A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Greatest Character Redeems The Weakest Sport Of Thrones Home – SlashFilm – The Imperial Wire Insider

This text comprises spoilers for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” episode 3, “The Squire.”

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is not like something we have seen within the franchise of ice and fireplace. It is recognizable as a part of the identical universe as “Sport of Thrones” and “Home of the Dragon,” as a result of its world is unforgiving, violent, and stuffed with nobles abusing peasants. And but, as our full assessment signifies, that is additionally a present that looks like a breath of contemporary, dragon-free air. It has low stakes, it is honest and heartfelt, and follows a genuinely good man, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey).

The present includes a quite small scale story set completely round a tourney attended by a number of big-time lords and fancy knights. It does not actually deal with the highborn, even when we do see a number of acquainted homes from the earlier two exhibits. Homes Targaryen, Dondarrion, Tyrell, and Tully are all featured within the present alongside lesser representatives from Home Beesbury of Honeyholt and Home Fossoway.

One different very acquainted home that is closely featured right here is Home Baratheon. They’ve an previous historical past intricately related to the historical past of Westeros, however just about each Baratheon we have met outright sucks. They’re both incompetent and goofy like King Robert (the peerlessly solid Mark Addy, though a “Succession” star was up for the half), or outright monsters like Borros (Roger Evans) and the daughter-burning Stannis (Stephen Dillane). 

That streak has formally ended.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” introduces the very best character in the complete franchise, a person who holds the digicam’s consideration tougher than Rhaegar Targaryen held Lyanna Stark hostage at Harrenhal. That man is Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), who singlehandledly redeems Home Baratheon with sheer charisma from his very first scene.

From the second Lyonel Baratheon appeared on display in an outstanding authentic scene, Daniel Ings instantly embodied the character’s moniker, “The Laughing Storm.” His little dance quantity with Dunk and common debauchery makes it extraordinarily clear he’s Robert’s ancestor, whereas his beauty and flirting with Dunk presages the conduct of the equally short-lived Renly Baratheon from the early seasons of “Sport of Thrones” (bear in mind him?).

Each time Lyonel pops up on display, the scene brightens up with pleasure and charisma. Take his look in episode 2, when Lyonel grabs Dunk by the neck and faucets him to hitch a recreation of tug-of-war. Naturally, Lyonel immediately abandons his teammates for a fast ingesting recreation earlier than returning on the final second to assert the glory. Within the span of a few minutes, Lyonel is flirty with Dunk, charming to the group, pretentious about his abilities, and likewise a superb teammate that celebrates along with his lads after a superb recreation. By the third episode, Lyonel is dancing and singing drunk and half-naked with crowds of each nobles and smallfolk.

It is a facet of not solely Home Baratheon however even simply highborn nobles we have not actually seen earlier than. Certain, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) frolicked with a sellsword and a squire greater than different nobles, however he was additionally ostracized by different highborns. Lyonel looks like the very best components of Pedro Pascal’s Oberyn Martell (his beauty and easy charisma) blended with Tyrion’s penchant for phrases and ingesting.

Home Baratheon has suffered from poor illustration: We have seen them as drunks, backstabbers, inept leaders, and outright child-murderers. However in simply three episodes, Lyonel Baratheon has turned his home’s status the other way up and redeemed his total Home. He might be our champion any day.