“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel, has made an impressive debut, securing 6.7 million viewers across all platforms within its initial three days of availability. This robust viewership performance places it among the top three series launches in the history of HBO Max. For context, the Emmy-winning medical drama “The Pitt” garnered 5.4 million viewers over three days for its second season premiere in January, while the Season 4 premiere of “Industry” saw 800,000 viewers in the same timeframe, underscoring the strong start for the Westeros-set fantasy.

The series, originally known as “The Hedge Knight” before its title change months prior to release, is set between the events of “House of the Dragon” and “Game of Thrones.” It draws its inspiration from George R.R. Martin’s novella series, “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” which chronicles the adventures of Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and his diminutive squire, Egg. Peter Claffey stars as Ser Duncan, with Dexter Sol Ansell portraying Egg. The extensive cast also includes 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.

Critically, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has been well-received, achieving a strong 95% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its audience score on Popcornmeter stands at 70%, with some fans noting a lighter tone and slower pace. This pacing and tone, however, are a faithful reflection of Martin’s original “Dunk and Egg” novels rather than a creative deviation by the showrunners. Season 1 of the series will consist of six episodes.

The future of the series and the broader “Game of Thrones” universe on HBO looks promising. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has already been renewed for a second season, which is confirmed to premiere next year. It joins “House of the Dragon” as one of two active “Game of Thrones” prequels, with the third season of “House of the Dragon” expected to launch later this year, and its showrunner, Ryan Condal, confirming the series will conclude with Season 4. Furthermore, George R.R. Martin has confirmed that a major “Game of Thrones” sequel series focusing on Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is in the earliest stages of development, exploring her journey after leaving Westeros to explore what lies to the West.