After 6 Episodes, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Focused on the Wrong Character
Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1.
As much of a heroic character as Dunk is, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms would have had more material if it focused on Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The young Targaryen prince is a close second to Dunk, but more time on his character could have strengthened the secondary characters and added moral complexity to the series. Not only is the character an ideal choice, but Ansell shows incredible talent despite his youth, providing Egg with an emotional depth that deserves more attention, which he will hopefully receive as the series goes on.
Egg Deserves More Focus in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
Egg plays an important role in the series, but Dunk always takes priority, even though the young prince has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to the secondary characters. While Dunk makes a few friends throughout the season, he remains far removed from some of the most prominent characters, namely the Targaryens. Dunk meetsBaelor (Bertie Carvel) and Maekar (Sam Spruell)a few times and even Daeron (Henry Ashton) briefly, giving him a vague impression of them, which makes these crucial characters fall a little flat. But to Egg, they are all family. Baelor’s death andAerion’s (Finn Bennett)behavior both play a vital role in the story, andseeing things from Egg’s perspective could have fleshed out these characters,adding depth to their storylines as well as his own.
When it comes to his own story, Prince Aegon Targaryen has a more traditional Game of Thrones arc as he is destined to assume the throne. In fact, he has already received a prophecy about his fate that would make for a fascinating story. However, all of that is far in the future, so even if it were focusing on Egg, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could still be unique. Not only has the franchise not released a coming-of-age story before, but Egg himself isn’t a typical Tagaryen, largely because of the events of the series and Dunk’s influence in his life. The Season 1 finale reveals how Dunk plans to show him a different life, preventing him from following the same trajectory that many Targaryens fall into, and with Egg at the center, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could explore this more thoroughly.
Egg Is the Emotional Heart of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
Beyond his Targaryen family connection, Egg offers a more complex character than Dunk, and in a nuanced world like Westeros, that is an important trait. Dunk is noble and fairly straightforward, but Egg isn’t. For half the season, Egg lies about his identity, showing that he is more willing to take questionable action. Perhaps more notably, Egg actively roots for his own brother’s death multiple times throughout the show, suggesting that his anger and resentment can surpass his belief in right and wrong. His characterization and Ansell’s impeccable acting would make Egg a fascinating main character.
This is never more obvious than in the finale when Egg confronts his feelings towards Aerion, taking a knife into his brother’s sickroom with clear intent to kill. With just a few minutes and no dialogue, this is one of the most tense scenes in Season 1 as Egg goes from ready to kill Aeron to accepting his father’s comfort. These two minutes prove that, as young as he is, Ansell is a strong enough performer to work as a lead. With Season 2 already in the works, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can correct this oversight by giving Egg more attention going forward.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
