A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Finale, Review!

The conclusion of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is the aftermath of the Trial of Seven, little action, but strong drama! “The Morrow” is directed by Sarah Adina Smith, she had directed ep, 4, “Seven.” It is written by Ira Parker and Ti Mikkel, she co-wrote the previous ep, “In the Name of the Mother.” The title is the best medieval way to say the Next Day. First, a flashback to the spoiler at the end of last ep.: Dunk had assembled all of his seven champions for the Trial of the Seven. 

It ended with Dunk forcing Prince Aerion to withdrawn his accusation. He did so to the crowd cheering. Then, Dunk set down asks who has died. Steely Pate says, “Beesbury and Hardyng in the first charge.” The Humfreys have died and Ser Hardyng did not get his revenge. He has found the lance went into Dunk’s armor. 

Steely Pate says burning oil should be poured on his wound. He is corrected by Prince Baelor that it is wine to be poured on the wound. He promises Maester Yormwell to tend to Ser Dunk after Aerion. Dunk says, “Your Grace. I am your man.” Baelor says he needs good knights. Dunk staggers back, Prince Baelor asks Ser Raymun to remove his helmet, I know what happens next! Raymun staggers over to him as Prince Baelor says his fingers feel like wood. He asks for Steely Pate to help him. 

The blacksmith says the helmet is crushed. Prince Baelor turns to Ser Raymun and says it was his brother’s mace. Steely Pate pulls the helmet free. Ser Raymun hops over to see the back of Prince Baelor’s head. The prince turns, the back of his head is a bloody mess, Egg is shocked. Prince Baelor Targaryen, Hand of the King and Heir to the Iron Throne, falls down dead. What could have been if he lived and bring honor to the Targaryens and the Seven Kingdoms? 

Dunk repeats again and again, “Get up” to plead for him like Ser Arlan and “I’m sorry” as Egg kneels next to him. A trumpet almost the blues is heard as we see Ser Lyonel and a masester (Paul Murphy) in a black cloak standing before a overhanging tree. Finally, Lyonel offers a flask, which is to Dunk still with a battered face, swollen and now black eye, silent leaning on a tree. It is his tree and Dunk is laid out and doesn’t move his body!

 Lyonel says it was a “wonderful tournament”, he has a cut above his right eye, bloodied nose bridge, and a wound healing on his cheek. Ashford Septon waves a smoky branch in front of the hedge knight. Lyonel says Dunk could join him, Dunk just stares at him, the septon says Dunk is dying. He is sent away by Lyonel who tells Dunk he should go with him to Storm’s End. Ser Lyonel groans getting up and using a crutch. Dunk finally says it is a good offer, but Lyonel should be more respectful to Prince Baelor. 

A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS -- “The Morrow” -- PETER CLAFFEY, DEXTER SOL ANSELL -- Photo Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO. 

Lyonel bursts out, “I fought for you!” We see the split shield and sword next to Dunk. Lyonel says “there is a war coming” and offers Dunk to be by his side. There is no mourning here, just morning. Lyonel says that the caravan leaves after the “roast.” It may be the funeral pyre for Prince Baelor. Prince Maekar stands to the side along with two Whitecloaks. The young Ashford Septon gives the ceremonial words. 

Prince Valarr is also at the ceremony. Maeker just watches. Later, Dunk is at the now extinguished pyre and Prince Valarr sits and says that his father died in his armor. He asks why the gods took a man who be a “great king” and spared him. Dunk limps through the Ashford marketplace. Ser Raymun Fossoway calls Dunk over. Dunk thinks everyone blames him for Baelor’s death. Raymun limps over to Dunk to hug him. He points out that Steffon took the tent thinking his cousin betrayed him. Raymun smiles saying he defeated him. 

He points out the green apple on his shield that he had made to differ from Steffon’s “wormy, red one.” This was before the trial, but I’m glad it was somewhere in the story. A ginger woman (Rowan Robinson) in a red dress walks out to pour some water. He introduces Rowan and kisses her. Dunk doesn’t realize that she is his wife! Funny. She had watched him in the trial and fancied Raymun! He explains that he didn’t have a squire so Rowan helped him out his armor. She notes that she is going to have a baby. Um, a baby in one night? 

This is the Red character, the prostitute at Ser Manfred Dondarrion, so he must be the father!, and then cheered for Dunk at the trial. Robinson played Zaya in the fantasy show, The Wayfinders (2025-2026). Dunk is stunned and Raymun winks at him. Two knights ride up hailing Ser Duncan for Prince Maekar. Dunk hobbles with them. Prince Maekar is in a cold room, Dunk is there, and he sends away the guards. The prince says he sent Aerion to the Free Cities in the East. Where his childhood friend, Rafe, wanted to go. 

Maekar says, struggling to keep an even voice that some would say he wanted to kill his brother. Dunk says Maekar swung the mace, but blames himself since he was the point of the Trial of Seven. He had said nothing to Baelor and the prince volunteering fully knowing that he would be in danger. Maekar is calm now, but during the trial, he fully knew who he was attacking, it may have been an accident, but is still to blame. 

He says Dunk hears the whispers, but that everything that goes wrong in the kingdoms would have been stopped by Baelor and his death blamed on the hedge knight. Under his tree, Dunk wondered if he could have lost a hand or foot in “exchange for a prince’s life.” Maekar asks with contempt what his tree told him. Dunk tells him that Ser Arlan would say every evening, “What will the morrow would bring.” Nice title reference and exact words from the novella. 

We see Egg, in a black cap and his noble clothes, listening in through a crack in the door. Dunk says that there might be a need for his foot more than a prince’s life. Maekar vehemently disagrees. The emotional context is in the series, just the words are on the page. Maekar slowly walks behind Dunk and says his youngest son, Egg, should be a squire. He continues saying Egg will only serve Ser Duncan. Dunk says he is a good boy. 

Maekar says Dunk will serve him at Summerhall and Aegon will then be his squire. He says his master-at-arms will complete Dunk’s training. This is interesting, my take reading it was Maekar was humbled and wanted to do right by Baelor with Ser Duncan, but here, there is a veil of contempt. Dunk coughs, asks for forgiveness, but says he no longer wants to be around princes. Though Egg is technically a prince! We see Egg’s face again. Dunk struggles to limp down the stairs and sees Egg in a corner like a time-out!  

Sitting next to him with the window between them, Dunk asks Egg if he was spying. He says no and asks if Dunk is in pain. Instead, Dunk says, “I can’t.” Egg says that maybe he isn’t the knight he thought he was and walks away. I think that one hurt more than most of hits from the trial! A closeup of Dunk’s face. Ser Arlan, in flashback with the tree and hill that began the series, asks Dunk if he heard of a story. Dunk says it was from Ser Arlan. The knight just continues saying that a lord told “the boys” to nail a penny to a tree and to take it down after the battle. 

The origin of his name, nice! Dunk asks why Ser Arlan did not knight him. He gets no response. Dunk cries and then suddenly Ser Arlan revives! He says, “A true knight always finishes a story.” Dunk is back at the Beesbury tent, there are cheers to Ser Beesbury and Hardyng, he is quiet. Raymun wonders how the bees stay in a hive covering a stone casket. Rowan tells him the queen bee is in the coffin. I’m getting serious Samwell Tarly and Gilly vibes from this couple! There was no Rowan in the novella. 

Valarr takes a seat and Dunk limps over to him saying the knights died because of him. He asks if Dunk will take Egg as his squire. Valarr says his brother is not a monster. Dunk thinks he is talking about Egg, but it is Aerion. Valarr says he was a “glad child” who liked fishing. We see flies around a plate of fish, Egg is slumped on the side of his bed, he walks over to see himself in a mirror. Very Taxi Driver (1976)! He walks over to his sleeping brother with a knife behind his back! 

Egg looks tearful and hears a noise, turning to see his father sitting in the darkness. Maekar puts his hands on Egg’s shoulder and the knife drops. A knock at the door as a guard says it is Ser Duncan. He is waiting in a hallway when Lady Gwin says she doesn’t blame Dunk for what happened on her name day. The conversation with Egg including these scenes are all additions to the novella. Ser Maekar hurriedly walks into his room. Dunk says Baelor’s last words were the realm needs good men. 

He agrees to take Egg as his squire, not at Summerhall, this continues the conversation that was in the novella. Dunk says Egg could learn from being away from nobles and castles. Instead, he will live the life of a hedge knight, in stables and on the road. Maekar says Aegon is son of the dragon, so here we go again, the same as Aerion! Dunk nods. Maekar says to Dunk, “He’s my last son”, and then leaves. Dunk readies the staddles for Chestnut and then Sweetfoot appears! He never brought up in the novella. 

Ser Samwell, err, Raymun brought Sweetfoot. Dunk says he isn’t going with Ser Lyonel. He asks about Raymun who says his father is having a new cider business. Dunk gives Raymun Sweetfoot and he bites a green apple to feed the white horse. Alone, Dunk uses a knife to nail a penny to the oak tree. Dunk talks to Chestnut saying he doesn’t know where Ser Arlan would go. Then, he hears Egg call his name! He jumps down with his green cape saying his father told Egg to serve Duncan. Dunk corrects him, “Serve you, Ser Duncan” and gives Chestnut to Egg. 

They ride and Dunk says they could go anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, Egg corrects him saying nine kingdoms. He names off the nine kingdoms, hilarious!, Dunk tries to work it out. Egg says, “They have good puppet shows in Dorne.” We see them ride down the road, a wheat field to the side and Ser Arlan riding behind them before turning away on Sweetfoot. End scene: Prince Aerion is on a carriage, Maekar rides back asking about Aegon, he screams about his son again escaping him! The end credits run with “Sixteen Tons”, the song by Tennesee Ernie Ford. This show has some strange music and song choices. 

Largely, this is a dramatic ep with very little action, if the writers wanted some action, the long flashback with Rafe could have brought over to this ep. I’m disappointed that Tanselle is never shown, basically a damsel in distress, a little underwritten part in the novella and show. I would have at least liked to see her bandaged hand and looking as she is leaving Ashford. Great beginning, Ep. 3 and 4 were highlights, then it kinda lags, but the show is still the best! Read the novella if you need more Dunk and Egg adventure. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a fantasy with its own hard edged “reality”, Dunk and Egg are the best pair especially Claffey and Ansell!, there is still more adventures ahead! 

Four+ Shields out of Five! 

#AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, #TheMorrow, #SarahAdinaSmith, #IraParker, #TiMikkerl, #PeterClaffey, #DexterSolAnsell, #DannyWebb, #DanielIngs, #SamSpruell, #DanielIngs, #OscarMorgan, #CaraHarris, #FinnBennett, #PaulMurphy 

Re:tro Re:view - Sinners!

Sinners is a sensation, a story about the Blues, about the black people living in 1930s Mississippi, and also happens to be about vampires. The screenplay and direction is crafted by Ryan Coogler. His last film was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).   A guitar strums, music that is almost eerie, we see a print aof a man in hat with guitar strapped to his back. The narrator, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) says some people are born with “the gift of making music so true it can pierce the veil between life and death.” We see the darkness behind the musician filled with demonic faces. She says in Ireland the singers were called Fili, the Choctaw knew them as firekeepers, and they were griots in West Africa. The last part sees faces in the darkness above the fire next to the griot like the musician. There is a connection between all of them. 

This opening narration sets the ancient roots of music and its power. The narrator says it can heal communities, but also “attracts evil.” A face in the window resolves to its red eyes! The sun above some clouds and dark trees in an early morning. This is “Clarksdale, Mississippi, October 16, 1932.” The history says musicieans developed the blues there and then took it to Chicago and other cities. A red Patterson-Creenfield 1915 touring car, Richard Patterson was the first Black-owned car manufacturer, it hops down the dirt road.  The driver is a young man in tattered clothes, Sammie Moore, played by Miles Caton. This is his first film, he was in the talent show, Little Big Shots. Sammie walks out, his shirt is bloody, and he carries the neck of a guitar. He walks over to a white painted church. Young children sing, “This little light of mine.”

They sing quietly as he opens the church doors. Ruthie (Andrene Ward-Hammond) calls out his name. The pastor, his father Jedidah (Saul Williams) calms her down and calls Sammie over, a shock of images, as Jedidah preaches about sin. Sammie staggers over, he has claw marks on his left cheek, we see a cross above the pastor and Sammie. He hugs his father who wants to leave his “sinning ways” and drop his guitar. Sammie looks at his guitar as we get “one day earlier.” Sammie is humming while picking cotton in the early dawn, it is a beautiful shot, cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Sammie heads home and later greets his mother. He walks into his house to wake up his siblings, opens the back door, to look out to the sky. 

Waiting next to the Patterson-Greenfield car is the Smokestack Twins; Smoke with a blue cap and his identical twin brother, Stack with red hat both played by Michael B. Jordan.The last role for Jordan was Creed III (2023) which he also directed. Stack hands his brother a cigarette, the effects are flawless. A black car pulls up, Hogwood (Peter Dreimanis) gets out, he has a white hat with a vest. He shows them the former mill, spits, and says these “boys” were going to buy the building. Stack says they are grown men with money and Smoke reaches for the gun in his jacket. Stack moves the jacket from his holster. Hogwood says that’s just the way they talk and Stack puts a bag of money in his hands. Smoke says there is no more money from them and warns Hogwood about his “klan buddies” coming around the property. Hogwood says there is no klan. 

Sammie walks to the church, hat in hand, and says he finished his work to Jedidah. He eyes the guitar his father brought to the church. Sammie reads from the Bible and then picks up the guitar. His father doesn’t want him to play for drunkards. The car horn beeps and Stack calls for his cousin. Sammie gets in the back seat and they drive away. He asks about Chicago, Smoke says they were tired of it, they were gone seven years, and came back home. Smoke stops the car and they push out bushes to reveal a truck. A snake rears up, but is stabbed by Smoke! He just wants to set up their own juke joint, but his brother says the grand opening has to be that night. Smoke is going to talk to the Chows while he has Stack take Sammie. They hug, their something not only personalities, but brotherly bond that make the Smokestack Twins an impressive acting feat for Jordan. 

Stack drives the car with Sammie while Smoke drives the truck into town. Smoke calls over a teenage girl (Aadyn Encalarde), asks her if she knows the Smokestack Twins, and then has her watch over the truck. He says he will pay her ten cents a minute, she smiles, and then has her negotiate to twenty cents. Smoke walks over to the Fourth Street Pharmacy & Barber. A full, busy market, he asks the girl at the register, Lisa, about her father. She calls for her father, Bo Chow (Yo). He orders catfish for the opening. Bo asks about the Chicago casinos, but Smoke hears his car horn. He draws his gun and sees two thieves at the back of the truck. Smoke shoots one of them in the behind, Terry (Sam Malone), while the other is about to run. Terry thought Smoke was working for Capone in Chicago! He shoots the other thief in the leg! Smoke returns to the store and gives money for the doctor to tend to the thieves. There is something ruthless, but also compassionate about Smoke.

He tells Bo that he also needs a sign so he tells his daughter to get her mother, Grace. At the market register, Grace (Li Jun Li) switches places with Lisa and then walks back to the pharmacy. She remarks about the two shot men and Bo gives her the payment. He brings up the sign, Grace is quick with the charge for front door sign and menu. She’s quicker at the negotiating than Smoke! Bo brings up that they have one color, more negotiating, and Smoke wants flowers added to their deal. On the road past the cotton fields, Stack tells the truth about his father, he was beating him unconscious when Smoke killed him. Sammie admires the guitar and Stack tells him that it is Charley Patton’s guitar. Patton was the “Father of the Delta Blues.” He says wants to hear Sammie play the guitar. 

Stack is stunned hearing Sammie’s playing and singing. They reach the Clarksdale train station. Sammie is amazed to see Delta Slim playing his harmonica. He is played by Delroy Lindo who is in the comedy series, Unprisoned. They clap at Slim’s playing and Stack introduces his cousin as Preacherboy Sammie. He says he’s the best blues player. Stack offers him $20 to play at the juke joint, but Slim says he has a steady job and liquor which he says is all a sinner needs. Stack says he will drink to Slim and has an Irish beer from Chicago. Slim takes it from him and revels at the taste. Stack says he has 500 more bottles! He offers Slim $40 for the night and all the beer he can drink. Slim and Sammie play to a crowd and Stack says that they are playing at Club Juke. A woman in a blue dress, Pearline (JaymeLawson), claps along and looks at Sammie. Lawson played Shante in The Woman King (2022). 

About to board the train, another woman, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) in a pink dress, she hears Stack’s pitch. Sammie walks up to Pearline, he knows she sings, and he says his name is Preacherboy. She says she is married and starts to walk away as Sammie sees Mary, she’s all kinds of trouble. Sammie tries to warn Stack. Mary knows Stack and he left saying he loved her. She had buried her mother who cared for the twin brothers. They head off for one more stop driving through the cotton fields until Slim tells Stack to slow down as they pass a chain gang digging a ditch. He tells them to hold up their heads. Slim says to Sammie that he knows all of them. He tells the story that his friend, Rice, and he were caught by sheriffs and played for them. Slim spent the money on drink and Rice bought a train ticket until caught and lynched by the klan, we hear Rice during that time off screen. 

Slim starts humming, a song of the pain. I love the power and sadness of music in this movie. They drive to a cotton field and Stack calls out, Cornbread (Omar Miller), picking cotton. The actor played Albert Gibson, Jr. in the television series adaptation, True Lies. He introduces his wife, Therise (Emonie Ellison). Cornbread doesn’t like Stack’s jokes and he waves the money he will pay Cornbread. A shack, Stack drives up with a handful of flowers that he places at a memorial for his father. He protected his brother and still pays respect to his father. At the cabin is Annie (Mosaku), Stack tells her about the juke joint, and Annie sells some bottle to kids. Mosaku reprised her role of B-15 from the Loki series to Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). He shows her money, but she doesn’t want to take cursed money. 

Stack says he has been traveling the world and didn’t see magic, but he did see power given by money. She asks about her mojo bag and Stack snaps it from his leather necklace. Annie does a ritual with the bag thanking for his return. He says he needs her as a cook for the juke joint. She calls him Elijah and he says he still loves her. They passionately touch and kiss each other. The truck drives down the cotton field and we also see the car with Stack’s group. Then, Bo helps Gracie into a car, and she waves to Lisa in the store. I love these characters, different backgrounds, all come together in this town to bring music. The sun starts to set, a man jumps down to run to a farm house, his body smoking. He knocks at the door, it looks like he is badly burned, this is Remmick (Jack O’Connell). In 28 Years Later (2025), O'Connell played Sir Jimmy Crystal. 

The door opens with the couple, Bert (Peter Dreimanis) and Joan (Lola Kirke) with shotguns. He says he was chased by Choctaw, the same people we heard about in the beginning. Remmick pleads for their help and sees their klan hoods and robes. He gold up some gold. The Choctaw ride in on horses and one truck. The leader, Chayton (Nathaniel Arcand) warns Joan about the man they were chasing, “he is not what he seems.” Chayton tells her that she shouldn’t invite him, but then the other hunter warns him abou the late hour. They leave. Joan goes to check on her husband setting aside the shotgun. It is quiet when she sees Remmick covered with blood. Bert rises up and Joan screams. These are the vampires about 40 minutes into the film! It is night and Club Juke is ready for business. Cornbread is the door man welcoming the guests. Slim is on the piano. Dancers are on the floor. Annie works at the bar showing the Irish beer and Italian wine. 

The two together are like the Smokestack Twins, but they may have come from two different organizations, the North Side Gang with Stack? and the Chicago Outfit (with Al Capone) that included Smoke? A man pays with wooden nickels and Stack serves him corn liquor. Smoke takes them to a back room. Pearline walks up welcomed in by Cornbread. Sammie greets her. Smoke only wants payment in dollars, his brother, and Annie say that the workers in the field work hard and need to feel like it is their place. Cornbread is about to greet the next guest, Mary, all of the characters are here! Sammie tells Pearline that they set up Club Juke that day. He explains to her that the twin’s father was the older brother to Jedidah. Sammie sees Mary and walks over to her to say she shouldn’t be there. She gets him a drink from Grace. 

Smoke says he doesn’t know hoodoo like Annie and also he doesn’t talk slick like his brother. Stack says it’s opening night and that there were only be a few paying with wooden money. Mary asks Sammie if he is making money with his guitar. Her frank way of talking is fun for the character. Sammie blurts out what is Mary. She explains that her mother’s father was half-black. Mary adds that her mother delivered the twins. Smoke says they gave her mother flowers when she was alive. Stack leaves his brother to try to show Mary the door, but she says she is there ot hear the blues. Then, he says he will hire women to drag her out, Mary counters saying he taught her how to fight. She says she will beat up every woman in the place, funny! Stack says he got her a “rich white husband” and a farm in Arkansas. He says the wrong person there would get out word and he and his brother would have to kill all of them. 

Mary says she waited for him. Stack finally admits he loves her and wanted her safe. He walks off. Stack’s fear of this relationship is brilliant, Mary wants them together, no matter the cost, he is not ready. The piano is playing and the couples sway to the music. Smoke watches from the rafters. Slim finishes to applause. He stands up with a beer saying he heard about a young man. He calls up Preacherboy. Sammie walks up and starts a few chords and Slim says tell the audience about himself. He introduces himself, Mary smiles, and Sammie says he wrote the song for his father. He starts playing, feet stomp around, this is stunning music, “I lied to you” that is the centerpiece of this movie. The music by Ludwig Gorannson is perfect. Music, acting, Caton’s singing, extras dancing, and cinematography all combine in what Annie had said, repeated again, music so true, it can “conjure the spirits of the past and the future.” Sinners is a masterpiece by Ryan Coogler of sight and sound, catching the blues, and and also drawing the dark spirits of vampires to it!

Five+ Guitars out of Five! 

#Sinners, #RyanCoogler, #AutumnDuraldArkapaw, #MichaelBJordan, #HaileeSteinfeld, #MilesCaton, #WunmiMosaku, #JaymeLawson, #DelroyLindo, #LiJunLi, #OmarMiller, #Yo

 #JackOConnell, #PeterDreimanis, #LolaKirke, #SaulWilliams, #AndreneWardHammond, #AadynEncalarde, #EmonieEllison, #SamMalone, #DaveMaldonado. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother”, Review!

Episode 5, The Trial of Seven is about to begin! Flashback to the end of last episode, “Seven”; the brutal Aerion whose lance struck Ser Humfrey Hardyng’s horse killing it and breaking the knight’s legs! Even worse Aerion breaks the finger of puppeteer, Tanselle. Dunk punches Aerion and then kicks him before being restrained. Egg is revealed to be Prince Aegon Targaryen! Prince Baelor has Dunk ask for trial by combat. Aerion then requests Trial by Seven, seven knights for Duncan and seven knights for Prince Aerion. Ser Humfrey joins him as payback to Aerion, Egg has brought Ser Robyn Rhysling, also Ser Lyonel Baratheon! Add to the champions, Ser Humfrey Beesbury, Ser Ser Hardyng and Beesbury are called the Humfreys. Five. 

Ser Steffon changes sides to Prince Aerion making them seven and his cousin, Ser Raymun Fossoway asks to be knighted by Ser Lyonel. Six, but the ruling says only seven champions can take the field. Dunk asks the crowd, if there will be someone who will fight with him. A large, bearded man, called the Brute of Bracken, stands up only to fart and laugh with the crowd. He asks if there are any true knights? Silence. Then, gates open. A knight rides up to Ser Duncan the Tall and removes his helmet. It is Prince Baelor! This is when the Game of Thrones theme kicks in to the cheering of the crowd! Maekar says Dunk attacked his son. Baelor says he protected the innocent. He says the gods will decide the trial and rides off. 

Aerion can only look at Dunk before riding away. it features part of the vow taken by knights, “In the Name of the Mother.” One of the Seven, the Mother, who charges the knights “to protect the young and innocent.” It is directed by Owen Harris and written by Hiram Martinez, who co-wrote "The Squire", Ti Mikkel, and Ira Parker. Prince Bealor is speaking to the assembled champions in a semi-circle. He tells them not to panic, keep calm and don’t panic! We see Egg hold Ser Duncan’s lance by his side. Ser Lyonel smiles, Ser Raymun vomits, Dunk spits too, and Ser Robyn laughs. Ser Beesbury, finally, asks about the Kingsguard. Prince Baelor says he will take them on and they can’t strike back with their oaths to protect princes. Dunk asks for his lance from squire and slowly trots away on Thunder. 

A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS -- “In the Name of the Mother” -- BERTIE CARVEL -- Photo credit: Steffan Hill/HBO. 

He repeats again what he told Egg that he will hunt him down with dogs if his squire leaves and Egg happily shouts out, “Woof!” Love the twist on the line between them. The Ashford Septon (LJ Bennion) gives the opening words of the ceremony, Ser Dunk places his helmet on, then Prince Aerion. Egg looks on from the audience. The seven lances are raised for Ser Dunk’s champions, Ser Lyonel with his antler helmet, closeup of Ser Dunk’s visor as he breathes heavily watching the other knights. They put on their helmets. The horn sounds. We see just Thunder’s head from the visor, his opponent, Aerion, in the distance and the rest of the list is in fog. The knights charge, epic! Egg shouts, “Up!, up!, go!”, before Thunder charges. 

A flash from behind Thunder right into Dunk’s vision, before he is struck with Aerion’s lance, the pieces in Dunk’s stomach! Another horn sounds. Aerion throws away his broken lance and takes out a flail. Dunk struggles to remove the lance pieces from his gut. We see his pov as he rips out the bloody lance pieces, fantastic cinematography! Dunk turns and sees a knight struck down. He throws down his shield and draws his sword. Dunk sees Aerion riding up swinging his flail, he is struck, Thunder neighs, and blackness. We see young Dunk (Bamber Todd) carving away at horse shoes from a white horse fallen over knight with a red beard. Off in the distance is the Red Keep while Dunk is on the beach of Blackwater Bay. 

The knight (Ríaín Ó Conchóbaír) gasps and then turns to Dunk who wear a kerchief around his mouth. The knight struggles to say, “Ma”, Dunk apologizes, and then covers his mouth!  A girl, also with her kerchief on her mouth, Rafe (Chloe Lea) comes to him and says they can get someone to pay ransom on the knight. Lea played Sister Lila in Dune: Prophecy (2024). They try to push the dead horse, no effect, and then try to drag the knight away as he moans in pain. They would need a lever of some kind to raise teh horse a little to drag out the body. He dies and the girl says if Dunk knows any words to say for the knight’s death. Dunk doesn’t and the girl tells him to check his mouth since a witch will pay her for teeth. Later, they are walking in a forest, and the girl with a helmet says, “I am your queen!” This is an extended flashback and feels like a diversion from the events of the novella. We ran out of Ser Arlan flashbacks so let’s tell a new story. It may be a life flashing before your eyes, but this doesn’t fit with the short flashbacks. Rafe was a character in the third novella, Mystery Knight (2010). 

They hide while a knight rides by with a body in a bag. The duo walk again and Dunk says the war is over with the death of the Black Dragon. Again, we get a mention of the Blackfyre Rebellion. He says Ferret will give them free bread. The girl says nothing is over and brings up when Pudding killed Cedric’s brother in Fleabottom. “You hurt someone, they hurt you back.” She walks away and Dunk turns. Then, we hear people screaming in pain, the duo walk the alley filled with the wounded. They are stopped by a man in armor, Alestar (Edward Davis) who wants to know what is in their bag. He is distracted by a stumbling man so Rafe and Dunk slip away. She has stolen the ale from him. They upend the bag of horse shoes and other items to Ferret. This all feels a little too Oliver Twist (1838) with Ferret as Fagin and the orphan kids including Rafe as the Artful Dodger. 

I keep expecting Rafe to suddenly sing, “Consider yourself at home/consider yourself one of the family.” He puts down two coins which Rafe snatches away. He throws back leather straps to Dunk. At their own part of Fleabottom, Rafe is happy they can go to the Free Cities, Dunk wonders if they are all like Fleabottom. Also, if his mother will return, though he knows she’s dead. Dunk admits he doesn't want to leave her, they admit they love each other, but Rafe is more interested in leaving Fleabottom. Day, Rafe tries to pay for their fare, but the merchant says the fee is now double. She is angry at Dunk, but then they walk back until confronted by Alestar who wants his ale. They are held by Rafe and his henchman, he searches her and finds the pouch of coins. Rafe steals his knife, but is held and Alestar kills her. Dunk jumps on the back of Alestar and bites him! 

He is thrown off, the back of his leg is sliced by the spear of the henchman, and a bearded man, Ser Arlan of Pennytree who says “In the name of the mother”, bursts in. As Dunk watches Rafe die, Ser Arlan takes the head of the henchman, Dunk looks to the fight, and Ser Arlan ends Alestar with a knife to the throat. Ser Arlan sheathes his sword and stubles away. Dunk holds Rafe’s body. He is alone the next morning and just shaking with cold. Then, he hears Ser Arlan’s voice. He follows Ser Arlan, still with the bloody leg, and sees him with Thunder, Chestnut, and Sweetfoot. Dunk sees Arlan sleeping outside and draws his sword. The next morning, Ser Arlan rides out of Kings Landing, Dunk stumbles behind him. Days pass, Ser Arlan practices with his sword, and is drunk at night, Dunk still follows him. One morning, Ser Arlan wakes to find that he was sleeping on his dagger and it stabbed him. He sees Dunk try to walk and then fall. 

Dunk sees a vision of Ser Arlan say, “Get up”, and is roused. Egg screams, “Wait!”, pointing to Ser Duncan the Tall. The trumpet lowers. Aerion turns. The hedge knight, bloodied, pulls himself up by his sword like Rocky. The crowd starts chanting, “Up! Up! Up!” Aerion lowers his visor and then reaches for his sword. Muffled sounds as Dunk tries to swing his sword, but he is too exhausted. Dunk throws Aerion down, kneels over the fallen Aerion,  and bash him with the pointed edge of his own shield! The visor is up and Dunk punches him again and again like at the puppeteer show. Dunk asks him to yield, still muffled, and Aerion with bloody face whispers, “I yield.” He sees the other knights in combat. Then, drags Aerion by the foot and then pulls him up. Dunk screams several times, “Tell him!” Finally, Aerion says he withdraws his accusation and Dunk throws him down. Lord Ashford nods as the crowd cheers. The trumpet ends the trial. This is not the end with a spoiler ahead. This made me think of Aragorn finishing off the Uruk-hai, Lurtz, at the end of Fellowship of the Ring (2001). Victory sometimes has costs. The fifth episode is a vicious and somber part of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Four Shields out of Five! 

#AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, #InTheNameOfTheMother, #OwenHarris, #HiramMartinez, #TiMikkel, #IraParker, #PeterClaffey, #DexterSolAnsell, #BertieCarvel, #DanielIngs

 #ShaunThomas, #DannyCollins, #WilliamHouston, #RossAnderson, #FinnBennett, #SamSpruell, #BamberTodd, #ChloeLea, #DannyWebb, #CaraHarris, #PaulHunter, #LJBennion