The Reel Rejects - A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Episode 1 REVIEW!

Starting point is 00:00:00 From the creative team behind the Brutalist and starring Academy Award nominee Amanda Seifred in a career best performance, Searchlight Pictures presents The Testament of Anne Lee. With rave reviews from the Venice Film Festival, this bold and magnetic musical epic tells the story inspired by a true legend. Anne Lee, founder of the radical religious movement, The Shakers, The Testament of Anne Lee. Now playing in an exclusive Toronto engagement in theaters everywhere January 23rd. How do the most successful women do it? We ask them on how she does it with Karen Feinerman. You'll get insights from leaders like today's Jenna Bush Hager.

Starting point is 00:00:39 There's a lot I say no to, and I think it's a really important word for women to use. Rachel Weber of Paris Hilton's 1111 media. I'm going to be a much better leader. I'm going to bring more creativity if I have other things filling my life. And more. That's how she does it with me, Karen Feinerman, wherever you get your podcast. Looking to grow your investing skills and make smarter decisions with your money in 2026, join Hermione's investing fix, the twice-monthly Women's Only Investment Club, where expert stock pickers

Starting point is 00:01:16 pitch ideas and you help build the portfolio. Since launching four years ago, our member-driven picks have outperformed the S&P thanks to smart, collaborative choices. We've got a strong track record and a community that's learning. and winning together. So go to investing fix.com. That's Fix with two X's and join us.

Starting point is 00:01:40 This week's videos are sponsored by PricePix, the easy to use fantasy sports betting app. More on them in just a bit. Well, if it's good enough for George R.R. Martin, hopefully it's good enough for us. Leave a like on the video. All right, well, let's do this thing. We're hopping in in three and a two and a three.

Starting point is 00:02:05 Interesting. Well, gang. If you've made it till this point in the video, thank you, first of all. If you could go ahead, leave a like. That'd be very much appreciated. Subscribe, hit the notification bell so you can be notified

Starting point is 00:02:16 when the next night of the seven kingdom comes your way. Also, big thanks to the team over a prepper for chopping these highlights together. The least challenging episode of any Game of Thrones show to cut. Still, very much appreciate you guys. And if you want to get the full-length reaction, watch a long experience,

Starting point is 00:02:34 see everything that does make these highlights, you can come on over to patreon.com slash the real rejects if you see highlights on this channel chances are there's a watch along you can sync up with over there we also got a whole bunch of lovely people good community you get a view into our shooting schedule get to ask us questions on a normal video uh you know this is a bit of a special circumstance but normally anyhow gang we hear michael why don't you go first john uh sure yeah i mean this was really charming this is a really nice primer into something that I have no idea about and I kind of in gathering that this was neither direct everything connects I imagine in this realm and I'm sure there's a significance as to why

Starting point is 00:03:18 we are doing this now but gathering that this was far enough removed from the other two shows I thought it might be fun to come in and be surprised by what this is and I am pleasantly surprised by what this is I like the slice of lifeness It sounds like they're doing a ton of stuff that you guys understand the context too. But just for me slipping into this without knowing that there's a bunch of stuff on the horizon, this was just a really lovely contrast.

Starting point is 00:03:46 I miss a lot of these kinds of production values in Game of Thrones and Material, even in House of the Dragon, which has earned back a good amount of goodwill. I am curious how people will respond to this because this is up my alley. I don't know if this is up every Game of Thrones viewers Allie in that

Starting point is 00:04:04 Again, from what you guys have been saying, it seems like there will certainly be Got night in the title, there will be battles, I assume. But yeah, as a As a means of coming back to this world, but not trying to emulate the same thing we all know,

Starting point is 00:04:19 I thought this was really lovely. So, yeah, it's my two cents. What do you think of, what do you think of Dunk? Oh, he's great. I mean, Bambor Todd, no, no, this is not the right actor. Whoever the actor is. I saw Dunk and I

Starting point is 00:04:31 didn't read the Young. I don't imagine who's the first person credited the Dunkin' So there's the Duncan Donut and then there is

Starting point is 00:04:38 the munchkin He played the munchkin He's Peter Claffey Yeah Peter Claffey Yeah Peter Claffey It's got to be Peter Claffey The name we're gonna remember Yeah I liked him

Starting point is 00:04:46 immensely I mean he is in almost every frame And I really appreciate Yeah his earnestness His body language He feels Yeah like in every man In a very appealing way

Starting point is 00:04:58 Especially for this world And I don't exactly know what to expect out of that because again, I've seen other things in this universe where you think some guy is the main character and he's just too good for this world and he seems like a guy who might be a little too good for this world. But he also, you know, as being a hedge knight, as being somebody with a purpose and this status, but without all of the status that a lord might have or whatever, yeah, he's very engrossing, he's very endearing and I have been enjoying just observing him thus far

Starting point is 00:05:30 and kind of meeting him through other characters too because again even though we get these little windows and these little cutaways that are very funny and you know illuminating uh yeah i like where we've met this guy

Starting point is 00:05:45 i'm very drawn in i don't really have any sense for anything that's to come but you know in this world the contrast is good enough for me honestly to be in this world and be like oh wow i'm really drawn into you and there's no like huge impending doom at the moment is kind of nice i mean i think out of any of like this is literally the only game of thrones thing i didn't even read the actual novella you know i haven't read any other game of thrones thing ever but i can confidently say out of any game of thrones thing i've been

Starting point is 00:06:18 exposed to i think this is the least one you have to worry about like getting bogged down with predictions and shit like that it's like the easiest one to follow and it's more it is just so like human It's meant to be enjoyed. Yeah, it's just meant to be enjoyed. So, like, I think the episode is, uh, I just everything. I thought they were going to really change it, um, like drastically from what I remember about it because every imagery I saw it just looked like fucking epic. Did you, you guys see the trailer?

Starting point is 00:06:46 I didn't see a trailer for this. Yeah, I saw the trailer. Was it a trailer pitch it like an epic thing or is it? A little bit. I mean, I think they allude to a little bit of what's to come. But I mean, I think that the idea was get. people's foot in the door and then let the performance do its thing. But I think everything the show captures takes the essence of so much of the lightheartedness and so much of the fun that we had in

Starting point is 00:07:12 the beginning of Game of Thrones that made people fall in love with those characters. Sure. I love how faithful this adaptation has been so far. And it really is a fun time period to play in because there isn't that sort of big, bad, looming, you know, there's not white walkers coming, there's not dragon civil war going on. There's, you know, we get to actually see this world and experience this world. I think there's a status quo right now. Yeah, that's, I think, a good way to... It's a weird period after a civil war. Yeah, it's a quieter time. Obviously, the world is still Westeros, so there's still a conflict abounding. But, you know, and following a Hedge Knight, which is such a fun, I mean, that's a term that, that George R. Martin coined. I was wondering. I was like, I've never heard this until.

Starting point is 00:08:06 It sounds real enough. That's the brilliance of George R. Martin. But it's sort of, it takes on this historical context of the most righteous and sort of most chivalrous are the ones that are among the people and actually have to exist in the reality of this world, not the pomp and circumstance. that knighthood has become. And I feel like that's why Sir Duncan is such a fun character, because we get to really experience, like, Westeros, not just in all of its beauty and awfulness, but we also get to live the consequences of the very bad decisions of all these lords and leaders and all of that, and what that actually means for these characters. You know, I thought, just a really quick call out. I absolutely loved, obviously seeing

Starting point is 00:08:56 Lionel Barathean so cool to see, you know, I think is the great, great, great grandfather of Robert Barathean. And, you know, he's making a joke about, you know, burning him alive and all of that. And it's such a funny call out to Stannis, you know, who would later go on to do exactly that craziness. You know, but you see bits of Renley and you see bits of Robert and you see that there is such a Game of Thrones has, I think, a unique position to be able to create character out of the houses and the settings. And there is a certain, an expectation that we have when we see a Lanister, or we see a Barathean or a Targaryen.

Starting point is 00:09:38 And it's fun for them to get to play with those expectations and support those expectations. But honestly, like, it was great. I felt like we're going to the start of a Renfair. And to have a tourney be like the big, ah, this is an exciting thing we're building up to. it's just it's nice to have a story that is character driven and focused and like i love hopping around the continent sure sure it is so nice to be in just one place and to get to spend time watching

Starting point is 00:10:07 a guy take a fucking shit so yeah what what did you think of egg Reject Nation, thanks so much for tuning into this video because today's episode is brought to you by prize picks. I first learned about prize picks via through the misses because she's super into fantasy sports and honestly, kind of makes sense or sponsor in real rejects because what we do here has always been about experiences. Not just watching something, but feeling it. Being locked in, being present. Just to be clear, this isn't about pressure or chasing wins. It's about choice, engagement.

Starting point is 00:10:40 And adding a little extra fun to something you were all. watching. I get it. Trying something new can be intimidating, whether that's starting a new routine or jumping into sports for the first time. But in life and on prize picks, it always feels good to be right. Price picks fantasy sports down to its simplest form. Trust your instincts.

Starting point is 00:10:59 No drafts, no season-long commitments, no-no. You just pick more or less on player projections. And suddenly every game hits a little harder. Right now with high pressure NFL playoff games every weekend, and elite NBA action almost every night pantomiming. The action never stops. And Price Picks lets you take control or just enjoy the games differently. They've added early payouts.

Starting point is 00:11:22 So if your player gets hot, you can cash out before the game even ends. You can choose flex play for flexibility or power play for bigger payouts. And even if your Fantasy League is already over, Prize Pics lets you keep playing even through the playoffs. Right now they're available on all 50 states with fast, fast, secure withdrawals and easy to deposits. You can download the Price Picks app today and use code Rejects to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That's Code Rejects. You get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup price picks. Good to be right.

Starting point is 00:11:55 John? I leave that open to the... I'm actually really curious about John. Oh, yeah. Great intro. I thought the function of this episode to me largely seemed like, yeah, we're going to get to know Duncan a little bit and then set up what will, I'm sure, be the thrusting's the relationship. A bad way to put that, but yeah, there'll be a central night and squire type of

Starting point is 00:12:21 situation. Yeah, I mean, I really like the contrast of their characters, the every manishness with eggs sort of just savvy beyond his years. You know, given the life he's lived to make some sense. You know, it's just the intro, but I

Starting point is 00:12:37 like the, I'm very excited to see this grow into the rhythm. whatever that'll be yeah can we talk about the cinematography for a minute beautiful i this was just like the number one like the color correction and the palette that they've chosen for this show i feel like has done such a good job of it still feels familiar but the world almost feels like younger and brighter and greener and and it sort of echoes so much of the uh the romping and the fun of of sort of you know this this character and honestly that that opening shot and that beautiful oneer of walking down.

Starting point is 00:13:15 I mean, it's, I love that we're still getting the production value of Game of Thrones, but it's so hyper-focused that you can really appreciate it. Yeah. Well, they do like, whenever he's around in environments where he's especially out of place amongst people who are more lordy or whatever, like they use a lot of that more opulent gold, yellow lighting.

Starting point is 00:13:35 And then when he's a little bit more alone, they do a little bit more of that, kind of toned, blue to drive home that melancholy because the guy is

Starting point is 00:13:45 also grieving at the same time, you know? Yeah. And it's grieving a strange relationship, too. I mean,

Starting point is 00:13:50 it's, I'm really happy they had flashbacks. I'm sure, I hope anyway, that that will continue for the rest of the series. It seems like it has to.

Starting point is 00:13:58 Like, it's a motif they've set up. Yeah. Yeah. And such an unexpected, I mean, I have to say that the brilliance of

Starting point is 00:14:05 setting up the original Game of Thrones theme and waiting for that title card to drop. and then go into now we're just going to take an actual shit right on that it's literally gambling with your audience right there's like if you don't get on board for this you are going to at least they're being honest or like yeah they're being honest like it's not at all with the other stuff you're used to with this um because i could see how people who are familiar with the source

Starting point is 00:14:30 material like or like someone like john would enjoy it of course and i'm sure there's a lot of people out there who do enjoy it i could also see this being like a massive disappointment to people who have been like set up for this. So that's why like I thought there was a very specific plot point that will definitely happen. Yeah. That's where I really thought this episode would end.

Starting point is 00:14:49 And I'm surprised at where they let it end. Yeah. Because to my understanding, the novella itself is even short so that you could just adapt directly to novella. Even though there's like stuff that happens that I don't fully recall. I don't really remember Barathean.

Starting point is 00:15:02 So is he really a presence in that? No, no. They did expand pretty dramatically too. And I understand. why. I mean, he's, that's a familiar sort of tie-in and, uh, I think also helps with the juxtaposition in the beginning, which is really, um, you know, that being said, like, whoever had the brilliant idea of like, cut two, he's wearing, you know, Barathean stagged crown. That's freaking brilliant. And so, you know, but, but it's, it's, it's not afraid to have fun. And, and, and, and, you know, and, but, but it's, it's, it's, it's not afraid

Starting point is 00:15:37 to have fun. And honestly, after the last season, the Game of Thrones, after all the intensity of House of the Dragon, which I love, but it's intense.

Starting point is 00:15:48 It's nice to just, like, watch something relatively light and fun. Well, yeah, it's just zeroing in on, like, the people. Like, the town's folk here.

Starting point is 00:15:58 What's the proper term for it? Small folk? Small folk. I'm so proud of you, Greg. Honestly, like, me, I remember a character's names is, like,

Starting point is 00:16:06 gonna be a challenge. right um but the but with the the the small folk is like a they're not like them part of the environment of them is a character of this of this specific show so to do a interpretation here where you do make them feel more human and there's something that fell a little bit more modern in its approach it's like it dawned on me when you kept bringing up uh robert brythian because that guy is in a knight's tail and there's something about this that it's a little night's That's 100% isn't it? And Night's Tale also takes the approach of like, that goes very modern.

Starting point is 00:16:42 But it's not exactly doing that, of course. But there is a bit of that kind of ironic humor. I want to challenge you on this for a sec, because you say it's very modern. Modern in this sense of the way the characters kind of interact with each other. And performance-wise. And I hear you, but I think that's the brilliance of this, because I think what they're trying to dispel is that whenever we watch these, these, like, grand, high medieval fantasy,

Starting point is 00:17:10 we see these lords and kings and all of that, they're all pomp and circumstance. They're all caricatures. People have always been silly and goofy. People have always been light. I get your saying, because you're always taking on royalty characters. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:17:23 Yeah, and this is just what people are. That's the beauty of this. It's showing that people have always been people. Yeah. And I think that's something really beautiful. And I think that's part of why people are really gravitated towards Aria, especially when she went undercover because we were able to explore that world ever so slightly, you know. Oh, definitely.

Starting point is 00:17:45 And with Duncan, the whole idea of Hedge Knight, you kind of get glimpses of it, too, in this one episode, like what you were speaking to earlier of like what a Hedge Knight stands up for, you know, what a knight, just to remove the term hedge. a knight is meant to like protect the innocent. To uphold shivery. And then in this world though, a lot of times it is more about just obedient to law, obedient to who you serve, less about, you know, going out, like doing the right thing. Filty to your liege, Lord, not necessarily fealty to the people in. Yeah, so to zero in on just the heart of this one episode was,

Starting point is 00:18:30 I think just a smart call to sell. and I love the I love the humor that they committed to like the melancholic kind of humor that they had where you get a sense of like sadness and loneliness but there's also a bit of like hopefulness in there you know it's so opposite for Game of Thrones. It's setting up the underdog story too which I he's so much more underdog than I expected which I'm really glad that they did that too you know you can't have it all especially when you're tall Like egg is exactly how I remember. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:19:06 But like you don't even get like John, I'm curious to know your opinion on it. With Dunk, do you get a sense of the fighter? Because like in the when I remember reading it, like you get that sense of like, yeah, he's out of place, but you can tell he's kind of a badass. And here I'm like, I don't get that sense at all. This guy is like remotely capable of wielding a sword. Yeah, exactly. So how did you? how did you interpret it?

Starting point is 00:19:33 Yeah, I believe... To me, it's a nice level because he's not a guy who I'm sitting around waiting for him to pop off and use some crazy shit. But he's, he's big enough and he's like committed enough

Starting point is 00:19:47 to what he's doing that I'm like, I believe this is a character who can take care of himself if it's called for it might not be pretty, but, you know, he seems of noble intent and courageous enough that like, yeah, I'm not sitting here.

Starting point is 00:20:01 here expecting like a crazy bat like some crazy flipping martial art shit out of this guy but but he certainly seems i would pay him in the book like a guy who who doesn't invite trouble but can get his hands dirty and deal with trouble if he has to yeah is kind of how it comes across to me so far yeah okay i guess the word is like there was a because in my understanding george armarmardom was was involved with the graphic novel and there's a more of it was there's a ruggedness to him and there's like no ruggedness to him and to like strip that away. I think I think that will evolve. Is interesting story. Yeah. Because he's not super rugged, but I believe him as a guy who ruffs it. Yeah. Okay. Cool. Yeah. You know. Yeah. No, he definitely, he looked like he shits in the woods all the time.

Starting point is 00:20:48 Yeah. And he's always out in the elements. Also, he's not getting enough fiber. I meant to call it out during that moment, but I was in shock and laughing at how freaking brilliant it was. at the cheeks. That's so smart. That's the exact thing like Twitter will either hate or love it. It's like if I had been receptive to Luke throwing the lightsaber over his shoulder,

Starting point is 00:21:13 it's giving the same exact sort of... But he's not a legacy character. No, he's not a legacy. It's fucking random dunk. Well, that's a great way to say, yeah, this isn't the Game of Thrones that you're accustomed to. Yeah, we're in Ryan Johnson's world now.

Starting point is 00:21:26 Well, and I think that's a great. The humor is actually a huge part of the hook in that regard because if I wasn't if I actually if I wasn't watching this with you guys I would have almost no sense of things to come or that anything is going to amount to anything yet like it's very slice of life it's very much just like we ruined something for you I'm really trying not to no not at all but but you know you guys will notice things and I'm like oh clearly there's like way more context than I would be capable of picking up at the moment and so like I can tell your anticipation whereas like here I like the position that the show has put me in I wonder how people will take it who don't have the experience with this, because this is up my alley that we're doing slightly different slice of life. I can tell what the arc possibly will be, but I don't have the same set of expectations. A normal Game of Thrones would give me at the end of an episode.

Starting point is 00:22:14 And that's why they gave Lionel Barathean ample screen time to give us a, for the non-readers hook that lets them sort of give a little more trust in the process that we're going to get to something that may amount to more. But I'll say this. Like if you're watching, just like have fun, for God's sake, life is hard. I'm sad.

Starting point is 00:22:40 Yeah. You know, but I get to watch the show with my best buddies. It's nice to have a fun one in the Game of Thrones universe. Any straight thoughts before we hit it, gang? Yeah,

Starting point is 00:22:50 this will be the most of the Game of Thrones reactions we do. Definitely. I will say the casting, the casting director deserves an award for this. I think egg. is egg is like exactly how yeah

Starting point is 00:23:03 and it's just it's like one of those things we're like in the same way that the last of us just have this like brilliant dynamic between I can already see the chemistry between these characters

Starting point is 00:23:14 it's going to be the best part of the show so yeah yeah and I'm excited that that's something we can look forward to instead of like when are the dragons

Starting point is 00:23:20 coming or something yeah when's the big battle episode but yeah there's no drag they all died wow Spoilers.

Starting point is 00:23:30 If you watch Game of Thrones. Spoilers. Kind of the whole plot of Game of Thrones. But you freaking, wait a minute. We're before Game of Thrones. And after House of the Dragon. Yeah, there were dragons. And then the Dragons came back.

Starting point is 00:23:42 Don't. What? I'll talk to you later. Guys, leave us your thoughts on the 9th and the 7th. Do you believe in dragons? Leave your comment down below. Yeah. No one's not the whole thing with DeNaris?

Starting point is 00:23:55 Was that she? She'd re-birth the dragons. Brought them back? Yeah. She's the mother of dragons because they hadn't been there since... And they hadn't been there in a while? You know, yeah.

Starting point is 00:24:03 A hot minute. I'm worried that you feel like Michael ruined something for you when I'm like, we know this. I thought there was, it was caught... No, no, no, Michael didn't ruin something. Michael created confusion and then I'm like, I know there will be dragons down the line. Oh, that's what you mean.

Starting point is 00:24:16 They are not completely gone. Here's the crazy thing. I was just looking for thumbnail elements in an episode where there were dragons and denarius and all. When Ed took the time stone, it caused a rift. Deliver all the eggs back. He's the ancient one.

Starting point is 00:24:31 He does look like the ancient one. Spoiler. On that, that was that, Mr. Duncan will return in Avengers Tuesday. And we'll return next week for episode two of night

Starting point is 00:24:47 of the seven kingdoms. Oh, we'll see you all then. I'm very excited. This is going to be fun. Be well, people.

The Reel Rejects - A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Episode 1 REVIEW!

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.