A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms kicks off as we meet a young man named Dunk who is left burying his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. While Arlan was arguably quite abusive and difficult to please, Dunk still feels a sense of duty to the man who raised him since that is just the harsh reality of life in this universe. Dunk finds himself at a major crossroads because he has only inherited three horses and a suit of old armor, meaning he could sell them and live comfortably for a year or two but he would eventually be right back where he started with no future.
He decides to gamble everything by traveling to the Ashford Tourney where a knight can win a fortune by unhorsing others, though he first stops at a desolate and empty inn that really highlights how broke the region has become.
While grabbing a meager meal at the inn, Dunk encounters a bald and feisty orphan boy who is far too clever for his own good. Dunk later finds the boy sitting on his horse and dressed up like a knight, begging to be taken along as a squire because he is desperate to leave his current life behind. Even though the boy is incredibly knowledgeable about the world, Dunk is too overwhelmed by his own uncertain future and decides to dump the boy there before continuing his journey alone.
The Lie and the Struggle for Legitimacy
Once he arrives at the registration booth in Ashford, he realizes he has a major problem because he is not actually a knight and has to lie by calling himself Ser Dunk. He claims his master knighted him on his deathbed, but in reality, the old man never even took him seriously whenever Dunk mentioned wanting to be a true knight.
Since nobody can vouch for Dunk’s story, the officials tell him he needs a high-born lord to confirm his identity which leads him to the tent of Ser Manfred Dondarrion. Dunk’s old master served the Dondarrion house for years, but when Dunk arrives to ask for help, he is mocked by sex workers who inform him that the lord is currently asleep. He is told to come back in the evening. As he leaves, he is nearly goaded into a fight by a prickly knight and his squire but Dunk wisely refuses to take the bait.
The Puppet Show and the Baratheon Dance
He spends his afternoon getting a much-needed bath and eventually finds himself watching a colorful market puppet show that seems to foreshadow how the series would go. He quickly falls head over heels for the beautiful narrator of the show, proving that even a giant of a man has a soft spot for a good storyteller.
The evening takes an interesting turn when the squire from earlier chases Dunk down to apologize for his cousin’s rude behavior and invites him to a lively party hosted by Lyonel Baratheon. Dunk is a massive man nearly seven feet tall but he tries to slouch to avoid attention, which obviously does not work since Lyonel notices him immediately. When Lyonel asks why he is there, Dunk honestly admits he just came for the food so the Baratheon lord commands him to dance for his supper. The two actually share a dance and a bit of a bonding moment, which we hope Baratheon would remember tomorrow.
The Birth of Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg
Because when Dunk spots Ser Manfred leaving and tries to ask the lord for a favor, Manfred coldly dismisses him. He doesn’t even remember Arlan, the man who once took an arrow for the Dondarrion family. Dunk walks back to his campsite feeling defeated and lonely until he finds the young orphan boy from the inn waiting for him with a cart and a smoking fish ready for dinner.
The boy has already cleaned the camp and proven how capable he is, so Dunk finally gives in and lets him stay as his squire. When the man introduces himself simply as Dunk, the boy asks if it is short for Duncan, leading the knight to officially brand himself as Ser Duncan the Tall. The boy introduces himself as Egg and they settle in for the night under the open stars. Egg manages to boost their spirits by pointing out that while other knights are staring at silk tents, they are lucky enough to be staring at the whole sky, and it really feels like this is going to be a fun ride for us all.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Review and Dunk and Egg Chemistry
We are off to a very fun start, and the chemistry between the two leads suggests this will be a fantastic ride. However, since this is a prequel and we know the broad strokes of where these characters eventually end up, the show has a lot to prove. It must ensure the journey doesn’t become too predictable just because we know Dunk is destined to come out on top.