Despite its juggernaut status for most of its eight-season run on HBO, most fans agree that Game of Thrones ended on a low note. While the final season of the hit fantasy show based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels has its fair share of fans, most audience members understand the last few episodes to be a bit of a let down.
Despite the general consensus regarding the six episode season, Game of Thrones' final outing does include a handful of bright spots. The score remains top notch, the acting is as good as ever, and the show still has one fantastic episode left up its sleeve.
Now might be as good a time as ever to revisit the last great Game of Thrones episode, especially because it makes for a great lead in to the next Westeros show to air on HBO, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The episode, not the show)
Unlike the upcoming series, the second episode of Game of Thrones season 8, coincidentally also titled "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," has nothing to do with Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg. Instead, the episode takes place just before the climactic clash between the forces of the living and the undead army led by the Night King.
At this point, most of the characters fans have been following for years have accepted their fates. They know they will all almost certainly die fighting the undead. As such, the episode feels like the calm before the storm, with each character living what they expect will be their last night alive before the battle.
"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" feels like a tribute to the characters of Game of Thrones. As each prepares for the worst, the series reminds audiences one final time why they've been worth following for eight seasons.
Ser Brienne of Tarth
In one of the episode's most profound moments, Tormund questions why Brienne is not already a knight. Her response is that women cannot become knights, because of "tradition." However, Tormund scoffs at "tradition," encouraging Jaime Lannister to name Brienne of Tarth as the first female Knight in Westeros' history.
The scene highlights how far these characters have come. Brienne is finally able to admit to herself, and everyone else, that she is worthy of this honor, and Jaime, at long last, treats Brienne with the respect she deserves, rather than scoffing at her and calling her names. Both Gwendoline Christie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who play Brienne and Jaime respectively, submitted this episode for Emmy consideration, and both received nominations for their work.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The show, not the episode)
Six years after "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" aired, Game of Thrones fans have begun to gear up for a different A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a TV adaptation of Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Despite the similar title, the series has very little to do with Game of Thrones season 8 Episode 2 on the surface, focusing instead on characters who lived around 100 years prior to the events of the main series.
However, both similarly titled entries thematically overlap. Both involve what it means to be a knight. Brienne is not just worthy of knighthood because of her strength on the battlefield, but her bravery, honor, and good heart. Throughout A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' source material, the making of a knight is a recurring theme, and Dunk encounters many knights who are substantially less worthy than Brienne, but he always uses his strong values to put them in their places.
Additionally, while knighting Brienne, Jaime recites the vows of knighthood, saying "In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent." This further emphasizes what it means to be a knight of Westeros, something that's sure to be a common element of Ser Duncan's story in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
To solidify the connection, even more, Ser Duncan the Tall is an ancestor of Brienne of Tarth. This allows the descendant of a legendary knight to follow in his footsteps, inviting a stronger connection between both A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms titles.
Make sure to catch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms when it airs on HBO Max on Sunday, January 18.