The cast of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms expanded tonight with the show's second episode, and it's already had an impact on Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey). "Hard Salt Beef" sees our humble hedge knight cross paths with not one, not two, but three new Targaryen princes as he tries to secure his place in the tournament at Ashford Meadow. Big personalities are everywhere, and that's before you factor in returning faces like the ever-charismatic Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) and the talented puppeteer Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), or other newcomers like the taciturn blacksmith Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour).
Of course, our leading duo of Dunk and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) is front and center in this episode as well, and it's a total blast to watch the knight and his squire navigate the tourney ground as their unlikely friendship blossoms. Co-host Marq Nettles and I break all that down and more in a brand new episode of our Take the Black podcast. Check it out:
While the likes of the conceited Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) and his noble uncle Baelor (Bertie Carvel) take up a fair amount of our conversation this week, obviously there's still plenty more to discuss about this episode...including that opening shot. We got to know Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) better than anyone expected this week, and I have a feeling we won't be forgetting the impression he made anytime soon.
When the dust settles on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2, Dunk has secured his place in the tourney thanks to the benevolence of Baelor Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne. But the reality of what that means hits Dunk hard, as he realizes he'll have to actually step up and joust against seasoned knights who were trained by the finest warriors in the realm. We'll find out if he's up to the challenge in the weeks ahead!
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres new episodes on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. New episodes of Take the Black drop on YouTube and all the usual podcast platforms right after each installment of the the show ends. Comment to take part in the conversation, and join us on this latest journey to Westeros!