Why Egg Lied in A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Finale, According to Actor Sam Spruell
The finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms left fans with a choice that hit hard. Aegon “Egg” Targaryen tells Ser Duncan the Tall that his father, Prince Maekar, gave him permission to keep traveling as his squire.
The problem is… that permission was never granted. Now Sam Spruell, who plays Maekar, is sharing his take on why Egg made that call and what it says about the fractured Targaryen family.
The closing chapter of the season doesn’t just set up more road adventures with Dunk and Egg. It cuts right into the emotional fault lines of House Targaryen. Egg’s lie isn’t random teenage rebellion. It’s a clear statement about who he trusts and who he wants to become.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Spruell explained the deeper reasoning behind Egg’s decision. He said, “It says something about Aegon’s judgment of where he’s going to get the best paternal figure.”
That’s the heart of it. Egg sees something in Ser Duncan that he doesn’t see in his own father.
Spruell went further, pointing to Dunk’s instinctive moral compass. He explained, “There is a wisdom to Dunk that comes naturally and instinctually, and I don’t think Maekar will ever get close to it.”
For a young prince growing up in the shadow of war, pride, and royal expectation, that kind of grounded guidance matters.
Egg knows exactly what kind of man he wants to be. Spruell put it bluntly: “[Aegon] can see that if he’s to be the person that he wants to be, he must follow Dunk rather than his own father, which is unbelievably upsetting for Maekar. So I hope that some of that upset and humiliation will be explored potentially in future books or seasons of the show.”
That emotional sting is written all over the finale. Maekar already carries the weight of a complicated family, especially with the volatile Aerion in the mix. One of the episode’s most intense moments shows Egg entering Aerion’s chamber with a knife, fueled by hatred and desperation.
It’s a shocking glimpse at how deep the resentment runs inside this royal house. Maekar stops him before anything irreversible happens, but the damage is already there.
By the time Egg slips away to continue his journey with Dunk, Maekar has no idea what’s coming. The episode ends with him realizing his son is gone and shouting, “Where the f*ck is he?” He’s clearly pissed off.
That final outburst says everything. Egg didn’t just choose adventure. He chose a different father figure. For a Targaryen prince, that’s no small act of defiance.
As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms builds out this chapter of Westeros history, the relationship between Dunk, Egg, and Maekar feels like the emotional engine of the story. If this finale is any indication, the road ahead won’t just be filled with tourneys and swords. It’s going to be personal.