A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Recap: The Part With the Fish

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I’ll admit something: While I enjoy George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, I think the character of Egg isn’t developed enough. The stories largely focus on Ser Duncan’s journey to find his place in Westeros, and Egg mostly serves as a supporting character. He only shows glimpses of his personality, and even then, he’s mainly defined by being clever and a huge fan of knights.

The story, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, aims to balance the relationship between its two main characters. In the second episode, called “Hard Salt Beef” (a reference to the simple food eaten by traveling knights), Egg begins to truly bond with Dunk, acting as more than just a boy traveling with him. While still a child, Egg demonstrates a surprising level of maturity and is also quite endearing.

There’s a scene this week that really highlights how much more confident the TV version of Egg is becoming. Dunk and his squire go back to that amazing puppet show, and this time we see Tanselle (played by Tanzyn Crawford) really shine leading the performers in a funny story about knights, fools, and how, when it comes to women, the line between the two gets pretty blurry. After the show, Dunk is clearly smitten and tries to ask Tanselle to paint his shield, but he totally stumbles over himself! She even tries to connect with him, joking about being teased for being “Tanselle Too Tall,” but he still manages to fumble the conversation.

Egg tries to make his boss feel better after a disastrous attempt at flirting, pointing out that he and Tanselle are both very tall. He awkwardly suggests this is something they have in common. In a typical story, that might be the end of the conversation, but Egg continues, sharing that he’s been teased for being short his whole life. Dunk, still clearly upset, simply says he’s always been told he was stupid, offering no advice or comfort – which really frustrates Egg.

These two characters have a dynamic relationship, constantly challenging and supporting each other, which makes them both more interesting. Egg essentially voices Dunk’s inner thoughts – one moment he’s proudly defending the traditions of lower-ranked knights, and the next he’s teasing Dunk for being a simple, somewhat clueless guy.

While “Hard Salt Beef” doesn’t have a lot of action, it’s a crucial episode for the season’s overall theme: the disrespect shown to someone claiming to be a knight. The episode highlights this when the arrogant Prince Aerion Targaryen arrives at the castle and immediately starts ordering Dunk around, demanding he care for his horse and find him entertainment. When Dunk points out he’s a knight, Aerion dismissively remarks that knighthood has lost its prestige.

Like the first episode, this half-hour of television focuses on Dunk trying to find someone who remembers Ser Arlan of Pennytree. He needs someone to confirm Dunk’s knighthood so he can compete in the Ashford Meadow tournament. We quickly hear Dunk repeatedly asking various lords to recall Ser Arlan’s service and sacrifices. This gets tiresome for Egg, who sarcastically calls Dunk’s knight a “shit knight” and questions why Dunk treats these lords with such deference. This highlights the social inequalities that are central to the story of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Eventually, Dunk gets help from a surprising source. He boldly enters the castle to speak with Prince Baelor Targaryen (played by Bertie Carvel), who advises King Daeron II and is next in line to be king. Baelor’s brother, Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell), doesn’t remember Ser Arlan and isn’t impressed with Dunk. However, the kinder Prince Baelor does remember Ser Arlan performing bravely at a tournament, even unseating a member of the powerful Lannister family. Baelor later won against Arlan, but chose not to demand a ransom – an act of generosity that Dunk’s master often retold, according to Dunk.

Prince Baelor’s friendly welcome is a nice change for Dunk, who’s been facing a lot of rejection so far in the series. It also gets Dunk thinking – could he perform well enough in the tournament to earn a spot in the Kingsguard? He’d just met a guardsman who came from humble beginnings, so it seemed possible. However, Egg quickly dismisses the idea, pointing out that the Targaryens rarely hire inexperienced knights. And as it turns out, Egg knows the guardsman’s family isn’t just involved in the crab fishing business – they actually own most of it in Westeros.

Egg isn’t trying to be unkind. He simply admires Dunk’s life of adventure – traveling the land, helping people, and competing in tournaments – and sees it as more exciting than the dull existence of most nobles.

The show really leans into Egg’s enthusiasm for knighthood during the first major jousting tournament, which is incredibly exciting to watch. As the horses race and lances break, Egg cheers like a fan at a wrestling match. He briefly looks at his hands, seemingly wondering if he’s strong enough to care for Ser Duncan later on. The first knights to compete show off their elaborate armor and boast to the crowd. One rider even goes so far as to bite the head off a fish!

Dunk is unable to appreciate any of this because he’s consumed by self-pity and resentment. Back at camp, Egg attempts to cheer up his master, complimenting his riding and jokingly noting the unpleasantness of the fish incident. However, Dunk is lost in thought, preoccupied with the unremarkable and uncelebrated sixty years his master has lived.

Ser Arlan always tried to be a good man, though he had his vices – he enjoyed drinking and visiting brothels. He was a loner, though, and didn’t make close friends. Now, his former squire, Dunk, feels obligated to uphold Ser Arlan’s memory and wants to challenge any arrogant nobles who have forgotten what his mentor stood for.

The next day, Ser Duncan declared, his voice full of anger and determination, “We will show them the results of his actions.” Absolutely.

A Few Clouts in the Ear

Unlike Game of Thrones, the prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has traded explicit nudity for more scenes involving bodily functions. While largely avoiding sex, this episode features a memorable flashback of Ser Arlan getting out of bed and casually urinating outside, with a surprisingly visible display of his anatomy.

Because Ser Duncan isn’t related to Ser Arlan by blood, he’s not allowed to display Ser Arlan’s symbol on his shield. While talking with Tanselle Too Tall, and with some help from Egg, Dunk explains what he wants his shield to look like: a sunset-colored background with a picture of an elm tree and a shooting star.

Peter Claffey’s portrayal of Dunk is outstanding. It’s a difficult role – playing someone downtrodden without becoming overly sentimental or comical – and Claffey nails it. His Dunk feels incredibly real and sympathetic, whether he’s clumsily trying to exit a room or quietly telling Egg that his discussion with Tanselle didn’t go well. He keeps repeating that it ‘didn’t feel well handled,’ showing how much it bothers him.

Steely Pate, the armorer, doubted Dunk could afford new equipment, but agreed to a trade: Dunk could have new gear if he turned in Ser Arlan’s old armor. Steely Pate just asked that Dunk not request an overly fancy helmet, like one shaped like an animal or fruit. The armorer seemed to like that Dunk wasn’t acting like a typical arrogant knight. However, when Dunk announced his intention to compete in the Ashford Meadow tournament, Steely Pate reacted with skepticism, sarcastically asking if everyone else would just be there to support him.

Ser Lyonel Baratheon, a cheerful and carefree knight, makes a quick appearance, recruiting Dunk and Egg to help with a rope-pulling contest. He briefly leaves them to get a drink, nearly causing them to fall into the mud! It’s unclear if Ser Lyonel is an ally or not, but he seems to like having Dunk around, which is a good sign.

Honestly, I feel for Prince Maekar. He comes across as grumpy, but can you imagine dealing with his oldest son, Aerion? He’s just awful! And it’s not like he’s got it easy with his other two sons vanishing right before the tournament. It’s a really tough situation, and it just shows how complicated things are for the Targaryens right now.

The tournament starts with a commoner shouting a crude insult – “Lord Ashford sleeps with his sheep!” – which causes everyone to burst out laughing. This immediately shows us that the nobles aren’t well-liked by the people. It’s important to remember this detail.

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2026-01-26 06:56