dragons. It’s about a young man trying to prove his worth, trying to uphold and maintain the dignity of being an honorable knight. It will be impossible for viewers not to fall in love with Dunk and his quaintness. There’s a simple innocence to him that’s endearing, and it’s why he is able to make audiences at the tournament root for him. Most prominent among his supporters (outside of Egg) are Lyonel “The Laughing Knight” Baratheon (Daniel Ings) and Raymon Fossaway (Shaun Thomas). Ser Lyonel Baratheon is the life of the tourney, throwing feasts and getting drunk in a way that would make his descendant Robert Baratheon proud.
Daniel Ings (Netflix’s The Gentlemen) does such a great job of portraying Ser Lyonel Baratheon; it’s almost certain that he will be one of the most-talked-about characters of the season. Lyonel is also among the first to offer Dunk a kind word of advice on navigating this world. Likewise, Raymon takes an immediate liking to Dunk and will no doubt remind fans of Podrick Payne from the original series in how humorous and staunchly reliable he is. Rounding out the key attendees are Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour), and Rowan (Rowan Robinson), all of whom find themselves entangled in Duncan’s plot. Tanselle is a particular highlight, being central to how the narrative unfolds.
Pitch Perfect High Fantasy
One of the biggest changes aside from the tonal shift is the cinematography and costuming. Never has this television franchise leaned more into high fantasy elements. Initially, that may not seem right as there are no magic, dragons, or white walkers present. High fantasy isn’t solely defined by magical elements, though; it’s the aesthetic, the mood, the overall atmosphere in which the story takes place. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is lush with color and ambiance. For once, there are night scenes where you can see everything going on, and set and styling details that make even the background characters stand out.
This may sound unimpressive to some, but major Hollywood productions have recently struggled with lighting scenes properly. So, it’s a welcome surprise to see AKOTSK make such valiant attempts and succeed. The costumes have never looked better, either, with the Kingsguard getting brand-new, improved outfits. Each knight, not only House Targaryen, flaunts incredibly detailed work on their armor. It’s evident that tons of thought and care went into making AKOTSK feel like the historical fantasy it is, and this is just one of many elements that put this show one cut above much of what has come before.
A Fantastic Debut Season
Unlike House of the Dragon Season 2, this season has a definitive ending. There are no cut episodes, and it doesn’t spend the majority of its runtime spinning its wheels. Thus, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is already positioned to be a better viewing experience than the last Game of Thrones spin-off series. If you were disappointed with HOTD and are skeptical about investing more of your time into this TV franchise, have no fear. As stated at the beginning, George R.R. Martin himself has gone out of his way to hype up this show, and rightfully so.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 feels more aligned with Martin’s work than any adaptation since Game of Thrones Season 4. Above all else, though, AKOTSK is a fresh and uniquely crafted look into a world fans have come to adore. No other Game of Thrones outing from HBO has felt like this, and that aspect alone is what makes it worth watching.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO and HBO Max on January 18!
Created by Ira Parker & George R.R. Martin.
Based on Tales of Dunk and Egg by George R.R. Martin.
Executive Producers: George R.R. Martin, Ira Parker, Ryan Condal, Vince Gerardis, Owen Harris, & Sarah Bradshaw.
Main Cast: Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Tanzyn Crawford, Daniel Ings, & Sam Spruell.
Guest Stars: Ross Anderson, Edward Ashley, Henry Ashton, Youssef Kerkour, Daniel Monks, Shaun Thomas, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Steve Wall, & Danny Webb.
Composer: Dan Romer.
Production Companies: Fevre River Packet Co., Bastard Sword, Grok! Television, & HBO Entertainment.
Network: HBO.
Episode Count: 6 (Season One).
