We return to Westeros this week for a short however partaking half hour in a a lot tighter and extra rewarding episode than final week. With Dunk and Egg now paired up, the present is kind of energetic, with good humour and a few strong characterization for our towering lead.
The episode opens with Dunk recounting Ser Arlan’s many deeds and accomplishments to the the Aristocracy on the tourney. Regardless of his chivalry and accomplishments, nobody appears to recollect the poor hedge knight. This frustrates and saddens Dunk, who was raised on Arlan’s classes of honour and chivalry, solely to come back nose to nose with dozens of noble knights who’re something however the storied knights he’s been advised to emulate his complete life. It’s like assembly your favorite movie star, solely to study they’re an enormous douchebag. There’s additionally the query if Arlan actually was as superior as Dunk remembers, or does he have rose-tinted glasses and hero-worship an in any other case unremarkable determine?
However his saving grace comes from essentially the most unlikely of locations, and that’s the Targaryens themselves, who arrive on the tourney grounds this episode. We’ve been so conditioned to anticipate the Targaryens to be chilly and ruthless that having one really be good could be seen as jarring. However Prince Baelor really remembers Ser Arlan and vouches for Dunk to enroll within the lists, regardless of there being stress within the household due to lacking relations. But it surely’s when the jousting really begins, and Dunk sees the violence on show that he realizes that he could also be out of his depth, each by way of talent and violent willpower.
The present continues to strike a a lot lighter tone than the previous two sequence. It’s typically absurd, however there’s a attraction to it that leads to laughs as a rule. That is relative peace time in Westeros, so the folks aren’t struggling, and the vibe is, general, extra nice for a rural medieval society. Dunk resents being referred to as a lunk and a dummy, however he sort of is, and that’s a part of the attraction of the character. He’s laughably out of his depth, however regardless of his lack of assets, title, and schooling, he could also be standing taller than most, in additional methods than some. Egg is wonderful within the present as effectively, providing sufficient sass to be endearing and humorous, with out ever changing into obnoxious. It’s a tough line to steadiness on, however Dexter Sol is actually stealing the present right here.
I do assume with these episodes being so quick (and there being solely six of them), this might have a lot simply been a two and a half hour movie, launched both on HBO or theatrically. Breaking them up into such tiny chunks does really feel like a disservice and breaks up the momentum. I do admire the smaller scope and scale, however I believe a long-form story as a film would’ve been the higher possibility for this.