Rally the Realm: a new Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is upon us, and it is unlike anything we’ve seen in the GOT universe before!
Where we are in the GOT Timeline:
Set halfway between GOT and House of the Dragon (so 100 years give or take both ways), AKOTSK is based on the Dunk and Egg novellas written by series author George.R.R.Martin in the 1990s.
SPOILER ALERT: this is the medieval buddy cop story of how Aegon V Targaryen aka Egg aka Khaleesi’s great-granddaddy (played by the delightful Dexter Sol Ansell) meets Ser Duncan the Tall aka Dunk aka Brienne of Tarth’s great-grandpa (the colossal Peter Claffey) on the way to a tournament at Ashford Mews.
Egg, so named by his brother and our dear old GOT Night’s Watch maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan), has run away from his drunkard big brother Daeron the Drunken and the Dreamer (Charlie Gordon) , shaved his head and hidden his identity so Dunk has no idea that the bald-headed “orphan” he has taken on as a squire is a Dragon.
In 209 AC (or as I like to call it, AD – After Dragons), Aegon was the fourth son of the fourth son of the current King Daeron II and was so far from the Throne, he wasn’t likely to inherit it… hence his epitaph, the Unlikely, when he becomes King. Through a series of unfortunate events, which starts with Crown Prince Baelor Breakspear Targaryen (Bertie Carvel)’s death at the Ashford Mews tournament, then his heirs, and Aegon’s own father and brothers’ demises which we are likely to see during the first two seasons of AKOTSK, Aegon ascends to the Iron Throne and the bloody path that leads to Daenerys and Jon begins.
Got it? Good. Onto the review!
Episode 1 and 2: A Review
Well, we are not in dark gloomy Westeros anymore, Drogon.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has a tone so light (with even the actual lighting of the show being so bright) and joyous that one can easily forget this is GRRM’s world.
From the full frontal, and back, nudity of male characters (catch Dunk dropping a deuce behind a tree in Episode 1 to the opening beats of Ramjin Djawadi ‘s revered A Song of Ice and Fire theme song used in both proceeding shows’ openings) to his late knight Ser Alan Pennytree’s LOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGGG p… pee, guys, PEE (get your mind out of the moat, for the Seven’s sake!) in Episode 2, it’s all ass and non-existent abs which makes a welcome change from the overkill of female nude scenes we had in the parent shows.
GRRM and show runner Ira Parker are deliberately going for a different take because the Dunk and Egg novellas are less serious than the GOT series and the Fire and Blood novel which details the history of the Targaryens and it works! Sure, both Leonie and I suffered GOT Red Wedding PTSD when Dunk was having the time of his hedge knight life stomp dancing with the hilarious and dangerously sexy Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings of Netflix’s The Gentlemen series fame) and the music needle suddenly dropped.
Holding our breath, just waiting for axe-wielding knights, fire etc and the brutality that we have come to expect, we thought “oh, here it comes!” Thankfully, Ser Lyonel, much like his great-grandson, Robert, loves a good laugh and wine, and all was well.
I love the attention to detail that has gone into showing how things have changed since Rhaenyra’s fall in HOTD: in 209 AD,the Targaryens have no dragons, their coffers are becoming rapidly empty with regular protests which shows in the downgrading of their clothes, and their heirs are rebellious. Even the whores are less beautiful and richly adorned (we are a far cry from Mysaria ‘s opulent den of sin in HOTD and a century away from Littlefinger’s attempt to give the universe’s oldest trade a makeover in GOT).
The casting and costumes are another plus for AKOTSK. The chemistry between Dunk and Egg plays off just as well Bronn and Tyrion’s did on their trek across Westeros. Additionally, because House Targaryen has started marrying more freely into other houses since the Dance of the Dragons, we now have more brunette Dragons as can be seen in Baelor and his sons. Even the legendary platinum blonde hair that defines the Valyrian bloodline has been muddied over time, as seen on Prince Daeron, which makes them seem less otherworldly and conquerors.
Ings’ Ser Lyonel embodies the true spirit of House Baratheon – he is flamboyant, loud, jovial and always up for a fight, just like Robert and Renly later (Stannis obviously missed that gene 😏). I don’t know why but the beard, the floppy silver-streaked hair and that slutty cross earring has made me want to take the Stag for a ride or three …
One thing that remains true: there must always be a Mad Targaryen in every GOT series. In Episode 2, we meet the Targ baddie Aerion Brightflame (Finn Bennett). With all of Daemon and Aemond’s ruthlessness from the past and Aerys II’s wildfire obsession in the future, Aerion is a sadistic jackass who truly believes he can drink wildfire and become the dragon he knows he is, and he enjoys torturing his younger brother Aegon.
What didn’t I like about the first two episodes? Well, I guess the blood lust from GOT remains in my veins because this Mother of Dragons is DYING for a fight scene! The first practice lists at the tournament in Episode 2 were shown to get hearts racing but I am going to need something more, guys.
And for the love of the Old Gods and New, is it too much to ask to see a fit, abs bearing, topless lord or knight soon? My Queendom for a shirtless Tyrell or Martell ancestor, I beg!
Ser Alan giving us an eyeful of his wrinkly, uh, sword had me living the IRL version of this:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3 drops on HBO this Sunday, and it looks like we are heading into the lists with some serious unhorsing and an intro to Aerion’s inner dragon. Gird your loins, Lords and Ladies!
