Critics Hail A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as Game of Thrones’ Most Delightful Return to Westeros in a Decade

So, another Game of Thrones spin-off is upon us. This time it’s called 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms', and, honestly, the early buzz is actually pretty decent — though not quite the rapturous love-in some might have expected.

The Numbers: Rotten Tomatoes Style

The show’s already stacked up an 83% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and that’s before most people have even seen a frame. For context, the original Game of Thrones pilot season landed at 90%, as did the first round from its other spin-off, House of the Dragon. So, not best-in-franchise debut hype, but still plenty respectable—especially for a property with this much baggage.

What’s This One Even About?

OK, so this isn’t just another fire-breathing dragon-fest. 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' actually goes old-school: It’s based on George R. R. Martin’s 'Tales of Dunk and Egg' novellas, which drill down into the smaller, less royal corners of Westeros. The main characters are Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey, who’s pretty much built for the part physically) and his not-so-typical squire, Aeron Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). The meat of the show is really about their odd-couple friendship and all the dangerous medieval nonsense they get sucked into.

The Reviews: From 'Best Since OG Thrones' to… Not So Much

A lot of critics are into it so far.

• GamesRadar+: Four stars, with major props for keeping things tight and personal instead of going full epic all the time. They liked the lead performances too, and said it toggles pretty smoothly between drama and more heartfelt material.
• Screen Rant: Jordan Williams emphasizes that the show finally puts the focus back on the 'smallfolk' and all those random, weird nobles—more humble, more grounded, and occasionally pretty gross (in a good way).
• RogerEbert.com: Kaiya Shunyata points out the show’s proof that fantasy TV doesn’t have to keep getting bigger and louder—sometimes smaller stories are just what the genre needs.
• Indiewire: Ben Travers throws in a neat comparison: If Game of Thrones is about seeing just how dark and depraved people can get, then this show basically acknowledges those dangers exist, but chooses to focus on the other side of humanity instead.
• Collider: Meghan O'Keefe says:
  'It's a story that doesn’t need the pyrotechnics of dragon fire because it has plenty of human heart, soul, and heroism.'
• Radio Times: Lewis Knight goes so far as to call it the 'best visit to Westeros in nearly a decade.' That’s a bold take, given the recent Thrones and House of the Dragon run.

Now, not everyone is ready to bend the knee. The Independent’s Louis Chilton only gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling the show a weird tonal outlier that only barely feels like Game of Thrones in its closing stretch. Then you’ve got USA Today’s Kelly Lawler, who cut right to the chase and said the show feels like a 'torturous and drab' bit of franchise-stretching with none of the original magic.

When and Where to Watch

If you want to see for yourself (and, let’s be real, a lot of you are at least Thrones-curious), 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' premieres on HBO in the US on January 18, and will be on Sky Atlantic/NOW in the UK a day later. That means you’ve still got a little time to set reminders, brush up on your Westerosi history, and dig out your old House banners if you’re into that sort of thing.

Will this one actually live up to the early hype and be the 'best of the franchise'? Or will it just be another arrow fired into the ever-expanding Game of Thrones content void? Guess we’ll all find out soon enough.