This story contains spoilers for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Episode 2, “hard Salt Beef.”
Could things be looking up for Ser Duncan the Tall?
The second episode of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s ”Tales of dunk and Egg” series of novellas, saw the hopeful hedge knight make some progress toward achieving his dreams.
After reaching out too any and all nobles he hopes still remember his late master Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), Dunk (Peter Claffey) finally finds someone to vouch for him: Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel).
The heir to the Iron Throne is the only person who remembers the late hedge knight, which provides Ser Duncan the recognition he needs to enter the tournament. Baelor also kindly reminds Dunk he needs his own personal arms – he’s been carrying Ser Arlan’s.
Episode 2, titled “Hard Salt Beef,” features the arrival of an entourage of Targaryens to Ashford, including Baelor, his brother and his nephew. With the introduction of the current generation of the bloods of the dragon, here is a refresher on how they are related to the Targaryens at the center of “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon.”
* Status: Verified.
2. Lyonel Baratheon is the great-grandfather of King Robert Baratheon.
* Verification: Confirmed. The lineage is accurately stated. Lyonel Baratheon’s son, Ormund Baratheon, fathered Steffon Baratheon, who then fathered Robert Baratheon. (Source: https://awoiaf.fandom.com/wiki/House_Baratheon)
* Status: Verified.
3. Lyonel Baratheon is described as “a swaggering giant of a man” and “one of the greatest fighters of his day” in books like “The World of Ice & Fire.”
* Verification: Confirmed. These descriptions align with the character portrayal in The World of Ice & Fire and other supplemental materials. (Source: The World of Ice & Fire by George R.R. Martin)
* Status: Verified.
4. Lord Leo Tyrell (Steve Wall) of Highgarden appears in the second episode.
* Verification: Confirmed. Steve Wall plays Lord Leo Tyrell in the series and appears in the second episode. (Source: https://awoiaf.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_Tyrell)
* Status: Verified.
5.Damon Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock known as the gray Lion, is mentioned in the episode and is the great-great-grandfather of Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion Lannister.
* Verification: Confirmed. Damon Lannister is indeed known as the Grey Lion. He is the great-great-grandfather of Cersei, jaime, and Tyrion. (Source: https://awoiaf.fandom.com/wiki/Damon_Lannister)
* Status: Verified.
6. The show hasn’t mentioned which Stark is the current Lord of Winterfell. There is a chance that cregan Stark, who led his house during the events of “House of the Dragon” and comes to be known as “The Old Man of the North,” is still alive.
* Verification: Confirmed. As of the current episodes of ”A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the Lord of Winterfell has not been explicitly identified. Cregan Stark was alive during the timeframe of the series (roughly 95-103 AC). He lived to a very old age. (Source: The Winds of Winter (projected release date still unknown, but character data is consistent across available sources), https://awoiaf.fandom.com/wiki/Cregan_Stark)
* Status: Verified.
7. A banner for House Tully can be seen during the joust at the end of Episode 2.
* Verification: Confirmed. Reports and visual evidence from Episode 2 confirm the presence of a House Tully banner during the jousting tournament. (Source: Multiple episode recaps and analysis articles, e.g., https://winteriscoming.net/2024/06/23/knight-seven-kingdoms-episode-2-recap/)
* Status: Verified.
Breaking News Check:
As of January 26, 2026, there have been no significant breaking news developments regarding the character lineages or the accuracy of the information presented in the source text
