HBO's 'Seven Kingdoms' spinoff does something 'Game of Thrones' would never

"After the disappointing final seasons of "Game of Thrones," "House of the Dragon's" complicated yet uninteresting story arc, and the dawning reality that George R.R. Martin will likely never finish the final two "A Song of Fire and Ice" novels, I assumed my relationship to Westeros was all but over. Sure, I dutifully kept up with "House of the Dragon," which feels more like a homework assignment than marquee television, and slogged through the final bloated seasons of "Game of Thrones.""

"I'll still occasionally zone out by taking a gummy and rewatching the original show's early seasons. But I'd resigned myself to never experiencing the novel thrill similar to the first time I saw the Red Wedding, Hodor holding the door or toilet-based patricide ever again. Reaching those highs remains a ways off, but HBO's "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is the closest any "Game of Thrones" property has come since the Obama administration."

"A self-contained story based on Martin's novella series, "AKOTSK" stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, an erstwhile, homeless knight who befriends a precocious young boy named Egg (played by 11-year-old Dexter Sol Ansell). Duncan hopes to make a name for himself as a knight at a tournament in front of the crown prince. Somewhat to Duncan's annoyance, Egg tags along. Hijinks, gruesome injury and drunken debauchery ensue."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place roughly 90 years before Game of Thrones and after House of the Dragon. The series adapts George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas into a self-contained tournament-based narrative. Ser Duncan the Tall, a former homeless knight, befriends young Egg and seeks renown at a royal tournament while Egg accompanies him. The plot remains tightly focused on Duncan's weeklong trials, offering character-driven moments, comedic hijinks, injury and debauchery rather than sprawling battles or dragons. The absence of dragons and CGI spectacle emphasizes intimacy and grounded storytelling within Westeros.

Read at SFGATE