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- Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of Seven Kingdoms’ first episode has launched to positive reviews
- Critics have praised the show’s smaller-scale, as well as its strong and interesting characters
- However, audiences are split by a more humorous, lighthearted tone
George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones universe is back with a vengeance, with HBO’s latest adaptation of the notoriously-slow world-builder’s tale, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, bringing a much smaller-scale adventure to our screens. And, after the polarising end of the series proper, as well as the sometimes middling House of the Dragon spin-off, the new show really needed to be good.
Thankfully, critics are largely in agreement: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms might just be the best piece of Game of Thrones content we’ve seen in years. Audiences, though, are a bit harder to please.
IMDb has it sitting pretty at 8.3 stars after more than 11,000 reviews, while Rotten Tomatoes considers the show fresh with a 95% score from its critics—though, the wider ‘popcornmeter’, which is open to all audiences, sits at just 69%. Over on Metacritic, the story is largely similar, with a metascore of 74 and a slightly lower user score of 6.6.
What Do The Critics Like?
As you can tell by the aggregated review scores above, critics are largely pretty positive about the start of this new show. Compared to the often bombastic and sprawling mainline series that came before it, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a “surprisingly heartfelt, light, and fun” tale of a knight and his squire, according to GamesRadar.
That bond, between lead characters Dunk and Egg (played excellently by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell respectively) is a central standout across the critical consensus. While the show is still early in its first season, the relationship between the two is already taking form, providing a compelling and human core to the series for audiences to latch onto.
IGN notes “the wonderful brotherly bond between Dunk and Egg gives the fantasy-free A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms a great sense of charm, keeping the viewer engaged in where this underdog duo’s travels take them next.”
Another positive take on the show is the fact that, after a series of much darker takes on Westeros, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is quite a bit lighter — and more than willing to be outright funny. That more humorous tone helps to set the show apart from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon which delve much deeper into political machinations and mankind’s place in a world of dragons and beasts.
Here, though, it’s just about a man, his mysterious squire, and a quest to clear his name.
“The result is something I’d begun to doubt was even possible: a smaller, smarter, funnier and more charming glimpse into (Martin’s) bigger-is-better realm,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter.
Where is Opinion Divided?
In saying that, the show’s purposeful focus on a smaller-scale story has been criticised as being slower and less exciting than what came before. We’re still early in the series’ life, but some critics have already noted the show is starting off sluggish — and with only six episodes in this first season, it’s unclear how much ground the first season will cover.
Collider noted that while lovers of the original book series may enjoy how accurate this tale is to the source material, more casual fans might come away with more questions than answers. Others were confused about why we’re following Dunk in the first place: he’s not a central, kingdom-defining hero here, and his tale seems not to have any impact on the broader story of the existential threat of the White Walkers explored during the main series.
“It makes little effort to justify its own existence,” The Independent said, calling the first episode refreshing, if ultimately a little frustrating.
As for the lower audience scores, the show’s opening scene has put many fans of the series off from the jump. While the show kicks off with Dunk burying his former master Ser Arlan of Pennytree in what is a melancholy moment for the would-be knight, it immediately jump cuts to our hero behind a tree taking a dump.
The emotional whiplash was purposeful, showrunner Ira Parker told Variety, aiming to show that Dunk is not a chivalrous hero, but the impact has soured many on the series from the first 5 minutes. Those who’ve watched further have started to enjoy Dunk’s character, but the shift in tone signalled a move away from Game of Thrones’ much-heralded high fantasy storytelling toward something a bit more questionable, and not everyone is along for the ride.
If you’re interested in checking the series out, you can read our explainer here, and jump into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms exclusively through HBO Max.
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