A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S1 Review: Refreshing!

Long time followers know about my complicated relationship with Game of Thrones. Adoration turned to hatred as those last couple seasons came out. However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a breath of fresh air. I really love how scaled back this series is from the grander world of Game of Thrones. No squabbling royal families, no dragons, and no white walkers. Instead, an intimate character study of Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight aspiring to complete his ascension to knighthood.

Duncan is one of the best characters we’ve ever gotten from this series. He’s likeable, interesting, and grounded in a way that grants the perspective towards the common folk of the realm. His character arc is the engine behind this series, and it is very well rounded and paced to give him a complete and satisfying story. It’s Peter Claffey’s performance that adds the final touch to making Ser Duncan so easily empathetic, as well as offering an engrossed physical performance.

True to Game of Thrones, the production value is undoubtedly spectacular. I hold great love to the production crew who continues to bring this fantasy world alive with magnificent practical work. Much comes to fruiting by episode 5, which showcases one of the best fights in Game of Thrones franchise history. I’ll also mark that the cinematography by Gustav Danielsson was well done, and the editing by Simon Brasse was particularly clever in emplacing several pivots within the story of each episode.

Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is up there with the best of Game of Thrones. It’s a refreshing, microscopic view into the world by committing fully to one single character. What this series offers is something I want to see more from the GoT universe.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S1’ Rating – 4.5/5

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