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The shocking episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was, for a few hours, the highest-rated episode in TV history with a score of 10/10 on IMDB after it aired, before entering the top 5 all-time episodes of the Game of Thrones franchise with a score of 9.8/10.
However, Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, acknowledged that the narrative structure of episode 5 might not appeal to some viewers…
The penultimate episode of HBO’s new Game of Thrones spin-off is now available to stream on HBO, and after last week’s breathtaking climax, “In the Name of the Mother” proved to be the most brutally violent, and also the most heartbreaking, episode of the series so far. The episode begins with the start of the Trial of Seven, but when Ser Duncan the Tall is knocked from his horse and loses consciousness, we flash back to the childhood of the Knight Errant at Flea Bottom: here Dunk suffers the devastating loss of his best friend, whom he is also in love with, at the hands of a bullying knight, before being saved from certain death by a drunken Ser Arlan. When we finally return to the battle, Dunk has suffered a lot of damage, but ultimately manages to use his brute strength to defeat the better-trained Aerion Targaryen and force him to withdraw his accusation, ending the trial.
However, we later discover that Ser Humfrey Beesbury and Ser Humfrey Hardyng have been killed, and after the battle we helplessly witness the death of Prince Baelor Targaryen due to a skull fracture sustained after a blow (accidentally?) from his brother Maekar’s mace.
In an interview with EW, showrunner Ira Parker explained the need for the flashback, while acknowledging that some viewers will not be happy that the battle is interrupted just as it was getting started: “I hate having to do a flashback at this point, when everyone just wants the battle, but we had to do it. But I think it’s a standalone element, and I find it fun to see Dunk in that condition. I think it adds a lot to the story, and it also contributes to the ending of episode 5… But yes, some people won’t like it.”
In a separate interview with Collider, Baelor actor Bertie Carvel was asked about the confrontation between his character and Maekar, and whether their fight was ever shown explicitly (we briefly see the blow with the mace in the background). “There was a moment when we filmed, like a fleeting moment, which is the moment when Maekar hits Baelor, and the moment before that with the brothers. But, I guess you’d have to ask Ira about that, although I think they probably chose not to show it because in a way it spoils what’s about to happen. But in the episode, we’re not really with Baelor in that sense, we’re always with Dunk. And I hope that answers the question, but the short answer is no.”
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