If there’s one thing the Baratheons have always been good at, it’s telling people exactly what they don’t want to hear.
And on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 6, Lyonel Baratheon did precisely that.
Dunk was lying under his elm tree, half-broken, drowning in survivor’s guilt after the Trial of Seven. Why? Because Baelor Targaryen was dead.
The grief was real, and nobody’s arguing that. But Lyonel showed up at that tree with the reality check that Dunk desperately needed.
He offered Dunk a place at Storm’s End, a fresh start, a reason to get up. And Dunk just… sat there.
So Lyonel did what he does best. He unloaded, and honestly, Dunk earned every word of it.
Lyonel doesn’t want Dunk wallowing in grief. He wants him to be accountable for what happened, to accept responsibility, and grow up.
Baelor Fought Against Men Sworn to Protect Him — He Risked Nothing
Dunk’s grief made him forget one crucial fact: he had six champions at his side during the Trial of Seven. Wallowing in the wake of that is unjust.
Five of them put everything on the table for a hedge knight with no lands, no name, and no real shot at winning.
Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Ser Robyn Rhysling, and Ser Raymun Fossoway, bless him, who was freshly knighted, green apple on his shield, and his cousin’s betrayal still fresh.
Ser Humfrey Hardyng showed up with a broken leg because Aerion had killed his horse, and he wanted payback anyway.
And Ser Humfrey Beesbury, who just showed up because it was the right thing to do.
Neither of the Humphreys lived to see another day.
Hardyng had a shattered leg and still got on a horse. Beesbury had no personal grudge to fuel him. They both paid the ultimate price for a man whose name most of them barely knew.
And then there’s Baelor, Prince of Dragonstone, heir to the Iron Throne, Hand of the King. He’s the man Dunk can’t stop mourning.
Lyonel’s argument isn’t that Baelor was a bad man. It’s that Baelor didn’t actually risk anything.
The Kingsguard on the opposing side were sworn to protect him. They couldn’t target him. He rode into that field with a safety net the other five never had.
Lyonel’s line — “your prince fought against men sworn to protect him, he risked nothing” — meant a lot because of how true it is.
And the sad thing is that Dunk already knew all of that but didn’t want to believe it.
The “Brother” Ultimatum Is a Baratheon Family Tradition
Lyonel gave Dunk a choice that wasn’t really much of one. If he went to Storm’s End, Lyonel would love Dunk like a brother, but if he didn’t bother to go, he’d hate him. Hey, don’t say siblings don’t love and hate in equal measure.
And it wasn’t a threat. It was more of the Baratheon love language. We’ve heard it before, too.
About 80 years later, Robert Baratheon rode all the way up to Winterfell to drag Ned Stark south to King’s Landing in much the same way.
He showed up at Winterfell, announced Ned was going to be Hand of the King, and made it very clear there was only one acceptable answer.
The friendship was real, as was its warmth, but so was the expectation. If Ned chose not to do as Robert demanded, their entire relationship would have shifted.
Robert never said “love you like a brother, hate you like a brother” out loud. He didn’t need to because it was written all over the scene.
But 80 years earlier, Lyonel thought the words were worth mentioning. Maybe the audience did, too.
The Baratheon men love fiercely, and they don’t do it quietly or unconditionally. But it’s not manipulation. They’re honest. They’ll bleed for you and ride for you, but they expect you to show up, too.
Dunk doesn’t agree because his guilt isn’t done with him yet, and everyone watching knows it.
Lyonel saw it too. He made his case, delivered his ultimatum, and then limped off to take a piss like the legend he is. Because if there’s anything this show loves, it’s a good piss.
Dunk’s grief is understandable, but Lyonel’s anger is justified.
And the audience knows that somewhere down the line, Robert Baratheon was going to make Ned Stark feel the exact same pressure, and Ned was going to say yes for the exact same reason.
Because when a Baratheon looks you in the eye and calls you brother, you don’t really have a choice. Well, you do, of course, but it’s not much of a choice at all.
Do you think Lyonel had a point, or is Dunk’s grief for Baelor completely fair? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Like and subscribe for more coverage of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Season 2 is already filming, and we’ll be right here when it arrives.
-
Lioness Season 3 Needs to Answer These Questions in the Finale
Paramount’s Lioness Season 3 heads into its finale with Joe alive, Babat dead, and several ugly questions still waiting.
-
Fightland Season 1 Episode Rankings: Which One Lands the Biggest Punch So Far?
Which Fightland Season 1 episode landed the biggest punch? We rank the first seven episodes from worst to first.
-
Best Lines From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 8, “Orders of Magnitude”
When the Enterprise is commandeered by a war hero admiral while Pike and Una are on an away mission, amazing lines emerge from the intensity!
