A great flashback scene in television or film can completely recontextualize everything you’ve come to understand about the characters. An effective flashback can serve to explain character motivations, clarify plot points, or deepen the audience’s appreciation for a character’s journey. In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” the flashback to Ser Duncan the Tall’s childhood provides insight into his past and present motivations. This show‑only flashback not only reframes how we view Ser Duncan throughout the first four episodes, but also adds meaningful characterization that enriches his portrayal in the original novels.
In the flashback, adolescent Dunk (Bamber Todd) and his companion Rafe (Chloe Lea) pillage battlefields to survive in Flea Bottom. He and Rafe barely have shelter, much less parents or protectors. Not yet a strapping, strong man, Dunk has no way to protect them from dangerous thieves. He is forced to watch his best friend, and at that point, the only person who cared for him, be brutally murdered right in front of him. He was powerless, helpless when his friend needed him. He is saved when Ser Arlan (Danny Webb) comes to his aid, and decides to follow the knight, possibly one of the only people who has shown Dunk any semblance of protection. Robbed of his family and starved of any support throughout his life, the choice to leave town and follow Ser Arlan makes sense for young Dunk.
Learning how Duncan comes to be with Ser Arlan recolors many of the choices made throughout the season. In Episode 3, “The Squire,” Dunk protects Tanselle Too‑Tall (Tanzyn Crawford), seemingly a reckless decision that nearly cost him his life. While it seemed that he was influenced by romantic feelings, the fight between Dunk and the guards clearly echoes back to the day that Ser Arlan saved his life. Dunk knows that it is like to be powerless, at the mercy of those who inflict harm just because they can. So later, when he does get a chance to help someone in need, he does whatever it takes, no matter the consequences, to protect Tanselle and do what he could not do for Rafe.
Similarly, Duncan’s pursuit of Arlan informs his mindset and explains many of the choices he makes through the penultimate episode of the season. It’s clear that Duncan is a scrappy kid. Despite his naivete, he is a survivor, persisting through injury, cold, and what appears to be an unfortunate case of dysentery as he follows Ser Arlan. Dunk and Arlan are often seen sleeping outdoors throughout the season, but his ability to endure the elements and his tolerance of hard salt beef make more sense when considering how he lived in Flea Bottom. That endurance is the key to his survival as an orphan, as a squire, and as a combatant in the trial by seven. Ser Arlen’s gruff “get up” is all the more impactful upon understanding all that Duncan has endured. Skill is important, but Dunk’s ability to survive is the x-factor that allows him to prevail.
Perhaps the most impactful takeaway of the flashback was the explanation of the importance of the squire‑knight relationship between Dunk and Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and later Ser Dunk and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). It’s clear that Dunk and Ser Arlan's relationship was somewhat complicated, yet incredibly close and mutually fulfilling. It wasn’t always perfect, but they were perfect for each other. Seeing how they met and how their paths intertwined not only changes how the audience views Arlan, but also sets the stage for how the show will develop Dunk in future seasons. Carrying the weight of the recent loss of Ser Arlan, he sees a young boy orphaned with nothing, taking a risk by following a stranger in the hopes of making something of himself. Dunk recognizes himself in that experience.
The flashback shows that Dunk was willing to endure anything just for the opportunity to follow a knight. That determination eventually put him in a position to squire for Ser Arlan of Pennytree. While Egg used his wits to sneak his way for Ashford Meadow, Dunk used his greatest weapon, the ability to keep moving forward, to earn his place as a squire.
The season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, February 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.