‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Might Not Pick Up on Its Big Cliffhanger Just Yet

With that sly tweak to the ending of George R.R. Martin’s original story, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ season one finale suggested the Targaryens might soon launch another search party on Egg’s behalf. But neither Martin’s second Tales of Dunk and Egg novella nor the Targaryen history he details in Fire and Blood leaves much room for Prince Maekar to be chasing after his runaway son.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Sam Spruell—whose performance as the haughty Maekar was note-perfect—said he understands Maekar’s fury upon discovering Egg has disobeyed him.

“His youngest son, Aegon [Egg], is his last chance to prove himself as a father. He’s his last chance to have an heir that’s worth anything at all and isn’t a drunk or a violent psychopath … Everything Maekar touches doesn’t work out for him, and there’s enormous vulnerability there. He is pretty much a failure as a father,†Spruell said.

Choosing to go with Dunk was the best decision Egg could have made, Spruell continued. “There is a wisdom to Dunk that comes naturally and instinctually, and I don’t think Maekar will ever get close to it … [Egg] can see that if he’s to be the person that he wants to be, he must follow Dunk rather than his own father, which is unbelievably upsetting for Maekar,†he said. “So I hope that some of that upset and humiliation will be explored potentially in future books or seasons of the show.â€

Eagle-eyed readers might take that last statement, as well as Spruell’s remarks that he knows “very little†about season two other than it follows the second novella and “they’re shooting it right now,†to mean that Maekar won’t be among the characters we meet on Dunk and Egg’s next adventure—despite Maekar’s dangling thread at the end of season one.

He’s not in “The Sworn Sword,†Martin’s next story in the series. (He has no reason to be, since in the book, he’s grudgingly given Egg permission to be Dunk’s squire.) But in terms of Targaryen history, Maekar is also rather busy in the years following Ashford Meadow.

After killing his brother Baelor—the heir to the Iron Throne—amid Dunk’s Trial of Seven, Maekar moved a notch up the line of succession. He advanced even further the year following the tournament at Ashford Meadow, when several Targaryens, including King Daeron II and Baelor’s two sons (including Valarr, who appears in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), perished in a Westeros pandemic known as “the Great Spring Sickness.â€

That brings in the reign of King Aerys I (not to be confused with King Aerys II, the “Mad King†often mentioned in Game of Thrones); he’s on the throne in both “The Sword Sword†and “The Mystery Knight,†with Martin’s third story being of particular interest for Targaryen-watchers.

Maekar does eventually make it to the Iron Throne when he’s the last recognized heir standing after Aerys’ 12-year reign ends. If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gets additional seasons beyond Martin’s books—something showrunner Ira Parker has certainly hinted could be in the cards—here’s hoping Spruell will be back to play an older, not necessarily wiser version of King Maekar, and to further flesh out the character’s relationship with his youngest son.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.