A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms gets bawdier, and better, ...

What’s Happening

Real talk: The HBO series deepens its class commentary as Ser Dunk questions the worth of a true knight.

A- A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms gets bawdier, and better, in “Hard Salt Beef” The HBO series deepens its class commentary as Ser Dunk questions the worth of a true knight. Jarrod Jones — By Jarrod Jones | | 10:38pm Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO TV Reviews A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Copy to clipboard × Copy Link Copy Link — Facebook X Reddit Bluesky Email — 0 A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms , much like the series of novellas on which its based, is zeroed in on the humanity of its characters, ridiculous or embarrassed as they can sometimes be. (and honestly, same)

If Ser Dunk’s brief but energetic bout of diarrhea hadn’t already made that clear, this week’s vivid recounting of Ser Arlan Of Pennytree (Danny Webb) reiterates the point: The saga of Ser Duncan The Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) is shaping up to be a bawdier, earthier affair than Game Of Thrones or House Of The Dragon , more Tyrion Lannister than Ned Stark.

The Details

In fact, the series can be hilarious when it veers into lampoon, as it does when Dunk recounts the exploits of his fallen mentor to Leo “Longthorn” Tyrell (Steve Wall), giving us a fuller view of his ser’s, um, greatness. We watch Arlan attend to his post-coital duties, as we listen to Dunk begging Tyrell to remember the man’s deeds and to vouch for him for the lists at Ashford Meadow.

It’s a startling moment—not just for the hugeness of Ser Arlan’s member, but for what else we see and the smash cut to black that follows as the title card drops. Says Dunk: “Even as he was dying, he just…he just got on with it.

Why This Matters

” “Hard Salt Beef,” directed and written and series co-creator Ira Parker, strikes a nimble balance of irreverence and pathos that a less conscientious production would fumble. It’s all in the brief morning quiet that follows Dunk’s line, nestled in the blackness, before the episode begins in earnest.

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The Bottom Line

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