Club Benefits
- Rating: 3/5 Stars
- Verdict: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is a departure from the "shock and awe" of "Game of Thrones." While the premiere feels sluggish, the short 30-minute runtime and high production value make it worth the investment for fans of Westeros lore.
- Premiere date/time: Sunday, January 18 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
- Channel: HBO and streaming on HBO Max
It's been a long journey, but "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," the latest spinoff from "Game of Thrones," has finally arrived on HBO Max. And if you're a diehard fan of George R.R. Martin's books, you've been eagerly awaiting this adaptation of his Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022 and thinks that reading A Wiki of Ice and Fire might be better than reading George R.R. Martin's books.
How is 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' different from 'Game of Thrones'?
"Game of Thrones" set some clear expectations about what to expect from Martin's world. Sex, palace intrigue and violence ... probably in that order. And the first spin-off we got from the acclaimed HBO series, "House of the Dragon," has largely held true to that ethos, even if it has a bit more violence and palace intrigue (and a lot more dragons) and a bit less sex.
- No "Sexposition": Unlike early "GOT," the focus is on the bond between Dunk and Egg rather than nudity.
- Smaller Scale: Instead of a war for the throne, the stakes are localized to a tournament at Ashford Meadow.
- Fast Pacing (Eventually): With only six 30-minute episodes, the filler is kept to a minimum compared to 10-hour seasons.
"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," though, while set in the same world, is not that. At least, not if this first episode is any indication. Sure, we meet a few ladies of the night, and we see a bit of Peter Claffey's nude backside as Ser Duncan the Tall, aka "Dunk." But there's very little sex to speak of. And while I haven't read all three novellas from The Tales of Dunk and Egg, my expectation is this isn't going to be a show that has a ton of the nudity that was a hallmark of "Game of Thrones."
That said, you don't need nudity to be an exciting show. Still, there's no denying that this series premiere is decidedly ... well, it's boring. The episode does pick up a bit towards the end when Lyonel Baratheon shows up (Daniel Ings), and I sat up once they started interacting. But for the most part, if I hadn't needed to pay attention to the episode for work, I'd have struggled to look up from my phone.
The best of 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is yet to come
After reading all that, things may seem bleak. A show that makes "Game of Thrones" boring? Yikes!
But here's the thing: I said sex, palace intrigue and violence were what made HBO's fantasy series so potent. Sure, we may not be getting the sex and palace intrigue as much, but don't worry — the violence is coming.
After all, this season is set at a tournament at Ashford Meadow, and a tournament, as the series premiere alludes, is basically just another way for knights to hit each other with swords when there isn't a war going on.
So yes, the first episode was a bit of a letdown, but I promise you, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is going to get better, or at the very least bloody. Given that season 1 is a mere six episodes long, with each episode around just 30 minutes long, it's a small investment to stick with this show and see if it finally gets its spark. Given that the full first season is currently rated 85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it's almost certainly an investment that will pay off.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
