A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1, ‘The Hedge Knight’, has landed on HBO Max, and while the Game of Thrones spinoff is earning praise, a post-episode trailer has been accused of spoiling “the entire story.”
Unlike Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, there are no dragons or magic in the new TV show. Instead, it’s a scaled down Westeros tale, adapting one of George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas.
The debut episode introduces Duncan (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight – a wandering knight without lands or a lord – as he takes on the orphaned Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as his squire. Together, they travel toward Ashford Meadow, setting their sights on an upcoming tournament.
If you’ve read The Hedge Knight novella, you’ll no doubt know where this story is headed. But some fans have been left feeling resentful towards the streaming service for the trailer that plays at the end of Episode 1.
HBO Max accused of ‘spoiling’ A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The trailer in question appears to be the standard “Weeks Ahead” preview used for major HBO shows, and has since been shared on the HBO Max and Game of Thrones YouTube channels. If you don’t mind seeing how the story plays out, you can check it out below:
Viewers have complained after it reportedly played automatically at the end of Episode 1, with one writing on Reddit, “Avoid the post-episode trailer if you want to enjoy the story as it was meant to be told.
“By the seven, why did they spoil the entire story in this trailer?! The joy of reading Dunk and Egg is unraveling the plot and its impact on all the characters.”
“Same reaction, my thought was omg that’s the whole story/season there,” said another, while a third agreed, “Ugh. I just wanted to see a little trailer for next week. Now I know everything.”
A fourth added, “Yeah I am absolutely blown away at that trailer. One of the most unbelievable things I’ve ever seen HBO do. I’ve read the books but my fiancé hasn’t and it basically gives you the entire story. So incredibly stupid. I was ready for ‘next week on…’ and got everything up to the joust.”
Similar complaints have unfolded in a separate thread, with one stating, “Insane how much they gave away. Geeze. It’s not everything, but it’s about 90%.” Another more bluntly warned, “DO NOT WATCH! Gives away the entire season.”
Some fans aren’t too upset, however, including this person who commented, “Oh well, too late for me, I have not read the novella. I wondered why that trailer was so long. I don’t mind though, it still looks like it will be fun to watch.”
Trailer could be for Game of Thrones fans
Others believe it was a tactical move due to the differing tone of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Showrunner Ira Parker has expressed uncertainty about the future of the Game of Thrones prequel, and whether it will resonate with audiences.
“Look, I hope everybody likes this and I hope we get to do more. But I don’t have a crystal ball. I actually don’t know – in spite of how long I’ve been doing this – what it is that audiences really respond to,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Everybody likes to think they know, right? But at the end of the day, we are Game of Thrones without all the stuff. We have some trees and we have some horses. What was it [that made the original show a hit]?
“Was it the dead coming to kill mankind? Was it the dragons? Was it the politics? Seeing a different family every week? Or just the epic-ness of the original and of House of the Dragon?
“Or is it the hope that I have? We have one of the ingredients: Two unusual characters – like Arya and the Hound, or Brienne and Podrick – who are paired together and having conversations. I hope that’s what [made Thrones work]. It’s a big part of what it was for me.”
Whatever the case, some fans believe the trailer is designed to draw in GoT viewers following the scene-setting first episode.
“Because they know the first episode is not an effective hook for non fans of ASOIAF,” wrote one, while another said, “Once you read some of the comments, you see why it’s necessary. People need action from minute one or they start calling it boring. It’s for those people.”
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