A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Is a Slight, Shrug-worthy Game of Thrones Filler

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Unlike other shows in the Game of Thrones universe, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn’t ask to be taken too seriously. The new HBO series quickly makes that clear. Within the first five minutes, our hero, Ser Duncan the Tall (played by Peter Claffey, known from Bad Sisters), enters a tournament. As he looks up, the familiar, dramatic theme song from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon begins to play. But then, the music abruptly stops, and we get a close-up of the knight… audibly relieving himself. Just in case the message wasn’t clear, the camera then widens to show his bare bottom and the resulting mess, signaling that this series will be much more lighthearted and comedic.

Premiering January 18th, Seven Kingdoms offers a lighter, more whimsical look at the world of Westeros. The show, based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg (a surprisingly non-breakfast-related title!), follows the adventures of Duncan and his young squire, Egg, over six approximately 35-minute episodes. HBO has already greenlit a second season, promising more Game of Thronesrelated content through 2028. Unlike the sprawling complexity of the original series, Seven Kingdoms focuses on just two characters and their journey, keeping the story relatively simple. While generally lighter in tone, the season does become darker and more violent towards the end. However, the show’s weak plot and inconsistent humor raise concerns about the future of the franchise and whether this is the most engaging story still available from Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire* world.

Created by Ira Parker, who also worked on House of the Dragon, Seven Kingdoms is set 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. While the Targaryen family still holds power in Westeros, they’re facing a period with very few dragons – a problem that won’t be solved until Daenerys Targaryen is born, many years later. This larger conflict is far removed from the life of Dunk, a large, unassuming young man who served as a squire for the kind, but often drunk, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Arlan has recently passed away, but not before he knighted Dunk. Like Arlan, Dunk is a ‘hedge knight’ – a wandering swordsman who takes on jobs for little pay and respect, unlike the wealthy and celebrated knights who serve noble lords. As one character puts it, hedge knights are common – ‘there are as many hedge knights as there are hedges’.

Dunk arrives at Ashford Meadow for a tournament with the three horses he received as inheritance. There, he meets Egg, a surprisingly bright and confident young stable boy who happens to be bald – a fitting nickname. Egg is Dunk’s opposite in many ways, and eagerly offers to be his squire. Dunk is hesitant, largely due to his own self-doubt and lingering memories of needing guidance from his former mentor, Arlan. They form an unlikely partnership as Dunk tries to prove himself in the tournament and forge his own path without Arlan’s help. The story starts out charmingly simple, but the arrival of the Targaryens – known for their mix of bravery and instability – quickly introduces a new level of tension and danger.

It’s perfectly fine to tell a story focused on ordinary people, especially within a well-established universe that we’re used to seeing from the perspective of those in power. This approach worked brilliantly for the Disney+ series Andor, which many consider the best Star Wars content in fifty years. Seven Kingdoms also delivers the quality viewers expect from the Thrones franchise – realistic, intense battles, and a dark, atmospheric feel. The actor playing Dunk brings just the right amount of charm to make us care about him, while still maintaining his rough, unrefined personality, and his chemistry with his co-star is genuine and heartwarming.

Unlike Andor, which used its lesser-known main character to highlight the everyday resistance against oppression central to the Star Wars story, Seven Kingdoms feels more like a placeholder between seasons of Dragon. It definitely tries to be funny, particularly in the beginning, but its humor often relies on repetitive jokes – like Dunk constantly thanking Arlan for only punishing him when he deserved it – and crude gags. While coarse humor isn’t new to the world of Thrones, it previously worked well as a contrast to the grand speeches of those vying for power. (Some would even say George R.R. Martin’s blend of high and low culture mirrored that of Shakespeare and Chaucer.) The show finds a better balance in the second half of the season, after a reveal connects Dunk and Egg to the larger history of Westeros – and in doing so, somewhat contradicts the show’s initial goal of presenting a more grounded Thrones story.

The show unfortunately suffers from some common problems with streaming series. A late-season flashback episode unnecessarily delays resolving a major cliffhanger by adding backstory that doesn’t feel essential, and the overall story feels thin – like just the beginning of a larger narrative. This franchise, once known for high-quality television, now seems focused on keeping viewers subscribed by relying on tired, predictable tropes. Instead of adapting the best of George R.R. Martin’s work, it feels like they’re choosing the easiest stories to tell. While Seven Kingdoms isn’t bad, it’s also not compelling enough to truly love, at least in its first season.

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2026-01-14 02:06