A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – The Squire review S1 E3
The Squire was a fairly early episode in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to drop such a colossal bombshell. Typically, Game of Thrones series save the major revelations until the penultimate episode of a season.
Once again a Knight proves it is a very different GOT show and it’s all the better for it.
Egg takes his responsibilities as a squire seriously and wakes up to start training. First, he’s diligent with his squire duties making sure he can quickly wield and hand off a lance when Dunk is in the midst of a heated joust. Next, he makes sure to work on prepping a horse to get a good charge at the start of combat.
His training gets interrupted by Ser Robyn Rhysling (William Houston), who wanted to make sure this squire didn’t steal the horse and weapons.
Egg has no problem holding his own with Ser Robyn, once again teasing that he’s not lacking confidence when talking to adults beyond a child’s level.
The big highlight of the Squire was just simply watching Dunk and Egg interact. From sewing, talking about their futures marrying beautiful sisters and hilariously Egg’s initial discovery that his body is changing, the show is shining for not being so mired in the doom and gloom that has been the norm for the GOT universe.
It’s immensely refreshing and while further events of The Squire suggest the season is about to take a darker, or at least more serious tone, it’s nice to see a story that wasn’t already drowning in darkness.
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Dunk’s bummed out that he can’t enter the list to joust, which made all that early morning vomiting a waste. But at least he’s worked up an appetite so it’s off to the vendor market to get some eggs. Sadly poor Dunk is in the midst of explaining he wants the goose’s eggs and not its neck in an animated way when Tanselle walks by. On the bright side, his perfect record of not impressing her remains intact.
During another bonding session, Egg asks if he can stay on as Dunk’s squire after the tournament. It feels less of a matter of being Dunk’s squire and more seeing the affable knight as a big brother — or at least the kind he always wanted.
Plummer seeks out Dunk to participate in a rigged joust with the catch that Plummer actually wants Dunk to win. Dunk is far too pure-hearted and honorable to accept a fixed fight, but he might just need the payday…
Egg seems especially interested in the joust between a lowly knight and Prince Aerion Targaryen, the arrogant nephew of Prince Baelor, and the son of the prickly Maekar. Maekar is in a worse mood than usual due to two of his sons reported missing.
When Aerion lances the knight’s horse, Egg’s wish that Aerion gets killed goes unheard. Seeking to take his squire’s mind off the joust, Dunk asks about Egg’s father as they walk along the vendors.
They’re stopped by a fortune teller who gasses Dunk up with promises of glory and acclaim. When she looks into Egg’s future she says he will be king and his death will be welcome by all of the realm.
Egg isn’t interested in tagging along with Dunk to hang out with Ser Raymun to drink cider. Raymun confirms Egg’s theory that Aerion meant to go after the knight’s horse and goes on a spirited rant about how terrible the Targaryens have been. He gets the best line of The Squire stating that the most honorable thing a Targaryen can do is to not impregnate his wife although with a far more colorful turn of the phrase.
Egg crashes the hangout to tell Dunk that Aerion is hurting Tanselle. The bastard prince wasn’t a fan of Tanselle’s latest puppet show, which had the audacity to have a dragon lose. He’s so vain he probably thinks the puppet show is about him.
Dunk doesn’t have time for questions and immediately tosses aside Aerion’s guards and throws him off Tanelle, but not before he snaps her fingers. It takes a special level of bastard to break the fingers of a puppeteer.
It takes four men to restrain Dunk. Like a true punk, Aerion starts taking trash when he’s literally got four dudes holding Dunk back.
Egg demands the guards release Dunk, calling them by their names, which surprises Aerion who asks about his lack of hair.
“I cut my hair off brother, I didn’t want to look like you.” And with that statement the squire’s masquerade is over. He stands revealed to all as a not at all proud Targyren.
The Squire was a quick episode clocking in at just over a half hour, but there’s something to be said for an efficiently told installment. Especially one that makes binge viewers eager to jump to the next episode.
This show has really reignited my interest in the GOT lore and I’m fully invested to see how the rest of this season will play out.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Photo Credit: HBO Max
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