Sunday nights in Westeros are back, but the experience might be a little different this time around as we follow Ser Duncan the Tall and his journey to become a real knight.
Going into the first episode, I already knew that the series was going to be ‘lighter’ than its predecessors. Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon both have some very dark moments with comedic relief woven in, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms still managed to surprise me with their opening. By breaking an unspoken rule of fiction and opening on Ser Duncan squatting beneath a tree, I immediately realized that lighter doesn’t necessarily mean less of the shocking, Game of Thrones-esque scenes. Could they have established the humorous, less intense tone in a less uncomfortable way? I’m sure some of us would’ve preferred that, but I mean, those behind these epic Westeros stories have never been known for their subtlety.
The Heart of the Episode
So far, the heart of this series is the lovable characters. Ser Dunk the Tall was established early on to be an underdog. Throughout the forty-minute episode, pretty much every character he interacted with questioned the authenticity of his knight status, usually stating with a raised brow–‘You don’t look like a knight.’ But the great thing about him is that he never let it ruin his determination to make it to the knight tournament. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the tournament in the first episode, but hopefully we will in the next one.
Being that this series is based on George R. R. Martin’s “Dunk and Egg” novellas, we can’t have Dunk without his tiny companion, Egg. It takes a moment for Dunk to warm up to him, but eventually he does and invites him to be a temporary squire. Even though we don’t see a lot of Egg, what we saw was enough to get a pretty good insight into his background. Although his appearance suggests someone of a lower class, the way he presents himself, his maturity, and his knowledge could lead one to believe there is more to him than meets the eye. It’s odd because Egg almost seems like a mentor character rather than an ‘apprentice’ ready to learn to become a knight. In fact, he seemed rather uninterested in knighthood despite knowing quite a bit about it already. He is hiding something, and I have a feeling his bald head might be a clue to what it is.
Another character that isn’t exactly part of the main duo, but still made a pretty big impact, was Ser Lyonel Baratheon. I know, I was surprised too. Anyone familiar with Game of Thrones knows the name Baratheon and likely associates it with the infamous Robert and Stannis Baratheon. Robert allowed the kingdom to fall apart once he became its ruler, and Stannis attempted to take his place, but did it in such an intense way–so needless to say, neither was exactly a character that anyone was rooting for. Their ancestor, Lyonel, however, seems like a pretty likable guy. Sure, he seems to carry the heavy drinking gene and the brash personality of the future Baratheons–but his humour and overall likeable presence make up for it. His backstory isn’t explicitly explained, but it is clear he holds more power than just a usual lord and has many followers, so I am sure he will play some sort of role in the Westeros politics.
Overall Consensus of Fans and Critics
The first episode was one of the biggest debuts in HBO history, with roughly 6.7 million views within the first three days. Obviously, any spin-off of the legacy that was Game of Thrones is certain to do well, at least at first. The question is–will this success continue? I suppose that comes down to what the fans thought.
As with anything, there was a bit of a mix of positive and negative thoughts. Many enjoyed that it was more simplistic and light-hearted, but on the flip side, the lack of high-stakes drama felt lacklustre to some. Honestly, I think the ‘boring’ feeling just came from it being the first episode. It is the set-up, the part where we learn these new characters, and it is going to take time to really invest ourselves in Dunk and Egg’s adventure. Rotten Tomatoes gave the overall series a score of 95%, so I feel like this is a good sign that the remaining episodes will be a bit more entertaining.
What We Didn’t See Yet
Characters I couldn’t help but notice were missing were those of the House of Dragon(no reference to Rhaenyra or Daemon, as they were alive many years before Dunk’s story). There is a new clan of Targaryens that rules Westeros, and unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet them in the first episode.
Similarly, another character that wasn’t established was an antagonist. Typically, GOT establishes several forces or characters that fight against our protagonists, but in this first episode, it seems more like Dunk is just up against society as a whole. He wants to prove himself in the tournament, which is a clear goal, but what is a mission without some obstacles? Perhaps the lack of antagonist correlates with the lack of Targaryens, and they are one and the same? It certainly wouldn’t be the first Targaryen villain…or the second.
This one might be a little bit of a personal observation, but there wasn’t a lot of female representation. GOT has been known to have powerful, impactful female characters, but it seemed like it might not be the case in this series. There were a few small female interactions, but it didn’t seem like any of those characters would have a recurring role.
All in all, it seems like this series is going to be a lot different than GOT or HOD–a different tone, a different time period, and more than anything, a different type of protagonist. For once, we get to follow someone who wasn’t born into royalty, someone who doesn’t have all of these hidden motives…someone who is just an average guy who wants to be something more. And despite the questionable scene at the beginning of this episode…I am excited to watch the rest of Dunk’s story unfold.
