A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Episode 2's Incredible Puppet Show Explained

Winter is coming, and so are spoilers for the first two episodes of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."

George R. R. Martin's fantasy world is expanding. "Game of Thrones" helped change television by bringing high fantasy to the masses and captivating the whole world with a tale of knights and dragons and incest. Then, "House of the Dragon" expanded on its parent show's family politics and intrigue by focusing on the internal conflicts of the Targaryen dynasty. Now, we're getting something fresh with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," a show that couldn't be more different from its predecessors. Indeed, it's a simple, lighthearted (but by no means devoid of violence), at times hilarious, and always endearing and heartfelt fantasy story.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a petty hedge knight trying to make a name for himself while accompanied by his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The show doesn't feature wars, political backstabbing, or dragons, which is a big part of what makes it special. Most of all, it's just fun and brings to mind the fan-favorite road buddy arcs of "Game of Thrones," like Arya (Maisie Williams) and the Hound (Rory McCann) traveling together.

That being said, even if the story of Duncan (also known as Dunk) is not as grand as what we've seen in previous "Game of Thrones" series, that doesn't mean it's entirely lacking for legendary feats and incidents. Rather, we still get those here, complete with a cool dragon, in the form of a pair of puppet shows performed in the series' first two episodes. And in case you were wondering, these performances aren't merely recounting random stories; they're dramatizing legends from the history of Westeros. Let's explore that.

In the first episode of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," we see some puppeteers, led by Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), telling the story of a man fighting a ferocious dragon with a polished shield. It's a dramatization of the smallfolk-favorite tale of Serwyn of the Mirror Shield from the Age of Heroes, which precedes the arrival of the Andals thousands of years before "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" begins.

Sewryn is a legendary figure who, according to songs, slew a terrifying dragon named Urrax with a spear to the eye. Serwyn had polished his shield to the point that it was essentially a mirror, allowing him to approach the dragon safely since it saw only its own reflection in the shield. We don't know how much of the story is true, admittedly. In George R. R. Martin's source material, he's believed to have been a member of the Kingsguard despite that institution not existing until millennia after Serwyn's death. The Age of Heroes itself similarly predates the existence of dragons, but that doesn't matter; everyone loves a good dragon-slaying tale.

Then, in episode 2, we get the tale of Florian the Fool, who's said to have been a knight in the era of the First Men despite knighthood only arriving in Westeros with the Andals millennia later. Nevertheless, Florian is remembered as a valiant warrior (of non-noble birth) who fell in love with a maiden in a story so famous that the town of Maidenpool is literally named after where they met. This legend is also particularly interesting since Martin hasn't said much about who Florian actually was, beyond him (again) being a knight who was called a fool and fell in love with a maid.

With their incredible practical dragon and life-size Florian puppet, these shows are more an excuse for some cool visuals (or to illustrate how awful Dunk is at flirting). They're also an excellent way to explore some of the many legends of Westeros that will probably never be fully adapted into TV shows. Sadly, many of the canceled "Game of Thrones" spin-offs could've examined these in greater depth, including the abandoned series about the Age of Heroes and the Long Night. Hence, as far as individual legends about heroes like Serwyn or Florian go, this is probably going to be our best (and only) look at them.

Thankfully, though, these puppet shows make Westeros feel more like a lived-in place than if HBO had churned out additional prequel series every few years. Granted, "House of the Dragon" and its portrayal of Targaryen history has enriched "Game of Thrones," but there's still something engaging about getting to watch characters react to seeing these dramatizations of ancient legends on "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." By showing that these tales of mythical heroes from millennia ago continue to captivate regular Westerosi folk in its timeline, the series itself comes across as a chapter in a larger tale that never ends (to paraphrase Samwise Gamgee from "The Lord of the Rings").

In the end, being able to make Westeros feel like a real place full of history, legends, and culture is what truly matters. We don't need a Florian the Fool spin-off show, we just need to see how he continues to be remembered long after his time.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering on Sundays.