In a world where all we ever knew was serious politics, grand families, and forced wars, it is hard to have a grip on reality. It all becomes a fantasy land really quickly. But what if everything you knew about this world is turned into a reality that is not only rooted in a relatively small character, who himself is struggling to find a place among the lords of Westeros? 

That is exactly what episode 2, Hard Salt Beef of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does for you. Continuing the absurd yet enticing plots from episode 1, the story gives you a very ‘in your face’ commentary about the social and class hierarchy of the seven kingdoms. And in doing so, it becomes almost like a sitcom. Which we all agreed last week, is the best thing that could have happened to this universe, that is, practically forcing itself to be serious. 

I bet the writers’ room for this series has been having some of the most fun times among them, and still said to themselves, “What can we do in this episode that scares the viewer for the rest of their life, but also makes them laugh?” Because who in their right mind shows the gigantic ge------ of a man well in his 60s in the literal first scene? What follows is Dunk telling his master’s story again and again and again to various lords of noble houses, who he may have served in his lifetime, but every single one of them refuses even to acknowledge his great master’s existence. 

What was really funny to me was the juxtaposition of the idealistic storytelling of Dunk about Ser Arlan, where he talked at length about how great a knight he was, while the imagery on screen showed us the same master wh----- around and living a life that is clearly not fitting for a distinguished knight. But this sequence at least shows us the sweet moments Dunk and Ser Arlan spent together, and that master at least had some happy moments before he finally succumbed to the injuries he endured. 

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And then we get to see the best possible dynamic no show has given us in the last few years. The constant banter between where Egg is trying to beat a sense of reality into Dunk’s head. He tries to make him understand that he does not need to grovel in front of these idiotic lords to enter the tourney; he is a knight, and he can just enter on his own. But just before the conversation goes too far astray, we hear loud noises and see common folks gather, because finally, Westeros’ godmen, Targaryens, have arrived in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 

Just as the three-headed sigil appears, we see Egg, who has so far been a confident young boy who has something to say about everything, suddenly go speechless and have his throat run dry. This little agitation, being scared of the king’s party, confirms that maybe this little bald brat is hiding secrets much bigger than his size, but more on that in later episodes, because Egg decides to just run to their camp at the elm tree away from the ruckus. 

We are then introduced to the 3 Targaryens who arrived at the Ashford tourney: Baelor (Bertie Carvel), the heir to the Iron Throne; Maekar (Sam Spruell), Baelor's younger brother; and Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett), Maekar's son. They are just like every Targaryen we have seen before them; honestly, aura-farming is clearly a word made only to describe the general demeanour of a Targaryen. 

Following the whole welcoming scene, we see Dunk showing a very noble quality of his, i.e., his love for animals. I love the moments he spends trying to calm down an agitated horse, proving that even though he seems like this big scary dude, he truly is a gentle giant who loves and cares for everything and everyone (especially a horse). This scene also brings Dunk just a few inches away from his dream when he meets 2 knights of the Kingsguard: Ser Roland Crakehall (Wade Briggs) and Ser Donnel of Duskendale (Bill Ward). He talks to them, is mocked by them, yet he leaves with a sparkle in his eyes when he learns Donnel is just a crabber's son. So if he can make it as a knight, so can Dunk. 

Next, Dunk follows a servant into the castle and ends up eavesdropping on the Targaryens who are extremely concerned because Maekar's sons, Daeron and Aegon, are missing. What happens next is something that truly showcases Dunk’s fearless attitude and why he is a formidable knight. It is one thing to have the guts to get into a fight, but to walk up to the hand of the king and make demands? I can surely learn a thing or two from our hedge-knight; maybe then I will get a raise at my workplace. Because it actually pays off, and we learn that Baelor not only remembers who Ser Arlan was but also remembers minute details about their encounter and vouches for Dunk’s participation in the tourney. 

Ser Arlan's approval comes with a catch, as Dunk cannot use his master’s sigil since he was not his father. Fortunately, Dunk does know someone who can maybe help him with this. And then, we get the return of the beautiful puppeteer who has Dunk acting like a fool every time he sees her, Tanselle. Amidst the same nervous energy between the two extremely tall man and woman, we see Egg breaking the lull with his suggestions for a sigil which Tanselle will paint for them. An elm tree to which Dunk adds a shooting star, tying in the beautiful moment from the end of episode 1. 

And thus, returns my favorite character of the show so far, Lyonel Baratheon. The scene with the tug of war is a deep commentary on the characters. Egg, who lacks physical strength, makes it up with his wits as he hangs on the rope so his feet do not touch the ground. Dunk uses every ounce of his strength, digging his knees deep for a task that has no value for him but only for the rich lord Baratheon. And Lyonel, who leaves the game in the middle for a drink, has everyone else do the dirty work and comes in at the end to take credit for the win. That is how Westeros works. 

What follows is one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the show so far. We see Dunk bargain with a smith for an armour, and to pay for it all, he has to sell his horse, Sweetfoot, whom he promises that he will get back if he wins the tournament. Even in misery, we see his gentle nature take over as he hands a little money back to the man he sold Sweetfoot to, just to make sure she is fed some oats tonight. 

At last, for the first time, we see a tourney that feels like festivities and not a culling game. We see many recognisable banners of houses we know from Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. Lord Medgar Tully (Russell Simpson), Ser Humfrey Hardyng (Ross Anderson), Lyonel Baratheon, and Baelor's son Valarr Targaryen (Oscar Morgan) are among the knights fighting in the opening rounds, and oh my god, it feels so good to see this all unwrapped in front of my eyes. 

We also get a little peek into Egg’s psyche. He clearly is a fanboy of these knights and wants to be one someday. To him, knights are like his version of Batman and Spider-Man, and he is only a child who idolises them. And this point, I am one too. Right beside him, we see Dunk, who is awestruck by all of this. The realisation hits him that, among all this skilled soldier jousting, what does he bring to the table? Is he even skilled enough to match them? What if he loses it all? What if he cannot get Sweetfoot back? 

But contrary to almost all expectations, Dunk not only accepts all this negativity but actually feeds on it. He makes it his life’s goal to make the arrogant lords pay for not remembering his noble master, Ser Arlan. And he vows to win this tournament.

“He raised me to be an honorable man, and all these noble lords can’t even remember his name,” Dunk says. “I am his legacy. And on the morrow, we will show them what his hand has wrought.” Alright, Comrade Dunk, upwards we go! Viva la revolution! 

With merely two episodes out, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is already becoming the second-best show in the Game of Thrones universe, and if these episodes are any indication, this might just become even better than the parent show.

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