‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ was my favorite stream of the week
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ was my favorite stream of the week
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is a big tonal shift from other projects in the universe, but it’s a welcome change in my eyes.
I could go on at some length about my desire for George R.R. Martin to turn away from television projects and return to work on his “A Song of Ice and Fire” novel series in the hope that it one day may actually be finished. But all fans of the book series feel the same way, and bemoaning the lengthening delay of the book’s release won’t do a thing to make it arrive any faster.
Instead, I’ve decided to adopt a philosophy of trying to earnestly enjoy all the content set in Westeros that we as fans are given. So far, I’ve had a somewhat mixed experience with “House of the Dragon,” and of course “Game of Thrones” is something of a mixed bag from season to season, to put it simply. That’s why I approached the new series set in Martin’s universe, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” with a healthy blend of optimism and anxiety.
Having now watched the series, I can say that it might be my favorite of the lot, to say nothing of my favorite stream of the week. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” Season 1 isn’t perfect, but it lowers the audience from the lofty heights that “House of the Dragon” puts them on, almost as if the drama is unfolding on an opera house stage instead of on a television screen. “AKOTSK” does a much better job of immersing the viewer in the story by shifting them into the POV of its characters — sometimes literally.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” introduces viewers to Ser Dunk, later lengthened to Ser Duncan the Tall. Far from a figure of legend, Ser Dunk is a hedge knight, a man with a sword, no lands, and no lord to serve. Knighted by his former master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, in his final act, Ser Duncan decides his best path forward is to seek glory at a nearby tournament. At an inn along the way, he meets a young boy named Egg, who insists on squiring for him even though he isn’t the most convincing-looking knight.
Probably my favorite thing about “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is the humor employed. That humor can be a bit low-brow at times, but with a purpose: it’s a great way of reminding the audience that its main characters aren’t royalty, or even high-born. It shows Westeros through the lens of a commoner much more effectively than either of its predecessors, which are, after all, trying to tell very different stories.
Check out the trailer for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’:
This helps build out the world of Westeros in a way that makes it seem much more accessible. When the audience does meet a great lord or see a member of the royal family, we see them through Duncan’s eyes — a man who is just trying to pull himself up in a world where one wrong look at your social better can mean you lose the wandering eye.
The show’s characters are another strength, and the casting is superb. Peter Claffey plays the lovable oaf to perfection as Ser Duncan the Tall, and Dexter Sol Ansell is wonderful as Egg. Finn Bennet is positively loathsome as Prince Aerion Targaryen, and Daniel Ings lights up the screen as Ser Lyonel Baratheon.
Fans may find reasons to poke holes in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” but from start to finish, I found it to be wonderful, escapist fun. Fans don’t have to keep track of nearly as many shifting alliances or character names, and there’s plenty of action to go along with the hilarity of the show. If you’ve been hoping that “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” would be a joyous return to Westeros, I think you’ll be relieved to see the result.
Viewers can stream the first episode of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” with an HBO Max subscription on Sunday, Jan. 18, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
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