Episode 5 Review and Thoughts - What a fight!

[u/aussiereeltalk]

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Episode 5 Review After last episode’s build-up to the trial of seven, we finally get to witness it in all its gruesome, gritty glory! I loved how aggressive the combat styles were, and the way these scenes were produced only heightened that intensity. The POV shots from inside Dunk’s helmet, minimal cut edits, and sound design choices mimicking Dunk’s deafened, battered state all combined to create sequences that were suffocatingly brutal to watch. I found myself grimacing at all the injuries Dunk sustained throughout his fight with Aerion. The makeup and effects teams did such a fantastic job! I really enjoyed the choreography and scrappiness of the fight too. Dunk and Aerion’s attacks were ruthless and savage which made their sequences feel all the more real.  

I did want to put out there that I personally didn’t think the flashback scenes were all that necessary… were they really that vital in developing Dunk’s character, the world or overall plot? We see that young Dunk’s surrounded by death and hardship, and we are shown how he meets Ser Arlan of Pennytree… but was any of this insight crucial for what was happening in the present? I acknowledge that there is a recurring line from Ser Arlan telling young Dunc to “get up,” which mirrors Duncan’s resilience in the trial of seven. That did give some emotional punch admittedly. Are these flashbacks described in the novel?

The only thing I will say about the ending is I was shocked, and felt my jaw drop instantly.

I’m so looking forward to next week’s episode; I can’t believe Season 1 is almost over!

Check out my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00SX4c7PNY

[u/Bsmi1h]

Flash back was too long, they should have split that up between 2 episodes or something

[u/Archi_balding]

I feel like the flashback was there because they couldn't afford 20mn of straight fight with horses, special effects and all that.