By Josh Nason
The third HBO entry into the Game of Thrones universe and the second spinoff from the titular series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn’t feature any notable actors or have any big tie-in to the other shows to bring in the masses.
It doesn’t matter. The show is incredibly good: a much shorter, comedic and refreshing change of pace from House of the Dragon.
So let’s get medieval and talk about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and whether I think you should watch it.
Should You Watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO/HBO Max)?
How many seasons?
One with more on the way (apparently annually…a modern miracle!)
How many episodes?
Six.
What type of show is it?
A fantasy dramedy
What year(s) did it come out?
2026
Where can you watch it?
HBO/HBO Max
Who is it for?
Fans of both the Game of Thrones universe and the fantasy genre
What’s the commit level?
This is the best part: just 210 total minutes (3.5 hours) which is just 35 minutes an episode and that’s without the ‘Previously On,’ credits and the post-show recaps HBO does with some of their bigger shows. I kinda like those, however, and they’re only a few minutes long.
Overall, this is a BREEZE to watch.
Is there a bailout episode?
I thought it got better as it went on, but if you’re knowingly watching a GoT show, one episode should tell you what you need to know.
Any interesting background in the show’s creation?
Based on the George R.R. Martin novellas Dunk & Egg, the development goes back to 2013 but it took a back seat to become House of the Dragon. In January 2021, it was announced as going into production with the full greenlight coming in April 2023.
It’s a prequel to Game of Thrones, taking place 1000 years before it. There’s 12 overall Dunk & Egg novellas but only three officially published with Martin reportedly providing outlines for other unpublished stories which is probably no surprise to GoT fans still waiting on the next big GoT novel…and have been for years and years and years.
Are there actors the average TV watcher would recognize?
None. That’s what’s crazy about it.
What’s the reaction been?
Incredibly positive with one of the episodes ranked among the best of any GoT-related episode in HBO history. (I wholeheartedly agree.) Rotten Tomatoes has the first season at a 94/77 with MetaCritic at a 74 (generally favorable).
What’s the main plot in a sentence?
A underdog and disrespected would-be knight comes into his own with a most unusual ally.
How about another sentence?
Imagine a shorter and funnier Game of Thrones buddy comedy show.
What’s the rewatchability factor?
Low.
If you like these shows, you’ll like this one:
Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Modern Family, other GoT shows (I think?)*
Is this a first or second screen show?
First. The episodes are short enough where it doesn’t feel like a chore.
Should you watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
After an incredibly disappointing final season of Game of Thrones and the up-and-down House of the Dragon thus far, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was an unexpected breath of fresh air (even if the characters don’t bathe that much). It’s comedic, serious, and completely different, yet similar, to the GoT shows that have come before it.
Ser Duncan The Tall (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) are such great characters as are the rest of the supporting cast. Claffey and Ansell are nearly perfect and have this father/son or older/younger brother dynamic that feels like so natural, you could swear they have been acting together for years. As a child actor, Ansell jumps off the screen.
*is for an open question of whether hardcore GoT fans will like this. I assume so, but I am not one of them so it’s hard to say. Outside the family lineages, there’s no hope of a character crossover between series which I imagine might disappoint some fans.
Should you watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Oh hell yes, you should. This is Ted Lasso in the GoT world.
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