This weekend, we’re finally getting a chance to dive back into Westeros and the world launched by Game of Thrones. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will be available to stream on HBO and is part of the 2026 TV schedule on the network, is going to be a very different kind of show about seven kingdoms in a couple of major ways, and I’m excited for it.
This Will Be A Smaller Story, And A Funnier One
With the original Game of Thrones and with the first spinoff in the franchise, House of the Dragon (which is kicking off Season 3 in 2026), the world was vast, and our time as viewers was spent at the upper echelons of power. We were treated to sweeping dramas across vast locations as dynasties and would-be kings craved power and held it with brutal force. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be smaller and more personal.
It is based on The Hedge Knight, the first book in George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg series, a trio of novellas that have nowhere near the scope of the main books in the Song of Ice and Fire series. “Dunk” refers to Ser Duncan the Tall, who was mentioned in Game of Thrones, as one of the legendary Kings’ Guard, though this is well before he joins that crew. “Egg” refers to Aegon Targaryen, who will eventually become King Aegon V.
The Season Is Shorter, And So Is Each Episode
The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is six episodes, and each episode is closer to 30 minutes than an hour. I can’t tell you how much I love this idea. While I do really like House of the Dragon, I won’t lie, sometimes the episodes drag a lot for me. The show can feel like a slog at times. Short, crisp episodes will be a relief. Though I do admit, if it’s great, I’m sure I will get that “wait, that’s it?” feeling sometimes. The show also seems to have a lot more humor. It may not be a sitcom, exactly, but with its shorter structure, and based on the trailer, it looks like it’s going to be pretty funny.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a Game of Thrones comedy of sorts, with smaller set pieces, a more personal story, and more fun. If you're going into the show expecting the kind of epic storytelling we’ve all come to expect from the Game of Thrones universe, you might not get what you think, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it may be just what the maester ordered to freshen up the franchise.
