But if you think the Trial of Seven was the high point, the finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms proves the sting is in the aftermath. In Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” the first major shocker comes in the death of Prince Baelor Targaryen. Baelor, standing in for Ser Duncan as the seventh opponent, suffers a mortal wound to the head during the fray. His death was a shocker, but the point is, he was the heir apparent to the Iron Throne, and his death opens the way for his brother Maekar.
But the finale, “The Morrow,” is another matter altogether. The funeral of Baelor is a subdued affair; Dunk chooses the road rather than serving the great houses, but the key character in all this is Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell with steely eyes.
And this is the part that made the book readers do a double-take.
George R.R. Martin adaptation tweaks Egg’s escape in Ashford Trial storyline
In the novella “The Hedge Knight” by George R.R. Martin, there are indications that King Maekar gives his son Egg permission to leave Ashford with Dunk. We never see this permission granted, but Egg says to Dunk, “The boy came the next morning, just as the sun was coming up. He wore old boots, brown breeches, a wool tunic, and a traveler’s cloak. ‘My father says I am to serve you.’” And then nothing else is made of it. There is nothing in the novella to suggest otherwise, and Egg is not seen to be lying to Dunk.
This scene is repeated almost verbatim in the show, but then subverts it.
Following the emotional scene, there is a mid-credits scene where King Maekar enters the camp and shouts, “Where the f— is he?!” It is a very funny scene, and the sudden change in tone is very sharp. It would appear that Egg had not been telling the truth and had not been given permission by his father to leave Ashford with Dunk. He had simply run away again.
Whilst it is a minor change, it is an interesting one, and it tells us much about the show’s take on the character of Egg and his relationship with his father, King Maekar.
Whilst it is more dramatic, it is also very funny, and it is quite clear why they made the change for the show. However, it is also quite poignant in the novella version where the father gives permission for his son to follow his dreams, even though they are so different.
However, Dunk and Egg set off together, not by the permission of the king, but by the permission of the two men themselves, and I think this is the start of something very legendary indeed.
