Spinoffs are always a tricky proposition. That goes double when the original property ends as disastrously as Game of Thrones did in 2019. You now have the tall task of creating something that brings back fans jaded by the previous show’s end. In the case of House of the Dragon, the first spinoff, the plan involved recreating the magic of the original with new characters. Whether it’s been a success is a conversation for another time. For the newest continuation of the franchise, a fresh perspective was in order.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is not a tale full of palace intrigue and characters battling it out for control. The story is as simple as it gets, enriched by the world surrounding it. We follow Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), “Dunk” for short, after the death of his mentor as he tries to make a name for himself. Dunk has strength on his side and nothing else. With the odds stacked against him, he soon takes an orphan named only Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as his squire. Together, the duo might just be able to make a name for themselves, provided they’re not horribly maimed first.
Seven Kingdoms is primarily an underdog tale, one that feels oddly uplifting. It’s a tone rarely seen in Game of Thrones, but works here where the stakes are much lower. Dunk’s goals are plain and easily understandable. Most importantly, there are no ulterior motives at play. He is as honest as they come. Whether that makes him a good or bad knight in this world is one of the show’s primary themes. The lighter mode allows the series to languish in its setting. This grants us a deeper view of Westeros as the commoners see it. It also makes things all the more thrilling when those of higher status arrive to ruin things.
While Dunk and Egg encounter many characters on their adventure, it is their friendship that holds the show together. Claffey finds the right balance between dim and naïve earnestness for Dunk. His quest to prove himself as a knight is foolish, but there’s a certain nobility in it. That quality makes Dunk worthy of our attention. Egg, to Ansell’s credit, compliments him well by being the more realistic of the duo. There’s a version of this character that slides into the tiresome “smart aleck kid” routine. Thankfully, Ansell keeps Egg on the right side of precocious. Both characters see elements of their best selves in each other, and the audience recognizes it too. They make each other better in the way the best duos do.
It’s unclear what Game of Thrones as a franchise has left to offer. If Seven Kingdoms is any indication, there are options if you’re willing to look for fresh perspectives. The world of Westeros is vast, and there are certainly other stories out there. For now, I’m content to have another installment that I enjoy. Sometimes the best stories are simple, and this show is a perfect illustration of that.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max. New episodes air on Sundays.