Why A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Has Flashbacks

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Throughout its eight seasons, Game of Thrones distinguished itself from other TV shows with its strong cast, well-developed plots, and captivating stories centered around politics and complex characters. Over the course of the series, viewers and critics identified several recurring patterns that contributed to the show’s success. While most of these patterns were consistently followed, a few, like the use of flashbacks, were broken only occasionally.

Unlike its predecessor, Game of Thrones, which rarely used flashbacks and favored a present-day narrative, and House of the Dragon which continued that approach, the new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fully embraces flashbacks. This creative choice is smart, as it avoids overwhelming viewers with lengthy explanations at the start and helps tell the story in a more engaging way.

Why Game of Thrones Almost Never Used Flashbacks

From the beginning of Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, the creators seemed determined to tell the story in a straightforward way. Unlike many other shows, which often use flashbacks to reveal a character’s past,

The show felt natural because characters shared their histories organically, thanks to George R.R. Martin’s detailed writing. The creators could build on his established world without relying on flashbacks, which, as David Benioff put it, they saw as a sign of weak writing.

Benioff and Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, intentionally avoided using flashbacks for the first four seasons. However, they introduced them in Season 5 with a scene showing a young Cersei Lannister encountering a fortune teller. From Season 6 onward, flashbacks became a regular part of the show, presented as visions experienced by Bran Stark as he trained to become the Three-Eyed Raven.

Some people criticize flashbacks as a weak storytelling technique, but that’s not the biggest issue with how Game of Thrones ended. While the showrunners deserve credit for not overusing flashbacks, it’s noticeable that they started appearing more often once the show moved beyond the books. Though moments like Hodor’s backstory and Ned Stark’s promise to Lyanna were well-done, the timing suggests flashbacks were used to fill gaps when original material ran out.

Flashbacks Give A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms What Game of Thrones Never Needed

This new show is a departure from other series in the franchise like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Each of its six episodes is only about 30 minutes long, making it the shortest show so far. It’s also more lighthearted and funny, and the story centers on just two main characters, Dunk and Egg.

The story begins with the death of Ser Arlan, who was like a father to Dunk. This leaves Dunk completely alone, with only his horses and memories of the knight for company. While Dunk shares some of his history through speeches, relying on these monologues alone becomes a problem. Eventually, the story risks becoming a dry recitation of facts instead of a captivating narrative.

However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms avoids this pitfall. It breaks up the intense moments by showing us Dunk’s difficult childhood, including being mistreated or overlooked by Ser Arlan. These flashbacks contrast sharply with the way Dunk remembers Arlan – as a noble and honorable knight. The reality, revealed through these memories, is far harsher than the idealized stories Dunk tells while mourning.

Recollections like these might not fit well with shows like House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones, which are always progressing even while haunted by the past. However, they work perfectly for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, highlighting how Dunk’s memories of Ser Arlan are distorted. By dwelling on what might have been, Dunk remains trapped in the past, overshadowed by his mentor. He needs to forge his own identity, defined by genuine knighthood, to break free from these expectations.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere every Sunday on HBO.

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2026-01-19 06:42