HBO’s new addition to the Game of Thrones franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, takes place a century prior to the events of GoT and after House of the Dragon. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode one confirms the half-hour-ish series leans more into comedy than either GoT or House of the Dragon. And while there are appearances by familiar Houses, most notably a standout performance by Daniel Ings as Lyonel Baratheon, this is the tale of Dunk, a likeable and honorable hedge knight, and his newly acquired young sidekick and squire, Egg.
Two quick items to point out before diving into our episode one recap. First, viewers don’t need to know anything about George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas (the series is based on the first novella, The Hedge Knight). Going in without any idea of the story is fine, and it isn’t difficult to keep track of the different players. And two, the series has an entirely different tone than GoT or HotD and is much more accessible.
(The following is a recap of episode one, “The Hedge Knight,” and there are spoilers.)
Rain pounds down and three horses stand by as Dunk (Peter Claffey) buries Ser Arlan (Danny Webb). Dunk doesn’t have the right words but tries his best, calling Ser Arlan a true knight who 90% of the time only beat him when he deserved it. He holds Arlan’s sword as he cries and says, “I wish you didn’t die, Ser.” He promises to take good care of the horses.
Dunk speaks to the horses, for now his only companions, assuring them he won’t sell them. He wonders if they should head to King’s Landing and thinks he could join the City Watch. But instead, he decides to head to the tourney at Ashford Meadow.
And here comes the first subversion of Game of Thrones expectations as the opening notes of the GoT theme briefly play. It’s interrupted by the sound of shit hitting the ground as Dunk poops. (Look, the series isn’t formal, so don’t expect this recap to be either.)
Dunk travels into the night and comes across an inn, asking a small child who he believes is the stableboy to take care of his horses. Dunk’s basically a giant and the innkeeper isn’t surprised when he orders two meals.
A drunk at the next table comes out of his stupor to warn Dunk to stay away from him. He staggers up the stairs as Dunk looks confused.
Dunk returns to the barn to find Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) sitting on one of his horses (Thunder), wearing armor, and pretending to be a knight. Egg points out that Dunk doesn’t look like a knight either and has a rope for a belt. Egg begs to go with him to the tournament; his mom’s dead and he’d love to go to Ashford and learn how to be a squire.
They exchange a few insults, but then Dunk turns gentle and warns Egg he’s better off not squiring for him.
Dunk heads to Ashford with his three horses, riding through the crowd gathered for the tournament. He briefly pauses by the jousting field before finding his way to the master of the games, Plummer (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor). He’s so tall he hits his head on the door and is still smarting when he informs Plummer he’s there to compete in the tourney. When asked if he’s a knight, Dunk proclaims his name is Ser Dunk, former squire to Ser Arlan of Pennytree. He claims Arlan knighted him before he passed and that Arlan always wanted to be a knight.
A flashback shows Arlan refusing to answer when Dunk asked if he was ever going to be a knight. Dunk claims Arlan made him kneel and then as he was dying, he charged him to serve the realm. Unfortunately, there weren’t any witnesses, apart from a bird and a tree.
Plummer’s more concerned about the flies that keep circling him than signing Dunk up for the tourney. In fact, he even warns that if Dunk is impersonating a knight, they’ll lower him naked, a**hole first, onto a sharpened point.
Dunk fumbles with a reply and then the master admits he’s joking, punctuating his statement by spitting. Plummer warns Dunk that he’ll need coin, horses, men, and training—after all, he may be going up against Lyonel Baratheon.
Dunk turns away, disappointed, and Plummer takes pity on him. If any of the true knights know Ser Arlan, then they may vouch for him. Dunk recalls Arlan served House Dondarrion in Dorne and that Ser Manfred should remember Ser Arlan, even though Arlan served his father.
Plummer issues one final real warning: if you lose in the tourney, you forfeit your armor and horses to the victor. Dunk admits he doesn’t have the coin to buy them back but is confident-ish that he will win. Of course he hits his head again on the way out. But, given that Dunk is a sweetheart compared to most GoT universe characters, he only manages, “Seven fu…,” on his way out.
A couple of whores inform Dunk that Ser Manfred is asleep (in the middle of the day) and he’ll have to come back that evenfall. One recognizes that he’s a hedge knight and explains to her friend that a hedge knight is like a knight, but sadder. Hedge knights sleep in hedges, since they don’t belong to any House.
(17 minutes in and I’ve fallen hard for Dunk. He’s sweet, naïve, and inadvertently funny. Like a giant panda, fumbling and bumbling his way through life.)
He commiserates with his horse, claiming they’re not sad. “Certainly not rising to the level of a comment sad,” says Dunk. His horse answers with a whinny. He watches men practicing and it finally seems to sink in that he might be in over his head.
The men fighting are cousins and the winner, Ser Steffon Fossoway (Edward Ashley), is incredibly rude. While Dunk refrains from cussing, Steffon doesn’t and challenges him to a fight. The cousin, Raymun (Shaun Thomas), wants him to knock Steffon out, but Dunk has other matters to attend to.
Dunk and his horses head into the forest and find the perfect spot to camp. We’re treated to Dunk’s naked buttocks as he washes his clothes while admitting it doesn’t help get rid of the smell. Dunk leaves two horses behind and returns to the tourney, where he discovers that Ser Manfred’s gouty toes cause him to spend a lot of time napping. The whores suggest he should find a safer trade than jousting, and Dunk’s hurt that they’re mocking him. They apologize but warn him to be good to his body. He’s only got one.
Dunk joins the celebration and wanders into a tent where a play is underway. He’s smitten by the woman starring in the play about a dragon. (The Targaryens still rule, but dragons are extinct.) When she looks at him, he becomes embarrassed and leaves the tent, confirming he’s an incredibly shy guy.
Raymun calls out “Halfman” – half man/half giant – and apologizes for suggesting he fight his cousin. Steffon would likely have injured him to make him lose in the tourney. Raymun confirms he isn’t riding in the tournament because he’s only a squire.
They walk and talk, striking up a friendship over the course of 30 feet. Raymun invites Dunk to join him in Lyonel Baratheon’s tent. Lyonel’s nickname is the Laughing Storm, and he issues a laugh just as Raymun drops that tidbit in Dunk’s ear.
Suddenly, a very drunk Lyonel announces he’s had a thought. Strike that, he’s had a profound thought. The room quiets down as he says 4,000 years ago their ancestors gathered in the field outside to bloody each other with sticks. That was supposedly the country’s first joust.
He loses his train of thought but then remembers that he believes men couldn’t have invented such a joy. So, who did? He laughs, says “f*ck it,” and tosses out a prize of 100 gold to whoever sticks him best.
Ser Lyonel Baratheon orders the gathering to eat up so they can dance. Dunk does as instructed, making his way through the tent, filling his stomach, and watching the dancing. He’s still eating when Lyonel’s man waves him over to the main table.
Lyonel wants to know if Dunk’s been punched in the face before, because big men get punched more often. He wonders if Dunk slouches so he doesn’t get hit, and Dunk doesn’t think he’s slouching. But then he admits that he grew up learning to go unnoticed.
“Seven Above gave you tallness, so be tall,” says a smiling Lyonel. He’s still smiling when he adds that if Dunk doesn’t stand tall, he’ll burn him…or drown him…or something else that’ll kill him.
Lyonel asks what Dunk brought him as a gift, and Dunk is stunned. He didn’t bring anything. Even Lord Cafferen, who is broke and can’t pay his rent, brought him something. Yet Dunk is empty-handed, which must mean that he’s not there for Lyonel’s help—he’s there for his head.
Dunk is alarmed and stammers out a “no.” Lyonel asks straight out why Dunk’s in his tent and Dunk smiles and replies, “Supper,” while holding up food. Lyonel laughs and admits that makes sense. Lyonel thinks Ser Dunk sounds ridiculous and asks if he dances. Dunk responds, “Doesn’t everyone?”
Dunk joins everyone on the dance floor and Lyonel stands in front of him in a challenging pose. He stomps on Dunk’s foot, but Dunk moves before he can do it again. They move around the dance floor with Lyonel chasing him and continuing to try and stomp his foot. Dunk outmaneuvers Lyonel and stomps on his foot, instantly regretting this decision.
Lyonel looks angry, inches from Dunk’s face, before laughing and winking. Dunk gives him a shove and they return to dancing. Lyonel spins Dunk around, and they’re the center of attention—swirling, stomping, and having a good time.
Later, Dunk wears Lyonel’s antler crown as Lyonel recalls being out at sea in a storm. He’d wanted to do what Stormlanders have always done. They continue eating, drinking, and enjoying each other’s company, and Dunk admits he’s strong and quick but doesn’t have the training of Lyonel and the other knights. He asks what chance he has, and Lyonel immediately rates his chances at zero.
Lyonel chuckles when Dunk confesses that if he loses, he can’t ransom back his horse. Lyonel notes that a knight without a horse isn’t a knight. Dunk asks for help deciding what to do, and Lyonel has nothing to offer since he’s quite drunk.
Dunk spots Ser Manfred Dondarrion and asks if he remembers Ser Arlan. Manfred dismisses him, claiming to have no knowledge of Ser Arlan, who was gravely injured fighting with his dad. Ser Manfred is a jerk that refuses to help Dunk.
Dunk makes it back to his camp and finds Egg has made a fire and caught a fish. Egg reveals he traveled in the back of a lamb cart to get here and refuses to leave. Dunk threatens to take him home, and Egg points out that it would mean a trip to King’s Landing. He’d miss the tourney.
Egg announces that he’s groomed the horses, washed clothes, made a fire, and cooked a fish. They discuss trees and pavilions, and finally Egg asks his name. Dunk introduces himself, deciding on the spot he’ll be known as Ser Duncan the Tall. Egg’s never heard of him, and he knows all the good knights.
Dunk decides that since Egg is small and won’t eat much, he’ll let him be his squire for the tourney. “After that, we’ll see,” adds Dunk. He promises Egg that if he proves his worth, he’ll clothe and feed him. And he won’t beat him…except when he deserves it.
They lie side by side trying to sleep as Egg points out a falling star brings luck to those who see it. Dunk tries to sound harsh when he tells Egg to go to sleep but then asks if they’re the only ones who’ll have luck since all the other knights are sleeping in tents.
Egg smiles as Dunk continues to look at the stars.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms air on Sundays on HBO at 10pm ET/PT.
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