egg

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 introduces mysterious stable boy Egg, whom Ser Duncan the Tall meets on his journey.

*Warning – this article contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1.*

The opening episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has landed on Sky and HBO, drawing Game of Thrones enthusiasts eager to experience the latest prequel series. Set approximately 90 years prior to Game of Thrones and over 70 years following House of the Dragon, the programme chronicles the adventures of humble hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall as he undertakes a chivalrous journey.

According to the IMDb description for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: “A century before GOT, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, wandered through Westeros while the Targaryen dynasty ruled the Iron Throne, and dragons were still remembered. Great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends.”

In the debut episode, viewers witness Ser Duncan entering himself into a potentially transformative tournament that could alter his fortunes completely. Throughout his journey across Westeros, presently under Targaryen rule, he crosses paths with a young boy and aspiring squire called Egg.

Who is Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

The knight’s initial meeting with Egg occurs at an inn, where he learns the boy is a stable hand whose mother has died, reports the Express.

Upon learning that Ser Duncan is bound for the tournament, Egg eagerly requests to travel alongside the knight to Ashford and begs to serve as his squire.

Though initially hesitant, Ser Duncan ultimately consents to taking Egg on as his squire (provisionally) and the duo embark on their quest for honour and recognition. The origins of Egg and how he ended up at the stable remain shrouded in mystery. Could Egg be hiding a secret about his past?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, so while we may already know the answers, we’re keeping this a book spoiler-free zone.

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Who plays Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Young actor Dexter Sol Ansell, aged 11, takes on the role of Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, starring alongside former rugby union player Peter Claffey, who portrays Ser Duncan.

Dexter already boasts an impressive acting CV, having previously appeared as Young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and David Saunders in The Midwich Cuckoos.

He first graced TV screens in the ITV soap Emmerdale in 2019, featuring as Lucas Taylor in 14 episodes until 2021.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs weekly on Mondays at 3am and again at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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Cersei chose violence. Rhaenyra commandeered dragons. But the protagonist of HBO’s new “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”? Don’t expect vengeful wildfire or shouts of “Dracarys!” Wanna-be knight Dunk is earnest, gentle and enjoys sleeping under the stars.

There are no magic spells, dragons or major wars in Dunk’s (Peter Claffey) timeline, which is set about 100 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” and roughly seven decades after 2022’s spinoff, “House of the Dragon.” But there’s still mud. Lots of mud, mixed with blood and guts, because what’s Westeros if not a queasy swill of muck and bodily fluids? Here’s to consistency between series.

But there’s a problem. It turns out that sitting through scenes replete with diarrhea, snot, vomit and bashed brains isn’t all that tolerable without the payoff of royal feuds, sociopathic personalities, supernatural phenomenon and above all, a story that promises to go somewhere bigger.

Based on the “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” novellas by author George R.R. Martin (he wrote “A Song of Ice and Fire,” the novel series that inspired “Game of Thrones”), “Knight,” premiering Sunday, takes a humble road into the realm, basing its story around a simple, low-born wanderer who dreams of becoming a knight.

His story unfolds over six episodes that take place over the course of a few days, which is quite a switch from the vast timelines of “Game of Thrones ” and “House of the Dragon’s” debut seasons. The tighter scope and folksy approach — from a score with more spare acoustic guitar than sweeping orchestral numbers and an abundance of drab peasant rags over plush regal garb — is refreshing, at first.

Dunk, a.k.a. Ser Duncan the Tall, is a strapping but awkward young man with little confidence and few skills. We meet him upon the natural death of his mentor and adoptive parent, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). The old man was a hedge knight, meaning he wandered about Westeros renting out his protective services to monied houses and, occasionally, those in need. One such charity case was young Dunk, whom the older knight saved from a thief’s knife before taking on the boy as his squire.

Now on his own, Dunk aspires to become a hedge knight too. On his way to prove himself at a jousting tournament, he meets a clever, bald-headed boy who calls himself Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The child is as smart and cunning as Dunk is thick and guileless. They repeat history when the child becomes the wanna-be knight’s squire, and together they prepare for a match that Dunk is wholly unsuited to win.

Created by Ira Parker, in conjunction with Martin (“Game of Thrones” co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had no involvement), “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is a David and Goliath story, with a somewhat predictable outcome.

Granted, nothing will ever be as grandiose, addictive and surprising as the fantasy universe that brought us White Walkers, the Red Queen and the Faceless Man, but to pull out the magical realism, then fill the gaps with Dunk’s sincerity and honor-above-skill ethos is not a winning strategy.

One of the more successful aspects of the series is the performance of Ansell as Egg. The boy squire shines bright in the otherwise drab surrounds of the tourney campgrounds. His wits and ingenuity versus the knights’ brutality and violence is a worthy match.

Nevertheless, the bloodiest forms of combat decide the day at the tourney, be it by mace, battle ax or bludgeon. The gore throughout this drama is on par with some of the more violent and ferocious scenes from previous HBO series set in Martin’s world. But without the possibility of a story that rises above Dunk’s slog on the ground, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” stays stuck in the mud.

The Stranger Things finale included a few Easter Eggs, but only one is the real clue to what The Duffer Brothers’ new spin-off will be about.

The finale episode of Stranger Things has arrived and fans are already picking it apart to find clues for an upcoming spin-off. Since the finale aired on Netflix last week, The Duffer Brothers have confirmed which Easter Egg viewers should look out for that will be an important clue to the series they do next.

One popular fan theory, which had been quickly gaining traction, was that Hopper and Joyce would have their own show when they move to Montauk, a real town that partially served as the inspiration behind the creepy experiments we see in Stranger Things.

However, in an interview with Deadline, The Duffer Brothers clarified that this was simply a cheeky Easter Egg about Stranger Things’ original name, as it had originally been a supernatural drama called Montauk back in 2015 before the location was changed to the fictional Hawkins, Indiana.

“There’s no Montauk spinoff,” Ross Duffer confirmed. “That was more of a wink to the fans, deep-cut fans that know that the show started as Montauk.”

However, fans who had been to see Stranger Things spin-off play The First Shadow on London’s West End spotted a few other Easter Eggs in the finale, with Henry Creel’s origin story reportedly being a crucial clue to the real spin-off.

During the season 5 finale, we learn Henry found a rock inside a scientist’s brief case that gave him powers and connected him to The Mind Flayer. This adds more context to the play, as The First Shadow previously revealed he went missing in the desert and came back changed by what he found there.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer confirmed: “I’ve been pinned down and forced to blow this already, so I might as well tell you. There’s lingering questions about the rock and where the rock came from [in Henry’s story in the finale] and the scientist and all of that.

“Because we had said that there is something in the finale that is going to connect to the spinoff. The spinoff is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that’s the loose end that’s not that’s not tied up that will be tied up.”

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He went on to explain that there would be “an entirely new mythology” but that the spin-off “does connect and will answer some of the lingering questions”, adding: “It’s not specifically about the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down, but hopefully it provides some answers to that at least those lingering questions related to Henry’s memory.”

The show creators also told Variety that they would start working on the spin-off from Monday, January 5, with Matt revealing: “You don’t understand. My favorite part of the show is working on it. It’s not releasing it — that’s just stressful, no matter how it goes when you release it.

“It’s maybe my least favorite part of the process. I like the creative part. I like making it. So, we’re actually really excited, and it’s very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology.”

As well as the new spin-off, an animated series featuring the original Stranger Things characters has also already been confirmed. It will be called Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and is reportedly set to come out some time in 2026.

Stranger Things seasons 1 to 5 are available to stream in full on Netflix now.

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