One of the best parts of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is its focus on honor. When Ser Duncan the Tall defends Tanselle from Aerion Targaryen, it’s not because he thinks it’ll help him make a name as a knight, but because it is the right thing to do. In fact, as Episode 4 showed, that act may result in Dunk losing his life before he could even fight in his first tourney.
This focus on the medieval codes of honor reflects the time period that this era of Westeros takes inspiration from — a chapter of history that is full of chivalry and pageantry. So why, then, does some of that pageantry get noticeably excluded from the show? Turns out it’s an oversight — one that even the showrunner admits was a mistake.
