Starring: Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Henry Ashton, Daniel Monks, Sam Spruell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel
Written By: Ira Parker, Various
Directed By: Owen Harris, Sarah Adina Smith
Studio: Warner Bros
Buy On Amazon.com

For fans of Game of Thrones who were left with a sour taste after the final season, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will surely leave you wanting more from Westeros!
The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novella series, so the episodes are relatively short, much like the books. Maybe that’s a good thing, since nothing feels stretched out. The show follows Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall (Peter Claffey), a lowborn hedge knight hoping to enter a jousting tournament. Along the way, Dunk takes on a mysterious young boy named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as his squire. As events unfold, Ser Duncan finds himself having to prove that he’s truly worthy of being a knight.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a short but sweet first season. I didn’t mind the shorter episodes or the smaller scale of the show. It has a much narrower focus on a handful of characters and locations. You don’t get the grand battles of Game of Thrones, although there are still plenty of intense tournament fights. This is basically The Mandalorian of Westeros. The story follows just a few characters while all the larger events happening around them are only briefly mentioned, if at all.

What I really liked was the dynamic between Dunk and Egg. Egg is an adorable kid, and it’s hard not to like him as he’s screaming, “COME ON!” during tournaments like he’s watching a football match. Duncan is also a character many people can relate to since he’s not highborn and has an uphill battle ahead of him. Beyond the two leads, several supporting characters stood out, especially Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon. You can totally picture him in Star Wars, and as it turns out, he will be appearing in Star Wars: Starfighter. I also really liked Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen. What do you know, a nice Targaryen for a change.

The thing about Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and now this series is that you never know who’s going to make it out alive. Unless you’ve read the books, of course. The show throws you for a loop with who to root for and who not to. Just when you start to like a character, they’re suddenly gone. Compared to its predecessors, though, the tone is noticeably lighter and funnier. There are even a few jokes about the iconic Game of Thrones theme in the first episode.

On the 4K release, you’ll find the “Inside the Episode” featurettes that originally aired after each episode, along with several other extras, including set visits, a blooper reel, and character featurettes.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a welcome change for the world of Westeros, with its tighter focus on a small group of characters and a more modest budget. It’s a character-driven series rather than a massive fantasy epic filled with huge battles and dozens of storylines. It’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t watched it already.

Features:
Inside the Episode
A Knight in the Making
Welcome to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Character Pieces
Ashford Meadow Set Tour with Dexter Sol Ansell
Blooper Reel

Video:
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1

Audio:
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles:
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish (less)

Bottom Line: Give me Season 2 now!
Running Time: 208 mins
Rating: NR
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: