Diego Peralta
Returning to Westeros is no easy task. Nevertheless, HBO will continue to remind audiences why they fell in love with Game of Thrones in the first place through the recent blockbusters projects based on the work of George R.R. Martin. Owen Harris is a very talented director. The filmmaker helped to build the relationship between Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Owen directed three episodes from the first season of the series, and Awards Radar had the opportunity to sit down with him after the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms came to an end.
One of the most emotional threads from the first season of the series was the connection between Dunk and Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), his deceased mentor. The relationship between the two characters is mostly shown through flashbacks through A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. According to Harris, this was intentional, with the sequences resembling something coming out of a dream.
Owen mentioned: “Yes, definitely. It’s interesting that you picked up on that. We had a very specific approach to Dunk’s memories. For the majority of the show, you probably don’t notice, but the camera doesn’t actually move. Only when we get to Fleabottom, we allow the camera to start moving. We had to try something a little bit different. We shot in slightly different lenses. Dunk’s experience with Ser Arlan accompanies him like a shadow. Like he’s a ghost, in a way. So much of Dunk is born and made out of Ser Arlan. We wanted (the audience) to stop for a moment when remembering something. Quite often, those moments aren’t handheld (cameras). They’re static and foggy. I loved Ser Arlan as a character. I wanted more of Ser Arlan. I wanted his entire backstory.”
The entire relationship between Ser Arlan and Dunk influenced the plot of the series in unexpected ways. The narrative was haunting, considering how the mentor died in the first moments of the spinoff. This influence, combined with Dunk’s humble nature, created a compelling dynamic for viewers to witness.
Owen reflected on how Dunk was affected by his relationship with his role model: “It’s a really big part of who Dunk is. It’s an interesting quality, because I think that if you have this hero, this knight, having anxiety, it’s a really lovely quality. This imposter syndrome, this uncertainty. It feels very universal. You need some fire in your belly just to keep believing. As you said: “Get up”. That voice that we’re putting in your head is the voice that’s in Dunk’s head. He’s had a lot of opportunities to quit. But he believes in something greater. What I love about Dunk is that he is a very honest character. He doesn’t get everything right. He’s quite simple, in a way. What he thinks, he says. His relationship with Ser Arlan probably wasn’t always easy. He was probably quite a tough master, but you get the feeling that, after Rafe, Dunk felt that he was the first person who actually took care of him and cared about where he ended up in life.”
The universe of Game of Thrones shines because of the complex relationships shared between its characters. This includes the main heroes from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk and Egg. Owen Harris is aware of how important it was for the team to nail the back-and-forth between the hopeful hedge knight and the secret member of the Targaryen family. The director spoke about what made this unlikely friendship so special.
Owen states: “I’ve always liked awkward couples, where you get so much humor and character. When you have two people that don’t necessarily get along, and then they have to find something in each other. When they start to discover each other’s mutual benefit, I suppose, in the most callous way of putting it. What stops it from being too sweet is the fact that there’s always a rub between them. Dunk is simple and honest, almost to a fault. Egg is sharp and smart, almost to a fault, as well. You could say that too much of each is wrong. Somewhere in the middle, they find this blend, where they can keep each other in check. They balance each other out, and after a while, they see this mutual benefit. But ultimately, they start to care about each other. That’s the sweet heart to it, really. These two people, in any other circumstance, shouldn’t get along. They shouldn’t find anything interesting about each other. But they care about each other.”
A viral video caught the interest of the Westeros fandom. According to Forbes, the young Dexter Sol Ansell might have accidentally spoiled a huge reveal from upcoming seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The revelation also affects what hast been depicted in the books from George R.R. Martin. POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT: It has been implied that Dunk doesn’t survive the tragedy at Summerhall. In the books, an older Egg attempts to hatch dormant dragon eggs by exposing them to high temperatures. Unfortunately, the fire burns down the castle, with the original text from The Hedge Knight implying that Dunk doesn’t survive. Is that no longer the case? The viral video showed Dexter saying: “We know from George that Dunk survives”. The public was not aware of this information until the young Targaryen prince let it slip.
Owen Harris, the director from several episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, was confronted with this video during his interview with Awards Radar. This was his response when directly asked if he had seen it: “(Laughs) No! And, you know what? Genuinely, I don’t know what you’re talking about. (Laughs again).”
The filmmaker was smiling the entire time the topic was addressed. The two separate laughs led this reporter to believe that Owen Harris could theoretically be absolutely aware of the video, and what it implied. Game of Thrones fans should keep a very close eye on upcoming seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
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