HBO is preparing for the premiere of a new spin-off in the Game of Thrones universe - the series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight". It is based on Martin's novella of the same name, dedicated to the adventures of the wandering knight Dunk and his young squire Egg.
The show will premiere on HBO on January 18, and Western critics have already managed to watch the entire season and share their first impressions. On the Rotten Tomatoes aggregator, the series received a "certified fresh" rating after 83% positive reviews after 36 reviews.
IGN calls the project"the purest and most heartfelt journey through Westeros in the last decade", separately noting the chemistry between Peter Claffey (Duncan) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg). The BBC describes the series as"a true pleasure from beginning to end", emphasizing the successful balance between light absurdity and the signature cruelty of Martin's world. And Variety sees "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" as a kind of younger brother to "Game of Thrones": the show deliberately abandons large-scale intrigues in favor of a chamber, humane story - and this, according to the publication, is its strength.
Against the background of other franchise projects, the indicators look more modest. The first season of "House of the Dragon" had a rating of 90%, as did the first season of "Game of Thrones". "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" surpasses only the eighth season of "Game of Thrones" with its 55% in ratings. However, critics find an explanation for this: the series is initially modest in its ambitions - just like its main characters.
The further fate of the show, however, will be decided by the audience. Earlier, the showrunner of the project, Ira Parker, said that the team is already working in parallel on the second season, but the final decision on the extension will depend on the interest of the audience. If successful, the series could theoretically receive evenmore seasons than "Game of Thrones".