"Put this scene in Zoolander or Glee, and it would fit right in. Put this scene in a Game of Thrones entity, and it signals, for at least a little while, a different kind of perspective on this world and the people within it. Balls, weddings, and other celebratory events in Westeros are often bloody affairs where some people get murdered to further another faction's scheming goals. (Or sometimes, murders happen because Ser Criston Cole is a little brat who can't keep his temper in check.)"
"Maybe when Sansa made a snow version of the Stark castle, Winterfell? But then Littlefinger creeped on her. Or Alicent and Rhaenyra reading together under the weirwood tree? But then their separate ambitions and relationships with King Viserys tore them apart. Whenever there's a little bit of joy in this universe, it nearly immediately goes to shit. Which is why the dance-off between Lyonel Baratheon and Dunk in "The Hedge Knight," the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is such a lovely respite."
Episode one of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, "The Hedge Knight," foregrounds unexpectedly joyful scenes in a typically brutal Westeros. Past moments of levity in the franchise often collapsed into betrayal or violence, but the Lyonel Baratheon–Dunk dance-off provides a rare, unspoiled respite. The episode centers on a tourney, populating the field with houses, servants, craftspeople, and entertainers who create a festival atmosphere. Lords and knights confine rivalry to jousts and duels, allowing pavilions to become spaces for partying rather than plots. The tone emphasizes communal celebration and character warmth absent from many darker Westerosi events.
Read at Vulture
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