Game of Thrones: Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Review Episode 1 (The Hedge Knight)

Westeros is officially back in tournament mode. Episode 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finally dropped, and yes, it’s absolutely packed with Easter eggs tying back to both the original Game of Thrones series and House of the Dragon. Because this story is wedged right between the major Targaryen eras, everything connects in some really clever ways, and we’re breaking all of it down step by step.

Episode Title Meaning — “The Hedge Knight”

Let’s start with the obvious: Episode 1 takes its name straight from the first Dunk & Egg novella, The Hedge Knight, part of George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg. HBO is using the name A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for the series title, but book one is very specifically The Hedge Knight — and the episode mirrors it almost word for word.

In Westeros, a hedge knight is basically a freelance fighter — a wandering knight without a landed lord to call home. They go from castle to castle, offering temporary service until the next job pops up. The word “hedge” comes from the fact that most of these knights sleep under literal hedges because they have no wealth, no status, and no guarantee of work.

Enter Ser Duncan the Tall: massive, earnest, dirt-poor, and dead-set on becoming a real knight with a real lord to serve.

Setting the Stage — Westeros After the Dragons

The episode opens in a time where things in the Targaryen world are… shaky. The last dragon has long been dead. Daeron II sits the throne and is relatively well-liked, but the realm is still recovering from multiple Targaryen civil wars — including the Blackfyre Rebellion that split the royal family into two competing branches.

That missing sword I joked about? Blackfyre itself — the legendary Targaryen blade — isn’t in King’s Landing anymore. It fled with the Blackfyre Pretenders and eventually became tied to the Golden Company. So when you see Dunk carrying absolutely nothing of value… yeah, that’s accurate. Valyrian blades are out there in the world, but Dunk has none and can’t even dream of it.

A Perfectly Faithful Beginning — Right From the Book

The show starts exactly where the novella starts: with Dunk burying Ser Arlan of Pennytree, the man who raised him, trained him, and maybe — but not officially confirmed — knighted him.

That mystery is important.

George R.R. Martin never definitively confirms whether Ser Arlan actually knighted Dunk before dying, and the show smartly preserves that ambiguity. Some of HBO’s promotional material hints one way, the narrative hints the other, and the episode keeps it delightfully murky.

We see Dunk preparing the burial, feeding the horses (Sweetfoot, Chestnut, and Thunder), and trying to figure out what to do with his life now. All the dialogue here is lifted straight from the book — one of the most faithful page-to-screen adaptations HBO has ever done.

Dunk’s Goal: Win the Ashford Tournament or Die Trying

With no master, no wealth, and armor that doesn’t fit, Dunk thinks his only chance at becoming a proper knight is to win the tourney at Ashford. A great lord might take him on permanently if he performs well, which is exactly the kind of Cinderella story Dunk lives for.

And yes — if you’re thinking of Brienne of Tarth, you’re absolutely supposed to. Dunk is her ancestor, and the show makes nods to that legacy everywhere. Brienne eventually wears Dunk’s coat of arms, which became a family heirloom on Tarth. There’s even a famous line from Joffrey in the White Book about Dunk being one of the greatest knights who ever lived.

So this show is the origin story of a legend.

Arriving at the Inn — Meet “Egg”

Dunk arrives at an inn and meets a small bald boy who seems a little too smart for his own good. Dunk assumes he’s a stable hand. Spoiler: he’s absolutely not a stable hand.

This kid is Egg, who we cannot talk too much about yet because the show clearly wants to reveal his true identity gradually. Just know this: Egg has met far more great knights than he lets on, recognizes patterns Dunk completely misses, and is way too educated for a supposed innkeeper’s son.

Their entire first exchange is copied directly from the text — another sign HBO wanted book fans to instantly feel at home.

Daeron Targaryen — The Drunken Dragon-Dreamer

Drunk on the floor of the inn? That’s Daeron Targaryen, the king’s grandson and a notorious alcoholic. His alcoholism isn’t just a personality quirk — it’s because he has dragon dreams, prophetic visions he’s desperate to mute. These dreams are a curse and a burden he never asked for.

When he tells Dunk, “I dream of you,” it isn’t romantic or mysterious — it’s literal prophecy. Daeron saw Dunk’s future, and that dream ties into both:

• his role in the tournament
• and Dunk’s eventual fate decades later at Summerhall

We’ll talk about that when the show gets there. For now, the important part is: Dunk has no idea who this man is or what dragon dreams even are.

Egg Joins the Story — And the Lies Begin

Later, Dunk catches Egg riding Thunder and pretending to be a knight. Egg instantly realizes Dunk may not be a real knight at all, and the verbal fencing between them is perfect.

When Egg asks Dunk about his father, the truth is simple: Dunk is a bastard from Flea Bottom. His father is unknown — possibly a minor noble or wealthy merchant, but Martin never confirms it. This mystery is part of Dunk’s mythology.

The coin Dunk tosses him carries the Seven-Pointed Star — a clue that will tie into the Faith of the Seven and the Trial of Seven later this season.

The Tournament of Ashford — Banners, Houses, and Stakes

When Dunk reaches Ashford, we see banners from familiar houses — Tyrell, Baratheon, Fossaway, Targaryen — plus several we haven’t seen on-screen before.

House Ashford’s steward, Plummer, outlines the tournament rules:

If you lose a match, the winner gets your armor and horse unless you pay ransom.

Dunk is dirt-poor. Losing means losing everything.

He needs new armor, tailored to his massive size, and a lord to vouch for him. He remembers that Ser Arlan once served House Dondarrion and seeks out Manfred Dondarrion for help.

The Fossaways and the Apple Jokes

We meet Steffon Fossaway and his cousin Raymund, whose house sigil is a red apple — hence the repeated jokes about being ripe, rotten, or unripe. Raymund quickly becomes Dunk’s friend and will matter later in the story.

Tanselle Too-Tall and the Puppet Dragon

One of the best scenes in the episode is Tanselle Too-Tall’s puppet show, a beautifully stylized metaphor for Dunk’s situation. In the story within the story:

• a knight tries to kill a dragon
• the dragon learns the knight’s secret
• the knight dies

Subtle? Not really. Effective? Absolutely.

It’s a not-so-gentle reminder that if the Targaryens discover Dunk might not be a legitimate knight, he’ll be finished.

Enter Lionel Baratheon — The Laughing Storm

Dunk later heads to Lionel Baratheon’s enormous pavilion, where we get introduced to one of the most powerful and charismatic lords in Westeros. Lionel is massive, jovial, and full of chaotic energy — very much a proto-Robert Baratheon.

His nickname, The Laughing Storm, comes from his habit of laughing maniacally during battles and jousts. Dunk and Lionel share a hilarious dance-off moment, leaning into the humor and humanity of the story.

This is where the episode ends its setup — but the real drama of the tourney, the secrets, the disguises, and the Targaryen politics are only just beginning.

If Episode 1 is any indication, this is easily one of HBO’s most faithful and heartfelt adaptations yet.