Episode 3 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “The Squire,” continues building the tourney’s quaint atmosphere while amplifying some of the smaller characters. The episode begins with Egg waking up early to train one of Dunk’s horses, screaming adorably in an open field. That morning, he bonds with Dunk over stitching and breakfast. Dunk, who is extremely nervous about jousting, is told by Egg that he still has a few days before he’s allowed to fight. Dunk and Egg continue throughout the episode engaged in their familiar banter and discuss their aspirations. Plummer tempts Dunk with a joust that might be fixed, which Dunk does not appreciate. Afterwards, Aerion Targaryen enters a joust, purposefully stabbing his opponent’s horse, which sparks a riot and rattles Dunk and Egg. The episode concludes with a Tanselle’s puppet show intercut with Raymun Fossoway complaining to Dunk about the Targaryens. As Aerion attacks Tanselle, Dunk saves her despite the potential consequences.
Beginning the episode with Egg alone was an excellent choice, as he is able to show more sides of his unfiltered, childish, less poised personality. The entire first half of the episode rests primarily on the relationship between Dunk and Egg. Luckily, all of their scenes are charming and fresh, notably the sweet, quaint breakfast they share. Dunk’s characterization is also strengthened through his isolated scenes, such with Plummer and Raymun. In the scene with Plummer, Dunk shows how honorable he is and aspires to be, wanting to win a joust fairly despite his immense nerves. Similarly, his naivety is shown excellently with Raymun Fossoway’s scathing Targaryen rant. Finally, both Dunk and Egg being shaken by Aerion’s unjust violence at the tourney worked very well to bond them and to inject the subtext of fear and the potential dire consequences the joust may have for Dunk.
Aside from the main duo, these early episodes have showcased their work with smaller characters. Notably, Tanselle’s interactions with Dunk have a tangible sense of sweetness and show Dunk’s tender awkwardness. The show is also doing an excellent job of adding material, such as with Plummer and Lyonel. While appearing drunk and shirtless, the episode treats Lyonel with commendable restraint, as his loud personality has yet to grow stale. Aerion Targaryen functions as the main antagonist in this episode, bringing a sense of danger with him in every scene he’s in. Aside from his gorgeous armor, Aerion’s personality is extremely alluring, given the pleasure he takes in violence. Additionally, it was great to see his pettiness and ego at the center of his attack on Tenselle, as this emphasis further characterizes him as a spoiled, annoying brat despite his badass armor. While being translated very well from the page, especially thanks to Finn Bennett’s reptilian performance, Aerion could have certainly benefited from the Lyonel treatment of a few more show-original scenes. Still, this episode was another great expansion of the story, nailing both the quaint, sweet moments and the exciting, tense ones.
Rating: 8/10