The calm before the storm, Episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, titled “Seven,” is one of the best episodes of the show so far. Following the shocking discovery of Egg’s true identity, the show immediately throws Ser Dunk the Tall into the thick of things, away from the lighthearted tourneys and into the dungeons, intrigue, and moral complexities. The episode opens with Dunk in prison, drenched in guilt and terror.
Dunk beats up Prince Aerion Targaryen to save the innocent puppeteer Tanselle from the prince’s lecherous advances. Although the audience knows Dunk was in the right, the harsh realities of Westeros rarely reward good deeds, and the show does not shy away from the harsh realities of the world.
Trades tourney whimsy for dungeon politics and Westerosi brutality
The show does not wait to get to the confrontation between Dunk and Egg, and the results are believable. Dunk’s anger and frustration are justified, but Egg’s guilt and regret are palpable. Dexter Sol Ansell shines as Egg, conveying the depth of his character’s desire to earn Dunk’s respect, not his birthright. Enter Baelor Targaryen, the calm in every storm, and the character that continues to steal every scene he’s in.
His dialogue with Dunk is the emotional heart of the episode. Dunk’s question, “Don’t all knights make the same oath? To protect the innocent?” encapsulates the very essence of the show. The show makes a very strong statement about the nature of true knighthood. It’s not about birthright, but about the ability to do the right thing. Peter Claffey shines as Dunk, the moral compass that the world of Westeros so desperately needs.
And things escalate fast. Aerion, unable to deny Dunk a trial by combat, instead chooses the ancient and brutal trial of seven: seven knights against seven to stack the odds in his favor. It’s a fantastic character choice: Aerion using tradition to avoid battling Dunk alone. But the stakes get higher for Dunk as he realizes that he must find six champions willing to fight for him or be found guilty by default.
The stakes get even bigger as the episode expands its emotional reach. Raymun Fossoway’s goodness, Steffon Fossoway’s promise of support, and Egg’s resolve to stay with Dunk as his squire all provide hope that things will get better. But that hope soon shatters as Steffon’s betrayal hurts all the more for its tragic human nature: ambition over honor. Raymun agreeing to fight in Steffon’s stead is perhaps the greatest success of the episode so far.
A pleasant surprise in the episode is Daeron Targaryen, who provides some of the comedic relief with his drunken honesty and prophetic nightmare. He feels like a character straight out of Game of Thrones: messy, funny, and creepy.
The crescendo of the episode takes place at the tourney grounds. Dunk’s rallying cry, “Are there no true knights among you?” is perhaps Claffey’s finest moment to date: pure idealism against cynicism. But just as Dunk looks as if he will fail to find champions, Baelor rides out to join him, with the full force of the Game of Thrones theme behind him.
