"Nadira Goffe: Jenny! I'm so excited to gab about this episode for a bit, because woof-or should I say hoof?-what an episode it was. I would call it egg-cellent, because most of it is about Egg, the adorable, mysteriously bald stable boy who becomes Dunk's squire. It's 30 minutes of the unlikely friends just hangin' out, really living up to the title of the George R.R. Martin novellas that the show is based on, Tales of Dunk and Egg. Dunk teaches Egg how to mend a patch in clothing, they cheer over the day's jousts, and there's a scene in which the two role-play a conversation about eating salt beef that is so stinkin' cute I had a lopsided smile on my face the whole time. At one point, the gentle giant cooks his tiny squire a meal with goose eggs that have yolks so large I instantly sensed that there was some sort of subtext going on as they sizzled in the pan."
"I mentioned this to our colleague Sam Adams when we discussed the series premiere, but I love Egg. He's small, cute, and whip-smart, making the duo a good match: Egg has the brains, Dunk has the brawn. But as Episode 3 went on, I began to have this sinking feeling that he's too pure to make it out of a Game of Thrones title alive. I also started to notice some things about the little tyke: He's vague about his parents, he's more knowledgeable than he should be about Westeros' regents and customs and legends, and he never directly answers the many queries he receives about the origins of his baldness. In one conversation about a legend told through song, Egg asks Dunk: "But is this not the act of the dogged spirit? Giving more than what was asked?" I ask you: What child talks like that?"
The episode focuses on the growing bond between Dunk and Egg as they share everyday tasks, joys, and small adventures. Scenes include Dunk teaching practical skills, the pair cheering at jousts, playful role-playing about food, and a quiet cooking moment that suggests subtext. Egg appears unusually knowledgeable about Westeros, vague about his parentage, and oddly reserved about his baldness. The combination of Egg's intelligence and apparent purity raises anxiety about his survival in a brutal world. The episode balances sweetness and foreboding, presenting both companionship and hints of a deeper mystery surrounding the boy.
Read at Slate Magazine
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