I, like many others, have been burned by the “Game Of Thrones” universe. The books are never going to be finished and the show’s ending was awful. All in all, to be a “Game Of Thrones” fan is a sad and pitiful life. So when I sat down to watch “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” I was ready to be hurt once more. And I was hurt, emotionally, from how amazing this show was, so much so that I would recommend anyone reading this article to stop what they are doing and watch it right now.
The show follows a recently knighted young man named Dunk in Westeros, as he enters the lists at a tourney and gets a squire named Egg. What starts out as a normal event eventually spirals out of control for Dunk, as he becomes mixed up with the Targaryens, the ruling family in Westeros, which may spell his own doom.
I would call this show much more lighthearted than most “Game of Thrones” fare. Sure, Dunk is constantly under threat of life, but that is nothing new for “Game of Thrones.” And that is the best part of the show: Dunk himself. I think this is the furthest we have truly gotten into the mind of a character in a “Game of Thrones” TV show. You really come to understand Dunk, his motivations, his wants, and his needs. He’s just a good man, and the show is constantly testing him in this goodness in new and interesting ways. I would also note that the performance by Peter Claffey really sells the role. He puts so much emotion behind his character, and to be basically a no-name actor and give such a strong performance is staggering.
I will say all the characters are great as well. Obvious standouts are Egg, Dunk’s new squire (played by Dexter Sol-Ansell), Raymun Fossaway, Dunks friend (played by Shaun Thomas) Lynoel Baratheon, a spirited lord (played by Daniel Ings), and Baelor Targaryn (played by Bertie Carvel). Sol-Ansell in particular gives a stunning performance at only 11 years old, really providing a lot of backing for the character.
Another aspect of the show that I have to praise is its writing. The show crafts such a simple story, but it’s constantly captivating, getting at the heart of what George R.R. Martin is trying to do throughout “Game Of Thrones” in a much quicker way than the original show ever did. In a world that is so unfair, should one continue to do good or allow themselves to become just as bad as the rest? How this show portrays those themes and ideas is fascinating, and the show ends up feeling quite hopeful in the end.
Now I am just going to list the rest of my praises. The fight choreography is just great. There is only one battle in this show, but it is done absolutely magnificently. It’s brutal, it’s bloody, it’s intense. The directing is specifically amazing in that episode as well, with all these shots directly from Dunk’s perspective. I loved every second of it. Also, the score throughout the show was immaculate. It’s probably the most creative “Game of Thrones” show when it comes to how scenes were scored, and as I keep saying, I loved every second of it.
One thing I will say that I was a bit iffy on was the humor. Some of the jokes do really land well for me, especially the ones in the final episode. However, some of the show’s raunchier bits were a bit too over the top for me, and sort of hurt the show more than they helped. This is a very minor gripe, and honestly, I expect most to disagree with me, but still, it wasn’t my favorite part of the show.
Anyway, as you can probably already tell, I love this show. So I will just reiterate what I said at the start. Please watch this show! Give it a chance, because if you do, you will get to enjoy some of the best television around today. I cannot wait for the next season, and I hope to be watching it all with you (even though I will be off in college far away) next year.
