I was worried we were getting too much 'Game of Thrones' — and then I watched 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'

Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) cheer in a scene from "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" — (Image credit: Steffan Hill/HBO)

I mentioned this in our “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” finale live blog, but going into the now-concluded “Game of Thrones” spinoff, I had a feeling that I was maybe growing a little tired of Westeros. Between the proliferation of potential sequel shows, of all kinds, the attempts of every other streaming service trying to have its own flagship fantasy saga (to varying degrees of success), and some of the franchise's own woes, I was wondering whether HBO's plan to root us firmly in Westeros for years to come was truly the right move.

I’m not about to retread the ”Game of Thrones” ending debacle, nor do I really want to dwell on the relative disappointment I felt after the “House of the Dragon” season 2 finale, but I did definitely go into “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” with some trepidation.

Even though I read the collected tales of Dunk and Egg well in advance of the show’s premiere and had a lot of fun with the tone and these distinct characters, I still don't think I truly believed a smaller-scale “Game of Thrones” show could carve out its niche. Dunk was a brilliant character on the page, but I wasn't entirely sure whether his misadventures would make for good TV — and then I watched “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," and I left completely hooked once more.

Just when I thought I was out, Westeros pulled me right back in again

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Episode 6 Preview | HBO Max - YouTube

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Despite a sedate start to the season and its comparatively limited scope, Dunk and Egg’s first adventure proved to be exactly the kind of show I needed it to be: another must-watch to remind me just how fun watching “Game of Thrones” can be.

Across the show’s six-episode run, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” really did deliver everything I feel like I want from this kind of show. It crammed in thrills, shocks, drama, fantastic production design, and was stuffed with great characters, ranging from humble Dunk and his faithful squire through to Daniel Ings' debaucherous Baratheon gent.

The show might have been far shorter in both episode number and runtime, but it still had bags of character, punctuating its own tension with moments of levity and humor — evidenced within minutes of how the series undermines Ramin Djawadi's iconic theme, for example — that were more than welcome.

Dunk (Peter Claffey) wearing his suit of armor, visor down, on horseback in a scene from "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" episode 5. — (Image credit: Steffan Hill/HBO)

Even as someone who shamelessly adores the franchise's grand battles above all else, I was majorly impressed by the Trial of Seven. Watching Dunk go toe-to-toe with Aerion Targaryen in that desperate, bloody brawl was every bit as intense as some of the franchise’s best moments, in part because Peter Claffey's hedge knight is just affable.

Sure, I could be accused of succumbing to recency bias, but I can only write what I'm feeling, and what I'm feeling right now is this: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is an early frontrunner for the best show of 2026. I have loved having Dunk on my TV screen for the past six weeks, and I have to thank the show for reinvigorating my love of this particular fantasy universe.

It hasn't just impressed me outright, but also reminded me how much I did enjoy a lot of "House of the Dragon," too, and I've now fully given in to getting hyped for "House of the Dragon" season 3, after that action-packed teaser trailer. Speaking broadly, the expanding franchise has delivered two impressive follow-up shows, and, for now, proved that the Seven (or Nine, technically) Kingdoms still have more to offer storytellers and fantasy fans alike.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is now streaming on HBO Max and is due to return for season 2 in 2027.

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Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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