A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Showrunner Defends That Big Trial of Seven Flashback: “It’s gonna displease some people”
If you were glued to the screen waiting for the Trial of Seven explode into full-on chaos in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Episode 5 might’ve tested your patience a little bit.
Just when Ser Duncan the Tall is about to face his fate, right in the middle of the action, the show slams the brakes and sends us straight into a long, emotional detour through Flea Bottom.
As the Trial of Seven finally kicks off, Dunk is quickly unhorsed and knocked unconscious. Instead of jumping back into the fray, the episode shifts into an extended flashback showing his childhood in Flea Bottom, how he first crossed paths with Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and how he began the long road toward becoming the hedge knight we’ve come to root for.
It’s a major pause in the battle everyone’s been waiting for, and while I was fine with it, some fans were a little frustrated.
Showrunner Ira Parker knew exactly how that would land with viewers. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he didn’t pretend otherwise.
“I hate that I've had to do a flashback at this point when everybody just wants the battle, but we had to,” Parker explained. “But I do think it stands on its own, and I do think it's fun to see Dunk like that. I do think it adds a lot to the story, and it adds to the ending of episode 5 as well… But, yeah, it's gonna displease some people.”
From a storytelling standpoint, the flashback fills in key emotional, story, and character gaps. We see the grime and desperation of Flea Bottom, how the bond between Dunk and Ser Arlan formed, and the fragile foundation that shaped Dunk’s sense of honor.
It deepens the tragedy of what’s unfolding in the present. But if you were itching for swords clashing and armor cracking, the timing definitely stings. And the payoff is brutal.
The Trial of Seven ends in tragedy when Baelor Targaryen is revealed to have suffered a fatal head wound. The moment hits even harder because Daeron’s prophetic dream had already hinted at it. Now the political and emotional fallout is hanging over Westeros like a storm cloud.
With only one episode left in the season, there’s still the matter of how the wider Targaryen family reacts to Baelor’s death. That final chapter could reshape the power dynamics in ways that echo far beyond Dunk and Egg’s journey.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues weekly on HBO, and with the finale looming, it looks like the series is gearing up to end its first season on a heavy note. Flashback talk aside, one thing has been made clear… Dunk’s story isn’t just about swinging a sword, it’s about the scars he carries into every fight.
And whether fans loved or hated the detour, Parker knew the risk. Sometimes you pause the battle to remind everyone what’s actually at stake.