“Knights of the Seven Kingdoms” Summary: Egg Spotlight

Dunk may have taken a breather when the Targaryens arrive on the scene, but he’s coming to realize that knighthood isn’t the only thing that matters. Photo: Stephen Hill

I confess. I like George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, but I feel they’re a bit lacking in Egg. They’re mostly just stories about Ser Duncan trying to find his place in Westeros with the help of a small bald squire. Although Egg shows only a small portion of his personality in the books, his personality is still broadly defined by his precociousness and fan-like devotion to all things knightly.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is clearly meant to correct this imbalance. In the show’s second episode, titled “Hard Salt Beef” after a staple of the Hedge Knight’s diet, Egg begins to become a true companion to Dunk. Although he is still very much a child, he also shows wisdom beyond his years. Plus, he’s adorable.

One scene in particular this week shows how the TV version of Egg is becoming more assertive. Dunk and his squire return to the great puppet show and watch a lanky young woman named Tansel (Tanzan Crawford) lead the troupe in a humorous tale about knights and fools. After the show, the smitten Tall Sir Duncan tosses Tunsel a few coins and asks if he can draw a picture on his shield. But even when she tries to bond with him, often teasing her and calling her “Tall Tansel,” he fumbles through the conversation.

Egg aims to cheer up his boss after this disastrous attempt at cheating by saying that at least he and Tansel are “huge.” (“Is that common ground?” Egg says.) And in Martin’s book, the conversation could have ended there. But Egg continued to say that because of his height, he too has been teased for being “mean” for his age. Still distracted, Dunk responded, “Everyone always told me I was stupid,” and offered no further lessons or reassurance…which irritated Egg.

Importantly, in the TV series, there is more of a give-and-take type of relationship between the two characters that benefits both parties. Egg is like the voice in Dunk’s head. At one moment he defiantly praises the Hedge Knight’s honor. Next, he ridicules Sir Duncan as a wall-thick, naive, lower-class scum.

From a plot standpoint, nothing major happens in “Hard Salt Beef,” but the episode is essential to the larger story this season tells about a man who, despite technically being a knight (or at least claims to be one), doesn’t receive even a basic level of respect from the aristocracy. In fact, when the arrogant royal Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) rides into the castle grounds with his father and uncle, he takes one look at the lazy Dunk and begins to intimidate him, demanding that he mind his horse and bring him “wine and a pretty bitch.” When Sir Duncan mutters that he is actually a knight, Elion scoffs, saying, “The knighthood was lost on a sad day.”

As with the series premiere, Dunk spends most of this briskly paced and refreshingly concise half-hour of television searching for someone who remembers Sir Erlan of the Pennytree and who can vouch for Sir Duncan as a genuine knight worthy of taking part in the Ashford Meadow jousting tournament. Early in the episode, we hear an audio montage of Dunk pleading his case to lord after lord, reminding them of the sacrifices Ser Arlan made in their service. Egg is exhausted by this process and complains that he has to keep hearing about the “fuckin’ knight” over and over again. He asks, “Why do you treat these royal dogs like they’re better than you?” It’s a question that speaks to the class tensions at the heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Dunk ultimately finds help in an unexpected place. He breaks into the castle to meet Prince Baelor Targaryen (Barty Carvel), Hand of King Daeron II and next in line to the Iron Throne. Baylor’s cranky younger brother, Prince Maker (Sam Spruell), has no memory of Ser Arlan and is unimpressed with Ser Duncan. However, the much kinder and more benevolent Prince Baelor recalls Ser Arlan’s brave performance when he dismounted a member of the famous and powerful House Lannister at a tournament. Baylor then defeated Arlan, but received no ransom. According to Sir Duncan, Dunk’s mentor will continue to speak of this kindness for the rest of his life.

Prince Baylor’s warm welcome provides a welcome respite from the string of rejections Dunk received throughout the first episode and a half of this series. It also stimulates the young giant’s imagination. What if he did so well in the tournament that House Targaryen asked him to join the Kingsguard? After all, earlier that day, before he donned those shining white Kingsguard robes, he met a guard born into a family of crabs. Sassy Egg laughs this off. He says that the Dragon family has no habit of hiring hedge knights. And what about that security guard? Egg happens to know that his family is not crab fishermen. They own half of Westeros’ crab fishing fleet.

Eggs don’t mean to be mean. It’s just that he thinks what Dunk does – roaming the kingdom, righting wrongs, and leaning in tournaments – is more impressive than the life of any boring lord.

Egg’s “infatuation with knighthood” is further seen when the first big jousting sequence finally arrives, which is thrillingly staged and filmed. As the horse galloped and the spear shattered, Egg screamed like a ringside spectator at WrestleMania. (He also glances at his small hands, as if wondering if he would be physically able to handle Sir Duncan in a pinch.) The first set of combatants—including some nobles—flash their flashy equipment and display it lewdly before the audience. One of the riders actually bit off the fish’s head.

But Dunk is too preoccupied with self-pity and resentment to enjoy any of it. Later, back at camp, Egg tries to keep his new master focused. “The riding tonight was great,” he said, adding, “The part with the fish was disgusting.” However, Dunk is too busy thinking about his master’s unremarkable and unknown 60 years of life to hear his servant’s voice.

Indeed, Sir Erlan tried to do the right thing whenever and wherever he could, that is, when he wasn’t drinking or prostitution. However, he was also someone who “didn’t get to know or make friends with.” Intentionally or not, his legacy is his former followers. Dunk now feels the weight of that responsibility. He wants to punish all the impudent nobles who have forgotten Sir Arlan.

“Tomorrow I will show them what his hands have wrought,” said Sir Duncan, in a trembling but excited voice. oh yeah.

• So far, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has eschewed the abundance of nudity à la Game of Thrones and replaced it with more defecation. (The Kingsguard asks Sir Duncan, “Is there a suitable place to poop around here?” Dunk sheepishly says, “No way.”) But this episode provides an unforgettable flashback of Sir Arlan (Danny Webb) getting up from his beautiful bitch bed and walking outside to urinate, his huge member swinging freely.

• By custom, Lord Arlan’s seal cannot be placed on his shield as Lord Duncan is not related. There, in an awkward exchange with Tansel to Tall, Dunk, with Egg’s help, tells him how he envisions his own shield. He wants a sunset colored background behind an image of an elm tree and a shooting star.

• I really can’t say enough about Peter Claffey’s performance as Dunk. It’s not easy to play sad sack without coming off as overly moody or stupid. Claffey’s Dunk is very down-to-earth and relatable, whether it’s when he takes a wrong turn trying to leave a room or when he mutters to Egg that his conversation with Tansel was “handled badly.” (“I didn’t handle it well,” he repeated, unable to let go.)

• Armorer Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkur) is skeptical about Dunk’s ability to afford new equipment. Nevertheless, Steely Pate makes a deal where Dunk will replace Sir Arlan’s armor and cover some of the cost, unless Dunk wants a ridiculously elaborate helmet that looks like it’s made of an animal or foreign fruit or something. The armorer seems to appreciate that his new client doesn’t have the arrogance of a knight. That being said, when Dunk tells Steely Pate he’s going to be Ashford Meadow’s champion, the armorer rolls his eyes and says,

• That merry free spirit Sir Lionel Baratheon returns briefly, but only long enough to draft Dunk and Egg into the tug-of-war team…and almost drags them into the mud when he steps off the ropes to get a drink. It’s too early to tell whether Sir Lionel is friend or foe, but it’s certainly a good sign that he enjoys Dunk’s company.

• Don’t blame Prince Mekal too much for his unkindness. He has one son named Aerion, who is a total asshole, but he has two other sons. They were supposed to participate in the tournament, but are completely missing. House Targaryen is a bit of a mess.

• As the tournament begins, one of the dwarves shouts from the crowd to the organizers, “Lord Ashford fucks the sheep!” and it’s telling. To loud laughter. It seems that aristocrats are not very popular. Please be careful.

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