Ira Parker on That Huge ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Reveal

If you happen to watched “The Squire,” last night’s episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you understand the key that anybody who’s learn George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas has been bursting with for the reason that present began.

Forward of the season premiere, showrunner Ira Parker talked extra concerning the reveal—and what motivated the character in query to cover their true id—to a bunch of journalists, io9 included.

If you happen to’re not caught up, flip again now!

As we now know, Egg—the child whose persistence earns him a trial shot at being a squire for Ser Duncan the Tall—is definitely Aegon Targaryen. He’s no orphan stableboy; he’s a real prince who’s been shaving his head to cover his telltale Targaryen white-blonde hair. As has been made clear throughout Sport of Thrones, Home of the Dragon, and now A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Targaryens are identified to be merciless and egocentric. Not all of them, however Egg’s instant household (apart from his uncle, Baelor) definitely suits the invoice. So is there extra to Egg’s resolution to go undercover than merely escaping his royal torment?

“[The] query truly got here up a couple of occasions within the improvement course of: why does Egg comply with after Dunk? Why does he chase after this man?” Parker stated. “I talked to George slightly bit about this: did he sense Dunk’s honor? Is that why? … George stated one thing that basically opened it up for me. He’s identical to, ‘Children really feel disappointment extra acutely than adults do … Egg wasn’t gonna get the factor that he wished, [and] in a really princely means, he stated, “Effectively, I’m gonna work out method to get in there.’”

In different phrases, Egg actually wished to go see the combating at Ashford Meadow, however as we noticed in episode one, he’s caught hanging round that roadside inn. When he realized Dunk was heading for the match, he noticed alternative within the squire-less hedge knight.

“In a whole lot of methods, Dunk is unsuspecting. Dunk doesn’t know anyone; Dunk doesn’t have any ties,” Parker continued. “Dunk is the right individual to go and fake with as a result of he’s not gonna be treading into many necessary camps the place Egg is likely to be came upon or caught.”

Now that Egg’s Targaryen fact is on the market, it’s protected to imagine his relationship with Dunk will change a bit. “The Squire” ends with a shocked Dunk realizing that Egg has been mendacity to him this whole time. However since we all know there are extra adventures forward for the duo—together with one other season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms coming subsequent yr—it’s sure the rift will heal rapidly.

As we are going to see within the weeks forward, Parker teased, “I feel [Egg has made a] very trustworthy infantile resolution, and Dunk calls him out on that as a result of a part of maturing, a part of this means of being a instructor for a younger boy or a mentor for a squire, is that your actions have penalties.”

And, lest we overlook, “[Egg] is only a child. He must be forgiven. He’s, at this level, unmolded clay. I imply, he’s a Targaryen prince formally, however he’s not something but.”

Dunk and Egg will confront the Targaryen bombshell in episode 4, which arrives early this week—Friday, February 6—on HBO Max. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms may even hit HBO at its common time, on Sunday, February 8.

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