‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 3 Recap – And There’s the Big Twist

And there it is, ladies and gentlemen. The big reveal of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finally arrives in Episode 3, “The Squire”, and it’s about time, too, since virtually everyone watching the show will have figured it out already. But the general predictability around Egg’s true identity doesn’t make it any less interesting as far as twists in the tale go, especially given all of the giant implications it might have for Dunk’s immediate future.

While the previous episode gave us a brief taste of what was to come from this show, violence-wise, “The Squire” really ups the levels in that regard. It does, however, largely keep Dunk himself out of the action, which is good, since it allows more time to work on his burgeoning relationship with Egg, which was already great — has been great since they first encountered each other, honestly — and is only getting better.

Again, the secret is earnestness, I think. Just like Dunk is exceptionally well-meaning as a dopey young man trying to make a name for himself to honour the knight he loved, Egg really does want to be the best squire he can be. This episode opens with him coaching the horses, ready for the joust, and practicing handing Dunk weapons as he speeds by. It’s very charming, and as he and Dunk become more comfortable with one another, the more we’re rooting for both of them.

But it’s impossible to escape the fact that Egg knows more than he should. He’s able to identify Ser Robyn Rhysling, the maddest knight in the Seven Kingdoms who lost his eye in a joust, and he continues to know altogether too much about everyone competing in the lists. This and his obvious desire to avoid any passing Targaryens kind of gives things away ahead of time, but crucially not for Dunk, who isn’t the type to put these kinds of pieces together.

This is why, in a sense, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3 trying to test Dunk’s character feels like a bit of a waste of time. He’s propositioned here with the idea of taking a fall in exchange for a large sum of money, but Dunk’s characterisation has consistently prioritised his good heart and desire for approval above his need for money, so the dilemma never really takes.

Since the first day of the lists is only for knights of high birth and renown, and Dunk is neither, we don’t have to worry about this for the time being. He’s reduced to the role of spectator, with Egg essentially narrating, for his benefit and the audience’s. The villain of the piece is summarily introduced here in the form of Prince Aerion, the second son of Maekar, who establishes his villain bona fides immediately by skewering a horse through the neck and almost causing a riot in the crowd. Since this might be written off as a tragic consequence of a joust and not a deliberate act, Egg makes sure to clarify that it was definitely deliberate.

Aerion continues to be awful by drunkenly attacking Tanselle for killing a dragon in a performance. This, though, prompts Dunk to intervene and savagely beat him, which isn’t the done thing when it comes to Targaryens, even if they deserve it. Luckily, Egg prevents Dunk from going too far. And Aerion is inclined to listen to Egg, since he is — wait for it — his brother. Remember Maekar’s missing sons? Well, Egg is one of them, and the drunk noble at the tavern in the premiere was the other. Egg’s real identity is Aegon Targaryen, which lends a bit of weight to the local soothsayer’s earlier prognostication that he would become king and die in a fire.

It’s also going to shift A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in a surprising new direction.

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