A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms kicked off last week on January 18, introducing viewers to a Westeros nearly 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. And while House Targaryen sits the Iron Throne, we won’t be following the royal members so closely this time around. Unlike the original series and the first spinoff, House of the Dragon, this new show revolves around the smallfolk.
Following protagonist Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place during a tourney in the town of Ashford, years after the last of the dragons died out. It’s a different take on Westeros, and people are loving it so far, with a record 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.7 million viewers tuning in for the premiere in the first three days.
Ready for more? Here’s a preview of what to expect from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 2, “Hard Salt Beef,” and how to watch.
What time does episode 2 release?
The Game of Thrones franchise takes on a new time slot on HBO with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms; new episodes air at 10:00 p.m. ET every Sunday on both HBO and HBO Max.
If you miss the first airing on HBO linear, the new episode will play again right after, starting at around 10:38 p.m. ET. And if you’re streaming, of course, you can watch (and rewatch) the new episode at anytime starting at 10:00 p.m. ET tonight.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms consists of six episodes—if this seems too short, you haven’t read the novella it’s based on—with the finale scheduled for Sunday, February 22.
If you haven’t already, sign up for HBO Max
You might be checking out A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms a bit late, and that’s okay! You’re only one episode behind. If this is the case, you’ll need to make sure you’re signed up for an HBO Max subscription to tune in. The easiest option would be to sign up on the HBO Max website, but you could also add HBO Max as an add-on to other services such as Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.
Before you commit, we’ve broken down the prices for a regular HBO Max subscription below. While there’s a discount for students—a 50% discount, that is!—there is currently no free trial for new users.
Plan | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
Basic With Ads | -Stream on 2 devices at once | $10.99/month or $109.99/year |
Standard | -Stream on 2 devices at once | $18.49/month or $184.99/year |
Premium | -Stream on 4 devices at once (only 2 for Sports) | $22.99/month or $229.99/year |
Episode 2 plot summary
HBO has released a description for the second episode, which you can read below:
"Dunk appeals to various lords in order to gain entrance into the tournament...but Egg advises him to hold onto his pride. When the Targaryens arrive at Ashford, Dunk seizes his moment with Prince Baelor."
Remember, the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ends with Dunk agreeing to take Egg on as his squire as they share a sweet moment looking at the stars. It’s a turning point for the characters as they each find someone they can trust. Dunk’s going to need people by his side if he wants the chance to enter the tourney.
In episode 2, we’ll see him try to convince others that they knew Ser Arlan of Pennytree, including Baelor Targaryen.
Characters we’ll meet in episode 2
Speaking of Targaryens, we’ll be meeting a handful of them in episode 2. Ahead of the tourney, Targaryen princes Aerion (Finn Bennett), Valarr (Oscar Morgan), Baelor (Bertie Carvel), and Maekar (Sam Spruell) will arrive at Ashford, and they’ll, expectedly, cause a buzz around town. With very different personalities and motivations, Dunk will get to know a bit about them, embarrassing himself along the way.
Aerion Targaryen is a character who’s already gained a lot of attention on social media ahead of his introduction in episode 2, as fans of the novella anticipate his role in the story. Without giving away spoilers, he’s the newest baddie you’ll love to hate—and the fact that the actor who plays him is so great will only make him more captivating.
Trailer for the weeks ahead
While HBO hasn’t released an episode 2-specific preview, they did drop a look at the weeks ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms—which has led fans to complain about it spoiling too much. Watch at your own risk to get a glimpse at the rest of the season below:
Watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes on Sunday nights. The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is currently filming. Catch up with Winter is Coming’s podcast, Take the Black, which releases new episodes reacting to the Game of Thrones show every Sunday night.