A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Complete First Season: A Fantastic Start for the Latest Entry in the "Game of Thrones" Universe (4K)

The Show:

When "Game of Thrones" ended its brilliant run in 2019, fans anxiously awaited the next project that would be set within the same universe. A multitude of possibilities were announced, but the first one we got was "House of the Dragon," based on George R.R. Martin's novel "Fire & Blood," which explores the history of the Targaryen Dynasty. The results have been little mixed so far, with a fine first season and a rather sluggish second, but it shows strong potential in being able to end strongly with its remaining two seasons.

It may have taken a few more years, but at long last, we finally have the next project in the franchise, and it's one that may surprise more than a few. After the sheer epicness of the previous shows, now we have "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," based on Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" novellas, which takes place once more before the events of "Game of Thrones," but brings the scale down by a fair amount to primarily focus on two characters. Will this more intimate approach work to the show's benefit, or will it merely leaves fans yearning for the more epic scope of the show's that have come before?

The show begins with squire Dunk (Peter Claffey) burying his recently-deceased mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). Afterward, he takes all of Arlan's possessions (horses, sword, and shield) and makes for Ashford to participate in a tournament in hopes of making a name for himself. Along the way, he stops at an inn where he meets a young bald boy named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) that wants to be his squire for the tournament, but Dunk turns him down and continues his journey.

When he reaches Ashford, he meets with the Master of the Games, who informs him that he must have someone vouch for him in order to take part. Dunk attempts to locate Ser Manfred Dondarrion (Daniel Monks), whose father Arlan had served, but has trouble getting to him, though he manages to befriend squire Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) and Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) in the process. After getting rejected by Ser Manfred, Dunk returns to his camp to find that Egg has followed him all the way to Ashford, which results in the boy becoming his squire and Dunk renaming himself "Sir Duncan the Tall."

After several more rejections, Dunk happens to find himself before Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), who surprisingly remembers Ser Arlan, giving the desperate young man the vouching he needs. With only a few things left to do before he's ready to participate, all seems to be going well. However, he soon finds himself drawn into a conflict with a young Targaryen prince that will drastically change the course of events.

As mentioned, both "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" are shows that are rather epic in scope, focusing on a multitude of characters & plotlines that weave together to form narratives ripe with intrigue, which typically results in a tense, exciting, and thoroughly engaging experience. However, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" brings a rather fascinating breath of fresh air in that in manages to do the exact same thing by narrowing its focus quite a bit to tell of the adventures of Sir Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg.

Now that's not to say that the show doesn't have a fair amount of characters to it, for it most certainly does (viewers will have a particularly fun time trying to keep track of the expansive Targaryen family tree), but it does keep a very strict concentration on its main characters. Because of this, showrunner Ira Parker had to make absolutely certain that these characters would keep the viewers' attention, and on that score, he definitely doesn't disappoint.

Dunk is an aspiring knight, who has to pretend to be a knight in order to try and make a name for himself at a tournament, an endeavor that proves to be much more difficult than it might seem as it ends up leading to several complications. His goal becomes even more so when he tries to uphold the ideals of being a knight, leading to his involvement in a conflict with a Targaryen prince. All the while, on the sidelines, we have his devoted squire Egg, whose character takes an even more fascinating turn when we learn more about him halfway through the season.

Indeed, the storyline may be on a slightly smaller scale than we're used to, but that hardly stops it from providing some fine intrigue of its own, on top of a rather thrilling climax for the season. What we end up with is an excellent start for this latest entry in the "Game of Thrones" universe, one that has already provided a fun & exciting adventure, as well as a pair of intriguing main characters. It's hardly a surprise that season two will be following very shortly, and given what the show has already accomplished, and the vast potential it contains, it simply can't get here soon enough.

Video/Audio:

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Complete First Season" comes to 4K in 2.00:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfers of fantastic quality. The picture is beautifully sharp & crisp throughout each of the six episodes, perfectly highlighting the gorgeous cinematography and the remarkable detail in its incredible production design & costumes. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio tracks are phenomenal, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a marvelous job in both areas for the 4K debut of the show's freshman season.

Special Features:

Inside the Episode (6 Featurettes): Brief looks behind the scenes of each of the six episodes.

Building A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (35 Minutes): A featurette that has the cast & crew discussing the show and how it came together.

Welcome to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Extended) (4 Minutes): Another short featurette that takes a look at the show.

A Knight in the Making (6 Featurettes, 66 Minutes): A series of featurettes that explores the making of the show.

Characters Pieces (2 Featurettes, 6 Minutes): Brief featurettes that dive into the two main characters.

Ashford Meadow Set Tour with Dexter Sol Ansell (2 Minutes)

Blooper Reel (2 Minutes)

Conclusion:

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Complete First Season" is a fantastic start for this latest entry in the "Game of Thrones" universe, one that narrows the scope a little to focus on its two fascinating lead characters, but which still provides a grand dose of intrigue as it takes you on a fun & exciting adventure that will leave viewers eagerly awaiting what is sure to be an equally-thrilling second season.

Score: 4/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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