A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5, "In the Name of the Mother," is full of risky decisions, starting with a nearly 20-minute flashback segment that interrupts the long-awaited trial of seven.
On the battlefield, we see things solely from Ser Duncan's perspective — the chaos of lances breaking, knights falling off their horses, and maces swinging in every direction has both a disorienting and immersive effect.
"In the Name of the Mother" picks up from where episode 4 left off, with Dunk and his fellow knights quickly making plans for the trial that is about to begin. Prince Baelor assumes a position of leadership, advising the knights not to panic and remain in formation. He volunteers to deal with the Kingsguard, considering that their oath prevents them from harming a prince of the realm. "Mother loves you best, huh?" jokes Lyonel Baratheon.
Egg diligently performs his squire duties and hands Dunk his lance. The pair exchange jokes before splitting up, but as soon as they part, their faces turn concerned. It is a terribly foggy morning, and the trial of seven is about to start.
At the sound of the horn, all knights lunge forward, except a hesitant Duncan, who moves only after hearing Egg's urgent cry. He is struck on the first charge by a spear that pierces his stomach. Subsequently, he is hit in the head with a mace, falling to the ground.
A polarizing flashback reveals how Dunk became Ser Arlan of Pennytree's squire
The trial of seven briefly fades, and we are transported to Flea Bottom years earlier, back when Dunk was just a kid scavenging the spoils of war. He is friends with Rafe, who counteracts his naivety with a strong sense of ambition. Dunk is reluctant, but Rafe is determined to scavenge enough treasures, sell them, and go away forever. Their greatest obstacle is the City Watch, which is always quick to confiscate their goods.
On one occasion, Rafe fights back, stealing a canteen from one of the guards before disappearing with Dunk into the crowd. At night, Dunk and Rafe confess their love for each other and decide it's time to go, but the next day, they learn that they still don't have enough money to go to the Free Cities. On their way back, they run into the same City Watch guards from the day before. They steal all of Dunk and Rafe's money; in retaliation, she snatches the guard's dagger.
This time, the guard notices the missing object before Dunk and Rafe can escape. He retrieves his dagger and slashes Rafe's throat. Dunk charges at him and is saved by Ser Arlan of Pennytree, who kills both guards. With nothing left tying him to Flea Bottom, Dunk sets out after Ser Arlan, following the hedge knight wherever he goes. There's an interesting parallel between Dunk's quiet yet insistent pursuit of Ser Arlan's attention and Egg's own quest to become Dunk's squire.
Dunk finds himself unable to go on any longer because of an infected wound. Ser Arlan finally goes to meet him, offering the boy a canteen of water and instructing him to "get up." These two words abruptly take us back to the present as Dunk regains consciousness.
Dunk beats Aerion and wins the duel
Despite his severe wounds, Dunk manages to stay on his feet and face Aerion Targaryen in a violent duel. After an intense fight, the hedge knight lands a decisive blow to the prince's thigh, incapacitating him. However, Dunk suddenly falls on the ground and loses consciousness. Lord Ashford is about to announce Aerion's victory when Duncan hears Ser Arlan's calling again, opening his eyes.
The trial resumes. This time, Dunk finishes his job, defeating Aerion and opting to spare the prince's life. He drags Aerion to the royal stand and forces him to withdraw his accusation, ending the trial.
Baelor dies in Dunk's arms
Backstage, Duncan learns that both Humfreys have died in the first charge, but there's another death right around the corner.
Prince Baelor arrives to congratulate Dunk, and the hedge knight kneels despite his severe injuries. Baelor suddenly starts mumbling unintelligible words and stumbling on his feet. When his helm is removed, it is revealed that his brother's mace — incidentally or not — has crushed the prince's skull. He collapses and dies in Dunk's arms.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 review
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 will go down as one of the most rewatchable episodes in the history of the Game of Thrones universe.
Not only because of its legendary moments and twists, but also because it is an episode made to be watched at least twice. Here's why: most viewers won't be able to fully appreciate the episode on a first watch; instead, they will spend a significant portion of the episode on edge, fearing that the flashbacks will make them wait another week to find out how the trial will unfold.
In hindsight, though, the flashbacks and combat scenes complement each other perfectly. This episode is meant to put the viewer in Dunk's shoes, which is evident from the first charge, when an editing trick places us inside Ser Duncan's helm. This POV shot returns several times throughout the episode, deepening the sense of immersion amid the chaos of battle.
Dunk's body and soul are laid out in front of our eyes. To fully grasp his soul, we are transported to his painful childhood days and the tragic circumstances that led him to finally leave Flea Bottom behind. His escape was something that he owed both to Rafe and to his own sense of honor. Watching Ser Arlan charge against the City Watch — however clumsily and drunkenly — was the first real glimpse of honor Dunk ever witnessed in that hellish place, opening his eyes to a world beyond the misery that surrounded him.
Everything had led to this moment, where Ser Duncan must fight for his life to prove that kindness and honor still have a place in knighthood. Whereas fate served him well, the same can't be said about Prince Baelor: his death is a painful reminder that this is a George R. R. Martin story after all. Baelor died defending the innocent, ensuring justice was made at the expense of Westeros losing what might have been one of the finest and fairest Targaryen rulers in history.
Episode 5 is as immensely satisfying as it is tragic. The extended flashback sequence will most certainly divide fans: some will regard it as a complementary narrative device, while others may view it as a frustrating attempt to leave the audience on edge. Another valid criticism is that the episode could've shown more of the trial of seven, such as the deaths of Humfreys and the moment Baelor was struck by Maekar's mace. Yet doing so would have betrayed the episode's main purpose, which was to present things solely from Ser Duncan's perspective.
Watch the season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, Feb. 22.