More Like Game of Bros

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I often think about Hot Pie. As Arya Stark’s former travel buddy, he was last seen safely working at a tavern, seemingly avoiding the worst of the chaos in Game of Thrones. He always seemed to represent the average person in Westeros – someone just trying to live their life, regardless of which ruler was in power. His presence feels like a quiet acknowledgment from George R.R. Martin that, even with all the darkness and suffering he writes about, there’s still something worth cherishing in Westeros. While Jon Snow is busy saving the world, Hot Pie reminds us there is a world worth enjoying.

At its core, HBO’s new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – a Game of Thrones spinoff – focuses on relatable, everyday characters, and that’s a major reason why its first season is so engaging. The story centers on Duncan (Peter Claffey), a kind but large man trying to build a life as a hedge knight after his former master dies. These hedge knights are similar to wandering samurai – they don’t serve a lord, aren’t glamorous, and travel from place to place. But for Duncan, nicknamed “Dunk,” this path still offers a chance for honor and meaning. The series begins with him traveling to the town of Ashford to compete in a tournament attracting royalty. On his journey, he takes on a small, strangely bald boy named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as his squire. Egg’s true identity is a mystery for much of the season, though viewers will likely guess it before it’s revealed.

Developed by Martin and Ira Parker, a co-executive producer of House of the Dragon, Seven Kingdoms is based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, which take place about a hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. These stories are often seen as a more lighthearted and youthful take on classic knightly adventures, with simpler morality and less intense conflicts. While that’s generally accurate, it’s still a George R.R. Martin story, so trouble soon arises. The show gradually introduces complications, unexpected twists, and moments of harshness, challenging the main character, Duncan, and his ideals of chivalry. What’s remarkable isn’t that things become difficult, but how well the show balances that darkness with a generally warm and funny tone.

The show’s comedic style fits with HBO’s plan for Seven Kingdoms, which is aiming for a lighter, more obviously funny tone than Thrones. The first episode makes this clear right away – within minutes, you see a character having a rather messy bathroom break in the woods. The humor is often crude and childish, with plenty of jokes about bodily functions, and even one involving an impressively large… anatomical feature. While Thrones had its funny moments, they were usually subtle and often delivered by Tyrion Lannister. Seven Kingdoms, however, puts humor front and center. Some of the jokes might appeal more to a younger audience, but there’s also a sweeter, more heartwarming comedy that comes from the growing friendship between the two main characters, Dunk and Egg.

One of the things that makes Seven Kingdoms so good is that it breaks from what usually happens with long-running franchises. Typically, these franchises get bogged down in complex backstory and cater only to the most dedicated fans, potentially losing more casual viewers. I sometimes find House of the Dragon a bit of a chore to watch, even though I enjoy it, because it feels overly focused on connecting to the original Thrones and can be quite serious. Seven Kingdoms, however, avoids this trap. While set before the events of Thrones, it doesn’t rely heavily on existing lore. You can pick up on connections to the Targaryens if you want, highlighting how everyday people are affected by those in power, but the story is mostly self-contained, easy to follow, and doesn’t feel weighed down by franchise expectations. Plus, it’s only six short episodes. In the past, this might have been a simple movie, but in the age of streaming, its concise format feels surprisingly refreshing. It’s ironic that the main character becomes known as Ser Duncan the Tall, because the show’s success comes from keeping things small and focused.

The story’s focus is intentionally small. Most of the season takes place in a single town, Ashford, over just a few days, following Duncan’s attempt to enter a tournament and the trouble he gets into afterward. By not needing to build a huge, complex world, the show can really focus on the details of everyday life: things like buying breakfast, the way sunlight looks through the trees, and Dunk and Egg enjoying their time together. This creates a Westeros that feels incredibly real and lived-in, and that intimacy shines through in the acting. Seven Kingdoms greatly benefits from the strong connection between Claffey and Ansell, who convincingly portray two friends simply navigating life. The supporting cast is full of talented British character actors who make every scene they’re in memorable, with Daniel Ings particularly standing out as Ser Lyonel Baratheon – a charmingly disheveled and somewhat unsettling drunk who’s mostly there to enjoy the spectacle.

The show occasionally falls into familiar tropes, most noticeably with a late-season flashback episode that delves too deeply into Duncan’s past. It’s a common TV habit, and one of the few times the show feels like it’s following a formula instead of telling a story naturally. However, as an extension of the original series, it feels surprisingly fresh and engaging. Like HBO’s Slow Horses, this spinoff is designed to be self-contained each season, allowing for quick production turnaround – with more source material available from George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas and a second season already planned. Despite a dramatic climax, the show remains relatively small in scope.

Epic fantasy often features large-scale conflicts, royal families, ancient predictions, and the lasting impact of the past. However, at its heart, fantasy is about the simple joy of escaping into another world – a different time, a different place, a different reality. It’s about sparking your imagination and making you feel what it would be like to live those experiences – whether it’s riding a horse, watching comets under a tree, or enjoying a hearty meal. Even though Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in the dangerous world of Westeros, it also includes moments of beauty and wonder, just like our own.

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2026-01-15 16:55