A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Finale: A New Path

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season Finale Delivers Emotional Farewells and Teases Future Paths

The highly anticipated season finale of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ titled ‘Morrow,’ has officially aired, bringing a poignant and surprisingly heartfelt conclusion to the nearly perfect six-episode run. The episode masterfully wraps up the immediate storyline while artfully paving the way for the still-uncharted destiny of Duncan the Tall and Aegon V Targaryen, potentially diverging from the paths long assumed by readers of George R.R. Martin’s novellas.

A Scene-by-Scene Deep Dive into ‘Morrow’

Episode six opens with Dunk, post-Trial of Seven, recovering beneath an elm tree. He’s attended by Ser Lyonel Baratheon and a Baratheon Maester, a departure from Maester Yorell mentioned previously. The melancholic jazz tune of Kenny Dorham’s ‘Alone Together’ plays, an anachronistic choice that, alongside the closing song ‘Sixteen Tons,’ has sparked debate among viewers. While the comedic cutaways have generally felt organic to the Hedge Knight world, these mid-century American jazz selections have been noted as potentially jarring by some, pulling viewers out of the high fantasy setting.

Ser Lyonel, sporting a bandage fashioned from an antler-like object, offers Dunk a flask, a gesture mirroring Ser Arlan’s earlier act of kindness. As the maester tends to Dunk’s wound – a result of Aerion’s lance driving chainmail into his flesh – Lyonel reflects on the tournament’s end and the unexpected death of Prince Baelor. The maester’s grim prognosis of Dunk’s mortified wounds is met with skepticism by Lyonel, who wryly invokes the Others, a subtle reminder of the looming supernatural threat in Westeros.

The conversation then turns to Tarth, an island in the Narrow Sea and the ancestral home of Brienne of Tarth, confirmed by George R.R. Martin to be a descendant of Dunk. This connection is further underscored by the use of the same tree-lined road in Belfast for a scene in this episode as was used for Brienne and Podrick’s journey in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 5. Ira Parker, a writer for the series, confirmed this intentional nod, appreciating the meta-narrative of distant relatives crossing paths.

Lyonel’s offer to have Dunk join him at Storm’s End, promising a life of hunting and hawking, is laced with a brotherly affection that borders on possessiveness. He aims to ‘sharpen Dunk’s iron,’ a double entendre suggesting both martial prowess and a readiness for future conflicts. This also serves as another subtle comparison between Dunk and the Fool, a role Dunk himself has felt throughout his journey.

The Weight of Loss and the Shadow of the Targaryens

The episode transitions to the ceremonial funeral pyre for Prince Baelor. Among the mourners are Ser Manfred Dondarrion, representing his wife Daena Dondarrion, Baelor’s son Vaelyr and his wife Kyra of Tyro, and Baelor’s brother Maekar. Notably absent from the pyre’s immediate vicinity is Dunk, who watches from below, seemingly too ashamed to be seen. The Targaryen funeral tradition, marked by a golden dragon’s head atop the urn, underscores the family’s enduring legacy even in death.

A poignant moment unfolds as Dunk finds Aerion alone. Aerion’s observation, “My father died in my armor. Plenty of sons have died in their father’s armor. How many fathers have died in their sons?” encapsulates the profound grief and guilt of outliving a child. The show cleverly uses the actor’s heterochromia to amplify Aerion’s judgmental gaze towards Dunk.

Meanwhile, Ser Raymun Fossoway offers Dunk solace and a warm embrace, a gesture of genuine friendship amidst the widespread blame. Raymun’s new sigil, a green apple, signifies his break from his cousin’s ‘wormy red’ faction, a visual metaphor for choosing a more honorable path. His marriage to the actress Rowan, who previously interacted with Dunk, adds a layer of complexity, hinting at a shared past and a potential deception regarding the paternity of their child.

A Father’s Fear and a Knight’s Decision

Maekar Targaryen, seeking wisdom from his late brother’s book, summons Dunk. He reveals his intention to send Aerion to the East and offers Dunk a position as his knight, with Aegon serving as Dunk’s squire at Summerhall. Maekar confides his own anxieties about the whispers that will follow him, blaming Dunk for Baelor’s death, a burden he now shares. The episode’s title, ‘Morrow,’ directly references a poignant passage from the novella spoken by Dunk, reflecting on the uncertain future and the potential significance of seemingly trivial events. This echoes Macbeth’s existential despair, contrasting with Dunk’s burgeoning hope for meaning in the days to come.

The core of the episode crystallies when Dunk, after a powerful flashback to Ser Arlan’s final moments, ultimately refuses Maekar’s offer. The flashback reveals Ser Arlan’s tradition of hammering a coin into a tree as a promise to return from war, a poignant symbol of the fallen soldiers of Pennytree. This memory, coupled with Aegon’s near-fatal confrontation with Aerion, solidifies Dunk’s decision. He recognizes the inherent dangers within the Targaryen family dynamics and the corrupting influence of power.

Dunk’s refusal is not a rejection of Aegon, but rather a commitment to train him as a true hedge knight, away from the machinations of the court. He offers to take Aegon as his squire, but under his own unconventional terms – a life of hardship and self-reliance, a stark contrast to the pampered upbringing of a prince. This decision, made even without full knowledge of Aegon’s near-fratricide, stems from Dunk’s growing intuition and his unwavering honor code.

Loose Ends and New Beginnings

The episode ties up several smaller threads. Ser Raymun receives Dunk’s horse, Sweetfoot, as a gift, symbolizing their enduring friendship. The recurring fly motif, a symbol of Dunk’s perceived worthlessness, finds its way back to him as he hammers Ser Arlan’s penny into the elm tree, a symbolic act of remembrance and commitment to his new path.

Aerion’s fate after the tournament is briefly touched upon, with a hint of his continued belief in destiny. His warning to Dunk about his family shaping Aegon into a ‘man’ implies a grim future for the young prince, one steeped in Targaryen madness. The visual of a stabbed fish with a fly of death foreshadows Aegon’s own internal struggles and the potential for madness to consume him.

The final scene sees Dunk and Aegon setting off together, a white lie solidifying their bond, just as it began. The season concludes with a sense of hopeful uncertainty, leaving viewers eager for the next chapter in the lives of these two unlikely companions and the future of Westeros.

Source: Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 6 BREAKDOWN! Every Game of Thrones Easter Egg! (YouTube)