The best scene from the A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms premiere isn’t in the book

Stop or get hit in the ear. Please note: this article contains spoilers for the premiere of the series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”.

What separates a faithful adaptation from one that fails to live up to its source material? It’s a question that has bothered many fans since time immemorial and is of particular concern to, uh, intense concern for this specific franchise. There’s no point in rehashing All the Ways the Final Season of ‘Game of Thrones’ Was Ultimately a Disappointment to viewers or to the issues plaguing the “House of the Dragon,” a series that even author George RR Martin has publicly denounced. But, perhaps more than many other fans of the franchise, book readers have a greater purpose to champion. With both series, entire plots were changed or abandoned entirely, characters’ personalities and motivations were skewed beyond recognition, and much of the complexity and nuance of the originals was glossed over in favor of a crowd-pleasing show.

Is there more where that came from in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” HBO’s latest series based on Martin’s fantasy world? Based on initial feedback, maybe not. The first follows the first 35 or so pages of the short story, titled “The Hedge Knight,” almost beat for beat. But, for this series to last six episodes in total (with a running time of around half an hour), everyone knew that creator Ira Parker and his team of writers would inevitably have to develop the story of Ser Duncan the Great (Peter Claffey), his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) and their misadventures at the tournament at Ashford Meadow.

The most notable example involves Dunk’s first meeting with Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) – a long sequence full of drinking and dancing that is not in the book at all, yet serves as the climax of the premiere.

Especially since we have prepared “Game of Thrones” fans for this new seriesIt’s safe to say that casual viewers probably weren’t expecting to meet their new favorite character from a “GoT”-related show here. The ostentatious, peacockish Ser Lyonel Baratheon bursts onto the scene quite memorably at the start of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” After Dunk meets young squire Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas), our hedge knight finds himself brought to a large lodge offering a huge feast – the likes of which such a low-class individual has never seen in his life. His commanding presence and permanent open-mouthed stare soon attract the attention of the host of the evening’s festivities, and after a somewhat tense encounter and an impromptu dance, the two settle in for an in-depth conversation that was never even hinted at in George RR Martin’s text.

Maybe that’s genius. In the short story entitled “The Hedge Knight”, Dunk only observes the famous “Laughing Storm” from afar while Baratheon jousts fantastically in the lists and puts on an amusing spectacle to conquer the crowds (while annoying his competitors). It’s not much of a spoiler to say that Lyonel comes into play in the rest of the story to come, but in a way that may seem quite abrupt to readers. In a visual medium like television, this same approach wouldn’t really work, so it makes perfect sense that Ira Parker would decide to introduce the antler-crowned knight much earlier and more directly.

Better yet, the quirky dynamic established between the two characters is sure to surprise even the most die-hard fans.

For a story that seems simple enough in the short story, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” found a way to keep everyone on their toes. On a purely storyline level, this scene meets several objectives. Thematically, the initial meeting between Dunk and Lyonel emphasizes the yawning class and power gap between the two, where a hedge knight would presumably find himself at the mercy of a highborn lord for the “sin” of showing up uninvited in the hope of a supper. After fighting his way through this, Lyonel’s perplexed reaction and acceptance of Dunk instantly sets him apart from the rest of the nobility of Westeros. And even their extended dance together adds all kinds of fascinating (dare we say affectionate?) subtext that really brings Lyonel to life.

But it’s their subsequent chat over drinks that really drives it home. After reflecting on his legendary exploits and achievements as a sailor, the topic turns to the vast differences between their stations. Dunk’s realization that he risks losing everything to his name if the jousts go against him only highlights Lyonel’s privilege, as Lionel could simply buy back his armor and horse if he lost. The quiet life of a noble from a famous house is the furthest thing from reality for someone like Dunk. And while Lyonel clearly has good intentions, even he has no answers for what Dunk should do. For a story as modest as this, the stakes couldn’t be more significant for our hero. As far as adaptations go, this is as sensible an addition as possible.

New episodes of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” arrive on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday.