A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has damaged a significant Recreation of Thrones custom with its runtime.
Recreation of Thrones episodes usually run for almost an hour, with even the longest runtime clocking at 82 minutes. The primary spinoff, Home of the Dragon, continued that pattern with episodes operating at least 54 minutes.
Surprisingly, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ended that streak, with every episode operating nearer to the 30-minute mark. The longest is the premiere episode, which ran for 42 minutes. It’s a problem that has been raised by audiences, who really feel that the brand new spinoff feels too brief, particularly for the reason that collection solely has six episodes for season 1.
Whereas talking with GQ, present creator Ira Parker defended the choice behind the 30-minute runtime, saying that: “Even earlier than going to George, we knew that is what it may very well be. HBO had provided that up already.” He admits that the shorter period “made it simpler” to adapt the collection, however he “kind of” needed to persuade “George that this may very well be executed as a tv collection [and done] properly. Considered one of his massive considerations with this being a trustworthy adaptation is that it simply doesn’t stretch out to that stage.”
The shorter runtime was the higher route as a result of “We weren’t stretching. We weren’t doing any unusual facet quests with Dunk and Egg. We wrote it as if George had written a three-hundred-page e-book.” Parker felt that he had “enjoyable” in adapting the story, which in flip, made the method “pure” and “simple.”
“Him [Martin] understanding that HBO wasn’t going to drive that—then we might simply have enjoyable. Then we will hand around in Westeros. We will get to know Dunk and Egg higher and their relationship higher. Season one, we will introduce a bit of little bit of our Trial-ers [of the Seven] earlier than it involves the primary showdown. Lyonel Baratheon has a a lot greater half within the present than within the e-book, the place I feel he has one line proper earlier than the trial. A whole lot of that was very pure. It was very simple.”
Recreation of Thrones and Home of the Dragon’s hour-long episodes are warranted since each collection depend on telling a number of views on an epic stage, particularly for the reason that characters are in several places. In distinction, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms focuses on the central story of Ser Duncan and his squire Egg, which additionally makes it extra character-driven. Plus, the story’s nature has decrease stakes in comparison with its predecessors, the place there are not any main wars in Westeros.
The collection is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novella collection known as Tales of Dunk and Egg. These tales are considerably shorter than the primary Recreation of Thrones e-book, which could be almost 600 to 700 pages lengthy. This makes the spinoff much more trustworthy to the books as a result of concise, extra centered narrative, with out having so as to add fillers for the sake of runtime.
The choice can also be important, given Martin’s criticism of the opposite reveals. Whereas the acclaimed creator has been open concerning the disappointment with Recreation of Thrones season 8, the difference points have continued with Home of the Dragon. The author shared that his relationship with the showrunner, Ryan Condal, has been “abysmal.“
Parker, then again, has been adamant about ensuring that Martin was happy with the brand new HBO collection, saying: “It was clear how shut he was to this materials, and the way a lot he loves the tales and these characters. I made it my mission to make him completely happy this season.” Forward of its launch, the creator closely praised the present, calling it “unimaginable” and “as trustworthy an adaptation as an inexpensive man might hope for.“
Whereas viewers have complained concerning the brief runtime for the brand new spinoff, that doesn’t come with out good purpose. Every episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has wowed audiences with the story’s tight narration, the dynamic between Ser Duncan and Egg, and the Targaryen drama. The newest episode, “Seven,” obtained near-universal acclaim as Ser Duncan should face a trial of seven in a life and demise state of affairs.
Thus, it’s clear that even with the runtime considerations, it appears to have little affect on the reception, because the collection presently has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the story will not be over but, with HBO already renewing the collection for season 2.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has two episodes left, which can air on Sundays on HBO Max at 10 PM ET.
- Launch Date
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January 18, 2026
- Community
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Ira Parker
- Administrators
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Owen Harris
- Writers
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George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
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Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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