A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Just Had 1 of the Most Epic Game of Thrones Scenes Ever (but With 3 Problems)

by

The fourth episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 features the show’s most impressive scene yet, though it wasn’t perfect. Up until now, the series has successfully distinguished itself from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon by being smaller in scope, more lighthearted, and concentrating on the relationship between its main characters, Dunk and Egg. But things began to change after Egg’s Targaryen heritage was revealed and Dunk attacked Aerion Targaryen. Please be aware that the following contains spoilers for Episode 4, “Seven.”

The newest episode lives up to the high standard set by the previous two, delivering plenty of exciting, memorable scenes. Once it’s determined that Dunk and Aerion will face a trial by seven combatants, the difficult situation facing Dunk becomes clear: he doesn’t have enough knights to support him. He makes a heartfelt and desperate plea to the assembled nobles, urging them to act with honor and dramatically shouting, “Is there no one here who is a true knight?”

The combination of everything leading up to this – especially Baelor Targaryen deciding to fight alongside Dunk, all set to the iconic Game of Thrones theme – creates a truly exciting and inspiring moment, arguably the best the franchise has delivered in years. It’s the kind of scene that gives you chills, and Dunk’s speech, while different in its purpose, is as powerful as Tyrion Lannister’s trial from Game of Thrones Season 4. It’s a scene that will leave you energized, but unfortunately, it’s followed by a recurring issue.

Dunk’s Speech Makes A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Biggest Problem Worse

Dunk’s speech is a highlight of the show, and the entire scene is incredibly well done. The words themselves, taken from George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight, are powerful and Peter Claffey delivers them perfectly. The somber setting enhances the feeling of longing for something positive. However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can’t resist a bit of humor: just as Dunk is making a heartfelt plea, the Brute of Bracken stands up, seeming to offer support… only to immediately break the tension with a loud and comical fart, which sends the crowd into laughter.

The show’s reliance on crude humor has already been a point of contention. As I mentioned in my review of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ it was one of the few things I didn’t enjoy, and this particular moment felt like it went too far. While I’m no stranger to silly humor – I grew up loving shows like blink-182, Jackass, and American Pie – the recent scene just felt out of place and deflated the dramatic tension.

The interruption felt unnecessary and took away from a truly impactful scene. The same feeling could have been created if the crowd had simply whispered amongst themselves, maybe even with a few mocking laughs at Dunk – that would have demonstrated their disrespect without ruining the speech. The story already shows how Dunk asks Otho Bracken to fight his battles, and that approach would have been more effective here.

Dunk slowly rode along the fence, looking at the crowded stands filled with knights. He called out to them, asking if they remembered Ser Arlan of Pennytree, whom he’d served as a squire. He reminded them that he and Ser Arlan had often shared meals and slept in their castles. He spotted Manfred Dondarrion and mentioned that Ser Arlan had been wounded while serving Dondarrion’s father, but the knight didn’t seem to listen. Dunk continued on, then addressed Lord Lannister, reminding him that Ser Arlan had once defeated him in a tourney. Lannister ignored him, pointedly looking at his hands. Dunk explained that Ser Arlan had taught him not only how to fight, but also about honor – that a knight protects the innocent, and that was all he was trying to do. He asked for just one knight to fight alongside him, calling out to Lord Caron and Lord Swann. Lord Swann chuckled while Lord Caron whispered something to him. Dunk then approached Ser Otho Bracken, lowering his voice to plead for his help, invoking both the old gods and the new, and insisting his cause was just. Ser Otho, though willing to respond, told him, ‘That may be true, but it’s your cause, not mine. I don’t know you, boy.’

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Episode 4 Missed Two Perfect Opportunities

Beyond the somewhat silly fart joke, this scene differs from the book in a couple of ways. The most noticeable is that the introduction of Dunk’s companions feels a bit hurried. The show has generally done a great job of fleshing out characters as they’re adapted from the book, and characters like Baelor, Lyonel Baratheon, and Raymun Fossoway have particularly benefited from this expanded development.

The story didn’t quite give equal attention to all its characters. Tanselle deserved more screen time and it would have been great to hear from Humfrey Beesbury, even briefly. A simple close-up on him, or a scene showing Egg gathering the knights, would have been a nice addition.

Another key moment in the story centers around a powerful line from the book. When Dunk appears for his trial, he sees a crowd of common people gathered. He initially believes they’ve come to witness his execution, but he’s surprised to find they’re there to support him. People shake his hand and offer him encouragement, with hundreds showing up to wish him well. When Dunk asks the blacksmith, Steely Pate, why they care, Pate replies it’s because Dunk is “A knight who remembered his vows.”

For me, this is really what makes Dunk, Dunk. It’s the core of the whole story, honestly. It explains why he does everything he does, and it’s the reason Baelor ends up fighting with him. The scene works fine as it is – it’s actually a pretty great sequence – but including that element would have given it so much more emotional weight. I wish they’d gone with that instead of, well, the fart joke. It just felt like a missed opportunity to really dig deeper into the character’s motivations.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release Sundays at 10 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/feature/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-daeron-targaryen-dunk-dragon-dream-explained/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-08 18:11