Episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “The Seven” delivered a gripping, gloomy, gorgeously dialogue-driven rising action, leaving an unwavering hunger in the viewer to see what happens next. Immediately, “The Seven” separates itself from the light-hearted first half of the season, replacing the hopeful starry night sky of episode 1 with the wet, cold walls of Dunk’s prison cell. From there, he has a tense interaction with Egg, clad in elegant robes of black and red as Aegon Targaryen would. In a similarly tense scene with Prince Baelor, Dunk defends Egg, himself, airs his grievances with the unchecked power of Aerion, and is eventually encouraged by Baelor to demand a trial by combat. Aerion, however, fuels the tension by demanding, in return, a “Trial of the Seven.” After this, the episode revolves around Dunk trying and failing to gather men to fight alongside him in a seven-versus-seven fight with Aerion and the Crown. “The Seven” dedicates its entire runtime to said recruitment process, squeezing palpable tension out of Dunk’s lack of allies, and leaves off moments before the combat is to begin.
Many of the engaging plot points in this episode are sustained by twists, reveals, and otherwise shocking moments. For new viewers, these reveals build upon the excitement and tension of the episode, always keeping the story fresh and unpredictable. For those familiar with the source material, these twists are treated with appropriate gravitas and excitement, so the tension and eagerness remains palpable. “The Seven,” beyond the plot escalations, stands out as an utterly spellbinding exercise in dialogue and atmosphere. Every dramatic beat in the episode hinges entirely on character interactions and word choice, which works exceptionally well against a television landscape that gravitates towards a need for external stimulus in every scene. Moments such as Egg’s loyalty are treated with ample sweetness, and moments like Dunk receiving his shield are filled with complex pain and beauty. Beyond this, every scene of Dunk’s dread and dwindling hope is ripe with melancholic tension.
Ultimately, “The Seven” is one of the best episodes in the entire Game of Thrones universe, having the confidence to sustain a dense half hour of television through brilliant character work and dialogue-based tension. The grim, foggy, rainy pre-dawn atmosphere is entirely compelling and immersive. Beyond excellent large scenes, minor directing and performance choices shine through. Egg’s character work this episode, while brief, is extremely rich, proving how both the stableboy and the aristocrat are manufactured identities, and Egg is at his truest squiring for Dunk and being an excitable little kid. Major details such as the brilliant armor and gowns invite the viewer to investigate further, where they’ll be rewarded with breathtaking details such as Baelor’s dragon-tail Hand pin. Small details such as wisps of ember to larger details such as the dense fog during Dunk’s iconic (and brilliantly performed) knighthood speech complement each other to create an episode devoid of an uninteresting frame. While there are some strange comedic beats, they hardly bring down the overall perfect atmosphere, tension, and character moments of the episode.
Rating: 10/10