Here’s my review of Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and whilst I think it was very good, it was not quite great for me. Folks the Season is all out now and you can watch every episode. Therefore, I will touch on SPOILERS here where I need to, though not intentionally with that in mind.
A Rough Start
Folks may be wondering why no episodic reviews when I did so for both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon and other fantasy properties? Honestly, I didn’t think it was a good idea after watching Episode 1, because I wasn’t that impressed. Now, I will add here that I have not read any of the Dunk and Egg books, of which there are three. I have a rough idea lore wise what happens, but that’s it. I’m not usually in this position and therefore it felt like reviewing the first chapter of a book to me.
I could have called this section A Sh** Start and folks might get where I am coming from. I just didn’t care for that Episode 1 shitting scene. Still, outside of that I felt like nothing much happened in Episode 1. I mean, enough happens that I want to know where we go next, and the acting and production is all great. Still, not much happens. Which is fine for Chapter 1 of a book, but not always great for a TV series. Yet, I am patient.
Improving
As the season moved along I did find myself eventually becoming invested in these characters and the unjust treatment of Dunk. I’m invested in the story being represented and it was presented very well indeed and brilliantly acted.
Overall I think A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a very good show, and from what I read online, very, if not fully faithful to the book. I’m glad HBO made it and those in charge for now seem to be doing a good job. Though, House of the Dragon started great and fell away in Season 2. Game of Thrones began to fade after they ran out of material to adapt. My worry therefore for this show, is what happens after Season 3?
Why Not Great?
So, why don’t I think this is a great show? Whilst well done, the scale of this show just isn’t anywhere neat the level of parent series Game of Thrones. Where I watch these shows, the provider always has Game of Thrones episodes playing before the new episode starts. So when I record to watch the next day, I catch a little bit of the end of some episodes of Thrones.
What A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lacks, is an overarching grand story/mystery/quest and I love that about the fantasy genre. This is a smaller story and it’s made very well, but it’s never going to compare with some of those iconic scenes in Thrones, or the global scale of that show. It can be really, really good, but it’s never quite going to scratch that Thrones itch, no matter where it goes. Why, because that’s the job of the main series. Therefore, it can never quite hit that height for me of truly great fantasy.
Sure, there is information fans expect to get at the end of the Dunk and Egg books. Namely, what really happened at Summerhall, an event in the books (less so the show) which remains a mystery. So, whilst Dunk and Egg is an interesting story and I’ll happily watch it. It’s not even going to get to the great level for me, simply because the stories told aren’t actually that ambitious.
Roll on Season 2 though, and if the viewing figures are high, who care what I think? Well made show and I will be tuning in for Season 2.
GRADE: B+
Brilliantly made series and great use of a smaller budget. However, the story being told is not that ambitious and it probably never gets made if it’s not set in the Game of Thrones universe. Let’s be clear though, I’m glad it was made and I’m always happy to get more Westeros on TV if it’s this well made. We are running out of words written by George R. R. Martin though and I worry for what happens when we do.
