Videos by ComicBook.com
Dunk and Egg feel like they’ve been directly translated from the page to the screen, the tone and scale is exactly what it ought to be for a smaller, lighter story, and there’s a lot of dialogue that’s exactly what Martin had written. At the same time, some expansion is still necessary. This is a different medium, and so it needs to fill its runtime, and give its actors more to do, especially the supporting players.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ cast is one of the best things about the show, but a major highlight, if also a deviation, is Daniel Ings as Lyonel Baratheon, who brings a fun character to life in an even bigger and better way than imagined. Warning: Contains minor spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ premiere.
Lyonel Baratheon Steals The Show In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
In the book, Lyonel competes in the tourney at Ashford Meadow that is central to The Hedge Knight‘s story, but we don’t actually get to spend too much time with him. He does play an important role later on, but in these early stages Dunk watches him from afar. He’s someone who delights the crowd, his booming laugh – which has earned him the nickname The Laughing Storm – as he faces opponents winning their support. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes a different approach with a scene that’s invented for the screen.
The moment in question finds Dunk in Lyonel’s tent, drinking his ale and eating his food. Lyonel spots him as someone out of place, and is confused and surprised when it turns out that the hedge knight isn’t there for his help, nor for his head. From there, they drink together, laugh together, and most surprisingly, dance together. It’s a sequence that feels fun, silly, a little bit chaotic, a tad surreal, and rather unique in the franchise, with Lyonel at the very center of it. It’s an absolute delight, and all thanks to the writers and actors.
