A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: S1/EP6 'The Morrow"

We review the season one finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Minwa & Tony slow the pace to sit with grief, guilt, and choice after the trial of seven, weighing what changed from the book and why the quiet beats land harder than another fight. Maekar’s mercy, Egg’s fear, and Dunk’s wavering honor form the heart of a finale that sets the road ahead.

Transcript

Cold Open And Nine Kingdoms Gag

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Where are we going, sir?

SPEAKER_07 0:05

Don't know. Suppose we could go anywhere in the seven kingdoms, though I've never been to What?

SPEAKER_01 0:15

There are nine kingdoms, sir.

SPEAKER_07 0:18

Of what?

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Of the realm.

SPEAKER_07 0:22

Are you mad?

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Is that relevant?

SPEAKER_07 0:25

There are seven kingdoms of the realm, boy. Everyone knows that.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Then everyone is wrong. Do you want to cloak near Crowns, Westlands, Stormlands, Riverlands, the Iron Islands, the North, the Reach, the Vale of Iron, and Dawn.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

I've never been over the Red Mountains before.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

And with that, we welcome you all to the Dancing with Dragons podcast. My name is Tony, and with me my co-host Minois. After a little hiatus, we are back to record a reaction and review of a Knight of a Seven Kingdoms finale, which had many twists and turns that had readers of the novellas going back to reread the final page of the Hedge Knight to see if they were experiencing a Mandela effect. Minoah, well, before we started recording, I told you about this, and you go, wait a minute, and you went to your book and you go, I am experiencing this effect. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Immediately.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

You're like, there's a post-credit scene. And then once you see him in the horse looking bewildered and looking around, you go, okay, egg just vanished. And he goes, That little brat just left.

Book Change: Maekar’s Decision Reframed

SPEAKER_02 1:54

So when I sent you that tweet, um, or like that piece of information that said, wait, there's a post-credit scene. Um, I'd actually been seeing a lot of Game of Thrones accounts or like the fan accounts talking online. You know, they're like reviewers and the uh journalists, people that have access to the episode before it airs. And I heard so many, like a lot of them, Tony, they were all saying there's a change from the book. There's a change from the book. There's a they were specifically saying the make our change. So before watching the episode, I kind of had a hint of as to what that change would might be. People were like, I like the makear uh change. People were like, I don't like the makear change, or it doesn't change the story. It just I I saw it debated before and after the episode. Immediately knew what it was, and I was like, okay, when I watched the episode, I was like, Oh, okay, obviously the changes that in the book uh Makear allows egg to go on with Dunk, and then you know, uh that's not what we got. But as you said, when we talked about before we started recording, immediately opened the book, and we don't get that at all in the book. Like, there's no there's no uh like refusal, but there's no confirmation as well. So I'll just read the excerpts out for you guys. Maker Terrion, Prince of Summerhaw, regarded Dunk a flea bottom for a long time, his jaw working silently beneath his silvery beard. Finally, he turned and walked away, never speaking a word. Dunk heard him riding off with his men. When they were gone, there was no sound but the faint thrum of the dragonfly's wings as it skimmed across the water. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 3:22

Yeah, and that was right after he Makar was literally offended by the idea of his son being a squire and not or saying, you know, he's the blood of the dragon. Princes princes are not made for sleeping in ditches and eating hard salt beef. And that's when Dunk turns it around and just says, you know, um, saying that Daron never slept in a ditch and Arian always ate the best food, and look how they came out. Maybe if you send this boy with me, we we can kind of have a egg that doesn't evolve into what Arion is, which we're gonna be all all over the place here, but we we do get a scene with Daron saying the same thing right before I think that that conversation with Darren convinces Duncan to have egg you know, because he's saying, Look, this is Arian was was such a happy child, and blah blah blah. He turned into this, right? And maybe if you take egg, he could avoid that same faith, which reminded me of House of the Dragon and Allison's kids who grew up in the royal, you know, King's Landing, and they all were like weird and little brats and horrible people. And then you have Daron who lived in Old Town and grew up, and he goes, Well, we saved them from being this way. Remember that that like he's such a nice boy and he was raised well and educated, blah blah blah blah. They kind of remind me straight up from that kind of similarities.

Added Scene: Egg With The Knife

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Yeah, I know that's an amazing um connection. The fact that they're both named Daron, right? Like Daron is the one that's like not uh Daron isn't like the different child, obviously, it's Eggon in this story, and Aegon is the wild one in House of the Dragon, but yeah, that's uh that's a great part. I never really noticed that. Um but I like that that scene, not to like change the subject, but um the note that I wrote for that scene between Dunk and Daron in at the feast, um, was um everyone blames Dunk, but this is all Arian's fault since he's so horrible. And then that connects to the next scene because we like Egg knows that it's Arian's fault, and then the next scene is Arian creeping into sorry, Egg creeping into Arian's bedroom, which was so interesting to see because correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall that from the novella at all.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

No, that's something that's added, and I think it's um it was such a great scene, and just seeing Egg or Dexter act his little heart out there, it was so powerful because he's touching his hair, and you can see the little bits of white and silver and gold coming out, and he's so like repulsed seeing that, like he doesn't want any part of looking like his brother or being associated with him, and you get to see um and him and also the the guy who plays Makar, Sam Skrull. Is that how you say his last name?

SPEAKER_02 6:13

I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Yeah, he gets to like how do you say stretch his legs in the finale, and he has so many scenes here, and it's so good. The show does a good job in having us sympathize for with Makar, which in the beginning you're like, oh, he's just another he knows another a-hole Targaryen. This moment that you see Egg going to with a knife, little baby knife, yeah, yeah, and then he just turns around, his father's there. It's the response that of Makar that is surprising as well. You don't get anger, you don't get a punishment, you get like this simple like compassion, like he knows why, like he gives him a pass, you know. I I I get it, I get why you want to kill this little whatever he is.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

For me, that was really, really powerful, and there was no words said, and that's yeah, yeah, and it was so powerful, and as you said, yeah, it was so powerful. And I mentioned that um, you know, Egg knows that obviously it's all Arian's fault, but with that quiet um presence that Makar had in that scene, we know, and obviously we can see it in the last scene as well. Uh Makar obviously knows it to be true too, that this is all Arian's fault. It's not actually Dunk's fault. It's not like it's okay, maybe partially Dunk's fault, maybe partially Makar's fault, especially that's how history will remember them, you know. Yeah, how would history remember that story? Because you know, they're gonna remember just who killed and why would Baylor die for Hejnot as Makar says, and why would Makar specifically um like swing his his um weapon, I forgot what it's called, but uh the his mace, I think, at uh at uh his brother. That like that would be twisted, but at the end of the day, these characters know that in truth, if Arian wasn't so horrible, it would none of this would have happened.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

So it's just it was such a strong scene, I guess, from the both of them because it's like a quiet recognition and they can't change it, and it just links back to that madness that uh Darion was talking about. Like, is this is it out of their control, is it not? And can they, you know, like take control of it? Can they take charge of it and just put an end to it and kill Arian or like is would that be the right thing to do? So I it just it conveys a lot, despite uh you know, as you said, there being no dialogue. So I think that's yeah, that's it was it was such a great scene. I love that. It was a small edition, not from the book, but a great edition in my eyes.

Lyonel's offer to Dunk

SPEAKER_03 8:33

Yeah, and um back to the we already discussed a couple scenes already. That's fine. But back to the original or what we opened with was you know, did he get permission? And no, yeah, it was always generally accepted that Makar agrees to let Egg leave with Dunk. And um, he provides him with this signet ring to prove his identity, though the it's never shown, uh it's talked about in the third book, which is the mystery night, right? That's what it's called. I just want to make sure the sworn sword and mystery night. Yes, okay, and that that was a big contentious uh debate online with everybody. Is well, where's the ring? Is he gonna have it? Uh how is he gonna get it before the third book? Are we gonna see Makar again in the second season? You know, are we gonna see um his brother Maest? We're gonna see a young Maester Amon in Old Town when you know Dunk and Egg they travel through once they leave Dorn, they go to um, you know, Old Town and all that stuff. So it's a lot of interesting little things, and and I well, I have faith in this after this first season, you know, I think they're gonna stick to the you know the true adaptation, quote unquote, you know. All right, so let's um go back to the beginning, and we have a very beaten-up dunk laying in a tree, and we have a Lionel there, and this is uh addition to the show. Daniel Ings um did such a great job of the policy, no, let's let's give him another scene or his final scene of the show. Well, no, I think he comes out in the fossil way, or not fossil way, but um he comes out in the Humphreys funeral, right? Was he there? I can't remember now. I I should have watched the show. It's it feels like it's been ages since I saw the finale.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Yeah, I rewatched the episode actually last night, but I can't remember that. This just feels like the Lionel scene.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

This is so actually I'm gonna put this audio clip because he says a line that I had to pause. And I know you're ladies and gentlemen, you've listened to this podcast for a long time, you know that my co-host is a proper lady, and she's doesn't like the you know vulgar humor. But this joke that he says about the Maester, I had to pause and I was laughing because so I've never heard of it, I've never heard this expression, and I couldn't stop laughing. But anyway, just for the audience here.

SPEAKER_05 11:06

You could come with me. Yeah, we'll hunt and walk and sail, make merry. I'll sharpen that iron up yours so you don't make such a grand fool of yourself next time. You ever been to Tart?

SPEAKER_08 11:21

The man is dying, man.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

I love that little throwaway line. You ever been to Tart? That's such a Easter egg into the fans of you know the rumor that you know he's related or that Brianna Tart is read related to him. So I like that they threw that in.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_08 11:41

What? His wounds, they have mortified it. It's beyond my abilities.

SPEAKER_05 11:47

Beyond your an etchy asshole is beyond your abilities, my friend. Be gone, witch. Fuck off with you. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_08 11:54

That once can't.

SPEAKER_05 11:56

It's fine. You're fine. He's a terrible maester.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

Okay, here's a couple things. Sorry for pausing. One, he looks like a very young George Clooney. Like a younger. I see that. I see that. I mean, I could see right away, man. He looks like George Clooney. Two, the thing about the rear the rear end and not being able to even cure that is one of the funniest lines of GOT universe for me. That's a line that you hear like Tyrion would say. And three, he just mentioned the others, which has never been mentioned in Game of Thrones. We always refer them to as the White Walkers.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Yeah. But in the books, they've mainly been referred to as the others. But yeah, that really was under his breath. I don't blame us for not catching it the first time around.

SPEAKER_03 12:41

I didn't catch it either, trust me, because I saw other people mentioning it. I go, what? And it's he just says it like under his breath a little bit. And it's one of those scenes that Dunk is there. I don't know how he kept a straight face when he said that line. I I'm assuming there's bloopers about that. And hopefully we'll we'll we'll see it. Dunk is just beating himself up. He's has all this guilt in him saying that it's you know Baylor stepped up for me and now he's dead. We get the other side with Lionel saying, the only good dragon is a dead dragon, and Dunk gets really upset. He kind of gives him a reality check of look, Baylor came to basically your rescue, but look it. Was he really facing death? The King's Guard was on the side. Uh they're sworn not to harm him, right? Sir Stefan Fosterway just got a lordship. He's not gonna touch the hand of the king and the you know, the heir to the iron throne. Yeah, yeah. And then you have Daron who's not gonna touch his uncle. The only one that was was um this guy, um Makar. He was just saying, I I fought for you. You know, the other knights fought for you, Humphreys and Beesberry died for you. Even the Apple boy, meaning Raymond, yeah, I was fought for you. And Baylor risked nothing because he wasn't supposed to get hurt, and gods don't favor a fraud, which is very blunt. And then a little yeah, it cuts right to the bone that moment.

Is Dunk Truly Knighted

SPEAKER_02 14:00

I do want to start with this point just because I have other like small notes to say about the scene, but then obviously when he says that they don't favor a fraud, Dunk's reply is then why did they favor me? That is extremely relevant because it's another huge discussion point that we were gonna talk about.

SPEAKER_04 14:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:16

Um, and I think it's what something we texted about um after the episode that this is kind of one of our big talking points of this recording.

SPEAKER_03 14:22

And that was a mandela effect for me, because you're the one that said, I think in episode four, you said you were talking about um was he really knighted? And I'm like, oh well, that's okay if he you know lies a little bit or whatever. And but my brain is like he was knighted. I remember him being knighted.

SPEAKER_02 14:43

But he was this episode then like with Dunk saying that I think it's still ambiguous to a lot of people, but to me, it just feels like obviously I would say not. I would say that he wasn't knighted because there are people that are still like um holding on to the like the hope that he is, I guess, or they're saying no, you never know what it's ambiguous, and I do like the ambiguity. But if you would ask me to say my opinion, whether he is or he isn't, I would say that he isn't. And this line kind of acts as this very strong evidence because he says it out of desperation and like in a very intense moment, you know, it's like you clock him then and there.

SPEAKER_03 15:18

In the flashback scene, we get Sir Arlene telling Dunk the story of his name, um, telling about how soldiers or knights will hammer a penny into the tree and has a penny tree, penny in the tree. If you don't get that, you're not getting anything. Uh, and then a funny moment where he it looks like he took his last breath and we wait a couple of seconds, and then he goes, A true knight always finishes story. It's just kind of like Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:44

Everyone has taken it.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

And everyone is yeah, everybody saw the memes and the videos of George looking like, hmm, what's that? Or maybe that's not my line. Maybe George is told him to put that line because we're getting the books. Who knows?

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Oh, maybe. Uh actually, like I I do wanna just say it uh like sidetrack for 30 seconds. I came across an insane theory this past week or this past couple of weeks, saying that George, like there's a theory that George is actually done with the books, like summer, so winds in the winter, uh dream of spring. Um I said summer, I just assume there was another season there, anyways. Those two are done, and George is only gonna release them after he's passed because like they like it's going to be controversial or whatever. And I don't know, there's someone someone like laid out that theory, and I don't wanna we we don't like talking about George's passing because I don't think it's disrespectful, but I just want to say that that's a theory I saw floating around and it's interesting. So yeah, just want to do that.

SPEAKER_03 16:39

It's just kind of those people who who who log on to like Facebook and just say the most insane thing and then they just say whatever and then they log off and never go back on. And there's people people just flooding their comments and they're like, I don't know, I I logged off, I don't I don't even know what people are saying.

SPEAKER_05 16:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:58

Uh but talking about dunk and and lying, I mean it chips out his honor a little bit, but honestly, I mean it's understandable, it's you know, human flaw. And it's he gets to be a little selfish in my book. I mean, that's that lets him feel the thing that lets him feel he like he actually matters in this like crazy world is like he fights like a knight, he talks like a knight. So what's an oath really worth? I mean, there are plenty of so-called knights in Westeros who couldn't hold a a candle to dunk, and they're so-called knights.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

I mean, that's kind of why I like the ambiguity as well, because it brings up the conversation. Then, you know, it's being knighted doesn't actually make you a knight, you know. Like there's more to being a knight than just being. He represents, as you said, what being a knight me means more than any of those other characters that were actually knighted. So um I like that he kind of represents that. He represents the goodness. I don't know if that's a word, but like the goodness that a knight should embody. So but um going back to that quote that he says when he says, Then why did they favor me? Um, Lionel responds with, This is not favor, this is mockery. Okay, he's a maybe a fake knight, but he uh is a knight in spirit, he's everything a knight should be. So he's not a fraud. He's just he's right, he's he's um a good person. So but I want to talk a little bit more about this uh Lionel scene, the opening scene that we got. It's interesting that it opens with like this very modern jazz music. I don't know if you noticed that. I thought it was it it feels like it should be out of place, but it works. Um and there was another discussion people had about Lion here. They were saying that um they didn't like him in this scene. Some people said that. And I don't know who actually said that, if they were people from the books or if they were just show watchers, they were saying, Oh, uh Lynan has no right to say everything that he did about the Targaryens, and um all I have to say is that this is wants that recognition because he's a Baratheon, the Barathians value glory above above all else. You know, we see that in in Renley and in Stannis and Robert, they they love to be recognized, they love to be like the one, the one that gets all that appreciation and that credit. So it's not uh out of character for him to kind of snap and want that recognition from Dunc as well, because does like say a harsh truth, which is that okay, maybe Baylor knew he would be protected, but um and then therefore his quote unquote sacrifice doesn't mean as much as uh Lionel's would have been, but he uh kind of just doesn't care, he wants the recognition still, he wants to be uh you know glorified, I guess, and like applauded. So I wasn't surprised to see uh Lionel Baratheon act this way because he's a Baratheon. We see him in previous episodes, you know, dancing and partying. That's what a Baratheon would do.

Funerals: Baelor And Beesbury

SPEAKER_03 19:48

He wouldn't just like yeah, he gives us he gives us the the war is coming. We get that from Robert Baratheon in the in the first season of Game of Thrones. So it's kind of a Baratheon thing. And he wasn't wrong because we get another couple of rebellions, and then we get Robert's Rebellion, and then we get the War of the Five Kings, and that's all in a span of what 80 years. So he he wasn't lying. Um, well, we get to Baylor's uh funeral, which is a little quiet moment, egg with his little hat, which is funny. Yeah, to me, it's a classic dunk scene for him to be there quietly paying him respects and without drawing attention, he's in the side, not saying anything, but people are still not happy to see him. We see Baylor's son Valar grieving and angry, and confronts Dunk. And this is something that was added in the book because Valar speaks to Dunk. He just kind of just acknowledges, express your anger towards me, go right ahead. I'm not gonna respond. But he confronts Dunk and says, Well, why would the gods take him and leave you? And the the I I forget the name of the actor. I think I have hold on, I have the cast right here. And hopefully they they show him. He is not here in the main cast.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Um Oscar Morgan.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

Okay, that's his name. I have everybody here except him, but anyway, I love seeing the black hair with the silver streak on it, it's very accurate, which again, I'm gonna say it again for the millionth time. I wish Rainey said the same thing, but whatever. We'll talk about another another day.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Just on that note, I loved his look um in the scene, Velar. Um, you know, though the actor had a very, very, very minimal screen time with like what I think someone counted, he had a maximum of like five lines or something.

SPEAKER_04 21:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

But that scene I think was very beautiful. You know how when like I don't know how to say it, but like sadness can be a bit beautiful. It's like heartbreaking, beautiful. I don't know. There was something like an underlying uh I guess heartbreaking beauty or men and collie to that scene that you just see it in his eyes as well. I think he communicated that heartbreak so well. So I think that yeah, it was a very powerful scene. Um and he he was incredible. Um, and when he says, you know, why did they take um him, meaning his father, and leave you to Dunk the way he says that you can genuinely tell that he's thinking why why he's not saying it with um he's like asking a genuine question. Yeah, he's genuinely wondering why he's not trying to like this happen, like why was this fated to happen? He's he's not trying to take revenge, he's not um, you know, yeah, if it was Arian, what would have Arian done, you know? So um I just love that performance and that moment for uh for Vidar. Yeah, we can't I wish he would stick around, but yeah.

Friendships in the show

SPEAKER_03 22:31

He he also said, you know, how many are a son um usually will die in their father's armor, but how many fathers have died in their son's armor? Yeah, which is another powerful thing. And he does say, you know, he would have been a great king. And I think everyone said the same thing. George George Uncle George said the same thing. The biggest what if was what if you know Baylor doesn't die? Yeah, everything would have changed, it would have been changed because yeah, it's crazy. But um uh let me go to the other funeral. I know this is it's deeper into the episode, but we're since we're talking about funerals. Uh let's go to there. We get Beesberry's funeral, and this is an addition to the show, it does not come out in the book. And I think it's for me, it's like a little great world-building moment. The only reason we don't we see his funeral and not Harding is pretty simple, right? It's because the send-off for the Beesberry is just cooler, you know. You have this coffin surrounded by a literal swarm of bees. Uh, it's visual and it's crazy, and it's on brand for House Beesbury. See, it's very refreshing to see, you know, we get to talk, we see the customs of the smaller Westerosi houses, and you get that that tradition, and it and it makes the world feel bigger, right? It's not all about Starks and Thraegarians and Lannisters. We get to see about the the smaller houses. But that's the scene with Daron and all that stuff that he talks about um Ariane and not being a monster when he's a when he was a kid. You know what's funny is that a lot of these scenes that came out in this finale are show additions, they're not changes from the book, they're just an addition. They're not they didn't subtract anything, they're just added. And just the the conversation between you know Dunk and Raymond, the final scene that does not occur. And like he doesn't buy his horseback. What's his horse name?

SPEAKER_02 24:26

Um Sweetfoot.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Sweetfoot, yeah. He doesn't buy Sweetfoot back for him. The conversation between Dunk and Lionel, like we mentioned, does not occur in the book. The relationship between Raymond and and Rowan, who was the local like prostitute, does not exist in the novella, which is really funny. That I was kind of thrown off guard when she just came out of nowhere and they're married, and she's like, he can't be that dumb, right? That she's pregnant after a day, which is sucked. Or he's just so desperate for a wife, and he just wants a companion. He's like, whatever. I know that's not my kid, but who cares? I'm gonna have a boy Duncan. That's so weird, but you know, talking about that is just the the Ira Parker and the writers figured out a way to make like genuine friendships in this short season setting. We get Dunk and Egg, which we don't get that much in the last episode, but the fossil way in Dunk is just like a feels like real, and they've built this bond, brotherhood, and it's refreshing to watch these two guys like completely secure, like openly expressing you know, respect and gratitude and hugging each other. And Raymond I like Raymond a lot, Sir Raymond, the actor. He does a great he kind of reminds me of um who said it, and I go, wow, Podrick. Yes, somebody said he's like a podcast.

SPEAKER_02 25:48

Yeah, I see that. I see that.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Yeah, I just like oh, I just love the hustle. And this finale could have been 10 minutes if they didn't add all these scenes.

Finale underwhelming?

SPEAKER_02 25:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They could have just added it to the last episode and then ended it. Someone I know in life, I was talking, uh, I was talking to them, and I got like an overwhelming response. Like, uh sorry, an underwhelming response. But I felt like though people were underwhelmed because nothing big happened at the finale. It was a sweet finale, like it was okay. You didn't need much from it, and it was it was okay. I mean, that's the let's debate or uh death scene from the previous episode kind of breathe and have that impact.

Maekar’s Offer And Summerhall

SPEAKER_03 26:24

I think we went back to you know, it plays it really cool, the finale, and you know, the big action is behind us, and it it it literally was goes back to how the Game of Thrones originally started. We get the penultimate episode, and then the finale is gonna be very quiet. The penultimate episode is filled with chaos, and then the finale you pause and reflect, and you check back in with everybody, and then we get it's setting up the next season. That's what the finale was about. We never had crazy finales before, and I think everybody was such in a high for episode five that they were expecting like, is I gonna have another battle? Is something's gonna happen? Like, no, we just have to figure out a way to set up the story so that way we're going forward. I I really enjoyed it, so we still got more to talk about. But you talked about your friend, or I just wanted to mention the how it was structured. I it felt like game from the past. So, this next scene we'll talk about. I want to put the audio, but I want to kind of set it up. And this was a not a huge change because the conversation is literally mirroring the book, it's just the location of where it's set. You could see Dunk literally can't even walk, right? And then they they summon him. Oh, you need to go see the prince. And then he like it's gonna take him four hours to just walk up there to see. In the in the hedge night, Makar goes to him and he's sitting in the tree, and they have one conversation. So in the show, they split it up into two. That way we get more scenes. Uh, so this all this conversation had was just one little moment, which is at the end of the book. But for me, this is so good. And Spruel, who plays Makar. This is my favorite scene of the of the episode. You can see the guilt in his eyes, and he knows what he did. And he wants to put the blame on Dunk, but he knows in his heart that if he doesn't swing, his brother's alive.

SPEAKER_06 28:20

My youngest son seems to have grown fond of you, sir. Tis time he was a squire. But he tells me he will serve no knight but you. He's an unruling boy, as you would have noticed. He's a good lad. Just needs a stern hand, that's all. Well, you have him. There is a place for you at Summer Hall. You'll swear your sword to me, and Aegon can squire for you while you train him. My master at arms will finish your own training. Your Sir Arlen did all he could for you, I have no doubt. But you still have much to learn. I beg your pardon, Lord. I do. But I think I'm done with princess.

unknown 29:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:34

Duncan goes in there. Do you think that he he ever thought he would get an offer like that after killing the hand of the king? Or after Baylor dying? Not him killing him, but you know what I mean, like the result of the trial of the seven, like, oh, by the way, you can I want you to be egg to be your squire, and then you can go to Summer Hall.

SPEAKER_04 29:52

No, yeah, no way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:55

To me, that shows that he really deep down is a caring father. Because if he didn't give a crap about egg, I don't care what you want, this is what you're gonna do.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

Yeah, I mentioned the scene earlier, I think, and how you can see that they're both very they feel very guilty and responsible. Um, even though a part of them knows that it's originally Arian's fault, they also know that they are to blame and that that's how it'll be remembered. And Mekar says, I'll hear the whispers of the day I die, you'll hear the whispers as well, so they'll always be haunted by it. Um, and you can see that very clearly in both of their performances um and in their eyes. A bit of a weird moment from Dunk a little bit because he says, Um, if I had not fought, he would have had my hand and foot. I sat under the tree this morning and I asked, could I have spared one? I mean, how can a foot be worth a prince's life? It feels a bit like it was Dunk thinking out loud in that moment.

SPEAKER_08 30:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Which isn't, you know what? I mean, I I that line a bit like just stood out to me. Like, why would he say that in this moment to make our? But I was like, you know what, this is dunk. Sometimes he just says his first thought, and that's probably what happened. And like that's that was that. So I don't know. I I maybe there's more to it that I'm not seeing right now, but I feel like that's just the one kind of line that feels a bit out of place or a bit weird, and that was my explanation. If there's something else, then let me know, or I'll come across it, you know.

Egg’s Plea And Silent Heartbreak

SPEAKER_03 31:20

So no, I feel like this this the way he acted it, um, both of them, you could see that. Yeah, especially for Makar, that he is aware that this tragedy is gonna haunt him for the rest of his life. It's sort of like I just it came in my head like Jamie Lannister, like everybody, he's this great knight, considered the greatest knight in Westeros, but behind his back, oh, he's the kinslayer, he's this, he's that, he's you know, he's bonking his sister, all the everybody's always talking about his back. Like he he he always hears those whispers. By the time we get to that season four or season five, he doesn't care anymore. He was I hear all the rumors, I don't really give a damn.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Yeah. And I just want to say something else about the scene. When Dunk leaves, um, obviously he sees Egg spying, you know, the conversation, and then Egg um turns to Dunk and he says, in the quietest, softest voice ever, he just turns to Dunk and says, Are you in a lot of pain, sir? It's the cutest I've ever seen Egg because he feels like so I guess regretful as well, and and small, and he's concerned for Dunk and he wants Dunk to accept his offer and he like really wants that offer that his dad made. So it just feels like such a heartbreaking moment. And I love that line so much in his his quiet voice. It was so sweet.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

So what did he say?

SPEAKER_02 32:44

I just wanted to say that and appreciate Dexter for a little bit.

The Walkaway: Choosing The Road

Overall thoughts on season 1

SPEAKER_03 32:47

And I guess that the right after he hears Duncan saying he's not gonna take him to Squire. I I guess you're not the knight I thought you were something. Yeah. Really quiet. We get to that that scene with him tending the horses, and then we get egg popping out of nowhere saying, My Lord Father says I'm to serve you. He's not dressed like a prince anymore. He's dressing his I'm going on the road attire. I'm gonna sleep on in ditches on the ground under the tree attire. He gets the line, you know, I've never been over the red mountains. Would you like to have a look at Dorne? He says, No, dunk thought for a moment, I've never been over the red mountains. Would you like to look at Ed Grin? I've hear they have good puppet shows, which is for Tansel. Um, yeah, but they added the little quote about the nine kingdoms, which is so funny, you know, because it's just so that's the audio that we have in the beginning of our episode. He added two two realms, so he added the Riverlands and the Crown Lens, aren't technically kingdoms, but there are nine major regions in Westeros, but the realm has always been known as the Seven Kingdoms, we all know that. The way he just said it, like, no, they're nine because I'm smarter than everybody, and that's just the way it is, you know. It's kind of like a Hermione moment, like, I'm smarter than you. Uh, and the Seven Kingdoms just has a good ring to it, you know, due to the tradition and religious reasons of the seven gods, right? Uh, yeah, yeah. The way Peter Claffey acted that scene, like, he's befuddled. Like, what? Like, he's rethinking his whole life because his whole life is the seven kingdoms, right? And now it's just like, are you like, what? Are you right? Maybe you're right. Uh so that was a great little moment. And I will say that the what I thought was going to be the last shot of the the season was so effing beautiful, and the music and just the visual, that would have been for me a perfect way to end it. Um, but they had to add the little post-credit scene. Sir Arlen's ghost is trailing them, and then you know, he veers off in his own path, and it's like a subtle perfect way saying that Dunk is finally stepping in into his own story. Now he has somebody following him. Uh he's no longer in Sir Arlen's shadow. He's taking the reins, you know what I mean? Like, so to speak. We talked about the show for like a year and a half, and we finally get to see the whole season. Uh, what do you think overall, your um before we get to the rating, your overall thoughts about it?

SPEAKER_02 35:31

So I like the finale. It was a nice cute finale for Knight of Seven Kingdoms. Um, and I loved the show. I think you know it was book accurate. It gave us kind of what we needed from uh George's world, which is something different that's you know, still in touch with like the lore and the world and what we're familiar with, while also being uh like a breath of fresh air and something different. We never got this kind of very contained story. And I think you know, a night seven kingdoms and the like a similar project that it reminded me of was Andor, which is that they kind of touch on relevant themes, are separate from the original like franchise while still being connected to it and focused on the storytelling, focused on being like loyal, yeah, no, Andor, this isn't about Andor, but focused on being loyal to the source material, which I think was a huge uh pro for Knight Seven Kingdoms, because if anything, it just shows that that George's involvement is what makes them so great because that's what made the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones so great. What it's what made this so great. He was half half on season one of House of the Dragon, and that was okay. And then season two, he was not okay with them, and it has a lot of things that we're unhappy with. So um, I overall, you know, I think it's great. It hits the mark on so many uh different things, you know. The casting, it's amazing. Every single character was portrayed perfectly, honestly, perfectly. Um they were all uh fantastic, and then you have uh, as I said, the scripts were great, though there were, you know, maybe some things that we we would deem unnecessary, things that you know I could I could do without, but doesn't really damage the show, like the over uh like over the top line of scenes we got in the beginning, that weird Arden scene. I don't know you know what I'm talking about. Like there were definitely some moments here or there that I feel maybe were unnecessary, but they're not major cons. So I think that as long as we have that, that's fine. Um yeah, it's it's just what we needed, I think, from Annight of Seven Kingdoms, like from a Dunkin' Egg story. It was a great depiction. Oh, and just to make a quick note on my account I shared like a proper written review of the show. This was just like me recalling what I wrote. But if you want like to see my thoughts ups and downs, then just go to my Instagram and you'll see everything.

SPEAKER_03 37:47

I shared uh Tony, what did you think? Yeah, yeah, I think I reposted that. So if you go to our Instagram page as well, you can go to dancing with underscore dragons, or you could go to Minoa's Instagram, which is um does it have an underscore, or is my account?

SPEAKER_02 38:04

No, it's just the Arab Khaleesi.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Okay. I felt that the season was heartfelt, um, surprisingly emotional. Um I feel like I already missed these two. And I mean, we don't have to wait. Luckily for us, we don't have to wait that long. Uh since we're gonna get season two, they're already, I think, almost done with season two. It's also like a gentle reminder that um the real magic of the show wasn't big battles or joust or like this the twist, which added flavor, I guess, to the show, but the whole center of this this universe was this people. Um I love that the the showrunners were confident enough to just slow it down, like this finale. The fact that we get to spend the whole season in one area was nice. We get to see more, like I mentioned, more uh smaller houses being highlighted, and different type of Targaryen have we ever seen. Let's just say Targaryens without without dragons are are much different. The one thing I didn't mention even prior to the show starting is I was hopeful that I was hoping that people would not shy away of watching it because there weren't gonna be any dragons in it. Like, please give it a chance. Please, these characters give them a chance because you'll fall in love with them. And I and this could have gone horribly.

SPEAKER_04 39:33

Yeah, you know, yeah, I know it's true.

Rating and Rankings

SPEAKER_03 39:35

Obviously, having the Game of Thrones name attached to it, they give it eyes, but the numbers for all the all the finale and the overall show is really good for HBO. I love how the series slowed down the pace of this Westerosi world. We don't need the big spectacle and car chases. We did get a big never before seen Joustine Trial of Seven, which was awesome. So uh let's get to the rating for the episode and then the overall season. So let's start with uh the episode, which I forgot to mention that it was directed by Sarah Adina Smith. Uh it was written by Ira Parker and Ty Mickle. I need to see an interview with her so that way I know how I'm saying her last name correctly. Um by the way, she follows our page. Just FYI. Uh okay. Uh you're rating for this finale.

SPEAKER_02 40:31

Um eight points. I forgot to say all the other episodes, but they're eight point five.

SPEAKER_03 40:39

Oh, okay. I think I had I I gave it an eight point, I guess eight point five. I was gonna do eight point eight, but that's really high.

SPEAKER_02 40:47

Um, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:50

So okay, favorite scene of the episode.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

Um egg on uh yeah, I guess that's right. Egg um walking in on Arion.

SPEAKER_03 40:58

Uh I'm gonna do Makar and Duncan's first conversation. How about we rate the season as a whole?

SPEAKER_02 41:06

I'd give it a nine.

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Nine? Okay. I'm gonna do the same. Uh and then how about performances? Let's um take out Duncan Egg, because we you know we love Peter and and Dexter. Three performances other than them that you oh, other than them, they were my top two, obviously.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

Um no pressure.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

I'll I'll tell you mine really quick. I'm gonna do okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

I'm I'm looking up the actors.

SPEAKER_03 41:33

Let me look up their names, give them some respect here. Uh Bertie Carvel for Baylor Targaryen. I'm gonna do um where the heck is he at? I'm gonna do Sean Thomas for Raymond Fosterway. I just love him. Okay, and I'm going to do um Sam Sprawl for Makar.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

Lionel would have been like his way.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

I was I I I thought you'd say Lionel. I was like, I'm sure he's gonna say Lionel.

SPEAKER_03 42:00

I just thought because I just I just I was gonna say him, but I have to leave the brothers in, and then I go Raymond or Lionel. I just I think Raymond had more in uh of an impact for me.

SPEAKER_02 42:13

Okay, fair. I'm gonna go first. You said you had to say Baylor, right? Did you say Bertie Carvel?

SPEAKER_03 42:19

And Maikar, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Yes, I'm saying those two as well. Uh Bertie Carvel for um Baylor and Sam's Perl for Meekar, and maybe a bit of an unexpected pick, but if you listen to the specific episode, maybe not as surprising. Um it's actually Oscar Morgan as Prince Villar Targaryen in this scene. Okay, like for me, that minute or two minutes we got with him was unforgettable, honestly. It's it was such a strong scene in my eyes, and he was a great actor, so it was just with his eyes. Like, I couldn't I I couldn't like understand what I was experiencing in that moment. It just felt like wow, he's he's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 42:57

He's magnificent or majestic.

SPEAKER_02 43:00

He is majestic. You know what? I listen to what I was gonna say. I'm gonna say he's majestic as a joke, and then I forgot. But uh earlier today I was like, I'm gonna say he's majestic and recall that, and then I said I hate the TV tweet tooth, and I hate that I forgot, but yeah, he was majestic, and I mean it more than Rob, too. So it's just like melancholic and majestic in that sense. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:20

Let's do um okay, let's let's rate the episodes. There's only six of them, so we could just uh do this really quick. Why don't you give your your six through three or six five four and then I'll do and then we'll do three, two, one. We're probably gonna have the same.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

Um okay, so like last place is hard to solve beef episode two, fifth place is um the hedge night, the premiere episode, and then fourth place is the finale, the morrow.

SPEAKER_03 43:51

Okay, so right now we have the same. Two one six. So I'll give you my top three. So I'm gonna go with number three. I'm going to go The Squire, which is episode three. Number two, I'm gonna do uh seven, which is episode four. My favorite of the season is uh episode the penultimate in the name of the mother. Did we get the right yeah?

SPEAKER_02 44:16

We got the same ranking, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:18

Yeah, trust me, we did not talk about this.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

This is just yeah, we did not.

Season 2 casting news

SPEAKER_03 44:21

No, yeah. So uh well that's it for season one. I mean, we had some information about season two, and we got some casting news, and I it's funny because I there's three new castings, and I just I had to like look up the characters to remind myself who they were. Um I know the woman who was cast is gonna have a big role, but I forgot her name already. I think you have the information.

SPEAKER_02 44:45

Yeah, so for season two, we have um Lucy Boynton who is joining as Lady Roan Weber, and we have Babu Sisei. I don't know if I'm saying that's correctly, I'm sorry, as uh Sir Bennis of the Brownshield, and then we have Peter Mullen as Sir Eustace Oskre. You must remember Lucy Boynton from Bohemian Rhapsody, she was in a bunch of other things as well. Um, she was in Barbie, she was she's in the upcoming um Beatlesfin.

SPEAKER_03 45:09

You mentioned Peter Mullen, and he he is an incredible villain in the show Ozark. He came out in train spotting way a long time ago, and I think also uh in Braveheart, which she reminded me of. I think other news we got was the official word the Game of Thrones movies in in play, which is something that it's funny, like people were sharing, and I go, okay, cool. I want to see more like announcements are fun. I want to see like okay, detail something solid, yeah, or casting or there's their filming and they're this, this is this.

SPEAKER_02 45:46

Well, well, it's gonna be a while, I think, because they said, you know, Game of Thrones movies in the works going about Aegon the Conqueror, but they also previously said that um Aegon the Conqueror is uh being developed as a TV show. So there are two kind of projects in development in the works regarding Aegon the Conqueror. So like for now, I think they're going to see which one would work better. They're gonna have both of those teams working on both and then see which one works, and then and then we're gonna have something to work with. So it's still in the early uh phases. Okay, I think we're almost done with the recording, but Tony, did we get any listener questions this week?

SPEAKER_03 46:21

Yeah, I sent you it yesterday or I texted to you the other day, and then I have like so I have two screens, right? So I have one screen where I put all my info and that was like behind everything else. So uh this is a question that we got when I first put up the prompt right after the episode, and it was like maybe two weeks ago. Uh it was Caden underscore crippen and asked to so did make or not give Aegon permission. It didn't mention that in the book, right? So we kind of talked about that right. That this was and it was funny because I said we're gonna start with this question and I forgot. So I apologize. We got to it anyway, but yeah, it's at the end.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

Okay, I think that's all from us on uh Seven Kingdoms season one. We might be talking about this in future episodes. If you have anything specific you want to hear from us or you want to see us cover before House of the Dragons season three, please switch us a message on Instagram at dancing with underscore dragons. You can also follow us on Instagram on that account for any updates on the podcast and for future episode announcements. Um, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of Dancing with Dragons and for our journey with the Knight of Seven Kingdoms and our coverage of the show. Be sure to add, listen, and download our episodes and preferred listening platforms and give us a racing interview or a comment as well if you get the chance. Thank you guys so so much. We really appreciate it. See you right soon.