A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Our S01E02 "Hard Salt Beef" Preview

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Posted in: Current News, HBO, Max, TV | Tagged: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", game of thrones


A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Our S01E02 "Hard Salt Beef" Preview

Check out our preview for HBO's Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell-starring A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S01E02: "Hard Salt Beef."


Published Sun, 25 Jan 2026 19:37:08 -0600
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

  • Get a preview of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S01E02: Hard Salt Beef, featuring Dunk and Egg's adventures
  • Discover how George R.R. Martin set a lighter, more humorous tone for this Game of Thrones prequel series
  • Hear Martin discuss the series' unique focus on "small folk" rather than lords and rulers of Westeros
  • Find out what Martin hints is in store for Dunk and Egg, with Season 2 already confirmed by HBO

Wait a minute. A "Game of Thrones" series that's… fun? That makes you laugh? That even makes… poop jokes? There was a whole lot to love about the series premiere of writers/executive producers George R.R. Martin and Ira Parker's Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg)-starring A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. That brings us to our preview for tonight's episode, as we have a look at S01E02: "Hard Salt Beef" waiting for you below. In addition, Martin reveals what the future could hold for the "Game of Thrones" prequel series, and we get some looks at how the opening episode came to life, and the show's official podcast offers a deep dive into what we've learned so far.

Image: HBO

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S01E02 "Hard Salt Beef" Preview

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 2 "Hard Salt Beef" – A century before the events of "Game of Thrones", a knight and his unlikely squire embark on an adventure. Directed by Owen Harris & Sarah Adina Smith and written by George R.R. Martin.

Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO
Image: HBO

With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms kicking off tonight, Martin offered some insights into what the future could hold for the "Game of Thrones" universe during a conversation with The Game of Thrones Podcast: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms hosts Jason Concepcion and Greta Johnsen. "There are more stories to tell about Dunk and Egg and their education and what's going to befall them in future years," Martin shared about the prequel series, which has already been renewed for a second season. Martin's comments come shortly after Showrunner Ryan Condal confirmed that HBO's House of the Dragon would be ending its run with its fourth season.

Image: HBO; HBO Screencap

As for what viewers can expect from "Seven Kingdoms" and what sets it apart from Game of Thrones, Martin points to his approaching Dunk and Egg's adventures as novellas as "one of the best decisions I ever made as a writer" Martin added, "When I began 'Game of Thrones,' I had seven or eight viewpoint characters in the first one and I'm intercutting between them. And in later volumes in the series, I add even more characters. So it's a real mosaic of different people seeing the same events in different ways, having a different interpretation on them. But writing a short story or a novella, in this case, where you're focused on one character, and you're just seeing the story through him, that's a different sort of thing and can be very powerful," Martin said. It also allowed viewers to see a perspective on Westeros that they had not seen much of in the past. "I wanted to tell a story that focused to some extent on the small folk, as I call them, on the people who are not lords; they were not contending, they weren't even going to get the iron throne unless everybody else in Westeros died," Martin shared.

A century before the events of "Game of Thrones," two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

From the world of Westeros comes an endearing tale centered on the adventures of an unexpected duo. HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 cast includes Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings, Bertie Carvel, Danny Webb, Sam Spruell, Shaun Thomas, Finn Bennett, Edward Ashley, Tanzyn Crawford, Henry Ashton, Youssef Kerkour, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Daniel Monks. Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R. R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ira Parker. Executive Producers Sarah Bradshaw, Owen Harris, Ryan Condal, and Vince Gerardis. Directors, Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith.


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