A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 3 Review: The Chaos Begins

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In the world of Game of Thrones, figures like knights, princesses, and kings are as much a product of imagination as they are in legends. Regardless of their position or how they were raised, those who have been protected and naive often face the harshest realities, realizing their hopes are simply illusions. As Sansa observes, recalling her own lost innocence after witnessing her father’s execution, she feels both pity and envy for those still holding onto their dreams: “Their dreams were full of songs and stories, the way [Sansa’s] had been before Joffrey cut her father’s head off. Sansa pitied them. Sansa envied them.”

Episode three of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, called “The Squire,” serves as a harsh reality check for Dunk (Peter Claffey) about what it truly means to be a knight. It’s striking that Dunk, who came from the rough streets of Flea Bottom and was raised by a flawed mentor, is learning these lessons in a similar way to Sansa, who had a privileged upbringing in Winterfell with a loving family. This episode shows Dunk actively choosing to remain naive as a way to stay hopeful in a difficult world. As the first season reaches its midpoint, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has spent enough time with lighthearted moments and is now preparing for more serious challenges ahead.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Paints the Tranquility Before the Turmoil

The latest episode, “The Squire,” offers a refreshing shift in perspective, starting with a fun and engaging look at young Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) preparing for the tournament. This episode captures a sense of innocent wonder that fans haven’t seen since the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, when the Stark children were young. It also highlights how House of the Dragon missed opportunities to show us the personal lives of characters like Alicent, emphasizing the heavy burdens caused by the family’s conflict.

Ansell is a bright spot in every scene, and he’s especially captivating at the beginning of this story. His character, Egg, shows remarkable kindness even to a horse, and his genuine heart highlights how much Dunk has been affected by small disappointments during the tournament. These little moments make Egg a truly special character and later help the audience understand a key plot point.

As Dunk and Egg travel and compete in tournaments, they begin to truly understand each other, sharing many spirited conversations and debates. One discussion, sparked by a song, helps them realize a common fate for wandering knights: their names might be lost to time, but their deeds will live on. The story skillfully weaves its themes throughout the narrative, mostly through imagery and action rather than direct explanation, with only a few instances of characters explicitly stating the meaning.

One of the most heartwarming moments of the series shows Egg and Dunk lying together, watching the bustling tourney grounds. Egg wistfully shares his dream of living in such a place, picturing himself as a knight serving a powerful lord and earning a peaceful home – and the second-most beautiful daughter – as a reward (with Dunk, of course, getting the most beautiful one). Dunk gazes at Egg with a sense of fulfillment, as if everything finally makes sense. Dunk never experienced this kind of peace with Ser Arlan, but Egg felt it immediately with him.

Egg’s Confession Comes to Little Surprise

Throughout the episode, Dunk faces a series of difficulties that test his values and integrity. These initial problems are like small flaws in the idealized world he’s built, offering only temporary fixes. He’s then asked by a tournament official to throw a match to help Lord Ashford cover the costs of the event. When Dunk refuses to take a dishonest win, the official questions whether he truly hasn’t earned it. This comment stays with Dunk, leading him to consider that perhaps his entire life of quietly enduring hardship for the sake of Westeros has been his greatest accomplishment.

The excitement surrounding the tournament will probably fade as Dunk’s life falls apart. He receives two clear signs that trouble is brewing with Aegon (who later becomes a fearsome figure). The first is witnessing Aerion intentionally kill his rival’s horse during the competition. The second is a passionate and angry speech by Raymun Fossoway (played by Shaun Thomas) criticizing the Targaryens’ history of inbreeding and their tendency to impose their ways on the people of Westeros, which deeply offends local traditions.

Even after being warned, Dunk immediately attacks Aerion when the prince injures Tanselle Crawford for performing a puppet show that Aerion disliked. Dunk becomes incredibly violent, nearly defeating Aerion before being restrained by four or five knights. He finally fights with the power and size that Lyonel Baratheon advised him to use. However, Dunk is most shocked when one of Maekar Targaryen’s long-lost sons intervenes to stop Aerion from further punishing him.

The episode ends with a stunning visual reveal, accompanied by the most impressive music of the series so far. It’s filmed and put together like a powerful opera scene, marking a major turning point in the story. However, the surprise itself isn’t quite as impactful as the way it’s presented. The series offered pretty clear clues in the first three episodes, so even viewers who haven’t read the source material likely guessed what was coming.

It makes sense that the show would want to carefully build up to revealing Egg’s true identity, ensuring it feels earned. However, clues like his anxious looks at the Targaryens, his knowledge of noble customs, and a prophecy hinting at his kingship made the reveal fairly obvious. Adapting a popular book always involves some compromises, and these elements, while part of the story, didn’t drastically change the overall experience for viewers.

Episode 3 Anticipates an Ominous Future for Dunk

Episode 3 follows a familiar pattern: a character is shown looking forward to the future, then unexpectedly killed off. While no one has died in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms yet, the same idea applies here. Dunk and Egg are finally working well together, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses and becoming a good team.

Good fortune always comes with a price, so it’s clear Dunk will have to keep offering favors to stay in the Targaryens’ favor. Luckily, he’s safe from dying – the show has been renewed for a second season, so that worry is gone. However, death isn’t the only bad outcome. Being sent to the Wall or losing a limb would ruin Dunk’s hopes of becoming a celebrated knight.

Though short, the final scene effectively returns to the show’s central theme of social inequality in Westeros. It’s hard to imagine the arrogant Aerion simply stumbling upon the puppet show at the fair. He likely has spies, much like Varys will later, and actively sought it out to satisfy his desire for control. The biggest irony throughout all of this is that Aerion’s reasoning ultimately fails – those in power can easily ignore facts and history when it suits their purposes.

Dunk is facing some difficult times, and surprisingly, it’s not just about a life-or-death struggle. He feels deeply betrayed and foolish because Egg, despite his good intentions, deceived him and caused him problems. This is especially painful for Dunk, who was starting to feel useful again. The situation has completely shifted the power dynamic, leaving Dunk at a disadvantage. However, this dramatic turn of events makes for a compelling start to the second half of an already exciting season.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere every Sunday on HBO.

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2026-02-02 06:07