The second episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gets Dunk closer to becoming a knight! “Hard Salt Beef” is directed by Owen Harris. He directed episodes of Troy: Fall of a City (2018). The episode was written by Aziza Barnes, this is her last work and dedicated to her, and Ira Parker. It begins with Dunk speaking about Ser Alan to someone whom he says is a “true knight.” In flashback, Ser Arlan tells someone to wait inside a stone house, then walks out naked, to begin peeing. He takes one of his many threads off his right arm, there is also a bloody gash behind the threads. Dunk says that when he was dying, “he just got on with it.” In the morning, now fully dressed and on Sweetfoot, Ser Arlan gives a coin to a man with the older Dunk rides Chestnut while bringing along Thunder.
The knight starts singing about a maid in Ashford. The next morning, Dunk practices with Ser Arlan, then while riding Dunk is concerned that Ser Arlan is panting, weak. In the present, Dunk addresses House Florent about Ser Arlan’s service to them. The knight continues on singing the song as Dunk waits behind, stunned. Then, House Hayford, Ser Arlan fought with his brothers. We see Dunk talking to House Tyrell about the honor Ser Arlan had in service to the house of Ser Leo Tyrell (Steve Wall). Ser Tyrell sharpens his sword, unconcerned, but he didn’t know the hedge knight. Dunk walks disappointed with Egg. His squire says that Ser Arlan couldn’t be a good knight if no one remembers him. Egg is the voice of reason for Dunk. Then, they hear trumpets at the gate for an arrival, at the bridge he sees the black banner and three-headed dragon of House Targaryen!
Egg looks worried and says he should return to the camp to protect it from robbers. Dunk watches the knights pass and a herald announces the arrival of Baelor Taryaren, first son of King Daeron, and Hand of the King. Dunk walks behind columns to see the riders. Baelor (Bertie Carvel) with short, grey hair and beard dismounts and the herald notes Beaelor’s brother, Maekar (Sam Spruell). Baelor walks up to greet Lord Ashford (Paul Hunter) who also introduces his young daughter, Gwin (Cara Harris). Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett), obviously Targaryen with his short, white hair, dismounts and tells Dunk to stable his horse. Dunk says he is not a stableboy, “Not clever enough?”, then asks for wine, Dunk says he is not a serving boy, but a knight. A horse rears and strikes the rider in the face. Dunk calms the horse and leads him to the stales. He introduces himself to two Kingsguard knights in their white armor!
They say they are Ser Roland Crakehall (Wade Briggs) and Ser Donnel of Duskendale (Bill Ward). Ser Roland leaves and Dunk is told that Ser Donnel’s family was crab fishers. He is called away and Dunk sees a woman go to wash the hands of the knights. Dunk follows her up dark steps, but loses her. He hears Lord Ashford says the young princes were delayed by the rains. Baelor swears at the situation, Plummer also walks in, he hates that their father sent them to the “miserable circus” as he calls the joust. Gwin whispers to Dunk listening in that the sons are missing. She runs off and then Ser Maekar notices Dunk listening to them. Dunk steps into the room and tries to apologize. He says he wanted to enter the lists, but the knights don’t remember Ser Arlan of Pennytree.
Ser Baelor says Ser Arlan never won a joust, but “never shamed himself.” He says that Ser Arlan unhorsed the Grey Lion and asks Dunk for his real name. Dunk thinks a bit and then says, “Ser Damon Lannister.” Ser Baelor takes a seat and says that Ser Arlan was his opponent in a joust. He adds that they broke four lances. Dunk corrects him that it was seven. Ser Baelor says it was four and Dunk kneels asking for forgiveness. Interesting to see the light from the seven pointed star-shaped window fall on Dunk. He says that Ser Arlan kept his horse and armor calling Ser Baelor, “the soul of chivalry.” Ser Baelor says Dunk wants to enter the lists and tells the Master of the Games that he wouldn’t deny him. Before he leaves, Ser Baelor asks him if he is Ser Arlan’s family, Dunk says no. Ser Baelor tells him that he has to have his own sigil. This is straight out of the novella with the addition of the puppet girl.
At the puppet show, the puppet girl now dressed as the maiden Jonquil, says, “You are no knight.”A battle begins with Florian the Fool. Egg is stunned in the audience. The actor playing Florian says, “All men are fools, all men are knights.” The puppet girl sees Dunk smiling and smiles back. Dunk goes backstage and throws coins to the puppet girl. Egg says it was great and asks about the puppets. She says that her uncle makes them, but she paints the puppets. Dunk wants to her to paint over his shield. She repeats the Florian puppet’s words. Dunk nervously says that the field should be colored like sunset. Egg suggests an elm tree. Dunk adds a shooting star. He introduces himself and the puppet girl says her name is Tanselle, nicknamed Tanselle Too-Tall. The late introduction of her character's name is a mystery kept by the show.
Later, Dunk asks if he was too awakward to Egg sitting on a table. They are watching a tug-of-war. Egg asks if he will be a knight. Dunk says he will though Egg thinks he is puny. Ser Lyonel from their drunken night points out Dunk as a hedge knight. This is the best, an addition to Martin’s story, with Egg in front of their side, proving he is not puny. Ser Lyonel walks away and his side starts to slide forward! Egg locks his legs on the rope using his whole body. Dunk roars and the rope starts to pull on their side! Ser Lyonel joins Egg and their pull throws the House Tyrell into the mud! Night, Dunk goes to an armorer, Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour), who agrees to make steel armor. He asks for eight hundred stag, which is an unbelievable sum for Dunk, and he offers to trade his armor.
Steely Pate refuses saying he only works on his own armor. Dunk turns to walk away, the armorer agrees to use the metal, and charges only 600. Overlooking the campfires, Dunk tells Sweetfoot he will buy him back, at a stable he is paid for his horse. He gives coins back to make certain Sweetfoot has oats and an apple. The armorer and selling of Sweetfoot scenes are identical to the novella, but happens very early in the story.Dunk brings a cup of ale to Egg and hopes that he can be a champion for a day. He wants to be taken into a Great House like Targaryen. Egg counters that the Targaryens don’t take hedge knights. Dunk brings up Ser Donnell and Egg says his father has a fleet of crab ships! It is funny to have Dunk falling for whatever anyone says and Egg breaking his illusions.
A horn blares! A joust at night? The only late jousts I’ve seen were at Medieval Times which had stage lighting. He puts Egg on his shoulders. They are amongst the commoners and see across from them, Ser Baelor and the other nobles. Dunk wonders about a knight and Egg tells him it is Prince Valarr (Oscar Morgan), the son of Baelor. The knight puts on a helmet with grooves in the front and a slit for his eyes. It is quiet. The horn sounds the charge, five knights race against fiver other knights. The crowd cheers at the clash! Squires scrabble to bring lances to the knights. Egg sees Ser Valarr and wants to be set down. Ser Valarr takes down knights sending their horses smashing into the tilts, wooden barriers. Dunk starts to blink seeing Ser Arlan’s body in the grave. This episodes puts the show on course with the partnership of Dunk and Egg.
Five Shields out of Five!
#AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, #HardSaltBeef, #AzizaBarnes, #IraParker, #Owen #PeterClaffey, #DexterSolAnsell, #TanzynCrawford, #DanielIngs, #HenryAshton, #BertieCarvel, #FinnBennett, #OscarMorgan, #BillWard, #WadeBriggs, #PaulHunter, #CaraHarris, #TomVaughanLawlord, #DannyWebb
No comments:
Post a Comment