House of R - ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 4 Reactions | Talk the Thrones

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Joanna Robinson are back to break down ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 4, “Seven.” They discuss Daeron’s dream, the teams for the trial of seven, and the knighting of Raymun Fossoway. Plus, did Aerion have a point? (00:00) Intro (1:47) CR’s recap (5:06) Favorite moment (9:25) Did Aerion have a point? (13:24) Daeron’s dream (18:11) Recruiting the teams for the trial (28:14) The knighting of Raymun Fossoway (34:37) Egg and Baelor supporting Dunk Hosts: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Joanna Robinson Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Carlos Chiriboga Social: Jomi Adeniran Lighting Director: Sarah Reddy Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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See terms at Fandul.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash terms. Hello, and welcome to Talk the Thrones. I'm Chris Ryan. I am an editor at The Ringer.com. Joining me in the studio is Joanna Robinson, and she's only here to kick ass and crush walnuts, and she's all out of walnuts. It's Mallory Rubin.

We are here to break down seven, which in fact is the fourth episode of a Night of the Seven Kingdoms, and we shall do so right after this. Hello, everyone. Hi. I'm here with Mal and Joe, who do House of R. That's right. which is where this podcast is hosted.

It's true. Although, you know what? It's out there. It's out there. Call it what you want. For the people. You can watch us on the Ringervorverse YouTube channel. You can watch us on Spotify where I hope you're listening to us.

You can listen to Mal and Joe break down these episodes in great detail. Loving great detail. I didn't say that. I would. And you can listen to Andy and I cursorily discuss it, I think. Yeah. But, you know, every once in a while we... Everyone's participating in a shared conversation.

It's wonderful. Yeah, it comes in all sizes. So the watch, House of R, but what we're doing here is talk to the Thrones. That's right. Why don't we do the recap of this lovely little episodes of TV? I can't wait for this. I did myself a favor and I didn't pre-read the recap. Oh, it's going to be a treat to you today.

I read like the first two senses. I have a couple of like cul-de-sacs here. As you sat down to type it, did you say to yourself, one need not intend harm to do it? I didn't. Okay. Something to think about. You feel like his recalls is going to do harm to me? No.

Need not intend it. Seven. Let's go. They got my boy Dunk locked up. Free Dunk. That's exactly what Egg thinks, but the prince can only do so much. So in the absence of freedom,

he offers Dunk's some good old-fashioned honesty. Agon was supposed to squire for his brother Darren, but Darren's scouting report is apparently, quote, shit night and quote, dunk, drunk. And he didn't want to get tooled up in the tournament, so he shaved his little brother's head. And the plan was to hide out in an inn until after March Madness. But Egg wanted to see some action.

So here we are. Dunk is hauled in front of Baylor to explain himself. But Baylor does most of the explaining, painting a picture of high-born like Darren and especially Aryan, twisting narratives to escape blame and to oppress others. Duncan asks perhaps the central question of this series, don't all knights make the same oath? Baylor offers Dunk a pathway to avoiding the death pen trial by combat.

Unfortunately, Arian has been deep in the... the Andal's collective bargaining agreement and counters with a demand for trial by seven. Meaning, Dunk has deradives a band of brothers to fight with him. His prospects look dim until Steph Fossoi is like,

fuck it, let's play some cards. Dunk has a surprise meeting with some Targ brothers, egg, and a sheepish, but not exactly apologetic, Darren. And here's all about how Aryan is a sadist who thinks he's actually a dragon. And he's not very nice to small animals

or bigger ones come to think of it. We go back to our horse problem. Yeah, we. We. Darren also tells Dunk about a dream that we'll get into later and expresses his desire not to die. Dunk's luck starts to turn

when he is gifted some new sick armor from Steely Pate, including a new shield painted by Tanzel before she had her fingers broken. Things really start looking up when on the morning of his trial he finds a bunch of nights to sign on to help him, including a guy with a broken leg,

crazy Sir Robin with one eye and Sir Lionel Barathean, who's just there for the memories. Couldn't even mention Beesbury? Not even in the way. We're going to get to it, but I honestly, like, they didn't really go. Mike and Beesbury doesn't even get a line in this episode. Unfortunately, all winning streaks must come to an end,

and Dunk finds out Sir Stephen has pulled to James Hardin and demanded a trade to air inside. Duncan now needs two knights, or he must forfeit. I'm sorry, I'm just so excited because I understand that reference. Because I podcast with Rob Mahoney. He picks up one where Raymond Faso, it goes pro with a late-breaking nighting, and then after pleading with the crowd and getting laughed at for his trouble, do you believe in miracles?

Baylor comes running out of the mist to join Dunk's side. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumble. Are you excited, first of all, that was an incredible live experience for me. Secondly, are you excited for the miracle, the Netflix doc? Yeah, I'm pretty well versed in that.

Yeah. They can't tell you anything you don't already know. But I haven't gotten to like my zag point. Some people are like, oh, actually the Russians weren't really trying or whatever. It's like, I just think that's pure, pure magic right there. The speech, the fact that they did it, Al Michaels. Talk about pure magic, this recap.

The singers aren't going to have time to pen any tunes about the trial of seven. They're going to be too busy. Did you know about one in three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you? Listen to what it sounds like to be a million miles away. Trimphaya, Guseocomab, taken by injection, is a prescription medicine for adults with moderate to severe plaques psoriasis, who may benefit from taking injections or pills or phototherapy, and for adults with active psoriotic arthritis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur.

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riding in to be a first ballot inductee into the Oprah and Martel, I will be your champion Hall of Fame. Obviously, some differences that we'll discuss, but it's an iconic moment in the season. It's an iconic moment in the novella. It's an iconic moment in the canon. And I was thrilled to see it abroad. In the novella, are you like, oh shit? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And he's wearing someone else's armor.

So at first you're like, what's happening? Oh, really? He's wearing his son's armor. Ariet? Not what he said's like. Valar. Yeah, right. Vlar who Aryan was like, I'm going to fuck you.

Exactly. Yeah. Just so you could get a nice long look at his armor. Did you have a similar reaction favorite moment of the episode? I have a different favorite moment, but I did text Mallory this morning because we were watching week to week on screeners. First of all, I accidentally this morning maxed out my screener view for this episode. I rewatched it so many times because I loved it so much. Secondly, I texted Mallory.

I was like, oh, Raymond Fossow is getting ignited. I'm crying. Oh, here comes Valor. I literally cried twice watching it this morning. That being said, the opening shot, which is the shot of the dungeon ceiling, which at first it looks like stars. And then as the light comes in, you see that he's like no longer under the stars, you know, and his luck has changed and now he's under a ceiling and it's just like a visual we talked a lot on the deep dive about Sarah Dana Smith who's the director of last weeks and this week's and the finale episode. I think the visual

language has really kicked up in the last two episodes and I think this one has a lot going for it in that way. A lot of humor in the sort of in some of the like the framing or just in the compositions like maybe not textually humor but like she finds some humor in it. And maybe no more so than my guy Aryan crushing nuts which was my favorite. You are nothing if not on Brandon.

We love that about you. Is it because you also enjoy the pursuit of an omega-3? Or how do you feel about it? It's a nice soft nut after tooth injury, you know? I just loved him being like, pick it up to the other guy. I loved him going deep into the bylaws to be like, well, if you're going to make me do this, then I'm going to make him do this. And I loved Maycar's reaction. It was just like, are you fucking hiding behind some like ancient and old's bullshit?

No. No. Yes. Definitely. I'm afraid because he just kicked my ass. He's very tall. Sending Ashford under the table to pick up the walnut, real shades of egg on the second and Hot D, bringing his kid, Jeharis, to the small council

and then being like Thailand, give him a pony ride. You weren't thinking about Rick on Stark and his approach to nutcracking? I was thinking of the walnuts with our Stark boys, for sure, always. Yeah, that was my favorite moment. Just because I think you got to see the dynamic of the Targaryens in a very interesting way. Oh, yeah, to have Baylor and Aryan and Maycar be like,

well, if the Andal said it, you know, what the fuck? And we get a course time with Darren, his eldest son. So getting to see how, you know, we talked earlier in the season about Makar's inferiority complex with his brother, you know, in episode two when we watched them interact and the ugh and the pouting to see how that inferiority complex extends to his sons. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What a bunch of clowns. I am, you watch my lady Jane, right?

Yeah. So Henry Ashton, who plays Darren, was like Stan Dudley on my lady Jane. He was so good on that show. show and I just like I thought he made a whole meal out of his opportunity here. Yes, he was fantastic. I did want to talk a little bit about not is Aryan right or anything like that. We're not playing around two weeks in a row. Okay. But team green, Chris.

I am learning about the history, historical context of this moment through you two rather than reading the books or doing any spoiling on Wikipedia or what is it, a song of Issympedia or whatever it is. Aryan's sensitivity to rebellion. So his idea is basically like through the arts that they're expressing their dissatisfaction with our rule. Yeah. And that we let one lady have a little fun with a dragon puppet. And the next thing you know, the entire realm.

Chaos in the streets. Yeah. My question to you, Joe. Yeah. Did Aaron have some point? Did Aaron have a point? Is it coming off? Because you guys keep mentioning Blackfire Rebellion.

Sure. Plural. Sure. Well. So far one. One. there will be more. Is Aryan kind of like, hey, keep an eye out

because these people are not happy with us and we have to keep it tight. That's a great messaging and if you want to like Caroline Levitt this whole thing for them. Worked Aryan's comms department. That's fine. But that's not why he is throwing a term here. Arian bright flame has done nothing

but helped this realm. Bright prince. Brightens our days. Lame stream media tells you that Aryan has no interest in you. Uncanny. Love that red hat on you. Are you lighting as us? Ariens, uh, Combs guy after spending most of your days with tender in their Combs department?

Are you spending your time? I think does Arian have a point? Is it a real great question from you, Chris? And I would say, no. If he wants to sort of, if he wanted to drop a few more Blackfire mentions here to really shore up his, his plausible deniability, he could have, but he's through a tantrum. This is his sensitivity. You know, and he was, and he was throwing a tantrum because he was already embarrassed after

the tourney. He was like, look what I did. I killed a horse. Isn't it great? And his dad, his uncle, made him give back, like, you know, all the money and give a different horse to that guy. So, like, he's already been sort of had the rolled up newspaper smacked on his nose. And then he sees the dragon puppet and he saw a red and he lost his shit. And so I don't think this is a measured response to anything.

And I think on the contrary, it's like, I'm just asking questions. You don't learn anything unless you ask, right? On the contrary, bail or. intention, which is like, hey, let's be cool, calm, collected, sensible Targaryen leaders. That's, I think, how you don't foment rebellion inside of your people. There's no, like, just forgiving this. Like, he knows that there has to be some kind of, like, resolution to this conflict. There are public witnesses to dunk beaten.

They were embarrassed. Yeah. Yeah, I think that Aryan could make that case, but he did as much ultimately to, uh, foment dissent and incite revolt as we hear as anybody else, more than anybody else, ultimately. And when we go through the roster of knights who ultimately side with Dong, it's interesting to think about all of their respective motivations. It's not a group of people gathering together to say, I want to challenge the Targaryans. That's not what's going on for every single person who's assembled there. That said, I do think you're right that, as we've talked about all season, the Blackfire Rebellion

is in the air in an inescapable way. The fact that the Targaryans don't have dragons is in the air in an escapable way. One of the things that Darren says, I'm excited to talk more about the dream that he shares, but we were dragon masters once, hard to believe. When Dunk is like the Dragon House

does not look kindly on those who oppose them. Stefan, not the guy we're looking too much like Aryan for wisdom and counsel, but he is right to say, Dragon House. Where are there dragons, Sir Duncan? Like, it's a ripe moment for challenge. I thought that the Blackfire Rebellion was even in the air,

as was the Dance of the Dragons. When Baylor has that, like, electric moment, Aryan is your brother and the septans say, we must love our brothers. He says that to egg, right? After he's like, I wish he'd killed him. Yeah, and we talked a lot on the deep dive this past week about, you know, this classic hot D idea.

No Man is as a curse as the kinslayer. Like, the idea of watching the Targaryens tear each other down from inside the family has been the plight of the dynasty. And so it's fueling everybody's anxiety to some extent. So to recap, Arian had some great points. I didn't say that. Stefan Fossoway had some great point. Is that where the table is sitting here right now? Can you see where Aryan is coming from?

Free exchange of ideas. You know, the thing, it's funny is that for as much as I love Baylor, I love the performance of Barreler. He's great in it. His solution to this was, you should have come to Aegon. He's like, you should have come to me. Yeah.

If he was brutalizing Tanzell, and I could have done something about it. He's like, she would have been dead by then. So, like, your ideas, like, your idea of, like, the proper chain of command, here still would have resulted in an innocent person dying. And it's like that's why he went to dunk,

to stop it. So why don't we talk a little bit about Darren's dream? Because I think this would probably be very exciting. Not forgotten or gone. I mean, I'm sure you guys won't forget it. But like, it is a sweet summer child over there. Just watching it, you're just like, oh, another dream in Game of Thrones. You know, like these guys

they fire these off a lot. What's he talking about? How... Well, so we talked about this a little bit on the deep dive that one of the most delightful things that George does in his, when he talks about dreaming or prophecy, is present riddles, right? Yeah. So we get a riddle here about a dragon whose wings spread across the meadow and falling on top of

Duncan and all that sort of stuff like that. We, people who are reading who are watching can guess because it could mean any number of things. And then we'll find out and do time what it means. But I guess we can't. We would not want to talk about that now. But I will say, we talked about Darren the drunken, this guy, who I love. love. Like, in the book, they describe him having a sheen of sweat and basically, like, the

d-tees, like, his hands are shaking. So I love the makeup that they put on this guy. I love the wig work. He just, like, looks completely miserable. I love it. He's, like, just hit me in the head pretty hard. Yeah. I'll try to be gallant on the first charge. Don't make it ring too loudly. But we talked about him in season one of House the Dragon when Vassaris was drunk at the hunt and talking to Allison about his dreams in from that big bonfire in the hunt episode. And just the burden of being a dreamer. Like how much it weighed on Vassaris. Danaris Targary and had Dragon Dreams that weighed on her too.

Sure did. You know. Even some of the identical, like, my dreams come true language from Danny and Darren here. Right. So, like, this idea of being a dreamer is a curse. Yeah. And as sort of street level as this show is, this is successive episodes where we have the fortune teller, the previous episode. Right. now we have Darren dreaming.

So there is some sort of connection to the past and the future and the more magical elements of this show or this world expressed to this show. I, when we did the trailer breakdowns and we were talking about some of like the Comic-Con panels and the press around the show, Joe had to like pull me back off the ledge because I was so excited for the show. The one thing that gave me anxiety was Ira Parker, who I think is done a fantastic job show running and bringing this adaptation to life. I was like, is this not magic?

And I was like, what about it? Oh my God, they're not going to skip Darren's dream, are they? And, like, this whole energy, which is so crucial across to your point, Targ history and the Targ Line. And Joe was like, it's definitely going to be there. Like, it's okay. And then I calmed down and it was fine. And now here we are and I'm thrilled.

But to that Vassarra's point, you know, the thing he says, like, what is the power of a dragon against the power of prophecy to Allison? But then you have Damon at the end of Hot D season one saying dreams didn't make us kings, dragons did. So again, even inside of the dynasty and the family, there's a conflict here. Are you a dreamer? Does it destroy you? Why is he Darren the drunken? Because of the burden of these dreams.

I love the line in the novella when he says. He's explaining why the Kingsguard are, you know, same thing. Ag and Darren, like, reveal who is on the other side, the Kingsguard. They have small choice in the matter. They are sworn to protect the lives of the king and royal family. And my brothers and I are blood of the dragon. God's help us. Like the burden of having been born into this family.

And you think about like Denise the dreamer way back when. This is how the, to go back to escaping the doom and the fact that the Targaryens are the dragons. Way back, you don't, you're not, you're not familiar with it. But it's why the Targaryians came. Does this spell a little Y? Uh, it's, A, E-N-Y-S. Yeah, thanks for asking. George.

It's like the fact that the Targaryens are the dragon riding family that survived the doom connects to a dream. Obviously, Hattie has spent a ton of time on Egon the conqueror's dream, the song of vice and fire. Which has been miscommunicated to multiple characters. Which went fine. Yeah. For everyone after there. So, you know, Rhaegar, like, all of these dreamers, this, it's inextricable to think about the history of this family and not talk about this. But I think that Darren, more than any of the other dreamers that we've met in the tech so far, really exemplifies what a curse this.

Yeah. You know. Look at this guy, man. The opening. Do you recognize him for the first episode? Yeah. Yeah. But being like, I dreamed you killed me, right?

Tough when Dunk has to remind him that he said that to me. And he's like, did I? Yeah. Oh, boy. This guy is really going through it. Rough. The opening, if not shot, sequence of the series itself is the clouds going in front of the sun over a field that looks like a dragon, like hovering over. It basically looks like something has blotted out the sun.

Were you a big, what shape is John's blood taking in the snow guy? I didn't know. That was a thing. I just thought, what was that thing? Oh, yeah. I thought this was a great moment on the internet. That's when we were really living. Everyone had lost their marbles entirely.

Let's talk a little bit about it. about the teams. Yes. Because, you know, in this sports movie version of this, what's supposed to happen is nobody believes in dunk. Then we have this like gambling subplot. It's like, oh, no, is this really going to mean what's supposed to mean if he's not winning it sincerely?

And then it takes a left turn. And it becomes this, you know, trial. And now he has to go raise like a mini army. It's really cool. I had a couple of questions about, like what would have happened if this had happened? Because I'm kind of like wondering you've got this crowd who's already pissed off at Aryan about the horse situation.

If they make this guy forfeit a trial by seven, which is like already an antiquated idea because they stole one of the dudes off of his team. Doesn't that seem kind of like... It depends if you're at the podium sort of spinning it for aliens. Alien Brightflin gave these guys every opportunity to raise it. Sure did. And it just goes to show you. the night to dawn.

How repulsive Duncan is that guys are leaving his team at the last second. I loved how anemic the applause was for Ariens' team when they came out. They're like, yay, go. Great stuff. Something that I love about the adaptation, we've talked about it. We've talked around it a little bit, but now we can talk about it more plainly. The way they brought Lionel Barathean up and made him a true character on the show, giving Raymond Foss away a bit more time.

So, like, when you think about Duncan's team, which is Raymond and Lina, all two characters we know very well. Baylor, a character we know very well. Robin Reisling, who met in one scene, but that's more than he gets in the books. Who is the I-Patch guy? Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, the Humphreys, Beesbury and Harding, and Humphrey Harding, at least, like, we saw him break his leg under the horse. So I think the show really tried to get us to know the members of Dunk's team, whereas in the book, which we love, but like Lionel shows up to this fight and we haven't spent any time with him.

And he's just like I'm on your side. And he's just sort of like, let's go. I love to fuck up. Yeah, he says the same thing about like I'm not going to, this is the first one in more than 100 years. I'm not going to miss this. Right, but like the work that this show did to make all of these characters,

the team and actual team that we're excited about. Yeah. And then we got, you know, we got to meet the Kingsguard. And we know Darren and we know Macar. We like know. The crab guy. Yeah. You know.

Yeah. We know Stefan. Like we know all the members of the other team. And so like that's just a really good work. that they did on this adaptation. Is Stefan's flip-flopping basically a case of like this is the only way

if you're not royal born or like of a high house or whatever to like advance in the world is to like kind of step over other people. I mean his, I think the thing that's interesting about what Stefan does, it's a few things.

We've seen from every moment we've had with him that he's a piece of shit, right? Like he's calling Dunk a blue-eyed cunt when he meets him. He's like, oh, it matters of the hedge, right? The meaning from the jump. He's mocking.

belittling Raymond, his not only squire, but his family member. Isn't he the one where Doug's like, this is my sword that I got like through fair? He's like, that's a weird thing to say. He was right about that. It was a weird thing to say. This is mine by rights. Stefan Foszwey continues that's a great point. You know, he comes out in this really, and you know, Joanne and I have matching apple tattoos.

So, who are we to besmirch some beautiful apple armor? But like, this is literally what Steely Pate was mocking to dunk earlier in the season. He's like, I don't do like the fancy fruits and the wings and the, I get. you good, hard seal. So, like, he's such a contrast in every respect to the humble nobility of Dunk. Are we allowed to knock Stefan when Lionel Barathean is wearing that armor? And we love Lionel. I think that the fact that Lionel and Stefan, to your point and to your point, about moving up, Lionel and all the week, because, like, we have that wonderful conversation about, like, you know, inside each man, there are many men and the stormlords and licking the salts and all

that. Like, we understand how he thinks about legacy. And so we have not only his connection to dunk and the time they've spent but that depth of insight into what drives him. He is also like, I want to be a figure of lore. I want to be a myth. That's what Stefan is saying very baldly. Like, they're going to give me a lordship. And whenever I have a tough day, I'm like, well, what can I do to get in the songs? There's something about that that's really similar.

But we find ourselves rooting for Lionel and investing in him fully because Stefan is so motivated by just his own advancement. there's nothing deeper at all beyond that. And then you have Raymond who is like, pushes him away, shoves his helmet into his chest. The knight that he's supposed to serve his family member, have you forgotten your vows? That's what Stefan says.

He's like, you're supposed to be my squire. No, have you forgotten yours? You swore to be a knight. Like to your point about this thesis statement from Dunk, right? And I love the fact that the speech makes, that Dunk makes to the masses. It's really like Leanna-Mormont-esque, right? this kind of an unexpected source being the one to look at everybody else and say like,

did you forget what you were supposed to do? House Mormont remembers? Yeah, this is, so Don't get the Tall remembers. This is where I'm like Sirwin of the Mirror Shield, which is one of the puppet shows that we saw this season. He's holding up this mirror to his audience and say, look at your fucking selves. Yes. Are there any true nights here? On the Fossaway question that you have, we talked about this is a little bit on the deep dive,

but they're like basically temporarily embarrassed, a house that was one, they were once lords. Yes. And they were once extremely rich. And I think it's interesting and they cast an actor from West Yorkshire

and an actor from Manchester and they've got these like thick accents. Outside of the London Tony drama school bullshit. Yeah. And so they're like, it's a little confusing to me because Yorkshire is usually Northcoded, but that's okay. I love a regional accent.

It just feels a little rough and tumble, you know, when you meet the Fossoways. And he's just like, Stefan's like, we used to be some of the richest motherfuckers in the reach. And I think we deserve to be that again. Does he have a good point? No. But that's what he wants here. Is there anything about how Dunk's big speech falls on deaf ears except to Baylor? That should say anything about like the headspace of the realm at that point. I did not prepare

you guys for this question. But I was kind of wondering like, are there different points in different times where people are more apt to believe rallying cries like something like that? Are they all just kind of cynics. They're here at a second city tournament. They kind of hate everything. We're throwing shit. This guy farted. It's the funniest thing that's happened in months.

The brood of bracken. But it's not like... Making an appearance. Great stuff. It doesn't have... It's not like... It doesn't fill you with a ton of like enthusiasm for the populace when they like...

Because like I wonder whether or not it's just like a moment of like emotional depression for Western. For the realm. I do think this is a slight and to your point. notable adaptive change here, actually. Because in the text, Dunk enters the field, he's with our guy, Steely Pete, stealth MVP.

Nice. Like, well, for you, a really good job. It's just incredible. Really good showing. And Dunk's like, man, all of these people came to watch me die, right? Look how many people came to watch me die. It's like, but he wronged them.

They start saying, good fortune. And they're cheering them on. And he realizes, they are for me. Why, he asked Pete, what am I to them? A knight who remembered his vows. So again, this through by, like, So people.

It's a little bit different. Well, we'll see how the cheering goes once it starts. But in terms of the initial, like he is this fog of war, literalized that he walks into here in this sense that like the line in books like, see, needs to find six, it might as well find six thousand. He doesn't have friends. There was that great line earlier in the season about Arlington and have enemies. And we talked about like, well, what about the other side of that?

Who are your friends? And so the masses is one thing, but the people in Dunks life who know him. Joe has been doing this beautiful job all season, tracking. Steely Pate's been a great example of it. The subtle changes and how people respond to Duncan look at him and think about him. Steely Pate's saying,

okay, your armor's going to be 800. Okay, we'll get it to 600. Now I put this rim around the shield just because I want you to be okay. I'm going to tell you when you see death omens everywhere that the leaves on that elm are green, what in the Georgia R. Martin universe could be more emboldening than a dream of fucking spring,

a book that I still believe maybe we could get one day, right? Sure. It's like, Riemann. Raymond and we should talk about the dunk That's so just don't Yeah Anthropic R. Martin presents

Jesus grim But Raymond Like we should talk about the Who ends up nighting him and that part of it In a second here But like Raymond

Sure he wants to be a knight But he is throwing himself into a situation that could not possibly be more perilous Because he believes this is right I was gonna ask this They're all so scared They're all like this is real shit Like we've got lances

And Masons And this is going to be really hard. Yeah. And then the hand of the king puts himself on this other team. Yeah. Yeah. Not just the hand of the king, a badass, like famous warrior that they wrote songs about. You know?

Because like I, you know. And Baker's like, fuck. When this is first starting, I'm like, okay. So like, is this kind of more, Aaron and Duncan have to like fight, fight, but these other guys can kind of do the hockey thing where they grab each other's jerseys and skate away. Shout out Shorzie. Yeah. They do that need a ride. Thanks for me.

Where they could do like basically like, oh yeah, stop. But really Duncan and Arian have to solve this. Settle this. But I'm like, this is a controversial move because Baylor is now putting himself to some extent in harm's way. I think the way that Raymond was talking about it makes it clear that like this is a fight. And what Egg says is that there will be guards around my dad, Maycar, will be fine. You're not going to fuck up Darren. Darren told you to fly.

Yeah. He's going to fall. It's going to be fine. So that's all I care about on that side. But like, otherwise, Raymond's like, this is a big deal. This is real, you know, real weapons, real danger. And then he welcomes it. Raymond Fawkes, the knighting of Raymond Foss away.

Right out of. I mean. That happens also kind of in Excalibur, the King Arthur movie, where he's like, you're not a knight and he's like, you're right. So why don't you knight me? It's a little bit different in this where he's like, we just need to grab somebody off the bench, so I'll just knight him and then Lionel doing it is really cool. And that like, Sarah Deena Smith does some cool stuff with like the voiceover of the nighting, but like showing

gorgeous. I think the, I'm trying to figure out why I started crying because like this is, this is a very funny little show. There are some deep emotional things going on, but I actually did not expect to cry this morning watching it. But I think I was thinking a lot about our guy Patrick Payne and like who ends Game of Thrones on the Kingsguard. We don't see him knighted, but I was just imagining like, Brianne probably knighted him. And like, I was just crying, thinking about Padra Kane being knighted. Who gives the key nod in the Jamie Brianne nighting scene? Exactly. Right? I mean, I can make the night. It's pod with the, I'm thinking of him too. We need, but we do need to talk about Duncan not knighting him here. And, and everything that we

get in this episode that I think it's safe. It's as much information as book readers have. Yeah. As to question whether or not Duncan is a real knight. Yes. This is something that like... Oh, do you think that's why he didn't do it? Oh, this is a long-running. It feels very clear that that's why he doesn't do it.

Any night can make a night and he's like, I'm not a night so I can't do this. And then Lionel's like, don't worry, I got you. Does he say it or does he think it? No. Raymond, I should not. Skip a few sentences. Do you doubt my courage, Raymond asked, no, said Dunk. Not that, but still he hesitated.

Skip a few sentences. Dunk left them there, feeling as relieved. as he was guilty. When Plummer asks him at the beginning, when they're going through the whole, like, I'm trying to enter the list. There's, like, a description of his burning ears. We've always thought that the key, I mean,

you could be here for five hours. And maybe we will be talking about the evidence, but the line, actually when Dunkin Egg are talking. That's it. A monster's lie. Because Dunk, in the episode, he sort of, you know, it's the shift from there, very painful and intense conversation,

which I loved, taking this beautiful idea of chance meetings and the spin of, like, it was unlucky. How devastating to think about it that way we crossed each other's paths. Then he's very quickly defending egg to Baylor, right? He's a good boy. The line in the book where that kind of softens him, they're like, oh, you know, top of egg

on's hill, flea bottom, we're not so far. It wasn't so far apart after all finding that commonality together. But Dunk looked at him thoughtfully. He knew what it was like to want something so badly that you would tell a monstrous lie just to get near it. I thought you were like me, he said. Might be you are only not the way I thought. Print the legend, brother.

Nobody knows the difference. But isn't the point of the show to, like, you're wording this thesis? Does it matter? Dunk is behaving like a true knight. More nightly than any of the night. And so few other people will. And to go back to your question of sort of like nobody responding when Duckin gives us rousing speech, I think that's just more to underline what the show has been underlining,

which is like the hollowness of most of the knights of the realm and the true honor of your dunks or your Raymond's or your Baylor. Because the people have seen a real night that they don't even know how to react. And the fact that the show opens with him burying Arlen, whose lessons he's going to carry on, you know, that will show him what his hand has wrought. Well, here's what his hand is wrought? But also when he's bearing him, what does he say? Like, I don't know the words. Like, I wish there were a septu here.

I don't know the words. And then he has to find the words here to try to make this appeal. And of all the- He also doesn't know what the trial is of us. He's like, they, my, Arlen is not a big religious guy. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, he hasn't been crunching Magar the cruel tape, I guess, to learn. about how that trial of seven went.

Not well. Have we ever seen a trial of seven? No. I mean, obviously we've seen a ton of trial by combat. Sure. Which, you know, it's a fun, I think, thing for this novella and this season of TV to do to say, here's something very familiar. Obviously, this came out before a lot of the other things.

But in terms of the order, people are receiving the show now, but give it a little twist. Like, Dunk was never going to ask for a champion. He was going to go fight on his own. So you're thinking of all of these different examples. Tyrion more than once, you know, bronze. and then Oberyn, et cetera, Barrick and the Hound, even just like Jamie talking to Ned

about like when I, you know, killed the Mad King, it felt like justice because of your father, Rickard, and the trial by con. Who did the Mad King invoke as champion? Fucking fire. Yeah, House Targaryen's fine.

They're always fine. That's deranged, right? On and on the list goes, Tom and eventually outlying trial by combat, et cetera. This is, to get the trial of seven is a fun wrinkle because it's about who is willing to stand by you. And they all have their own reasons. Humphrey Harding is like,

this fucker killed my horse and smashed my leg. I have my... As long as I can be on a horse, I'm okay. That's honestly like so tough. That's awesome. They like duct taped him into a saddle. We were talking today. We were recording the watch today.

We were talking about Lindsay Vaughn is going to ski with a torn ACL. Yes. Seriously. And we were like, how? I love the Olympics. You know? Like, how can you do that? That's basically Lindsay Vaughn is what I'm saying.

Malik, can I ask you a question? But Lindsay Vaughn and Westeros. Yeah. Well, it's more of a statement. Sorry. I'm surprised. I'm surprised your favorite moment of the episode wasn't Dunk befriending a rat, a little rat in his jail cell. We've got Preston right here.

I was wondering. What? Because it's been around the whole time. It's always been there. You got to put him behind you. The rats and hot tea. Were you thinking about blood and cheese? Were you thinking about your favorite rat catchers?

No, I was thinking about hilarious. My Boston apartment was at the end before I left. I was thinking Dunk is starving and there's a different show where like he grabs and he eats that rat. But he's like, hello, friend. Yeah, how about learning that egg is like a cat guy? Shoutouts or pounce, you know, if they're going to sell them in. Oh, we've really talked to my egg. Would you say no one is more accursed than the Kitslayer for Aryan?

Bright Plan? Why not? I was waiting this whole episode to say that. What did you think of when they cut to egg on and he's just swinging that giant acts in the background of the shot? I mean, he's a little bit in the background of this episode, but thought he was great, again, performance. And, you know, definitely paints this portrait of being. terrorized by Aryan and then Aryan turning around being like, I love my brothers. I love them.

They're great brothers. I mean, what Baylor does and what Egg does, like, we really can't, like, overstate the significance of it. I mean, Egg is out actively recruiting people for Dunk's side. And choose, it's such a cementing of their allegiance. I'm surprised he wasn't grounded, to be completely honest, that he was allowed, like. He's out there rocking his dark-colored double. Darren and Ariane, he like, can't.

I can't keep track of egg. I think that on the Baylor front, there's an adaptive change that happens in this episode where when Dunk is taken before Baylor, dunk is a bit more sort of active and aggressive than he is in the book in terms of like he's debating him. He's like, wouldn't you have done the same? Like these are things that sort of Baylor is monologuing

and they turned it into a dialogue, which just makes Dunk feel a bit more sure of himself inside of that scene. Looks very substantial too because Baylor obviously is treating him as like a quasi-equal. Right. Or he's always just like, I agree with you, but like the rules are the rules

and without rules to get Blackfire rebellions. Fair enough. But then for him to show up at the end and basically like quote Duncan back to him is like, which is, you know, again, an adaptive change, but like something that I think is so speaks to Baylor, our hottest fave.

Genuinely the best. Like taking lessons from anyone. Yes. You can take a lesson from a hedge knight. Doesn't matter if you're the heir to the throne. Who, you know, best idea wins sort of thing. I love that. And it's such a great way to really connect to what we saw from him in episode two when he had

such grace. He's the one who remembers Ireland of everyone. He's the one who easily calls Dunkster and tells him to rise and welcomes him. And the tonal shift here does heighten the tension and the anxiety of the moment. But it feels like a very natural continuation. And I love that too because we've talked about that a lot with Dunkin Egg, how they're both learning from each other. Baylor calls him into the room to suggest trial by combat.

It's not like he's like fuck off. He wants to help him. I loved the look that Bertie as Baylor gave to Finn Bennett, Aryan, when he's like, you know, talking about guilt. Like he's just like, you are the one who is in the wrong here. But still, to your point, dunk giving him in this scene and the energy of it, that final little bit of a boost to encourage him to make the choice to ride out. So you, in the minds of Thrones fans, it is, I think, so, like, of a,

of Obron, of course. But Obron, that's an iconic moment. It's more iconic ultimately because we've spent four seasons and three books with Tariya by then. We've spent a season, a book with Obron. There's just less time with these characters. However, what Baylor does here is more noble. No question.

Oberin is driven by his personal vengeance. He would call it justice, but it's vengeance. And I'm not saying that's wrong. Sure. But there is a reason that he's doing that. The game is the game. I got to respect it. What about what I?

I want, he says. What about what I want? That's not what Baylor is doing. He's like, what is right? And Dunk has helped him see that. There's an incredible lesson there. You know, when Dunk in the novella sees the Fosway Apple, our guy Raymond, he's like describes it as like it looked like hope. All right. I love Raymond. Raymond you like. Raymond you like. Stefan is a piece of garbage. But like this is hope. The idea of a person in power in this family in this realm who could try to do the right thing, how. truly, truly rare. I'm sure everything will work out great. How about the throne theme music at the end? True, bold, world really getting it. No cut to diarrhea this time just like, fuck, we're in it. I got chills.

I was just in WordPress as being like, did Aryan have a point? Okay, well, wrap it up there. Right into the CMS? No, he does that. I do do that. Dude, one of my favorite Chris things from the years, especially in the big blog days, was he would send a slack in the production slack

and just say, You would usually have to say... You'd drop something on Trello. I've done this, this is gone through now. Somebody else has edited it. You just say, I am to the desk. I was. I wrote hits, you know?

I wrote a lot of hit misses, though. You know, you got... You? No, you didn't. You miss on 1,000% of the blogs you don't write, you know? Into the CMS. We'll end it there. This was a good.

Was this your favorite episode of the season so far? They are, everyone success of his my favorite episode of the season. Yeah, I think so. We'll end it there. Episode 5 next Sunday, no Super Bowl. So we'll be back at our usual time. Who's going to win the Super Bowl? What do you think?

Seahawks. Yeah. Fuck yeah, let's go. I've heard. Do you know that the Seahawks head coach is a Ringer fan? I didn't know. Mike McDonald's a Talk the Thrones fan? You remember I am to the desk and blogging,

but you don't remember meeting Mike McDonald and the ringer offices back in the day? Not at all. Geez. Really? Yeah. Well, if you're listening, I would remember. Yeah, there you know. Mike, come back.

To be fair, Mike McDonald looks like anonymous. Like, if you put, like, Mike McDowell looks like two million white men to me. And there's nothing wrong with that. In a trench coat. I'm just saying, don't you think Mike McDonald is not the most distinctive looking person? Well, he was a wonderful coach of the Baltimore Ravens back in the day.

I love Mike McDonald's. I hope he went to Super Bowl and I hope the Patriots eat shit. Great. See you guys on next Sunday. Bye. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Levato on May 17th,

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