- Content: “An Underwhelming Prequel”
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What You Need To Know:
The first episode of Season One of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS has a strong Pagan and Occult worldview with some moral elements, the hero strives to elevate his honor in a world inhabited with dragons and magic, the protagonist adopts an orphan boy and agrees to train him as a knight-in-training. However, it drowns itself in a sea of cynicism, heavy language and brief nudity. Lastly, there are sword combat scenes of a boy getting slapped in the face. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for all viewers.
Content:
A strong pagan worldview with some Christian elements, the hero strives to elevate his honor in a world inhabited with dragons and magic, the protagonist adopts an orphan boy and agrees to train him as a knight-in-training, various characters spit saliva on the ground, the hero gets rejected and bullied by corrupt noblemen and knights, he bumps into a tent full of whores who offer their services to the other knights, and the hero befriends a junior knight;
20 obscenities in Episode One, including “sh–”, “whore”, and “f–k”;
Moderate stylized violence with some blood, the hero has flashbacks of getting slapped in the face as a child, two knights smack each other with practice swords in the limbs and stomach, the hero steps on the foot of a lord, and a dead man gets buried in the mountain side;
No on-screen sex, but a trio of female sex workers discuss polyamory with the hero, they openly state that the noblemen are their biggest customers, a drunken lord is escorted by two sex workers outside a tent, and a woman prepares her naked body for sex work inside a tent;
Three scenes of major nudity, a man defecates behind a tree and a side view of his rear-end is exposed, the same character takes a bath in a lake fully naked (but only his backside is exposed), and the hero sees a topless woman lay on top of a table;
A few characters smoke cigars in the background, the hero visits a feast where some of the guests are visibly drunk, and a lord is stone-cold drunk outside the village; and,
Several characters spit saliva on the ground and in cups, the hero enters a feast uninvited, several knights bully a junior knight for his lack of combat skills, and a young boy stows away on a wagon to stalk the hero.
More Detail:
A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is set one hundred years before the events of GAME OF THRONES. While targeted at GOT fans, SEVEN KINGDOMS doesn’t require any prior knowledge of the franchise. As such, this review will analyze SEVEN KINGDOMS from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the property.
The debut episode of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, “The Hedge Knight”, leaves a sour first impression. The characters are flat, the acting is somewhat stilted, and the first episode’s writing will put newcomers to sleep. The only saving grace is the show’s high production values. Like other HBO Originals, SEVEN KINGDOMS is well shot, has great shot composition and imaginative sword fights. It’s to the point that the show compensates for its lack of a moral compass.
The first episode of Season One of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS has a cynical worldview with a glint of Christian virtue. Sir Dunk gives a proper burial to his deceased mentor, strives to uphold his knightly honor, and adopts an orphan boy as his squire-in-training. The rest of the cast outweighs these acts of virtue. The other characters engage in smack talk, lie to the hero, and treat him with utter contempt, and are corrupt. But it gets worse.
The GAME OF THRONES franchise is known for its intense violence and sexual promiscuity. A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS isn’t as graphic as its sister shows, but it shares many of the same objectionable traits. The hero defecates by a tree in broad daylight. Various characters spit their saliva, swear like drunken sailors, and engage in drunkenness. There are three scenes of nudity, two with the hero’s backside fully exposed, and one scene of a topless woman preparing to sell her body inside a tent. Moreover, there is bloodless sword combat with other knights. Lastly, the hero has flashbacks of getting smacked in the face by his elders.
Episode One of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is a monotonous and morally repugnant chore of a series. The show has high production values, a main character who upholds his honor, and decent camera work. However, it drowns itself in a sea of cynicism, heavy language and brief nudity. Lastly, there are sword combat scenes of a boy getting slapped in the face. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for all viewers.
