Summary
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes a much darker turn in “Seven”, which finds Dunk’s back firmly against the wall.
In its limited screentime thus far, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has done a pretty remarkable job of communicating a much more hopeful tone than you’d necessarily expect from a show set in the same brutal universe as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Episode 4, just over midway, marks a sharp turning point into darker territory. “Seven” finds Dunk at his lowest ebb, in a pickle it seems impossible to escape from, with almost nobody to turn to for help.
All the great characterisation done for Dunk – and more this week, such as him stroking the mouse in his cell – pays off here. His unflappably good nature, which landed him in trouble in the previous episode when he violently rescued Tanselle from Aerion Targaryen, isn’t going to save him now. Ser Arlan raised him to be kind, to embody the finest, noblest qualities of a knight. But kindness can’t win him a trial by combat, which he’s going to have to go through to prove himself worthy of remaining alive after assaulting a prince – even one who clearly deserved it.
Even visually, “Seven” shifts to accommodate this gloomier tone. It’s literally darker, more muted, sapped of the enthusiastic uses of colour that represented Dunk’s hope for a future of renown after winning the lists. It even separates Dunk and Egg for big stretches, creating friction between the two and avoiding the usual playful banter that has helped to separate this show from its franchise stablemates. Even this is smart, though, since we’ve gotten so used to that vibe that the absence of it is deeply felt.
Baelor is another good lens through which to view Dunk’s predicament. He understands, and makes no secret of understanding, why Dunk did what he did. But he also understands how dynastic rule in Westeros works, and there simply can’t be a world where an assault on a Targaryen prince goes unanswered. He did what he could by preventing Dunk from simply being executed, but there’s still a penance to pay. Dunk’s only option is a trial by combat, which he pitches to Aerion in front of his father and uncle.
The title of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 4, “Seven”, comes from Aerion’s counter. Instead of a trial by combat, which is a one-on-one duel, he instead invokes the ancient custom of a Trial of Seven, a team fight where each participant enlists six knights to fight alongside them. It’s a weaselly way out, since Aerion can easily club together six members of his family and their Kingsguard, whereas Dunk is virtually alone. Even Maekar doesn’t like the idea, as legal as it supposedly is.
This means that the bulk of the episode revolves around Dunk trying to assemble his team. Naturally, Egg assists in this regard, now in full Prince Aegon mode, which is an effective little turnabout to show us a slightly different side of the character. At his core, he’s the same, though. He really earnestly does want to be Dunk’s squire, and he squires in earnest here to assemble a team including Lyonel Baratheon, Raymun, and, albeit temporarily, Ser Steffon Fossoway.
Steffon’s inevitable double-cross leads to the big “twist” of the episode, which is that Baelor himself rides out to become Dunk’s seventh, ready to fight against his own family for the good knight’s honour. It’s a great moment, making for a great ending, and leaving things on a tantalising cliffhanger for good measure.
It certainly seems like Dunk’s back is still against the wall. His primary allies are a drunk, someone who can’t fight, and a man who will be reticent to harm his own kin. But it’s something, if nothing else, and the fact that Aerion isn’t even liked among his own family reassures the audience that the show itself is on their side. We’re all pulling for a happy ending, but in a universe that is famous for not providing them, are we, like Dunk, wishing on a shooting star?
