New Game Of Thrones Spinoff Creator Explains Episode 4 Shocker As Ser Duncan Prepares For Trial Of Seven

The following article contains major spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 4. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 4 ended with one of the biggest shockers in Game of Thrones history.

Following Egg’s bombshell revelation to save Ser Duncan from his merciless brother, Aerion Targaryen, the hedge knight has been challenged to a trial of seven to decide his fate. However, Ser Duncan faced challenges in finding six more knights to join his side and was close to being doomed after a betrayal. By the final minutes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 4, however, Prince Baelor Targaryen makes a dramatic entrance to officially take his side, which would complete the hedge knight’s final seven.

While speaking with GQ, showrunner Ira Parker discussed the episode 4 shocker and why Prince Baelor made the last-minute decision to join Ser Duncan, which would also pit him at odds with his younger brother and nephew. He asserts that the prince didn’t make the decision lightly, as it was a “tough question” because “On one hand, he knows what Aerion is and knows that Aerion deserved to be punched in the face. On the other hand, standing up for this guy means you’re fighting against your brother and you’re fighting against your family.”

Since he is the next in line to the Iron Throne, Baelor is thinking that “everyone has always said that I am this great prince and that I’m going to make this perfect king and that I’m such an honorable guy.” The showrunner then emphasized that “virtue untested is no virtue at all. I think Baelor is feeling that bear down on him in this moment. Nobody is demanding this of him, but he’s demanding it of himself. That this poor schmuck is going to get absolutely murdered unless he does something about it.”

Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) sitting in his chair in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

As a result, Prince Baelor chose Ser Duncan because “He goes and decides that he is the person that people have said that he is. I think he got a lot of acclaim early on in his life because he won the Battle of Redgrass. But the truth is that the enemy was knocking at his doorstep. They were coming to King’s Landing next. That’s not honorable. That’s not heroic. That is defending what’s yours. There’s no choice in that.”

Episode 4 finally puts Prince Baelor’s honor to the test, and whether that makes him a true knight. Parker concludes that “This is a very different situation. This is the thing that everyone’s always been talking about. Are you a person who stands up for what’s right? And that means in the very hard moments. He proves to be one of the real ones.”

Episode 4’s final moments come as Ser Duncan also faces the harsh reality of knighthood, seeing that fellow knights are far from chivalrous or honorable. Just moments before, Ser Steffon Fossoway betrays him by switching sides to Aerion, which highlights one of the more disgraceful acts by a knight.

Dunk in his armor in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

However, that hasn’t stopped the hedge knight from performing the duties of a true knight, even going as far as defending the puppeteer, Tanselle, against a powerful Targaryen. Even Parker admits that Ser Duncan would do it again even if he knew the consequences: “Love is love. He’s got a thing for the puppet girl.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms becomes the first Game of Thrones show to not feature dragons or fantastical creatures as the story’s core. Instead, the spinoff focuses on the evolving friendship between Ser Duncan and Egg, with season 1 showcasing the former’s own challenges in becoming a knight since Ser Arlan’s death and hopes for glory to prove himself.

Now, a trial of seven will determine Ser Duncan’s fate in a life-or-death situation. It won’t take long to learn the outcome, as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has two more episodes left to conclude season 1.

So far, episode 4 is being noted as the strongest one yet, debuting with a strong 9.7 rating on IMDb. Many audiences have praised “Seven” as the most Game of Thrones episode yet in the spinoff. The series has already been renewed for season 2.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will air the final two episodes on HBO Max on Sundays at 10 PM ET.