Ian Jackson

<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Sarah</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/tv-review-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-season-1-episode-4/">https://reactormag.com/tv-review-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-season-1-episode-4/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=839014">https://reactormag.com/?p=839014</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/movies-tv/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Movies &amp; TV 0"> Movies &amp; TV </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 1"> A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Good Deeds Shine in a Weary World in <i>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms</i>: &#8220;Seven&#8221;</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">Carving out a space for hope and earnestness, even in the darkest moments&#8230;</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&amp;_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/tyler-dean/" title="Posts by Tyler Dean" class="author url fn" rel="author">Tyler Dean</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on February 9, 2026 </p> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-vertical [&amp;_a]:link"><p>Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </p> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6"> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tv-review-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-season-1-episode-4/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]"> <svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-comment-quick-access-"> <title id="icon-comment-quick-access-">Comment</title> <g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <path fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" d="M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z" /> <path stroke="#000" d="M5.9 14.4v-.5H1.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 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17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="493" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-peter-claffey_1-740x493.jpg" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-peter-claffey_1-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-peter-claffey_1-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-peter-claffey_1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-peter-claffey_1.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> <div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-horizontal [&amp;_a]:link"><p>Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>The fourth episode of <em>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms</em> was absolutely the high point of the season so far. Almost all of this week’s action played out as a series of two-handers, mostly devoid of music (save for that spectacular sting of the main theme, swelling at the episode’s end in all its grandeur, rather than being played for humor as it was in the first episode). This episode, “Seven,” largely eschewed humor in favor of genuine, earnest pathos, driving home all the reasons Dunk and Egg are both worth rooting for.</p> <p>This article does not include spoilers for anything beyond the episodes that have aired thus far, so feel free to read on!&nbsp;</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Title</strong></h3> <p>I mean, it’s pretty obvious right? “Seven” refers to the Trial of Seven and the seven knights that must fight against injustice. Also, the Seven Gods and the Seven Kingdoms, etc., etc., etc. I feel like these episode titles are not quite as arcane or hyper-referential as they were in the original series or <em>House of the Dragon</em>. Which makes sense—like Dunk, it’s all pretty straightforward.&nbsp;</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Andal Foolery — A Guide to the Ethnicities and Religions of Westeros</strong></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="733" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-paul-hunter-steve-wall-bertie-carvel-sam-spruell-and-finn-bennett-1100x733.jpg" alt="Paul Hunter, Steve Wall, Bertie Carvel, Sam Spruell and Finn Bennett in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" class="wp-image-839044" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-paul-hunter-steve-wall-bertie-carvel-sam-spruell-and-finn-bennett-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-paul-hunter-steve-wall-bertie-carvel-sam-spruell-and-finn-bennett-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-paul-hunter-steve-wall-bertie-carvel-sam-spruell-and-finn-bennett-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-paul-hunter-steve-wall-bertie-carvel-sam-spruell-and-finn-bennett.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </figcaption></figure> <p>Maekar scoffs at his son’s invocation of a Trial of Seven as “6000-year-old Andal foolery.” While the point of his angry outburst is mostly to drive home how furious he is at Aerion, it’s another interesting reminder of the alien nature of the Targaryens and their position in the larger culture. As a reminder, Westeros is home to four distinct ethnic groups:</p> <p><strong>The First Men</strong> are the original human inhabitants of the continent (the Giants and Children of the Forest predate them). They tend to be light skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed and are the ancestors of Northern houses like the Starks, Boltons, and Tullys, as well as the Ironborn of the Iron Islands, including the Greyjoys. They originally worshipped the Old Gods—a vaguely animist religion they learned from the Children of the Forest—and many houses still keep that faith (though many have also converted to the light of the Seven or worship the Drowned God). </p> <p><strong>The Andals</strong> arrived 6,000 years ago. They tend to be light skinned and light haired, with blue or green eyes, and are the ancestors of most of the Southern houses like the Lannisters, and Arryns. They brought the Seven gods with them from across the narrow sea and are the rough equivalent of Vikings in Martin’s pseudo-history. They waged war against the First Men and wiped out most of their cultural footprint (save in the North) and are now the most culturally dominant of the ethnic groups.</p> <p><strong>The Rhoynar</strong> arrived as refugees from Essos a thousand years ago after their Kingdom lost a war of conquest with Valyria. They settled in Dorne and make up a number of Dornish Houses (including the ruling House Martell). They tend to be olive skinned, black haired and dark eyed. The ancient Rhoynish worshipped the personification of their home River (the Rhoyne) as well as an unnamed turtle god (Martin famously likes turtles), but save for a small group of itinerant, non-assimilating Rhoynar called the Orphans of the Greenblood, they mostly worship the Seven.</p> <p><strong>The Valyrians</strong> are, for the most part, represented only by House Targaryen and House Velaryon in Westeros (although House Baratheon supposedly has some small amount of Valyrian blood). They are descendants of those who fled their Empire in Southern Essos and were spared the “Doom”—the magical cataclysm that destroyed Valyria four hundred years ago and wiped out the Valyrian people, save those in some of its Free City colonies like Lys and Volantis. They have otherworldly silver or golden hair (often depicted on the HBO shows as white) and purple eyes (the shows eschewed this detail). In the books they are also, traditionally, light skinned, although <em>House of the Dragon </em>cast Black actors to play the Velaryons. The Valyrians traditionally engaged in incestuous marriages in order to keep their bloodlines pure and keep the Valyrian heritage alive. The Valyrians used to worship their own gods but most of their religion was wiped out with the Doom. Many Targaryen dragons are named after Valyrian gods (Balerion, Vhagar, Meraxes, and Syrax being notable examples). </p> <p>The Targaryens, as the most pure-bred Valyrians in Westeros, are definitely easy to peg as the “incestuous alien…blood magickers and tyrants who’ve burned our lands [and] enslaved our people” that Raymun Fossoway describes them as. While Aegon the Conqueror publicly converted to the faith of the Seven during his campaign to conquer Westeros, it’s clear that this was a political move. <em>House of the Dragon</em> drives this home by showing us how the Targaryens of that earlier era still keep their own marriage rites, and maintain ties to the old religion through the sect of Dragonkeepers. By the time of <em>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms</em>, however, we have been through the reign of King Baelor the Blessed (who this show’s Prince Baelor is named after)—a religious zealot who built the Great Sept of Baelor (where Ned Stark is later beheaded, and which eventually Cersei blows up with her wildfire scheme) and made it clear that the Targaryens were a Seven-worshipping House in truth.</p> <p>All of that is to say that it’s quite interesting that Maekar derides an (admittedly ancient) Andal practice so publicly in front of the Lords Tyrell and Ashford. The show has done a great job in making it clear that, both as the youngest of four and as a Targaryen that has phenotypically Valyrian features, Maekar isn’t concerned about the slow degradation of the Targaryens’ power and the weakening of their dynastic brand, as it were—and this seems to cement it. Back when they had dragons, the foreignness of the Targaryens was an asset that made them untouchable. Now, lacking the superweapon that enabled their conquest of Westeros, it just makes them seem out of touch.</p> <p>In that way, you can see that the show is drawing an interesting parallel between the politically savvy Baelor (the eldest brother of Maekar) and his nephew Aerion. The former wants to maintain Targaryen legitimacy by taking a more diplomatic approach, keeping the family on good terms with those descended from the Andals and First Men (given that Baelor and Maekar are half Rhoynish, Dorne is a lesser concern), while the latter wants to do the same with a show of dominance and force. Even so, Aerion’s choice of trial reflects more than just his own unwillingness to face Dunk one-on-one—it reflects that same shrewd desire to use the religion of Westeros’ colonized peoples to make a strategic play.&nbsp;</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Drunken Dragon Dreams</strong></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="733" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-henry-ashton-1100x733.jpg" alt="Henry Ashton as Prince Daeron Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" class="wp-image-839043" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-henry-ashton-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-henry-ashton-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-henry-ashton-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-henry-ashton.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </figcaption></figure> <p>Martin has a penchant for writing tragic characters who are deeply flawed, profoundly and uncomfortably aware of their shortcomings, and who begrudgingly choose to do the right thing in key moments. Arguably, Tyrion Lannister is one these, as are Ser Jorah Mormont, Alicent Hightower (at least in the show), and Theon Greyjoy. We can add Prince Daeron Targaryen to that list as he assures Dunk that he’ll throw the match and apologizes for the role he played in Dunk’s legal woes.&nbsp;</p> <p>He also is a Dreamer—a sort of Valyrian clairvoyant that the Targaryen line is famous for producing; it was Daenys the Dreamer, the daughter of the Lord Aenar Targaryen, who dreamed of the Doom of Valyria a decade before it happened and convinced her father to move his holdings to Dragonstone. It is heavily implied that Rhaegar, Maester Aemon, and Daenerys Targaryen are also Dreamers, as well as the <em>House of the Dragon</em>’s version of Helaena Targaryen. Certain fan theories that assert Tyrion Lannister is secretly Aerys II’s bastard son also suggest that he has dragon dreams.</p> <p>When Martin published <em>The Hedge Knight</em> in 1998, he hadn’t come up with a lot of the backstory for the Targaryen dynasty and was still figuring out a lot of the mystical elements of the plot that would become clearer in <em>A Storm of Swords</em> and subsequent Song of Ice and Fire novels, so Daeron is, oddly one of the first Dreamers presented in the series—at least on the “Fire” side of the books. Prophetic dreams and visions are a trait shared by magical lineages on both sides of the “Fire” and “Ice” divide. Over on the colder side, they are called “green dreams” after the Green Man-like greenseers who were shamans among the First Men and Children of the Forest. Bran Stark is famously one of these, as is the Ghost of High Heart, a woods witch that Arya meets in <em>A Storm of Swords</em> (and who may be connected to characters in <em>AKot7K</em> down the line), and Alys Rivers from <em>House of the Dragon</em>. Crucially, Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers—who we’ve seen in Daemon’s vision in <em>HotD </em>and who was played by Max von Sydow in <em>Game of Thrones</em>, calling himself the “Three-Eyed Raven”—is potentially the most powerful Dragon Dreamer in the Targaryen lineage and will likely appear in future seasons of this show, seeing as he is the royal spymaster during this time.&nbsp;</p> <p>All of this is to say that, when Martin wrote <em>The Hedge Knight</em>, he hadn’t fully established the centrality of dragon dreams in the central story and Daeron’s ability was a winking Easter egg for what was happening with Dany in the House of the Undying. Obviously, we’re watching <em>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms </em>after the totality of <em>Game of Thrones</em> and also after <em>HotD</em> made Dreamers a central trope of the dynasty with Viserys I’s obsession with prophecy (and Daemon trying to counteract it in his famous line: “Dreams didn’t make us kings; dragons did.”). So Daeron’s vision plays as far more consequential here than it did in the original novella. It also adds to the tragic irony of Daeron’s character: now, when all the dragons are dead and House Targaryen is on the decline, the one family member who still possesses some of the magic that sets Targaryens apart from most of humanity is a drunken failson who fears his own visions, drowning himself in his vices in order to dampen his powers.</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Oak and Iron</strong></h3> <p>We finally see the shield that Dunk commissioned from Tanselle. It’s one of the more iconic designs from all of Martin’s books and it looks lovely on screen—neither too perfect nor too rough. There’s a longstanding fan theory (that has been all but confirmed by Martin) that Ser Duncan is a distant ancestor of Brienne of Tarth, accounting for why the two of them are both so tall. In <em>A Feast for Crows</em>, while Brienne is wandering around the Riverlands and Crownlands, she remembers seeing the shield in her father’s armory, and has someone paint her own shield with the same device so that she can travel in disguise. It’s a great little moment highlighting Dunk’s legacy and Martin’s fondness for awkward outcasts. Long story short, a lot was riding on this shield, and the show absolutely delivered.&nbsp;</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Six Plus One Times Two</strong></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="733" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-daniel-ings_0-1100x733.jpg" alt="Daniel Ings as Lyonel Baratheon in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" class="wp-image-839037" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-daniel-ings_0-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-daniel-ings_0-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-daniel-ings_0-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-daniel-ings_0.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </figcaption></figure> <p>So, with the lineups set for Dunk’s trial of seven, we have fourteen combatants to pay attention to…</p> <p>On Dunk’s side we have:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Dunk himself</li> <li>Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen, the Hand of the King</li> <li>Ser Raymun Fossoway (newly knighted)</li> <li>Ser Lyonel Baratheon, our queer, devil-may-care fan favorite</li> <li>Ser Robyn Rhysling, “the maddest knight in Westeros,” whom Egg met at the beginning of episode 3 and knew by reputation from previous tourneys.</li> <li>Ser Humfrey Hardyng, who had his horse murdered by Aerion in episode 3 and is out for revenge (even with a broken leg)</li> <li>And Ser Humfrey Beesbury, who we have seen in brief moments during the joust. He has not had any lines yet and is only distinguishable by the beehives on his armor and his startlingly weird, bright yellow, Lorax-style moustache. </li> </ul> <p>On the other side we have:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen</li> <li>His brother Prince Daeron Targaryen, aka “Daeron the Drunkard”</li> <li>Their father, Prince Maekar Targaryen</li> <li>Ser Steffon Fossoway, Raymun’s cousin who betrayed Dunk for a lordship</li> <li>Ser Donnel of Duskendale, a member of the Kingsguard who is apparently the son of a crabbing magnate. We met him in episode 2 when he commended Dunk for being another common-born knight </li> <li>Ser Roland Crakehall, another member of the Kingsguard who we also met with Ser Donnel in episode 2</li> <li>Ser Willem Wylde, the third and final member of the Kingsguard contingent dispatched to the tourney. Like Ser Humfrey Beesbury, we have only ever seen him in the background of scenes and he has had no lines.</li> </ul> <p>Given that there are so, so many combatants here, I do like that the show has done a decent job of seeding in as many as possible beforehand, making them a bit more recognizable (both Egg’s scene with Ser Robyn and all the scenes with Ser Lyonel before this episode were invented for the show). I also love the parity of having a seventh member of each team that the show has basically shrugged at and said “uh, sure, there’s another guy there.”</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hopepunk (HopeDunk?)</strong></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="733" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-youssef-kerkour-1100x733.jpg" alt="Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" class="wp-image-839041" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-youssef-kerkour-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-youssef-kerkour-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-youssef-kerkour-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-youssef-kerkour.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </figcaption></figure> <p>The show really is leaning all the way in on giving the audience moments to cheer for and distinguishing itself from other ASoIaF&nbsp;shows by embracing genuine earnestness. Martin’s first book in the series, <em>A Game of Thrones</em>, is the story of an honorable man who does everything right, uncovers injustice, and is brutally killed as a result. It’s not really the relentlessly grimdark story that it often gets accused of being, but it is a statement of Martin’s beliefs about the ways in which happy endings are undercut by political realities. He puts this succinctly in <em>A Storm of Swords</em> when Ser Jorah Mormont counsels Daenerys on why it’s necessary to be underhanded even in pursuit of justice: “Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.” In some ways, after thirty years of <em>ASoIaF</em> (and fifteen years of <em>Game of Thrones</em> on television), we are primed to view all triumphs in that world cynically. <em>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms </em>offers an ameliorative to our jaded expectations, and in doing so, it’s claiming a distinct space for itself within the Martin canon.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the quiet, poignant scene where he hands over the newly painted shield, Steely Pate’s conversation with Dunk is taken nearly verbatim from <em>The Hedge Knight</em>, and when Dunk asks what he owes, Youssef Kerkour really nails the line reading of “For you? …A copper” that ends it. Similarly, cutting to Red, the sex worker, in the stands and her moment of stunned joy as Prince Baelor declares himself for Dunk alongside Ramin Djawadi’s main theme, hammers home the sense that this is a story where such touching and triumphant moments are truly possible. We’ll return to this discussion after the season is over to more fully examine the ways in which <em>The Hedge Knight</em> and this season are and are not in line with Martin’s typical worldview, but for now it genuinely feels great to end an episode of any show set in Westeros on a high note and with a stirring repudiation of wickedness.&nbsp;</p> <p>The show is also remarkably good at having it both ways when it comes to its characterization of Baelor, the eldest son and heir of the current king. As I’ve discussed in previous explainers, Baelor sees his role as Hand of the King as one that prioritizes PR—it’s his duty to drum up support for the Targaryens. <em>The Hedge Knight</em> characterizes him as chivalrous and brave and a paragon of knighthood (though of course, it is told through Dunk’s eyes). We start seeing the seams in his outer façade a bit better here. Baelor does genuinely seem to be an honorable man but he’s asked to do (or at least ignore) unsavory things for the greater good of his family and their continued dominance. When Egg (treasonously) tells him that he wants Aerion dead, you can see the deep unease and tortured distaste in his eyes when he dismisses Egg’s statement with the rote line “the Septons tell us we must love our brothers,” likely knowing the extent to which Egg has good cause to hate Aerion. It’s meant to be insufficient, an evasion, and whatever arc the show has built for Baelor, it seems to be grounded in the realization that occurs between this moment and the final scene in the episode that the only way to earn the respect of the people is to put himself forward for a just cause. It’s not simply the right thing to do and honorable, chivalrous, etc., it’s also the smart thing to do from PR perspective—ensuring that no matter who wins the combat, there will be a Targaryen on the winning side. The writers pull of a neat trick by making sure that one of the most potentially cynical moves in the show is also one of its most heroic.&nbsp;</p> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Odds and Ends</strong></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="733" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-dexter-sol-ansell_1-1100x733.jpg" alt="Dextor Sol Ansell as Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" class="wp-image-839039" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-dexter-sol-ansell_1-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-dexter-sol-ansell_1-740x493.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-dexter-sol-ansell_1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-104-dexter-sol-ansell_1.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO </figcaption></figure> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The opening tracking shot where what looks like stars are revealed to be the mud-streaked castle walls is pretty great. Given that so many episodes have started or ended with Dunk and/or Egg looking up at the stars, it makes for some nice thematic continuity.</li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>There’s more excellent costuming on display in this episode. I only realized this time around that the ridge of dragon scales that encircles Prince Baelor’s doublet culminates in his Hand of the King pin. It makes it look like the Hand itself belongs to a dragon. That, alongside the black doublets and red and black sashes that Maekar, Aerion, and Egg wear, it speaks to a sort of Targaryen branding that is clearly part of the effort to boost the Targaryens’ legitimacy in the era after the First Blackfyre Rebellion</li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>I say this almost every episode about every <em>ASoIaF</em> show, but the use of visual storytelling that cleverly cuts down the need for exposition is always fantastic. In this episode, when demanding a trial by combat, Dunk is met by his accuser, Aerion, the Princes Baelor and Maekar (the two highest-ranking Targaryens in attendance), Lord Ashford (because it’s his lands where the crimes have been committed), and Lord Leo Tyrell (because he is Ashford’s High Lord, whose honor might also be impugned). We’ve had a single scene with Leo Tyrell previously, but it’s great to see them adhering to the logic of whose honor is at stake and including him in the lineup. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The tableau with Lord Ashford on his hands and knees searching for a walnut feels very much like a Bosch painting depicting the failures of the state. It’s funny, sure, but it also has the peculiarly Medieval look of allegorical art.</li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>I’m a little bit leery of the show’s handling of Egg’s assertion of Aerion’s sexual assault. Following it up with Ser Raymun laughing is definitely in character, given how much he hates the Targaryens (in part because they are incestuous), but it also feels like the show trying to lighten the mood. Given how badly the original <em>GoT</em> handled depictions of and references to sexual assault (so much so that <em>House of the </em><em>Dragon</em> had to be very clear that avoiding on-screen depictions of sexual violence <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-sexual-violence-game-of-thrones?srsltid=AfmBOoqWcwDL93DLXdYe7TG5iYrKwm3VVN0bgqnX8IN1_-0EFlqWlhTh">was a rule for their writers’ room</a>), this feels a little tasteless. While it is a detail taken directly from <em>The Hedge Knight</em>, it doesn’t seem like one the show needed at all, if they were trying to avoid a darker, more disturbing edge to these events. But if you’re going to include it, take it seriously.</li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>There is a match cut of Tanselle’s remembered scream with Steely Pate opening the window, mimicking the sound of her finger breaking. This mimics, almost exactly a passage from <em>The Hedge Knight </em>where Dunk in prison hears “… the snap of a lance. Dunk winced whenever he heard that last; it reminded him of the noise Tanselle’s finger had made when Aerion broke it.” I definitely appreciate the show going out of its way to recapture moments from the novella, even when they are relatively unfilmable as written. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>They’ve really made Ser Robyn into a character out of courtly romance—the mad knight dedicated to the abstract concept of the Warrior’s bravery. I also love that the chainmail on his helm just dips down over the missing eye. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The shrug from Ser Arlan is fantastic. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>In the original novella, Dunk calls out a bunch of lords and knights by name when he beseeches the crowd for a seventh combatant, including Ser Otho, “the Brute of Bracken.” In that version, Ser Otho rises to tell him it’s not his fight to get involved in. Changing this to a fart joke feels, I dunno, a little beneath the show? Martin isn’t above crude humor and there is room for it in any ASoIaF show, but I feel like there has been an overreliance on it here that breaks the immersion a little bit—especially when they have had so many good gags that haven’t relied on cheap laughs.</li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>In the novella, there is a big deal made about the initial assumption that Baelor’s son, Prince Valarr, arrives to support Dunk because Baelor, eschewing participation in the tournament, didn’t bring his own armor and wears his son’s instead. They keep the moment where Baelor rides in wearing what is clearly Valarr’s armor, but because Valarr has largely been relegated to the background of the show, they don’t really go for the Patroclus-in-Achilles’ armor plot point. Apparently, however, they did give Bertie Carvel a single contact lens so that he would have some continuity with Valarr as played by Oscar Morgan, who has heterochromia.</li> </ul> <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>In Conclusion </strong></h3> <p>What do you think? Are you excited for next week’s trial by combat spectacular? For book readers, given that Martin includes virtually no flashbacks in his novellas, are you excited to see that the show will apparently feature some scenes set in Dunk’s childhood? What did you think of this episode being so deliberately paced and largely free of spectacle? 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