The series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” produced by showrunner Ira Parker and based on George R.R. Martin’s series of best-selling books, is a pleasant surprise and a heartwarming tale. 

“Seven Kingdoms” succeeds not by replicating the scale of previous series in the franchise, but by shrinking its focus down to its most human conflicts, centered around the morality of people in power, proving that the franchise works best when it prioritizes character over spectacle.

The series’ first episode debuted on HBO Max on Jan. 18 this year. Each of the six episodes was released weekly, ending with the final episode on Feb. 22. 

The series is a prequel, set 90 years before the start of the wildly popular show, “Game of Thrones.” 

It takes place in the same setting, the continent of Westeros, however, told on a far smaller-scale, lacking the major battles that viewers of “Game of Thrones” came to expect. 

The series follows the main character, Dunc (Peter Claffey), an aspiring knight with the title of “Ser Duncan the Tall,” and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

The show is premised on the death of Dunc’s mentor, and how Dunc must prove himself worthy of knighthood in a time when war is looming.  

The Targaryens, who still hold the throne, are growing less and less popular amongst the common folk, a theme far more prevalent in this series compared to the two previous ones. 

The opinion and perspective of the lower class is represented more, mainly in part because Dunc is a member of the lower class himself. 

Each episode is shorter in length compared to “Game of Thrones” episodes. Each episode ranges from 30-40 minutes, compared to most  “Game of Thrones” episodes totaling over an hour. 

The small-scale narrative allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the story, making the world of Westeros feel far more real than the other prequel, “House of Dragon,” which premiered in 2022. 

“House of Dragon,” attempts to recreate the large-scale battles of “Game of Thrones.”  What it lacks, is the conflict between the various characters that drove the success of the original series.

A unique aspect of what the show does is its use of flashbacks, often having multiple flashbacks in each episode. Because of the use of these flashbacks, the viewer can understand the character of Dunc far more than some characters who have multiple seasons of screentime, but far less development in their backstory and character arcs. 

The series works because of its simple structure of conflict between social classes and its commentary on the struggles of climbing the social hierarchy in feudal society. 

According to Palo Alto High School junior Anton Gerdemann, “Seven Kingdoms” was a good show because of the well-written characters.

“I really enjoyed the show,” Gerdemann said. “I really liked how Dunc grew throughout the show, going from the beginning, becoming a knight, and also his relationship with Egg. I’m excited for next season because of how the show ended, and the way they built up the story for the next season.”

Another plus is the abundance of source material from the original book, “The Hedge Knight.” The first season is based entirely on “The Hedge Knight,” while according to Parker, the later seasons will follow the other two books in the series, “The Tales of Dunc and Egg.”

A popular critique of the later seasons of “Game of Thrones” is that because Martin hadn’t finished his series of books on which the show is based, “Game of Thrones” writers Davis Benioff and D.B. Weiss had no source material to base the later seasons off, which led to the disappointing ending.

Despite this, the making of “Seven Kingdoms” itself warrants praise due to powerful set pieces, especially the tournament setting in the fifth episode, “In the Name of the Mother.” 

Another great aspect of the show is how realistic the characters are. Parker isn’t afraid to make Dunc vulnerable and even appear stupid at times, adding to the weight of later episodes, where Dunc has more responsibility and has to deal with the consequences of his actions. 

Overall, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is a breath of fresh air for a lot of fans after recent disappointment in the “Game of Thrones” franchise, and is still worth a watch for audience members who haven’t seen either of the two other series in the franchise.

According to Entertainment Weekly, filming for season two is already underway.