When the 2026 TV schedule kicked off, I didn't expect to come out of January saying a Game of Thrones spinoff might be my favorite new show of the year. There's something truly special about A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, however, and I've now tried to convince enough lapsed GOT fans to check it out that it's time to shout it from the rooftops.
Maybe you watched House Of The Dragon, realized it was very similar to the flagship series, and bowed out. I get it, and I'm here to tell you, this new offering from George R.R. Martin's fantasy world is something completely different and worth checking out for two different reasons. It'll only take about an hour to decide if this series is for you, but here are the two things that stand out for me that have me so hype about this show.
A Knight Of Seven Kingdoms Is Notably Lighter Than Game Of Thrones Or House Of The Dragon
After being conditioned to having my heart ripped out after Game of Thrones murdered characters I'd grown fond of, I was prepared for violence in House of the Dragon. I'm also prepared for it in A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, though three episodes in, I'm beginning to let my guard down ever so slightly.
Maybe it's the poop scene, or the litany of other funny moments thus far, but it's clear A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms is tonally going for a lighter vibe than its predecessors. Granted, I'm still not wholly convinced this series won't leave me jaw agape and crying ugly tears one Sunday night in the coming years, but given the kind of ruler we know Egg grew into, I'm assuming we can accept more good times than bad.
Peter Claffey And Dexter Sol Ansell Are An Incredible Duo
I read the showrunner considered A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms a friendly on-ramp to Westeros for those who hadn't checked out Game of Thrones yet. While I never thought of it that way, I wholly support actors Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell being the poster boys for how this franchise thrives on likable characters who have great chemistry.
I don't think I've seen an adult and child actor on the same wavelength as these two actors since I watched John Candy and Macaulay Culkin in Uncle Buck. There's an undeniable energy these two have, and I think from beginning to end, it will remain the strongest thing the show has going for it.
I have to imagine that the most diehard Game of Thrones faithful are already watching, so this is more a plea to the mainstream who tuned out when the final season of the flagship series killed their love of all things Westeros. If House Of The Dragon was too close to the original to jump back in, let this be the series. It's easy to watch, thanks in large part to its two stars, and short and sweet enough to remind me of the things I loved about the franchise in the first place.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms airs on HBO on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET. Check out the episodes released thus far with an HBO Max subscription, and get caught up and into what has become one of my new favorite shows.
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