A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 6 Review: The Morrow
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 6, “The Morrow,” delivers an epic season finale.
The episode focuses on the aftermath of Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen’s shocking death, introducing the ramifications for Westeros, and of course, Dunk.
The show makes several narrative changes from The Hedge Knight that will have fascinating repercussions going into Season 2.
George R. R. Martin once said in an interview with Penguin Random House that Baelor’s death “changed the course of Westeros’ history” because he “would have been a very strong and very competent king.” He heavily implies that the Targaryen dynasty might have never fallen.
However, Lyonel Baratheon would disagree — he gets angry at Dunk for mourning Baelor.
Lyonel Baratheon: I fought for you. Hardyng, Beesbury, the fucking apple boy, we fought for you! Your prince fought for you against men sworn to protect him. He risked nothing! And the gods don’t favor a fraud.
Lyonel’s tirade is shocking, especially considering that there is no reason why he feels so strongly about Baelor.
His tirade might seem out of character and even forced, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms includes it for a greater narrative purpose.
Lyonel joins Dunk’s side because he is excited and eager to participate in the first Trial of Seven in over a century.
On the other hand, Baelor joins Dunk because it is the right thing to do. It has nothing to do with risking his life, and everything to do with standing up for a true knight’s honor — something Lyonel does not understand.
Lyonel is not a bad person, but he does not attempt to live a valiant and noble life like Baelor and Dunk do.
Valarr Targaryen: He died in my armor. Plenty of sons have died in their father’s armor. How many fathers have died in their son’s?
Dunk runs into Valarr, Baelor’s son, at Baelor’s funeral pyre, illustrating how Baelor’s death affects the realm. Oscar Morgan, who plays Valarr, depicts his character’s grief flawlessly.
Valarr is genuinely stunned at having lost his father so suddenly, and he cannot fathom it. He does not understand how his father is dead while a simple hedge knight like Dunk is alive.
Baelor’s son is brutally honest, but he voices Dunk’s thoughts aloud.
Dunk feels genuinely guilty over Baelor’s death. He cannot make sense of the fact that a noble prince dies while he gets to live. The season finale illustrates his thought process authentically while maintaining a compelling narrative.
Dunk: But all I do is bring pain and suffering to those around me.
Another standout performance on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 6,” The Morrow”, comes from Sam Spruell, who plays Maekar.
Maekar is in a complicated position after Baelor’s death because he delivered the fatal blow.
When Dunk and Maekar meet after Baelor’s funeral, Spruell delivers a gut-wrenching and heartbreaking performance, illustrating how Baelor’s death will haunt Maekar until he dies.
It is during this scene that Maekar asks Dunk to return with him to Summerhall so that Egg can officially squire for him while Dunk finishes training as a knight.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms alters this storyline by having Dunk initially refuse Maekar altogether, until a conversation with Daeron changes Dunk’s mind.
Dunk’s conversation with Daeron is easily one of the best scenes on the show. Daeron provides a new perspective on Aerion, revealing that he was not always viciously deranged, shocking Dunk and audiences alike.
A Song of Ice and Fire suggests that there is a 50% chance for a Targaryen to be born mad. The books introduce this idea to establish that Daenerys Targaryen is most definitely not like her father, the Mad King.
However, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon interpret this statement so religiously that it defeats its original purpose.
For the first time, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms firmly rebukes this sentiment. Daeron establishes that Aerion was not always vile, suggesting that environmental factors may explain why people turn out the way they are.
Attributing environmental factors to madness forces Dunk to reconsider taking Egg as a squire. It also breaks the notion that madness is unique to Targaryens, officially restoring A Song of Ice and Fire‘s nuance.
Daeron helps Dunk realize that being a knight means helping everyone — including a young prince who might become a miserable heavy drinker like Daeron or something much more sinister like Aerion.
As a result, Dunk returns to Maekar with a new proposal: he will accept Egg as a squire if they can roam the realm like hedge knights.
When Maekar refuses Dunk, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms makes an intriguing narrative change that will surely have repercussions for Season 2.
The Hedge Knight implies that Maekar changes his mind and allows Egg to go with Dunk. However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes a risk by having Egg trick Dunk, escaping before Maekar realizes.
It is a bold decision for the show to make that will impact Dunk and Egg’s future adventures. Only time will tell whether this change will pay off.
However, given that most of the changes on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms elevate the narrative, this aspect will likely enhance the story and keep the stakes interesting.
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.