A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 5 Review: In the Name of the Mother
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” reaches the highly anticipated Trial of Seven as Dunk and Aerion finally go head-to-head.
The episode also features Dunk’s long-awaited backstory and how his childhood in Flea Bottom has shaped him, mirroring his experience during the Trial of Seven.
“In the Name of the Mother” is one of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ best episodes, packed with thrilling action, heart-wrenching tragedy, and shocking plot twists.
Most of the episode features Dunk’s childhood in Flea Bottom, where he and his best friend, Rafe, ransack dead bodies to scrape together enough money to flee to the Free Cities.
Lyonel Baratheon: No man fights so fierce as one neglected by his mother.
This flashback depicts the smallfolk’s bitter lives in Westeros. Many of them live dangerously vulnerable lives, unsure of whether they will live to see the next day or not.
It is even worse considering how the nobility takes advantage of the smallfolk, as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms illustrates.
Many noble knights do not follow their vows; they are knights in name only. True knights must be courageous and fair; they have to protect vulnerable people at all costs.
There is nothing fair about stealing from smallfolk. There is nothing courageous about harassing young girls, and there is certainly nothing knightly about killing children.
Dunk learns these things the hard way, as he watches his best friend viciously die at the hands of a noble knight, all because she takes his knife to protect herself.
No one should have to witness their best friend’s murder, let alone a child. Dunk cannot be more than 10 or 11 years old, but he has already seen horrors that most people never do.
It is at this moment that Dunk unexpectedly meets Ser Arlan of Pennytree, the first turning point in Dunk’s life. It is also new lore for his character, since A Song of Ice and Fire never reveals the specifics of how Arlan and Dunk meet.
Dunk’s encounter with Arlan illustrates the stark contrast between noble knights and hedge knights — the latter are more likely to follow knightly vows because they are in no one’s service but their own.
Expanding on Dunk’s backstory while including how he and Arlan meet is an excellent narrative choice. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fills in some of the gaps in Dunk’s character through a compelling and tragic tale that mirrors the Trial of Seven.
Baelor Targaryen: Be vigilant. Don’t die.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” uses Dunk’s flashback to parallel his current predicament.
It does not take long for Aerion to unhorse Dunk and pummel him, leading Dunk to teeter on the edge of death and potentially lose the Trial of Seven.
Circumstances quickly become hopeless, even though Dunk manages to get a few punches in. It seems like he will lose — a heartbreaking parallel to his childhood.
After Rafe’s death, Dunk similarly loses all hope. However, he runs into Arlan not long after Arlan saves Dunk from the noble knights. This second encounter rejuvenates Dunk’s hope, and he follows Arlan.
In the present day, it is Egg’s unwavering belief in Dunk that gives him the final boost he needs to defeat Aerion.
From the moment they meet, Egg believes in Dunk’s capabilities. Even though Dunk is so unlike any other knight Egg has encountered, it does not change his high opinion of Dunk.
Arlan provides Dunk the strength he needs to move on from Flea Bottom, while Egg delivers the support Dunk needs to win the Trial of Seven.
Despite Dunk’s near-death experience, he is triumphant, proving his innocence once and for all.
The only disappointment on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” is the actual fight between Aerion and Dunk.
Egg’s steadfast faith in Dunk is critical to winning, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms goes above and beyond to illustrate just how close Dunk is to death.
In The Hedge Knight, Aerion manages to injure Dunk severely before Dunk definitively gains the upper hand. However, on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk seemingly dies before he somehow comes back to life.
It is excessive and a little unrealistic, and as a result, pulls audiences out of the narrative.
The parallel between the Trial of Seven and Dunk’s childhood is powerful enough to stand on its own without Aerion practically killing Dunk.
“In the Name of the Mother” ends on a somber note with the most heartbreaking death on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to date — Baelor, heir to the Iron Throne and Prince of Dragonstone, suffers a fatal blow to his head from Maekar.
It is an explosive, shocking moment, playing out exactly the way it does in The Hedge Knight. Baelor’s death is so book-accurate that it seems like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms copied and pasted this scene line by line.
Baelor’s death is arguably the most important part of the story because it sets the trajectory for everything that comes afterward.
Thankfully, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms nails this scene and even takes it to the next level with Dunk’s agonizing wails and Egg’s sorrowful disbelief.
Of course, Baelor’s death is just as devastating on screen as it is on page.
What did you think of this episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
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Sarah Novack
Sarah has been a passionate writer and blogger about various forms of media for as long as she can remember, and her favorite method of expressing this passion is through writing and discussion. She loves way too many TV shows, books, and movies, specializing in book-to-screen adaptations, fantasy, sitcoms, and procedurals.