The penultimate episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had plenty of what you anticipated would occur, however a good quantity was very a lot sudden, even for e-book readers.
Regardless of some jitters, Dunk prices into the seven in opposition to seven trial, solely to be unhorsed fairly shortly. However as a substitute of sticking with him and seeing how the remainder of the melee performs out, we’re handled to an prolonged flashback of his character’s youth again in Flea Backside.
It was a little bit of an odd alternative, for my part, to position this flashback at this level. I couldn’t assist however suppose that it was messing with the pacing established within the earlier episode. To the purpose the place my takeaway was the flashback ought to’ve been damaged up into smaller chunks and sprinkled all through the season. There’s sufficient there within the flashbacks thematically to point out why Dunk is on his journey of righteousness, but in addition, we didn’t be taught something new, actually. We all know Dunk is from Flea Backside, that life was tough there, and that he finally joins up with Arlan, who’s a little bit of a idiot (in addition to a drunk). I feel doing little openings every episode after the primary one would’ve been more practical, with this episode opening on the phase of Dunk following Arlan, up till the purpose the place Arlan says “rise up”. Then we reduce to the tourney and Dunk on the bottom, who was knocked off his horse on the finish of the earlier episode. I actually suppose the larger flashback bogged the pacing with data that we already inferred.
What’s new is that he additionally had a buddy, Rafe, whose try at thievery obtained her killed, which is the catalyst for Dunk finally turning into Ser Arlan’s squire. Her loss of life is finally there to strengthen the loss of life of Prince Baelor. After Rafe is killed, Arlan involves Dunk’s rescue in a chaotic try to guard the harmless and weak. Dunk then makes it his life’s mission to supply that very same safety for the disinfranchised. On the tourney, Baelor accepts Dunk’s request for assist in searching for justice for the harmless, however regardless of what number of occasions he asks the prince to rise up, he feels that the Prince’s loss of life is because of his quest for justice. He’s a lowly peasant from Flea Backside; he shouldn’t be cradling the inheritor to the throne in his arms. He feels large guilt that his pursuit of the code of a knight price the lifetime of a superb man, in a world the place good males appear onerous to come back by. Therefore the title of this week’s episode. So I get it, I simply suppose the execution of the flashback wasn’t carried out in one of the best ways. However earlier than his loss of life, Baelor reminds Dunk that the realm is in want of fine males, one thing that Dunk ought to maintain onto.
With a a lot smaller price range, we didn’t get to see an excessive amount of of the remainder of the tourney combatants (which is a disgrace for followers of Lyonel), however we did get a uncooked and visceral combat between Dunk and Aerion. It was messy, muddy, bloody, and under no circumstances what you consider if you conjure the picture of valiant knights. However I fairly preferred that chaotic and violent duel between the pair. It was intense and primal, reminding me plenty of the ending of The Final Duel in a manner. Having Dunk severely injured, forcing the Prince to yield and recant his problem, was so satisfying.
So it was general a superb episode, I simply suppose the execution of the themes might have been dealt with extra successfully. With yet another quick episode to go, we’re nearly carried out with our time with Dunk and Egg. In the intervening time, not less than.