‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ First Episode Stands Tall

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” starts in true “Game of Thrones” melodrama. A lone knight buries his mentor, mourning in pouring rain. He picks up his sword, studies it, points it at the camera. He vows aloud to become a true knight, to fight for honor and win. The music swells, with the iconic “Thrones” theme merging into the crescendo. 

The show then abruptly cuts to said knight, Ser Duncan, defecating in somewhat gratuitous detail. The moment instantly destroys all presuppositions, and literally defecates on the tattered legacy of the once-great HBO juggernaut. This is not “Game of Thrones” part three. This is “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” 

The show, which premiered Jan. 18 and will release a new episode every Sunday until Feb. 22, is the third HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” saga. The first two, “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon,” started strong, but infamously decayed as they strayed from Martin’s source material.

This left fans, and Martin, apprehensive toward an adaptation of the beloved “Dunk and Egg” short stories, as they are called by fans, small side novellas that act as prequels for the mainline series. 

Episode one dashed all doubts, however, bringing the color, chemistry and charm of the stories into what now could be the series’ first good adaptation. 

From the deepest of theory crafters who could name every Targaryen – and Blackfyre – to those completely fresh to Westeros — the series’ fictional land – the episode was a delight on all levels. Book fans can revel in seeing the great lords of the Seven Kingdoms from a commoner’s perspective, while newcomers can enjoy the lighthearted banter all but absent from previous adaptations, which ultimately broke under the weight of catering to both audiences.

The reason why is something any modern fan can revel in – the show follows the books. The dialogue often is Martin’s exact distinct prose, and for once, the plot, themes and characters feel the same. 

These characters are brought to life through near-perfect casting, specifically of the protagonists. Ser Duncan the Tall, played by newcomer Peter Claffey, is a poor hedge knight who may not be the sharpest sword in the armoury. Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell, is his mysterious yet witty child companion.

Even with the little screentime afforded the duo in the premiere, their chemistry is unmistakable. Watching the actors’ interviews can be even uncanny to book fans, due to their resemblance to their fictional counterparts. 

While they could’ve ridden by on resemblance alone, their on-screen body language and accent work may be the best the series has ever seen. Dunk frequently hits his head, never failing to look utterly clueless. Egg is both ghostlike and energetic, a child with an abnormal secret. 

Their convincing portrayals are brought even more to life through the showrunners’ attention to detail. Where the other adaptations failed — almost embarrassingly so — to distinguish how characters speak based on their region and social status, the love and care the showrunners paid to this series shows in these specificities.

Attentive watchers will recognize when a character says “my lord” or “do not” instead of “milord” and “don’t,” distinguishing them as part of the secluded upper-class. The beauty of Martin’s work lies in intricacies like these, where every detail has drastic plot implications.

Not only do the characters for once sound like they should, they look the part. The costuming is at an all-time high, as Dunk’s rags look itchy and dirty while the velvet and silk of the nobility looks appropriately excessive.

Perhaps the element missing most from all previous adaptations is the color. While “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” mistakenly believed making a completely gray show would add to the drama, it just made everything dull.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” learned from this mistake in a beautiful way. The shades of green pull the nature out of the screen, the candlelight is a warm gold, so inviting you can practically smell it. The nobles look almost like Capitol citizens from “The Hunger Games” in their absurdly luxurious garb, clad in rich purples, jarring yellows and bleeding reds.

A more worrisome change came with replacing composer Ramin Djawadi, who was frequently the highlight of the previous shows. Dan Romer was chosen in his place, given the difference in tones. 

Again defying expectations, Romer’s wistful and whimsical score brought everything together in a stunning victory lap. It’s more down to Earth, more personal and peaceful than Djawadi’s epic crescendos. So is the story on the whole.

Fans don’t just adore Dunk and Egg because they offer a cute sidekick story. This is Martin’s thesis. Real good, real change, comes where and when you least expect it. Often from what you might consider to be below you.

The episode ends with the pair lying under a starry sky. A falling star passes, an unmistakable sign of luck. In the book, Dunk thinks about it, but in the show it’s Egg’s idea: everyone else is asleep under their tents, gazing only at silk. The luck is theirs alone. 

This luck can be shared and rejoiced now by series die-hards and new fans alike who have finally seen the shooting star of a good adaptation. The stars can shine on anyone, after all.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” can be streamed on HBO Max.