Review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Is a Fantasy Drama About Occupational Licensing

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is unlike anything else in HBO’s Game of Thrones universe. It’s grittier, it’s more grounded—and it’s actually about occupational licensing.

The biggest mystery of the show’s first season is whether Duncan the Tall is officially a knight. The show leaves it ambiguous: a shrug here, an unanswered question there.

But by all accounts, “Dunk” is a good knight. For decades, he squired for Ser Arlan of Pennytree, a hedge knight with no permanent ties to any of the noble houses. Dunk is brave and just, and he defends the weak and the innocent, as all knights take an oath to do. He may not know how many kingdoms are in the realm, but he can beat a highly skilled prince in combat. “He’s done all the things a knight is supposed to do,” as showrunner Ira Parker said on the official show podcast. Yet Dunk could be executed for claiming a credential he doesn’t technically possess.

Thankfully, today’s hair braiders, cosmetologists, interior designers, and even fortune tellers who run afoul of modern occupational licensing laws won’t face “the king’s justice” for working without a license. But the fines and potential jail time they could face are just as silly as killing someone for knighting without the proper credentials.

Was Ser Duncan the Tall ever knighted? Maybe it shouldn’t matter.