Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Season 1)

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⭐9.5/10

Our latest offering from the Thronesverse, and while the dialogue around Westeros has been pretty negative for pretty much the last decade, I was pretty optimistic about this show. I loved the short story collection they are based on and thought it would offer some levity and charm to a series that has been a little over-serious and grim for most people's tastes. 

I will still admit I didn't expect to love this show quite as much as I did. I think it was pretty much perfect. It was funnier than the books, going for some pretty outrageous visual gags, but otherwise it was pretty true to the source. The writing, as in most Thrones adaptations, was consistently sublime, getting the voice of the universe just right. I think this is the result of closely following a wonderful writer with a strong voice, and if a story sticks close to George, it usually succeeds. 

Dunk is a character in this universe that we all need, someone who is just and kind and easy to cheer for. He is a gentle giant, simple and without airs, just trying to do his best in a cruel world. The show hams this up a bit with him being overly cute at times, feeding his horse and whatever, but it all serves the purpose of giving us real stakes when he gets into danger. 

And what danger he gets himself into! I was trying to think of any real critiques of this show, and one I couldn't help but remember is that this show is light and easy to watch except for one episode that is abhorrently violent, one of the most difficult things I've watched. I don't usually mind violence, and I wonder if I was more sensitive to this because I was watching with someone covering their eyes the entire episode. It was hard to watch, and yet it was incredibly effective, so I'm choosing not to fault it. 

Otherwise what can I say? This show made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me pump my fist, it made me pull out my hair. The highs are maybe not as high as peak Thrones, but it's easier to recommend and doesn't feel like it's actively trying to ruin your life. I want to give it a 10, but for some reason I can't quite get there. Just short of a masterpiece for me. 

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