Whenever a new Westeros series is released, there is always one question that remains in the mind: Will it land? Following the polarizing final season of ‘Game of Thrones’, fans take every addition to the world of George R. R. Martin with a grain of salt.
However, the showrunner of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ Ira Parker, says that this time around the journey is being charted with much more vision.
With George R.R. Martin Involved, HBO’s New Westeros Show Charts A Safer Path
The HBO series, which began January 18, is based on the Dunk and Egg novellas by Martin himself, about hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg. Although the show has already been renewed for a second season, only three novellas are currently in print. This begs the question of how the show will manage to avoid surpassing its source material.
In a recent AMA, he admitted there’s “not no danger, just less” when it comes to moving beyond the existing novella. However, preparation, he says, is the main difference. “Look, in some ways, we know a lot more about what happens after these three novellas because of all the supporting material, and so there’s less inherent danger… not no danger, just less,” said Parker.
In contrast to ‘Game of Thrones’, which infamously surpassed the main book series by Martin and had to devise its own endgame, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ has a more definite long-term plan.
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Martin has already announced that he has plans to write a dozen more Dunk and Egg stories. This provides the creative team with a wider narrative structure to work with.
Better still, to the fans: Parker stressed that anything after the third novella would include George. That promise is weighty. The benefit of history is also there. The lore of Westernos already gives us the answer to where Dunk and Egg will be in the greater timeline. That inbuilt destination provides a structural anchor. It gives a feeling that the narrative is not aimlessly drifting to an unknown conclusion.
‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Has A Long Game And A Clearer Ending In Sight
The other significant difference is in pacing. Season 1 is nearly all about the Ashford tourney, and it adapts a fairly closed story. Instead of balancing huge political groups on different continents, the series narrows down to character, honor, and personal development.
The fact that it can be intimate can be its best asset. Where ‘Game of Thrones‘ final season has been accused of rushing character development and relying on shock value, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is slowing down.
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Parker’s broader vision reportedly spans 12 to 15 seasons, potentially chronicling Dunk and Egg’s lives in full. It is a grand scheme. Yet, it’s still based on gradual development instead of running to a climax.
Television has no guarantees, and the world of Westeros is as unpredictable as it gets. However, if there’s one lesson HBO seems determined to apply, it’s this: epic stories deserve patience.
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