Episode Review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 1x6 - "The Morrow"

Welcome back to the blog readers. It is no secret that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026-) has been such a delight and such a breath of fresh air. It is a refreshing look into the grandiose world of Westeros, and getting to see banter between lowborn people is just wonderful when we're so used to big battles and dragons and fighting over the Iron Throne. I am so disappointed that we are at the finale, titled "The Morrow," written by Ira Parker and Ti Mikkel, and directed by Sarah Adina Smith, but a bit relieved knowing we only have to wait a year to revisit these characters. Would this episode be a satisfying conclusion? Stick around to find out.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.

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Again, getting to see the relationship and chemistry between "Dunk" and "Egg" is something to behold, and it truly is the linchpin of the entire series. I have loved seeing what they can bring to the table, and I am at least gladdened to a degree that the wait will only be a year to see these characters again. I believe that this conclusion was emotional and funny. None of the performances really stood out to me this time around, but the story we get and the conclusion were all executed perfectly.

With that being said, let us talk about the final story that we get this season. We pick up shortly after the trial of seven that led to the death of Baelor Targaryen, and Ser Duncan the Tall is recovering underneath an elk tree. He is being confronted by Lyonel and his maester and being presented with ale from a jovial and joyful Lyonel. Lyonel also offers to bring Duncan to Tarth in Storm's End, promising to love him like a brother. Lyonel's maester claims Duncan's injuries are beyond his capabilities, and Lyonel humorously dismisses the old man. He then tells Duncan that if he refuses his offer, he will hate him like a brother. Duncan thanks Lyonel for the offer but adds that he brings pain and suffering wherever he goes, clearly still shaken up over Baelor's death. Lyonel tries to cheer up Duncan by telling him the only good dragon is a dead dragon. Duncan tries to get Lyonel to respect Baelor's sacrifice and Lyonel counters that not only did Baelor die for and risk nothing, the other men who fought alongside Duncan actually fought for him. Duncan questions why the gods favored him when Lyonel mentions that the gods do not favor a fraud, but Lyonel counters that this is not favor but mockery while predicting a war coming. Duncan agrees to go with Lyonel after the "roast," which turns out to be the funeral pyre of Baelor.

Duncan attends the funeral and approaches Prince Valarr Targaryen, the son of Baelor, and offers his condolences by calling Baelor a great man. The kid makes the situation even more somber by pointing out that Baelor died in Valarr's armor, while asking how many fathers died in their son's armor. He continues that Baelor would have made for a great king, the best since Aegon the Dragon. He also wonders why the gods spared Duncan, something Duncan admittedly agrees with, and Valarr leaves. Later on, while stumbling through the tourney grounds, he runs into the newly minted Ser Raymun Fossoway, who is as beat up as Duncan and is surprised he attended Baelor's funeral. Duncan knows that everyone is blaming him for Baelor's death, but Raymun tells him that he does not and the two embrace. He does not care that his cousin Ser Steffon Fossoway decided to pack up his things and leave because he can say he beat his cousin and shows off not only his new crest (containing a ripe green apple), but his new wife: prostitute Red, who previously worked for Ser Manfred Dondarrion. The couple also reveal that they are with child. Just as this is happening, Targaryen soldiers approach Duncan, claiming Prince Maekar wants a word with him.

Duncan approaches Maekar, who admits that Aerion will be heading to the Free Cities, hopeful that this experience will change him for the better (and yes, I did think about Wicked: For Good (2025) when he said that). He also expresses regret that everyone will believe he meant to kill his brother Baelor (since it was a shot from his mace that killed him in the end) and will hear the whispers until the day he dies. When Duncan says it was his fault that Baelor was killed, Maekar tells him that he will hear the whispers as well. He also mentions that his brother would have made a great king. Duncan speculates that had he lost the trial, Baelor would have lost a hand or a foot, but Maekar does not agree. He also wonders what "the morrow" will bring and if he survived for a reason. Maekar expresses Aegon's desire to squire for Duncan and only Duncan, and offers to send the two to Summerhall for Maekar's master-at-arms to train Duncan and Duncan to train Aegon, and Duncan will swear allegiance to Maekar. Duncan surprisingly declines, stating that he is done with princes. He sees Aegon and the boy does a terrible job of lying about not listening in to the conversation. Duncan cannot take on Aegon, and he counters by exclaiming that Duncan maybe is not the knight he thought he was. In a flashback to shortly before the series began, Duncan tries to ask Ser Arlan of Pennytree to knight him, but he goes into a story about how he got his name. He even pretends to die to get his point across, exclaiming that a true knight always finishes a story. Does this mean Duncan was never knighted, and Lyonel knew this when Duncan hesitated to knight Raymun?

Duncan attends another funeral: the one of Ser Humfrey Beesbury, where he is placed in a coffin with bees. After a comical exchange between Raymun and Red/Rowan, kids make fun of the Targaryens and Daeron (who accused Duncan of kidnapping Aegon) is present in the tent. Duncan chastises Daeron for entering the tent, and Daeron says that Aerion was not always a monster (he did like fishing) and that they will make a man out of Aegon. He ponders about nature against nurture and that with the right hand, Aegon can be a great man. Aegon is at the castle with a rotting fish on the plate, and notices his hair beginning to grow back. He pulls a knife and is ready to kill Aerion, until Maekar (who was in the room the entire time) comforts the boy and makes him drop the knife without a single word being said. This touching moment is interrupted by foot-soldiers, who announce to Maekar that Duncan requests an audience. Duncan runs into Lady Gwin Ashford, who does not blame him for ruining her name day and even says he is right for what he did. Recalling that the realm needs good men, Duncan proposes training Aegon to be a squire the same way he was, on the road. He thinks being away from his family will be beneficial to him. Maekar is not happy with this, but Duncan mentions that Daeron never slept in a ditch and all of Aerion's beef was rare and bloody. He counters that Aegon is his last son, which seems to be the reason Maekar will not let him go.

As Duncan is preparing to pack up to leave Ashford, he is stunned when Sweetfoot, the horse he sold to buy armor in the second episode, returns with a surprise. Raymun also appears to reveal he bought Sweetfoot back to gift Duncan to go with Lyonel. Duncan reveals he is not going with Lyonel and shocks Raymun by giving him Sweetfoot as a parting gift. Raymun announces he will build up the cider business as the two share an apple and depart for the final time. Duncan later nails a penny to the elk tree, reminding himself of Ser Arlan's story of how he got his name. As he ponders what his next move will be with his two remaining horses, Aegon suddenly appears to claim Maekar gave his blessing to go with Duncan. The two ride off and discuss where they will go in the seven (actually nine) kingdoms as Duncan sees an apparition of Ser Arlan riding off. Meanwhile, Maekar asks frantically where Aegon is, revealing he never approved of Duncan's requests

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ends on the most perfect note it possibly could have, with humor, heart, and a desire to want to see these characters again. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.