A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms expands the world of Westeros in new and unexpected ways. HBO’s newest Game of Thrones prequel takes place about a century before the events of the original series and follows a humble hedge knight who dreams of becoming a hero. Unlike other shows based on George R.R. Martin’s iconic fantasy story, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms isn’t about sweeping wars or political intrigue, but rather character-driven narratives and small-scale storytelling.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the second spinoff of Game of Thrones after House of the Dragon, which premiered in 2022. The first spinoff debuted to overwhelmingly positive reviews with its first season, but its second earned mixed reactions that leave fans concerned for Seasons 3 and 4. In just its first few episodes, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms avoids all the mistakes of House of the Dragon with one simple fix that the franchise would do well to learn quickly.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Is Very Faithful to the Source Material
One of the greatest strengths of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is that it stays remarkably true to George R.R. Martin’s original novella, “The Tales of Dunk and Egg: The Hedge Knight.” Book-to-screen adaptations have a checkered past when it comes to faithfully translating the source material, with even the original Game of Thrones making several fundamental changes to A Song of Ice and Fire. While changes in live-action can help bring out the core themes of the text, adaptations must pick the proper times to stay true to the source material.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does a terrific job at this, with certain scenes standing out as nearly word-for-word recreations of the novella. The opening scene, for example, is ripped directly from the text as Dunk struggles to find the words to eulogize Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Much of the dialogue is pulled right from the novella as well, from some of Dunk and Egg’s interactions, even to the introduction of the Targaryens.
The new Game of Thrones prequel’s faithfulness to the source material bodes well for the show’s future, as it promises to keep true to the story that George R.R. Martin originally told and that has become so iconic to fans of his work. The stories of Dunk and Egg are among the most beloved in the World of Westeros, even with their small-scale action.
Therefore, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms must do its utmost to capture the tone and themes of the novellas fully. Thankfully, the show is off to a perfect start in this regard.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for all of the spinoffs in the Game of Thrones universe. House of the Dragon, which takes place roughly one hundred years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, started as a generally faithful adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. However, the series has developed a reputation for deviating from the source material, which has been to its detriment. Now, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ book accuracy makes House of the Dragon‘s differences even more noticeable.
Why House of the Dragon Keeps Trying to Change George R.R. Martin’s Original Story
Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the DragonImage via HBO
Over its two-season run so far, House of the Dragon has leaned toward changing more from George R.R. Martin’s original novella than other series in the Game of Thrones universe. Although the main events mostly stay the same as the source material, the show has taken it upon itself to expand Martin’s story, often in strange and unnecessary ways. As the show reaches its midway point, the changes are beginning to weigh it down heavily.
Some of these unnecessary expansions include Daemon Targaryen’s entire Season 2 arc, which features his uncanny adventures at Harrenhall and a vision of the future that forces a connection to the events of Game of Thrones. The series also leaves out several key characters depicted in the “Dance of the Dragons” section of Fire & Blood, including Mushroom, Rhaenyra’s fool, whose account provides history with her side of the story, and Prince Daeron Targaryen, Alicent Hightower’s youngest son (though he is finally set to appear in Season 3).
House of the Dragon‘s changes are understandable on some level. Unlike A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this prequel’s source material is mostly recorded as a historical account in Fire & Blood rather than a full narrative. This leaves plenty of room for interpretation as the series fills in the gaps of the account. George R.R. Martin’s novella also leaves behind several mysteries that House of the Dragon has taken it upon itself to resolve, such as the fate of Laaenor Velaryon.
While some of these changes have worked in the show’s favor, it seems that showrunners are becoming too comfortable with altering the original story without rhyme or reason. This resulted in a rift between Ryan Condal, House of the Dragon‘s showrunner, and George R.R. Martin. The author recently spoke up about his struggles with Condal, who he claims completely shut him out during the production of Season 2. While Condal himself hasn’t weighed in on this alienation, Martin seems entirely unpleased with the way House of the Dragon pivoted in its sophomore season.
This doesn’t bode well for the future of House of the Dragon. Without a working relationship between Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, the show is likely to stray even farther from the source material (though his lack of involvement could finally free Martin up to finish The Winds of Winter sometime this decade). As the show gears up for its return, the question on Game of Thrones fans’ minds is: will House of the Dragon stick the landing?
Will House of the Dragon Stick the Landing?
Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen marches through his troops in House of the DragonImage credit Ollie Upton/HBO
House of the Dragon is officially ending with Season 4, which will depict the conclusion and aftermath of the bloody “Dance of the Dragons.” Season 3 is set to air this summer, picking up after Season 2’s disappointing finale that concludes just before the real action breaks out in the Targaryen Civil War. After a turbulent second season that created a massive rift between the showrunner and George R.R. Martin, fans aren’t sure whether to dread House of the Dragon Season 3 or look forward to it.
On one hand, the story for House of the Dragon‘s next two seasons promises to be action-packed and epic in scale. The beginning of Season 3 will depict the Battle of the Gullet, which is one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of Westeros. The season will also most likely include Rhaenyra’s siege of King’s Landing, which is sure to make excellent television and harken back to the days of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Even with excellent storylines to come, House of the Dragon hasn’t proven that it will stick to the source material. If the show changes too much about the Dance of the Dragons, it could botch the entire storyline and leave fans disappointed. This would mark the second time that Game of Thrones fans were disappointed in a series finale, after the original show went down in history for having one of the worst endings of all time. While House of the Dragon will undoubtedly do everything in its power to avoid this fate, its latest season doesn’t inspire much confidence in the fanbase.
House of the Dragon‘s fourth season was confirmed simultaneously with Season 3, which means that audiences may not have to wait as long for its premiere. So far, the Game of Thrones prequel has released new seasons every other year, beginning in 2022. However, if production begins early enough, House of the Dragon Season 4 could be looking at a 2027 release date.
A shorter gap between seasons could work in the show’s favor, as audiences are less likely to enjoy a finale that they’ve had to wait too long for (Stranger Things should be the proof of that). However, Season 4’s release date most likely won’t be announced until Season 3 premieres.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms should be a wake-up call for House of the Dragon as it prepares to conclude its four-season story. Game of Thrones fans desperately need a win after the Game of Thrones finale. The only question is whether or not House of the Dragon will do what its predecessor never could.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the rest of the Game of Thrones universe are available to stream on HBO Max.
Release Date
August 21, 2022
Network
HBO
Showrunner
George R.R. Martin
Matt Smith
Prince Daemon Targaryen
Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole
