‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Sees a Decided Dunk Inch Nearer to His Future

In last week’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we noticed how Dunk met Egg—and the second the hedge knight reluctantly agreed to let the peculiar bald child function his squire.

We additionally adopted Dunk’s more and more determined quest to seek out somebody, anybody, to vouch for him—hoping the legacy of his grasp, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, can be sufficient to get him into the tourney at Ashford Meadow.

This week, in an episode entitled “Exhausting Salt Beef,” properly… Dunk has to stage up. Large time.

Your eyeballs received’t quickly overlook the sight of Ser Arlan of Pennytree rising from a shack (the place he’s clearly simply had a tryst) and taking a calming whizz—stark bare, his dangling manhood on show. Final week’s projectile poop has nothing on this express visible. Does something in Recreation of Thrones-adjacent historical past? It’s deadpan. In your face. Stuffed with pee.

This memorable second prior to now is underscored by Dunk’s narration within the current. Ser Manfred Dondarrion blew him off final week, however some knight or lord should keep in mind Ser Arlan… proper?

“He had a peaceable nature. Quiet and humble,” Dunk describes. “A veteran of 100 wars however an enemy to none. He all the time knew what was anticipated of him.”

It’s a glowing memory that isn’t solely supported by a flashback montage, which reveals Ser Arlan was continuously very drunk and keen on singing on the prime of his lungs in that state. However Dunk is genuinely earnest, and once we draw back from his reminiscences, we see the younger hedge knight is making the rounds… in useless. Not one of the males—Home Florent, Home Hayford, Home Tyrell—gathered at Ashford have any recollection of his late grasp.

We understand that Egg has been taking within the many rejections and feels sorry that Dunk is being humiliated again and again.

He doesn’t perceive why Dunk places up with it. “Why do you deal with these royal lapdogs like they’re your betters?” he asks. Dunk’s reply: “They are my betters.”

He’s nonetheless received hope that somebody will keep in mind Ser Arlan. However his quest is interrupted when trumpets sound and a gaggle of riders, wearing black and holding banners festooned with that acquainted three-headed dragon, gallop into Ashford.

We get a close-up of Egg wanting involved. He shortly affords to move again to their camp to keep watch over issues. Distracted, Dunk agrees and units off after the brand new arrivals.

They’re, after all, the Targaryen contingent, led by Baelor—Hand of the King and inheritor to the Iron Throne. Additionally alongside are his brother, Maekar, and Maekar’s son, Aerion. Solely the latter two have the ice-blonde hair the household is understood for, in addition to that trademark surly, superior perspective.

Aerion instantly errors the hovering Dunk for a secure boy. Good first impression. However that doesn’t deter Dunk from mustering up the gumption to comply with the elder Targaryens into the fortress.

He’s desiring to proceed his hunt for a sponsor however overhears Baelor (well mannered, diplomatic), Maekar (impolite and blustery), and Lord Ashford (obsequious) discussing the disagreeable incontrovertible fact that two of Maekar’s sons, Daeron and Aegon, have gone lacking whereas making their strategy to the tourney.

The even-tempered Baelor is definite they’ll flip up. Maekar, speaking about Daeron, who was imagined to enter the lists, mutters, “I don’t should be reminded of my son’s failings. He can change; he will change, gods be damned.”

Dunk chooses that second to make his presence recognized—interrupting the household stress—and explains his predicament.

Baelor is, once more, well mannered; Maekar is impolite as hell. Even Ashford is snooty. However Baelor remembers Ser Arlan! In nice element, in truth!

He’s as type as Dunk is awkward (whilst Maekar snorts on the hedge knight’s fumblings) and suggests to the Ashford steward—the phlegmy man we met final week; he’s accountable for working the tourney—that Dunk needs to be allowed to enter.

Dunk places his foot in his mouth a number of instances throughout this chat, however Baelor lets it slide. He gently reminds Dunk he can’t use the Pennytree sigil since he wasn’t the outdated man’s son. He’ll want to vary up Ser Arlan’s defend and make it his personal.

We’re again on the puppet present. The gorgeous narrator from final week, now even taller on stilts, performs as Dunk seems to be at her by goo-goo eyes. After the present, Dunk and Egg (Egg can also be delighted by the puppet present, for extra childlike causes) method. After she mentions she helps create the puppets, Dunk asks her if he can rent her to color a brand new design on his defend.

His shaky confidence runs out when he realizes he hasn’t really thought concerning the design, however Egg steps in to assist form the concept: an elm tree with a capturing star above. Dunk introduces himself as “Ser Duncan the Tall,” and she or he reveals her title is Tanselle, including, “The boys used to name me Tanselle Too-Tall.”

Dunk, after all, turns this into a careless praise. Moments later, he asks his tiny wingman, “Was that ill-handled?”

His mortification is eased when Ser Lyonel—the good-time man we met final week, who took fairly the shine to Dunk—seems and drafts the pair right into a rowdy, spontaneous sport of tug-of-war. Dunk, who’s as monumental as Egg is small, helps lead their aspect to victory.

After, Dunk wanders the makeshift village till he finds an armorer, who says he can outfit him for 800 stags. It’s steep. Too steep. However he can’t combat with out armor. The person—Steely Pate is his title—provides off very gruff vibes, however he’s not with out cause. He agrees to let Dunk commerce in some outdated armor (Ser Arlan’s, little doubt) and to decrease the value a little bit.

He additionally accepts Dunk’s two stags (that’s all he has) as a deposit, however the generosity ends there. We see Dunk reluctantly promoting one in every of his beloved horses to make up the remainder.

“Is there any measure of a idiot I fail to fulfill?” he murmurs sadly. He guarantees the horse he’ll purchase her again if he wins.

In a somber temper, he tells Egg that possibly if he turns into a champion at Ashford, some nice home will need to take him into its service. Possibly even Home Targaryen. Egg doesn’t assume a lot of that plan, however the second is interrupted when the horn blows: time to look at some opening-night jousting!

What seems to be to be a Tully of Riverrun units the tone by biting the pinnacle off a fish and yelling “For the brand new gods… and outdated!” to thunderous approval; his opponent is “Prince Valaar, Baelor’s son. Second in line to the throne,” Egg explains.

Then, as the gang hushes to await the beginning of the joust, some jokester within the crowd screams out, “LORD ASHFORD FUCKS HIS SHEEP,” which works over even higher than the fish stunt.

Dunk hoists Egg onto his shoulders so he can see above the plenty. The motion is boisterous, electrical, and… terrifying, no less than to Dunk. Egg is hooting like he’s at a professional wrestling match. However Dunk’s face as he watches riders get struck down and horses collapse betrays his realization that that is what he himself can be doing as soon as he’s referred to as into the ring. He flashes again to burying Ser Arlan, and it’s a sobering second.

By the campfire after, Egg remains to be amped, however Dunk is reflective. We get a stunning, considerate monologue as he ponders what’s occurred thus far—and what lies forward.

“Do nice knights stay within the hedges and die by the aspect of a muddy street? I feel not.”

Ser Arlan “was a tough man to know,” Dunk admits. “He had no mates both. He lived nigh on 60 years and by no means was a champion. What probability do I’ve, really?”

However all shouldn’t be misplaced. There’s nonetheless hope for this younger hedge knight. “However he was good to me. I wasn’t his household. However he stored me like we had been. He raised me to be an honorable man, and all these noble lords can’t even keep in mind his title. His title was Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and I’m his legacy.”

“On the morrow, we are going to present them what his hand has wrought.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres new episodes Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

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