'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Season 1 Finale Made a Crucial Mistake With These Targaryen Brothers

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1.A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms may be the third show set in Westeros, but, in just six episodes, it established some important firsts, starting with becoming the only series to have a definitive main character. Both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon follow multiple individuals, while the latest spinoff centers on Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey). Anything that sets the series apart is a strength, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes it too far, and the recent finale proves it. While Dunk has an emotional journey with the Trial of Seven and his experience with the Targaryens, he isn't the only one. The series doesn't need an expansive group to follow, but the secondary characters deserve more attention.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wants fans to be impacted by other characters without dedicating time to them, which is particularly evident through Maekar (Sam Spruell). The younger brother of Baelor (Bertie Carvel) appears a few times, but fans know little about him besides the fact that he has his hands full with his sons. Ultimately, this is a failing for the show as the finale leaves Maekar mourning the loss of Baelor without the context for fans to understand his reaction.

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Doesn't Reveal Much About Maekar

Maekar is one of the characters who should have a major role, not only as Egg's (Dexter Sol Ansell) father, but also as an obstacle for Dunk and a participant in the Trial of Seven. Compared to many characters, he is easily recognizable. Even so, he only appears briefly in four of the six episodes, not giving fans enough time to get to know him. Throughout the series, Maekar becomes something of an antagonist to Dunk as he enables Aerion (Finn Bennett). Yet his fiery temper and dedication to his family are all fans have seen of him until the finale.

Following Baelor's death, Maekar takes charge of the assembled Targaryens, and suddenly, the series tries to make him sympathetic, particularly at Baelor's funeral. After Maekar himself killed his brother with a blow to the head during the trial, the camera zooms in on him to highlight his grief, except that fans have no way of knowing what he's thinking at that moment. Nothing would be more expected in Westeros than for one brother to kill another for power. After all, isn't a rivalry between Targaryen siblings what House of the Dragon is all about?

However, because Maekar himself doesn't have much screen time, this moment doesn't have the emotional impact it could have. The episode later provides the dialogue to express Maekar's grief as he acknowledges that the rumor that he meant to kill Baelor will follow him until his death. Yet that is the only insight into his emotions. The grief and guilt would be much more effective if Maekar were a bigger part of the story.

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Needed To Establish Maekar and Baelor's Relationship

The structure of the series is a disservice to Maekar. Everything is so clearly from Dunk's perspective, whom Maekar barely knows and doesn't see eye to eye with. Because Maekar is an obstacle for Dunk, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn't show a nuanced side of him until the end. In comparison, if the show featured a few scenes from Baelor's or Egg's point of view, an entirely different side of Maekar would appear. This does happen in the finale, briefly, as he comforts Egg after his youngest son sneaks into Aerion's room with murderous intent, yet it is too little too late.

Given the story that plays out, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could have made Maekar's role in the finale more impactful if it had done more with the relationship between the Targaryen brothers. Baelor and Maekar are known as a duo, thanks to their heroics in the Blackfyre Rebellion. Though they have two more brothers, they are the closest, and the series does little to show that. In fact, Baelor and Maekar's relationship isn't made particularly unique, following the same structure as Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Daemon's (Matt Smith) in House of the Dragon, with a more level-headed older brother and a fiercely protected, hotheaded younger one (though not nearly as thoroughly explored). More scenes featuring Baelor and Maekar together could have solved this problem, showing how close they were, so Maekar's grief in the end is more apparent. However, as it stands, Maekar's lack of attention is a huge mistake that undercuts the most emotional loss in the series.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.