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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gives fans a new insight into the world of Westeros. In episode 2, there is a clumsy-looking gag, but as Marco from Nerdkultur analyzes, there is more behind it.
Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been publishing videos on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur that cover various films and series through reviews, analyses, news, or interviews.
Additionally, he talks with his colleague Yves Arievich once a week on the Nerd und Kultur
Podcast about various topics from popular culture.
Both the YouTube channel and the podcast are part of the Webedia network, which also includes MeinMMO.
Marco’s new video deals with the 2nd episode of the series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which started on January 19, 2026, on the new streaming service HBO Max and includes Ser Arlan of Pennytree.
Warning: There will be spoilers for episode 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
The Outlook
of Ser Arlan
What is so special about Ser Arlan? When looking at various platforms for some memes about episode 2, the major topic is not the new information about the Targaryens, but the genitals of Ser Arlan of Pennytree, played by Danny Webb. In the episode, there is a scene in which the actor is completely naked.
This also leads to some gags:
Marco also addresses the question of whether his large sword
is real in his video. Ira Parker, the showrunner of the series, couldn’t remember in an interview with Entertainment Weekly whether Arlan’s penis was a prosthetic or real. Marco compares it to Boogie Nights. In the film by Paul Thomas Anderson, it was also long unclear whether we saw Mark Wahlberg’s real genital or just a stand-in.
As Marco explains in the video: In A Knights of the Seven Kingdoms, it is a prosthetic made by the special effects department.
The whole scene was made according to Parker because previously only jokes were made about Ser Arlan. One should see the other side of the hedge knight.
No matter how silly or mean Arlan is portrayed, he took care of Duncan. This reflects his loyalty, as he even dedicates his coat of arms to their journey. Duncan wants people to remember Arlan. Marco puts it this way:
Duncan will prove to them who Ser Arlan really was! We see a redemption arc. And so he eats their shared meal at the end of the episode, determined.
Targaryens and Kingsguards also exist
What about the other aspects of the analysis? In Marco’s video, it is not only about Ser Arlan. Two important motives for him are the Targaryens and Dunk’s foolishness. Unlike the previous two series, we do not see the perspective of the Targaryens, but rather the people’s view of them. The focus is on Dunk’s perspective.
The Targaryens have lost much of their power. 56 years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the last dragon died, but within the family, there are still various viewpoints. Baelor is a noble knight, the only one who does not have silver-blonde hair, but rather the hair color of his Dornish mother. He is the heir to the throne.
On the other hand, there is his brother Maekar, the last son in line for the throne (the others are only briefly mentioned). Maekar is disinterested and cruel. Two of his sons are missing: Daeron and Aegon. His other two sons are Aerion and Aemon. The former shows his arrogance in the series, while the latter is known by fans of Game of Thrones as Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch. He resembles his uncle Baelor more.
Regarding the Targaryens in the series, the Kingsguard is also important. In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, their armors are completely white. According to Marco, this also matches the official illustrations of the novellas by George R. R. Martin. However, the other armors show bright colors, whether they belong to the Baratheons or the Targaryens.
Dunk is not stupid, he is naive
What about Dunk? At the end of his video, Marco also talks about Duncan. When you watch the series, it often seems like Duncan is foolish. In many situations, he simply says the wrong things. Marco says: Dunk, on the other hand, continuously says the wrong thing at the wrong time. A running gag of this second episode. But that does not really portray him as “foolish.” Rather, it is naive. Uneducated, but honorable.
Duncan is a good person who knows what knights need: good armor and a horse. However, as we also learn here, a story grows with each retelling. Even Dunk’s.
If you missed the analysis of the first episode, you can find it here: Expert explains why A Knight of Seven Kingdoms is so different from Game of Thrones
