RECAP: ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 1 — “The Hedge Knight”

Ser Duncan the Tall is awkward. That’s the crux of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1, “The Hedge Knight.” Where the other two George R.R. Martin HBO series are focused on violence, this series establishes itself as something more endearing and simple.  

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is directed by Owen Harris and written by Ira Parker. The series was created by Ira Parker and George R.R. Martin, with both serving as series showrunners. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 begins with Ser Duncan the Tall’s (Peter Claffey) story, following his lord knight’s death. A smaller series in scope, it’s set 100 years before the wars of Game of Thrones, allowing it to explore a much more personal corner of the fantasy created by Martin. 

Smaller in scale, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is a stark turn for the franchise.

Where other series look at the bloodshed, civil war, and all means of politicking in Westeros, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a warmth in its premiere episode that I didn’t think was possible from this specific brand of storytelling. The loneliness and bad luck on display aren’t turned up to eleven, but instead exist as an undercurrent to a naive man looking to follow in the footsteps of the knights he idolizes. 

The series makes it clear in this introductory episode that it’s doing something different from the grim dark fantasy we’ve gotten for over a decade. Instead, we meet Ser Duncan the Tall and the boy who will become his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), in an almost wholesome episode of television.

The context of the series is that the Targaryen line still firmly holds the Iron Throne, and the last of the dragons remains a vivid, recent memory. But for Ser Duncan, his life isn’t about class systems; it’s about finding recognition for his former knight by competing in an upcoming tournament. 

Taller than everyone he meets, Ser Duncan is trying to put everything that Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) taught him to work by competing in the fair’s games and making sure that he honors Ser Arlan. But there is no grand intrigue to follow, just a man who doesn’t know the right words to say, and he idolizes the knights of the Seven Kingdoms. 

The series opens up with Duncan, a squire, burying his knight, Ser Arlan, and reminiscing. With flashbacks of being hit in different situations, but what we see in the present is how much Arlan’s death has impacted Dunk. He cries, chooses to keep his sword so it doesn’t rust in the ground, and makes a promise to keep the horses and take care of them. 

First, Dunk contemplates what to do. Does he sell the horses? Does he join the City Watch in King’s Landing? Does he become a knight through competition?

He’ll choose the latter and, in the process, learn more about the world without Ser Arlan by his side. As his adventure starts, we hear the beginning of the iconic Game of Thrones, only for it to be interrupted by a graphic poop joke. With that, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 establishes the tongue-in-cheek tone of the series, and lets the audience see the absurdity of Westeros they’re about to enter. 

“The Hedge Knight” is all about setup and showing the audience exactly who Ser Duncan the Tall is.

Much like the other series, where we see a man beheaded and a woman die during a brutal C-section, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has established its tone and Dunk’s unserious nature. As he makes his way to Ashford for the knight’s tournament, he meets a bald child tending to the stable along the way to the tournament, who offers to be his squire. Dunk rejects him, but none of it feels mean. 

Dunk is tall, but his height doesn’t come with the confidence that you would expect. Instead, it comes with an awkwardness and inherent trust in the world. Having always been protected by Ser Arlan, it’s to be expected. But his kindness doesn’t come off as stupidity, just naivete. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 engages with the idea of who a knight is. And as Dunk enters the tournament grounds, he knows that he doesn’t fit in. Having lied to the tournament head about his knighthood after the death of Ser Arlan, none of it seems to matter. He’s a Hedge Knight afterall, like Ser Arlan before him—no land to call his own and no master either. 

Where knighthood does allow for someone to get some sort of societal step forward, land ownership, riches, lineage, that’s what Dunk sees as mattering more. It’s not about honor or kindness, it’s about what you own. As Dunk meets other knights, including one Ser Arlan served, he’s confronted with this reality. 

If Dunk loses the games, he gives his sword, his armor, his horse, everything to the man he lost to and ransoms them back. Only Dunk doesn’t have the coin to do so, which means he can’t lose. But none of that matters. The more that people don’t recognize Ser Arlan, the more determined he is to uphold his name and make them remember. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is all set up. But not in the traditional worldbuilding way. Well aware of what the fantasy franchise has become known for, “The Hedge Knight” is more concerned with establishing who its main character is and the small scale at which this story will be told.

Dunk’s naivete creates a charming story in “The Hedge Knight.”

We see the tournament grounds being prepared, inside Ser Lyonel Baratheon’s (Daniel Ings) tent, and the party within. We also see the common folk watching a play commemorating a great dragon, and that’s it. 

 The most important takeaway from the episode is how drastically reality clashes with Ser Dunk’s view of the world and what knights do within it. Not every knight is memorable, not every knight is honored, and more importantly, not every knight has honor to begin with. 

Much of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is about Dunk having his experience shaped as a knight rather than a squire, and the resolve he builds to be seen as the former. But it’s not just a want, it’s a need, because in order to compete, he has to be sponsored by another knight, one that has been recognized. 

While Dunk may think it’s Ser Manfred Dondarrion (Daniel Monks) who will offer him respite and sponsorship, it’s very much not. Instead, it’s Ser Lyonel who does. Immediately intrigued by how little Dunk bows to him, Ser Lyonel dances with Dunk, celebrates with him, and ultimately talks with him as just another person. It’s a moment that sets the tone for what we can expect. And yet, Ser Dunk still sleeps in the hedges.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is at home in the franchise without being consumed by GoT.

As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 comes to a close, Ser Dunk is reunited with the child from before. The child’s name is Egg, and after what he’s experienced on tournament grounds, Dunk agrees to let the child squire for him. The moment itself is just as wholesome as everything else we’ve seen this episode. But there is a bit of sadness to Dunk. 

The entirety of “The Hedge Knight” is about Ser Dunk learning about the world. He sees the inequity, and his ignorance of the situation after wandering Westeros with Ser Arlan both put him at a disadvantage in terms of support. However, it is what makes him interesting to Baratheon. 

For a premiere, the scaled-down approach to fantasy is refreshing. The names, costuming, and even cinematography make the series feel at home in the larger franchise, but it’s not consumed by a Game of Thrones shadow.

Ser Duncan the Tall is just an awkward man, in love with knighthood, and looking to have a future. Dunk slouches, makes himself small, and tries to go unnoticed. But everyone notices him, and his inability to understand the social nuances is endearing. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is entirely endearing thanks to Peter Claffey’s performance.

The success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 comes entirely from two performances. The first is Peter Claffey as Ser Dunk. He’s adorable. A giant of a man with a kind soul, and unaware of how broken he should be given his circumstances. Dunk is easy to fall in love with because of how Claffey plays him. 

The second performance, however, stands in stark opposition to who Dunk is. Yet, it’s just as charismatic. As the “Laughing Storm,” Daniel Ings brings the loud nature of the Baratheons to life. At first, he tries to be aggressive and intimidating. But then he opens up to Dunk, showing a softer side. And with it all is humor. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is all about humor in a way, and the small absurdities of life. Where other series look for grand tales, this new look at Westeros is more tightly focused on one man and one tournament. But more importantly, the series is asking its audience, as Dunk asks himself, where does he belong? And right now, he doesn’t belong anywhere. 

Small in scope and scale, the intimate promise of a character story makes A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 endlessly endearing. Its simplicity stands out among HBO’s prestige programming, and ultimately, its awkwardness is as thoughtful as its world-building. We know that the story will grow larger as it continues, but if it keeps its personal touch, Ser Duncan the Tall could be one of my favorite pieces of George R.R. Martin’s mythos.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is streaming now on HBO with new episodes every Sunday.