This great Game of Thrones prequel could win back old fans
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ★★★★
He sighed with great relief; They got it right. Second game of Thrones The prequel, which once again returns us to the vast fantasy world of author George RR Martin, is actually an answer to the previous one. Dragon House.
The series, which will have its third season, tried to repeat the same success. game of Thrones phenomenon and is painfully missed. Knight of the Seven Kingdoms it essentially sidesteps the series’ larger legacy. As a television show, this is a change of (weirwood) tree: scaled back and thoughtful.
And to be clear, series creators Martin and Ira Parker (Better Things, Nevers), adopted this pivot. The first time an exciting moment happens you hear the opening notes of Ramin Djawadi’s signature game of Thrones the theme, however, is quickly interrupted by a violent bowel movement; They poop on fanboy expectations.
The medieval Kingdom of Westeros remains a cruel land, but now it’s time for peace. Only the dragons are in a puppet show and there is time to chat with the horses and make morning roasts over the campfire.
The big unit eating this breakfast is Dunk (Peter Claffey), who lives in the slums of King’s Landing. His years as a young landowner are revisited through flashbacks to a past dominated by swindlers and itinerant life. Dunk is a knight errant; He has no position, no lord, and little money. When he tries to enter a tournament in which he seeks fame by competing with the ruling Targaryen family and representatives of various major houses, he is repulsed. Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), the cheerful boy who follows him, explains why: “your belt is made of rope.”
Dunk is naive and insecure, but he’s also a decent shooter and a likable player. It’s a great guide to a tour of Westeros, returning to sharply drawn cast and some anthropological details. Once again, there is dirt under the character’s fingernails and clothing that looks lived-in. Martin has written three Dunk and Egg novels as adventures, and Dunk begins dancing awkwardly at a party thrown by Ser Lyonel (Daniel Ings), the knight of this age, Baratheon, long before swords appeared.
With its short episodes and lively dialogues between mismatched leads, Heptarchy offers a new perspective game of Thrones. It won’t create new fans, but it may well satisfy old fans who have become restless. And it’s not just a matter of toning it down. It’s all a matter of contrast here. There are good people and there are bad people, but betrayal remains constant. Victory here isn’t just about winning a war, it’s about staying true to yourself in the face of systemic oppression.
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms It will premiere on HBO Max on January 19.
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