A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the newest show by HBO based in the same world as Game of Thrones. Photo: HBO.
When HBO announced it would be returning to Westeros for its second Game of Thrones spin-off, many were sceptical about whether there was a need to continue with the fantasy universe.
Season eight of the original show still leaves people scared, while House of the Dragon dipped in quality between its first and second seasons.
With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms only boasting six episodes, all running between 30 and 40 minutes, the fears about the once beloved franchise losing the plot again were justifiably reignited.
With all this in mind, it brings me great pleasure to say A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is fan-freaking-tastic!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (AKOTSK) focuses solely on the pair of Duncan the Tall and his mysterious young counterpart, Egg.
Following the death of his father figure, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Duncan, aka Dunk, is left with nothing but Arlan’s sword, shield and three horses.
Now left to wander the continent of Westeros alone, Dunk decides to enlist in a tournament in the hopes of making a name for himself as well as a quick buck.
On his way to the tournament, Duncan comes across a young stable boy, Egg, who is eager to attend the same tournament.
Promising to serve as Dunk’s squire, the pair travels off to the tournament.
Now this is a very simple premise compared to the ice zombies of Game of Thrones and the civil war in House of the Dragon. It’s solely focused on two characters and their interactions with the many characters that make up this universe.
And, it is exactly what this franchise needed!
Taking a step back, AKOTSK proves that what audiences loved most about the original show, especially in its earlier seasons, were the characters.
By shifting to a smaller scale and giving time to just two main protagonists, the audience has relearned to care about this franchise.
Irish actor and former rugby player Peter Claffey portrays Dunk as this fish out of water goofball who is so lovable that, despite his clear naivety to the horrors of Westeros, you can’t help but want him to succeed in everything he does.
Claffey’s performance is elevated to even greater heights when he shares the screen with 11-year-old acting prodigy Dexter Sol Ansell, who plays Egg.
The pair is incredible and the dynamic as strangers to brothers is the emotional crux of the entire show.
So much of the early episodes are filled with the pair just doing chores and hanging out, but because their chemistry is so good, the show doesn’t need the spectacle of the late seasons of Game of Thrones to be entertaining.
That’s not to say there aren’t any big spectacles, episodes three, four and five, where the tournament kicks off, provide some of the best medieval action ever put to screen.
For those familiar with the original show, episode five of AKOTSK, titled In the Name of the Mother, contends with the Battle of the Bastards as the greatest action sequence this franchise has ever seen.
From all reports, showrunner Ira Parker worked closely with original author George R R Martin to produce something as close to Martin’s original vision as possible.
As someone who has read The Hedge Knight, the novella this season is based on, there were only two or three scenes I believed were added or altered from the original story.
If Game of Thrones has demonstrated anything, this was the correct route for Ira Parker to take, as the show is so much better off for it.
Something I’ve failed to mention is the production of this show. Somehow, on only half the budget of the other two shows in the franchise, AKOTSK is arguably the best-looking of the three.
The main location of Ashford is almost entirely real, bar a few CGI additions to the scenery. The armour and swords look the best they ever have in this franchise and the stunt work is among the greatest ever undertaken for a TV show, period.
By dialling back the scope of Game of Thrones and delivering an entry point for new fans, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has given the shot of adrenaline that the franchise needed.
The audience doesn’t need to watch 10 prior seasons of TV for homework; the episodes are only 35 minutes long and the story is so well self-contained that viewers can binge the entire show in less than four hours.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is one of the best seasons of TV across the entire Game of Thrones franchise. It’s charming and easy to watch television that has reinvigorated public interest in this world, and as a fan of George R R Martin’s work, I couldn’t happier.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max.
Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Region Canberra.
