We’ve arrived at the penultimate episode of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ much-too-short first season with episode five, “In the Name of the Mother.” Episode five really ramps up the action compared to the earlier episodes, and it hits hard with a gut-wrenching loss of one of the season’s most honorable characters.
(The following is a recap of season one, episode five, and there are spoilers.)
Episode five opens with Prince Baelor ‘Breakspear’ Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) delivering a pep talk to Dunk’s men, warning them to stay in formation. That’s followed by a round of vomiting as the gravity of the situation really hits home. Baelor assures the men he’ll take on the Kingsguard since they can’t harm him.
“Be vigilant. Don’t die,” advises Baelor before riding into position.
Dunk (Peter Claffey) warns an incredibly worried Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) that he better be there when he returns. The affection this unlikely duo shares is so sweet!
Three minutes in and the action on the field gets underway. The two opposing forces charge across the field. Lances are broken, men are bloodied, and horses fall. Dunk is speared but manages to pull it out right before he’s knocked from his horse and falls unconscious.
While Dunk’s unconscious, a flashback shows a young Dunk (Bamber Todd) trying to put a gravely injured man out of his misery following a battle. His friend, Rafe (Chloe Lea), knocks him away, believing he’s alive enough to be worthy of a ransom. They try and pull him out from under his fallen horse but, unfortunately, he dies.
Rafe suggests they pull out his teeth; a witch will pay her for them. Dunk feels horrible that the man was calling out for his mother with his dying breath. The war’s over, the Black Dragon’s dead, and things are supposed to be better for everyone. Rafe insists that doesn’t matter. Flea Bottom is still incredibly dangerous, and they need to stick with their plan to leave.
Rafe and Dunk are stopped by Alester (Edward Davis), a man Rafe describes as “an evil bastard.” Briefly distracted, Rafe steals his flask. She immediately regrets taking a sip; it’s disgusting.
They get paid for what they’ve plundered, but the man who buys their treasures won’t take the Blackfyre leather they’ve scavenged.
Rafe counts their money and thinks they have enough to book passage out of Flea Bottom. Dunk’s worried the Free Cities aren’t any better than Flea Bottom, but Rafe’s committed to leaving. Dunk confesses he’s also worried his mom might try finding him, even though everyone believes she’s dead. But Dunk will go wherever Rafe goes. They love each other, and if Rafe leaves, Dunk will just have to muster courage and strike out on an adventure.
Morning arrives and they make their way through the streets, unaware Alester is following them. When they attempt to buy tickets on a ship, they’re told the fare has been doubled. They’re stuck here for now.
Alester and his friend corner Rafe and Dunk and steal their money. Alester lets them go but as they’re walking away, he realizes Rafe stole his knife. He grabs her from behind and slits her throat. She falls into Dunk’s arms as Alester smirks and walks away. Dunk is enraged, leaping on Alester’s back and biting his neck. Alester throws him off and orders his friend to stab Dunk, which he does, in the leg.
Dunk would be a goner if it weren’t for Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) intervening and beheading Dunk’s attacker. Ser Arlan also kills Alester during a brutal but short fight. Dunk bends over Rafe’s body, devastated. He holds her tight; his only friend is now gone.
A new day arrives and Dunk follows Ser Arlan, waiting until the knight falls asleep to enter his camp. He pets Ser Arlan’s horse, Sweetfoot, and looks around as the knight sleeps. The next day he stays behind Ser Arlan, walking on foot as Arlan continues his journey on horseback. Arlan’s a drinker and Dunk is entertained watching him from afar as he reenacts battles.
Days continue like this, with Dunk keeping his distance and Arlan acting as if he doesn’t know he’s there. But Dunk shivers and is miserable away from camp, hungry and cold.
Ser Arlan wakes up one morning and realizes he fell on his knife during the night. His side is bleeding, but he’s not badly injured. Ser Arlan looks up at Dunk on a nearby hill and sees him collapse. Arlan proves he’s a decent enough fellow by helping Dunk instead of leaving him.
Back to the tournament, and Dunk comes to as he remembers the day Ser Arlan rescued him. A flail strikes him in the head just as he regains consciousness, and as he’s staggering to his feet, he’s attacked multiple times and knocked back down…but not for long.
Dunk doesn’t have any weapons left and Prince Aerion ‘Brightflame’ Targaryen (Finn Bennett) takes advantage of that. Fortunately, Dunk’s able to wrestle Aerion down into the mud where they roll around, each attempting to gain the upper hand. Dunk has Aerion pinned, but Aerion still has a knife, and he stabs Dunk repeatedly in the chest before putting the knife through Dunk’s hand.
Dunk has a brief respite when one of his champions rides by and knocks Aerion away. Dunk gets to his feet, but when his back is turned, Aerion retrieves a sword and stabs him through the side.
The hedge knight’s sustained an incredible number of injuries but still fights on. He grabs a sword and the two swing at each other, with Aerion mercilessly stabbing poor Dunk who’s already bleeding from multiple wounds.
Aerion launches his sword, impaling Dunk’s leg. Yet the fight continues; Dunk will not give up or cower. The Targaryen prince sticks his blade through the slit in Dunk’s helmet, and blood spurts from around his eye. Dunk’s forced to remove his helmet because he can’t see and staggers toward Aerion, swinging blindly in his direction. He lands a devastating blow to Aerion’s upper thigh and Aerion’s father, Prince Maekar, screams out, “My boy! My boy!” but is held back from getting to him.
Dunk plops down on the ground, barely able to remain conscious. Egg urges Dunk on from the stands; he’s been cheering for Dunk and flinching in sympathy with each injury the hedge knight sustains.
Aerion isn’t faring much better and yells at Dunk to yield. Dunk falls over and doesn’t move. Prince Aerion approaches, looks at him briefly, and addresses the stands, “He’s dead! It’s over!”
Egg implores Dunk to not give up, screaming, “Get up!” Dunk has a vision of Ser Arlan telling him to get up and when he moves, Dunk screams and points at him, telling the crowd that Dunk is alive.
Aerion swings around as the crowd has turned to openly cheering on Dunk. He staggers to his sword as Dunk holds his own out in front of him. Neither has much fight left in them, but Dunk has just enough that he beats Aerion with his own shield before pummeling him with his fists.
Prince Aerion manages to whisper, “I yield.” Dunk looks around the field as the fighting continues and then drags Aerion into a sitting position, forcing him to tell Lord Ashford that he withdraws his accusation.
Dunk shoves him back into the dirt as the horn signals the end of the battle. Egg rushes to Dunk as Steely Pate the armorer (Youssef Kerkour) and Ser Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) bring Dunk inside. Dunk asks about his other champions and learns Ser Beesbury and Ser Hardyng died during the first charge. The lance drove the rings of his armor into his flesh and Dunk explains, “One moment I felt drunk. The next, like I’m dying.”
Steely Pate wants them to get Dunk drunk and pour boiling oil on the wound. Prince Baelor arrives in time to correct him; it must be wine, not oil. He’ll have Maester Yormwell take care of Dunk. Dunk is sufficiently lucid to take a knee and swear to be Baelor’s man.
Baelor gently places a hand on Dunk’s shoulder and replies, “I need good men, Ser Duncan. The realm.”
Dunk is helped back to a seated position as Baelor asks Raymun to help him remove his helmet because the visor’s cracked. He confesses his fingers feel like wood, and he doesn’t look well as Raymun circles behind him. Raymun asks Steely Pate for help and Steely Pate informs the Targaryen prince who’s next in line for the throne that his helmet is smashed in the back. Baelor reveals that his brother’s mace inflicted that blow.
The color drains from Raymun and Steely Pate’s faces as they stare at the back of Baelor’s head in horror. The removal of the helmet revealed that the prince’s head has been caved in. It’s a miracle that he was able to walk off the field.
Dunk catches Prince Baelor as he collapses, sobbing over his dead body and apologizing. Dunk begs Baelor to get up, and his sobs turn to wails as the episode ends.
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