The Six Million Dollar Man featured Lee Majors as Colonel Steve Austin, who is seriously injured in a NASA test flight gone wrong and then reconstructed with bionic implants that give him superhuman strength, speed, and vision, at the (now) bargain-basement price of six million dollars. The story of Frankenstein rarely varies across multiple adaptations, where a mad doctor places a human brain in a body crafted with stitched-together parts from corpses. Captain America sees Steve Rogers get injected with an experimental “super-soldier-serum” that augments his abilities exponentially. 27 years ago, Now and Again mixed them all together in a perfect sci-fi comedy-drama procedural with an overarching conspiracy, and it got cancelled far too soon.

John Goodman’s Brain Enters a Super New Body in ‘Now and Again’

Now and Again starts with Michael Wiseman’s (John Goodman) workday routine, following him as he gets up, says goodbye to his wife, Lisa (Margaret Colin), and his daughter Heather (Heather Matarazzo) and goes to work. He’s an executive at an insurance company, and finds out he’s been passed over for a promotion due to his unwillingness to fight claims made by victims of a bridge collapse, costing the company thousands. Disappointed, he and his friend Roger (Gerrit Graham) head out for a drink following work, after which he makes his way to the subway to go home. Unfortunately, a random sequence of events leads to Michael being knocked off the platform and into the path of an oncoming train.

Dead? Well, you’d think, but when he wakes up, he is met by Dr. Theodore Morris (Dennis Haysbert), sitting in a chair at the end of his hospital bed. He’s talking, but what he’s saying doesn’t make sense, telling Michael that his funeral was really beautiful. “But,” Michael asks, “how can I be in a hospital if I’ve already had a funeral?” Dr. Morris answers the question in a grandiose, roundabout fashion, talking about how billions of dollars (well more than Steve Austin’s measly six million) went into researching and working with biochemicals and bio-engineering to build a synthetic man. A real American man, one who can do the things mortal men can not, with the speed of Michael Jordan, the strength of Superman, and the grace of Fred Astaire.

The one thing they can’t build is a brain, which is where Michael fits in. They managed to rescue Michael’s brain, and placed it inside their creation (sound familiar?). Michael’s literally been given a second chance, in a state-of-the-art body fully financed by the American government. All they want in return is for him to stay dead. It’s the proverbial deal with the devil, with his new lease on life only valid if he doesn’t contact anyone from his past life. Ever. If he does, he’s guaranteed his own death, and the death of those he’s contacted. But it doesn’t sink in for Michael until he looks into the mirror. There, looking back, is a younger, thinner man: the new Michael Wiseman (Eric Close).

‘Now and Again’ Completely Nails Its Strange Sci-Fi Premise

Michael is in awe of his new physique, watched by Dr. Morris and a gaggle of scientists from the other side of the one-way mirror (leading to the first laugh-out-loud moment in the pilot, with Dr. Morris calling the moment Michael checks out his “package,” to thunderous applause when he’s right). He seemingly can do anything except fly, with Dr. Morris sarcastically apologizing that, in throwing billions of dollars and research into his body, they “forgot to shove a rocket up his ass.” It’s only when he’s alone in his new settings that the true weight of what’s being asked of him hits hard.

It’s the perpetual struggle between the yearning for his past life and the obligation to take on the missions the secret branch of the government tasks him with that drives Now and Again. He has little choice, but clandestinely, and sometimes recklessly, reaches out to Lisa, Heather, and Roger, leading them to question if what they’ve been told about Michael’s death is true. And it’s not, with Dr. Morris and the government withholding the truth not only from Michael’s family, but from Michael himself. Complicating matters is the Eggman (Kim Chan), an elderly terrorist who uses eggs containing a quick-acting, deadly poisonous gas, who has already killed dozens in Tokyo and Paris, and now threatens their city.

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Now and Again is smart, funny, and intense, nailing its strange premise perfectly. One great example is when Lisa turns to social assistance, with the insurance company refusing to pay out Michael’s life insurance policy. She doesn’t qualify, and is told she needs a job, but the only ones available are minimum wage jobs, which don’t pay enough for Lisa to keep the family home or even feed themselves. It’s such a clever dig at the ridiculousness of bureaucracy, and one of many throughout the series.

The cast is excellent, with both Close and Haysbert leading the pack. Haysbert lends Dr. Morris depth: he’s not a villain, nor is he a hero, but rather a man torn by the duty of toeing the line while watching another man whose life is literally in his hands. Close is flat-out perfect, balancing the humor, action, and emotional journey the role requires with an innate charm and roguishness. Yet Now and Again, which sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, was cancelled after one season, ending on a huge cliffhanger. It stands as one of many series cancelled way too soon, which does happen, now and again.

Many stars are expanding their families in 2026.

Riverdale alum Charles Melton’s girlfriend, director Camille Summers-Valli, rang in the new year by confirming her pregnancy with their first baby.

Two days later, Paradise star Krys Marshall debuted her baby bump at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.

“I am due any minute now, honey,” Marshall exclusively told Us Weekly on the red carpet. “If my water breaks on the carpet, call 911 [because] I’m about to bust.”

Adding to the baby bliss, February began with reality TV alums Nick Viall, Jenna Compono and Kelsey Owens sharing their respective pregnancy announcements. Later that month, golfer Collin Morikawa announced he and his wife are expecting their first baby.

Keep scrolling to see which stars are expecting babies in 2026:

Cartoon Network (CN) has always tapped its archives for content. Recently, though, that effort has been much more purposeful. The network has created spin-offs, launched shorter-run reboots, and restructured its lineup strategically to leverage its extensive catalog as an active living collection rather than merely a repository of shows.

The return of We Bare Bears appears even less coincidental than in earlier years, but it seems to be more of a silent experiment. While officially just another programming development for CN, it can be viewed as an additional opportunity to assess the market viability of a modern series that CN has invested considerable resources into developing and nurturing.

‘We Bare Bears’ Has a Simple Premise With Surprising Emotional Reach

Image via Cartoon Network / Courtesy: Everett Collection

At its core, We Bare Bears is disarmingly straightforward. The series follows three adoptive bear brothers — Grizz (Eric Edelstein), Panda (Bobby Moynihan), and Ice Bear (Demetri Martin) — as they attempt to live among humans in the San Francisco Bay Area. They want friends, jobs, and to feel like they belong — more often than not, they fail spectacularly.

What sets the show apart is its tone: episodes unfold like small slices of modern life with awkward social encounters, money stress, online validation spirals, and the fear of being left behind. The bears’ solution rarely triumphs over the world around them; instead, it’s each other. That emotional throughline — found family as a survival mechanism — became the show’s anchor.

When Cartoon Network launched We Bare Bears in 2015, it was on the heels of other successful series like Adventure Time and Steven Universe. The series also follows the same episodic, shorter-run format while leaning into emotional journeys (vs narrative journeys). During its run, the series captured the essence of mid-2010s anxiety about the internet, job-seeking, and pressure to be liked on social media. Panda’s obsession with social media and validation is even more relevant today than when it was created. It also explored topics such as viral videos, dating apps, and the impact of algorithmic fame—these concepts that have been further amplified by an increasing reliance on social media.

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Somehow, We Bare Bears captured the same fixation with contemporary ideas as the rest of the 2010s; however, unlike most shows at the time, it never felt cynical. The show’s comedic style was always soft in its execution; its storyline unfolded at a slower pace than most of its peers; and the color palette was deliberately muted towards the soft end of the color spectrum.

We Bare Bears ran for four seasons, with a total of 140 episodes, and maintained solid ratings among younger viewers and an increasing adult audience. Many people praised the series for its heart and humor, and for not talking down to its viewers; the viewers’ loyalty was evident. As a result of that viewer loyalty, the franchise expanded with We Bare Bears: The Movie in 2020, which also served as a solid send-off for the characters and did not leave the story open-ended; the movie gave the characters closure, a rarity for animated television. The brand also created the prequel series to We Bare Bears, called We Baby Bears, which depicted the three characters as baby bears with all sorts of outlandish multiverse adventures, creating the ability for the three baby bears to continue with the next generation of fans as the fans of the original series and characters became fans of the cult classic.

What This Return Could Mean for Cartoon Network

Image via Cartoon Network / Courtesy: Everett Collection

The decision to bring We Bare Bears back into heavy rotation isn’t happening in a vacuum. Before Cartoon Network decides whether to make new episodes of a show, they test audience interest through reruns (Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gumball), which often benefit from a revival.

For Dan Chong‘s upcoming Pixar movie, Hoppers, he also finds himself in an interesting spot, since this movie will reintroduce his creative style to a wider audience. While not directly connected, the timing suggests confidence in the creator’s brand — and in the staying power of his most recognizable work. At the very least, the network is acknowledging what fans never forgot: We Bare Bears still works.

We Bare Bears remains refreshingly accessible, with episodes that can be watched in any order, some of which are nearly wordless and others that experiment with different animation styles or genres. All of them circle back to kindness, which may be its greatest strength. Whether Cartoon Network is simply filling time slots or quietly gauging interest in something more, the message is clear: this is a show worth revisiting.

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We Bare Bears

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Release Date

2015 – 2019-00-00

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Cartoon Network

Directors

Phil Rynda

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Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been building towards Dunk’s (Peter Claffey) trial since his confrontation with Aerion (Finn Bennett). Episode 4 escalates the issue once Aerion insists on a Trial of Seven, forcing Dunk to gather six knights to risk their lives defending him, and to the hedge knight’s surprise, he finds the champions, including Prince Baelor (Bertie Carvel). That ending leaves Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother,” to finally reach the main event as the trial ensues. While the fight itself is epic, it doesn’t take up the full episode, which includes a lengthy flashback to Dunk’s youth.

The Trial of Seven Begins in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 5

Image via HBO

Immediately following Baelor’s decision to join Dunk’s side, the champions prepare for battle. Baelor, who has previously proven himself as a talented commander, takes charge, instructing them to stay on their horses and let him handle the three Kingsguard knights, whose oaths prevent them from harming him. Yet, as Baelor warns of the practical danger, nerves are high, particularly for Dunk and Raymun (Shaun Thomas), who have no experience. Even so, Dunk doesn’t share an emotional goodbye with Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), remaining optimistic for the boy’s sake and telling him to be there when he returns, calling back to a moment in Episode 2. Considering the series is primarily about their relationship, their scene together is important, proving how close they are as Egg spends the last moments before the trial speaking to Dunk rather than his father, uncle, or either of his brothers.

When it comes time to charge, Dunk hesitates, but Egg calls to his war horse, Thunder, urging him forward into the fray. Untested as he is, Dunk’s shield is quickly broken in the chaotic fight. Almost instantly, a broken lance stabs his side, and Dunk is knocked off his horse into the mud. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wastes no time proving that, as knightly as Dunk is, he isn’t the unbeatable hero common within the genre.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 5 Explores Dunk’s Childhood

Dunk’s fall leads to an extended flashback to Dunk’s past before he met Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). During the Blackfyre Rebellion, he was an orphan on the streets of Flea Bottom. Young Dunk (Bamber Todd) searches the wreckage of a battlefield, stealing anything he can take to sell with his friend Rafe (Chloe Lea). With nothing to their names, they are using the war to collect the funds to leave. While they sell what they find, they are stopped by a Goldcloak named Alester, but they escape, and Rafe even steals his ale skin. Ultimately, they walk away with enough to pay for passage, though Dunk has his doubts. Rafe’s insistence motivates Dunk to stick to the plan as he cares for her and doesn’t want to be separated.

However, they discover the next day that the price to sail away from Westeros has gone up, forcing them to remain in Flea Bottom even longer. Their problems grow when Alester returns, angry that Rafe stole from him. Learning that she sold the ale skin, Alester steals the money Rafe saved, but Rafe takes his knife in return. Realizing this, Alester slits her throat. Dunk responds by attacking Alester, only to get stabbed in the leg. Yet before Alester can do much else, a drunk Ser Arlan comes to Dunk’s aid, killing Alester and his accomplice while Dunk watches his friend die. This story provides a tragic backstory for Dunk with the death of his friend, yet it also explains why he is so determined to defend the smallfolk, as he once needed a knight’s protection.

Alone, Dunk mourns his friend until he sees Arlan stumbling through the streets. This time, Dunk decides to follow, leaving the city and limping behind the knight, who seems unaware of him. With no resources, Dunk grows sick and cold while Arlan drinks and sings at his own camp, but he eventually takes notice of Dunk’s suffering. As the boy collapses, Arlan offers him water and tells him to get up, beginning the relationship that eventually leads to Dunk becoming his squire. It’s an interesting backstory for Dunk, but its placement in the story interrupts the most climactic turn of the season, halting its momentum.

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Dunk Faces Off With Aerion in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 5

Image via HBO

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Considering this is the penultimate episode, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been overdue for some action, and the Trial of Seven is the perfect opportunity, yet it would have been even better if fans could see it more clearly. With fog obscuring the sequence, “In the Name of the Mother” officially gets added to the list of hard-to-see episodes in the franchise.

When the episode jumps back to the Trial of Seven, Dunk returns to his feet, only to be knocked down again. Aerion, in particular, refuses to let Dunk stand up, but Dunk fights back. A gruesome fight between the two ensues, with each accumulating injuries. When Aerion gets his sword into Dunk’s helmet, Dunk removes it for a better view, getting in some brutal blows as well and cutting Aerion’s leg so badly that he seems unable to stand. Maekar (Sam Spruell) rushes toward his son, but is pulled away in the fighting. Even once Aerion is downed, Dunk fails to end the trial, sinking to the ground before he can do anything else. As Egg desperately calls for him to get up, Dunk collapses further. Aerion recovers enough to get to his feet, and all seems lost, but just as the trial is about to be called in Aerion’s favor, Dunk hears Arlan’s voice again and rises.

The crowd cheers Dunk’s name as he faces Aerion again. Neither is nimble, but they are determined. Dunk pins Aerion down, beating the prince’s head until he yields. Once he has won, Dunk drags Aerion to the presiding lords and forces him to withdraw his accusation loud enough for the spectators to hear, effectively ending the fight. The battle between these two characters is impressive, but it’s a shame that the episode only truly focuses on two of the 14 combatants, limiting its scope.

The Trial of Seven Has Dire Consequences in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 5

Image via HBO

Following his victory, Dunk falls, but Raymun and Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour) catch him and see to his wounds. Steely Pate must cut the armor off of him after the damage he received, but they assure him that of the seven on their side, only Humfrey Beesbury (Danny Collins) died of his injuries.

Baelor joins them, offering his maester’s help, and Dunk pledges himself to the prince even as he struggles to stand. However, things take a turn when Baelor removes his helmet to reveal a nasty head wound from his brother’s mace that he can’t survive. Baelor collapses into Dunk’s arms as the hedge knight apologizes. While the episode allows Dunk to clear his name, it ends with another twist, heading into the Season 1 finale on an ominous note.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max with new episodes on Sundays.

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Release Date

January 18, 2026

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Network

HBO

Showrunner

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Ira Parker

Directors

Owen Harris

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Writers

George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker

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• 

  Peter Claffey

  Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall

• 

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Pros & Cons

• Episode 5 centers on the epic confrontation between Dunk and Aerion.
• Throughout the episode, Egg’s faith in Dunk shines, highlighting their relationship.

• An extended flashback takes up a large part of the episode, interrupting the story’s climax.
• The Trial of Seven is hard to see in the fog and its limited scope doesn’t give fans a clear picture of the fight.

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A solid-colored tee is a no-fail option in your closet, but sometimes you just want something with a little more pizzazz, especially during the spring and summer months. That’s where graphic T-shirts come to the rescue. They provide the same effortless comfort, but they skip the plain, boring look.

Graphics tees have come a long way since we were kids, so we focused on modern options that you won’t feel silly in. Think: sweet florals, discreet designs and Euro-style patterns. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Amazon is filled with affordable graphic tees, so your seasonal wardrobe can be set before all the snow even disappears. Hello, new everyday staple!

17 Graphic Tees That Are an Everyday Staple 

1. Our Favorite: We can all pretend we’re having an Italian summer while wearing this coastal graphic tee. Made of 100% cotton, this lightweight shirt features lemons, tomatoes, seafood and other lovely parts of the season in Italy.

2. Fabulous Florals: For $10, this body-skimming floral T-shirt is a great option to snap up. This particular style features a multi-colored floral print, and is available in several solid shirt colors, including green, pink and blue.

3. Real Relaxed: If you want a simple touch, this oversized graphic tee has a little butterfly, smiley face or floral detail on the chest. Then the back does all the talking!

4. Pretty Pocket: There’s a little surprise poking out of the chest pocket! This super-soft graphic tee has a dainty floral design that we love.

5. Chicken Lady: You don’t have to be a farm girl to appreciate this fun short-sleeve chicken T-shirt. The country-inspired tee features five feathered friends.

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6. Wild West: Save a horse, wear a T-shirt! This vintage country tee has an oversized fit, which will surely be your go-to pick as the weather heats up.

7. Subtle Bow: This solid oversized T-shirt features a simple white bow on the chest. It proves that not every graphic tee needs to be super bold to make a statement.

8. Lovely Lemons: Yes, we’re including another Italy-inspired graphic tee. The limoncello design is just what warm weather calls for; it comes in a range of colors, too.

9. Radiant Rose: We love the relaxed fit on this rose graphic tee. The short sleeves are slightly rolled for an added casual touch.

10. Beach Babe: A beach-inspired graphic tee just makes sense, and you can’t beat the pastel hues. It has an oversized fit, so you can even use it as a bathing suit cover-up.

11. Make a Wish: With rolled short sleeves, this dandelion crewneck tee has an effortless look. Amazon reviewers say it feels very soft, almost silky.

12. Must-See Moon: It’s business in the front, party in the back with this outdoor-inspired relaxed tee. Plus, the purple color will stand out among other options in your closet.

13. Disney Darling: We love that this Princess Belle-inspired shirt is a more discreet Disney option. It gives a nod to her love of books, but features Easter eggs from the film, too.

14. Sweet Sunflower: Made with a blend of cotton and stretchy spandex, this oversized graphic tee has a relaxed feel for all-day wear. The simple flower is also so cute.

15. Daring Destination: Rep your favorite city with this vintage-looking shirt. You can’t go wrong by showing off a place you love to visit (or live)!

16. Fun and Fruity: Add a pop of color to your spring and summer with a strawberry graphic tee. It has a more fitted silhouette, making it ideal to pair with jeans, a skirt or other bottoms.

17. Mama Must-Have: Rock your favorite title on the chest pocket. This ‘mama’ graphic tee is simple but means something special.

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They found a fairway to heaven! Professional golfer Collin Morikawa has a special support system in his wife, Katherine Zhu.

“She’s been amazing. I’m so lucky to have her,” Morikawa gushed during an August 2020 interview with the Golf Channel’s “Golf Central” broadcast. “Kat’s been by my side through it all. She would hate me if I didn’t say this, but I didn’t start winning in college until she showed up in my life.”

The PGA Tour champ and Zhu, who played collegiate golf at Pepperdine University, were introduced by a mutual friend in 2017 nearly two years before Morikawa turned pro.

Zhu recalled: “[One of my competitors and I] were just being college girls and talking about life [during a summer tournament]. She said, ‘Are you seeing anyone? Let me introduce you to someone,’” she told the New York Post in September 2020. “I said, ‘Sure,’ but I didn’t really think she would actually do it.”

Sure enough, the couple’s pal — who played golf with Morikawa at the University of California, Berkeley — showed him photos from Zhu’s Instagram to pique his interest.

“We started talking through text,” the Canada native told the outlet at the time, noting she finally met Morikawa in person over spring break.

The pair’s romance continued to develop while they finished up their college degrees. Zhu then became her man’s No. 1 cheerleader once he pursued a professional golf career.

“You continue to amaze me every single day. I am so happy to see you accomplish a goal that you’ve worked so hard for! I am so proud of you! Congratulations bby,” she gushed via Instagram in August 2020 after Morikawa won the PGA Championship.

After three years of dating, the Olympian proposed to Zhu in November 2021.

“[I was] way more nervous proposing [than playing in a golf tournament],” Morikawa quipped during a January 2022 interview with PGA Tour. “I mean, it’s not even the same! It’s not even in the same boat. It is so far gone. I mean, golf, I do it every day. Like, it’s normal, proposing is not.”

He continued: “That morning, I practiced [my speech] with my caddie in the Bahamas and we were on a cart and I was driving into ropes and going all over the place. It was nerve-wracking.”

Zhu, who adopted golden doodle Koa with her man in December 2020, accepted the pro athlete’s proposal and they wed one year later.

“Happy 5 years together @collin_morikawa,” Zhu wrote via Instagram in March 2022, nine months before their nuptials. “Can’t believe how much we have been through together, from long distance for 2 years to moving in together for the last 3, getting a dog together and now we’re ENGAGED! Can’t wait to spend a lifetime together with you!”

Scroll below for Morikawa and Zhu’s complete relationship timeline:

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5.After building up the last couple of episodes, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finally reveals the Trial of Seven on screen in Episode 5. After Aerion (Finn Bennett) is attacked by Dunk (Peter Claffey) at the end of Episode 3, and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) reveals his true identity to his companion, tensions have been high. Refusing a one-on-one match against Dunk, Aerion instead calls for a Trial of Seven to settle their problems. While Aerion has his father, Maekar (Sam Spruell), his brother, Daeron (Henry Ashton), three kingsguard, and the recent turncoat Steffon Fossoway (Edward Ashley), it’s a bit more difficult for Dunk to find the other six knights he needs for his side of things.

By the end of Episode 4, he’s lost Steffon to Aerion but gains his cousin Raymun (Shaun Thomas) instead. Egg manages to get him the one-eyed Robyn Rhysling (William Houston), and both Humfrey Beesbury (Danny Collins) and Humfrey Hardyng (Ross Anderson), and of course, Dunk has his new friend Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) to help him out. However after all of that, Dunk is still missing one more person, and it is Bertie Carvel‘s Baelor Targaryen who steps in to face off against three members of his family. In a daring and chaotic fight, we ultimately see Dunk come out on top after overpowering Aerion, but in the final moments of the episode, Daeron’s prophetic dream comes true, and Baelor, after being struck by Maekar, falls dead after removing his helm. We discussed this final battle and death with Carvel, as well as Baelor’s true nature and how it differs from his other Targaryen family members. Carvel also gets into his love of the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire and reveals what attracted him the most to this story.

Bertie Carvel’s Love for ‘Game of Thrones’ Goes Much Deeper Than You Think

“We should be telling stories about how the ordinary people matter…”

Image via HBO

COLLIDER: What was has it been like stepping into such a massive universe like Game of Thrones, and how much knowledge did you have about the world coming into it?

BERTIE CARVEL: Quite a lot, I suppose. I loved the show. I went out and bought all the books after the first season, tore through them, and then tore through the rest of the show and loved it, and it felt very familiar to me. I spent a lot of time — more time than a modern human should — with a sword in my hand, pretending to be a hero or a villain in a complex moral universe, so take that how you will. It felt very familiar to me and very real, and I loved its contours.

And then I didn’t know these stories until I was sent the script. I tore through the scripts, really, really rare this in this day and age to get all the scripts to sort of land like a monolith on your desk, and so I loved reading them, and I felt something wake up that I used to feel as a boy reading stories about knighthood and chivalry that seems to have been asleep for some time. A story in a world I recognized that contained cruelty and cynicism and hard truths, here was a story in which there was a space for a hero, and I really felt like, yes, this is what I need. This is what I want to be a part of.

And that’s a good thing. The more I reflect on it, and the more I talk about it, the more I realize that there is something really important about those stories right now. We should be telling stories about how the ordinary people matter, and what you do and say matters, and standing up for what’s right matters, and I don’t know what the end of this story is yet — none of us does — but I’ve got a feeling that it counts. And I want to hear those stories right now.

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‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Timeline Explained: Where Dunk and Egg Fit in ‘Game of Thrones’ History

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Carvel Discusses Baelor’s True Nature in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

“That’s what I think makes the story have some kind of moral weight to it.”

Targaryens are often portrayed in the show as these semi-villainous characters, but Baelor is actually a very noble character, and very chivalrous. What was it like for you balancing those two aspects of his character? Did you talk to Ira [Parker] or George [R.R. Martin] about playing him and how you lean into this good nature that he has?

CARVEL: I don’t believe anyone has a good nature. Well, actually, that’s a bit flippant. I guess I believe profoundly that character is behavior, so what we do is what we are. And I suppose I’d like to be more essentialist than that; I’d like to believe that people have a good nature, that in general, people have a good nature. But I guess what I’m trying to say is you don’t know before, until after. Baelor does not know that he will do the right thing from one moment to the next, and what makes it exciting is to find out he is good because he chooses to do good things, and he is bad when he chooses to do bad things, and we have to make up our minds from one moment to the next, which is which. That’s what I think makes the story have some kind of moral weight to it.

So, it’s not a given that he will, in fact, in order to make the story exciting, I want you to believe that he might just as well rip your head off as wrap his arms around you in a warm embrace. And he has to contain the potential of the best of the Targaryens, to strike clean and hard and cut through the jugular. That was what made it exciting. But yes, you’re right. What he does in the story is certainly what I regard to be deeply noble, and I think, yeah, I’m really up for hearing those stories right now.

Carvel Reveals Whether We Were Ever Going to See Maekar and Baelor Fighting in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

“…we’re not really with Baelor, in that sense, we’re with Dunk.”

Image via HBO

I love that scene when Baelor rides in for the Trial of Seven. I think that was a fantastic moment when he came out. Was there ever a version of that final sequence where we see him actually face off with Maekar? Because I was very sad that we didn’t get that. Was there ever a version of that, or were we always meant to see him come in at the end and assume that everything was okay before he dies?

CARVEL: This is probably a question for Ira [Parker] more than for me. I mean, the two things that strikes me to say, one, is that I think one of the things that’s kind of thrilling about this series is that we’ve gotten used to this universe where no one character is the protagonist, and where in A Song of Ice and Fire, George changes the angle of attack all the time and destabilizes you in that way, and you see that everything has multiple viewpoints, there’s a sort of moral relativism there, which is really exciting. In this story, we very much stay with Dunk, and so I guess you see that sequence through Dunk’s eyes.

There was a moment where it was like a fleeting moment that we shot, which was the moment where Maekar strikes Baelor, and the moment just leading up to that with the brothers. But, I guess you’d have to ask Ira, but I think they probably chose not to show that because it sort of spoils what’s about to come next. But we’re not really with Baelor, in that sense, we’re with Dunk. And I hope that answers the question, but the short answer is no.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs every Sunday on HBO in the U.S.

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Release Date

January 18, 2026

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

Ira Parker

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Directors

Owen Harris

Writers

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George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker

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  Peter Claffey

  Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall

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