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Tuesday, March 31, 2026
The Observer

Opinion















The Observer

(Un)bend the knee

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During the most recent season of Game of Thrones, HBO’s wildly popular fantasy series, perhaps no theme was more vital — nor was any phrase more often repeated — than the question of allegiance invited by characters’ incessant exhortations to “bend the knee” and affirm the political submission symbolized therein. Viewers await each Sunday to find out if each character will choose or decline to bend the knee, and to enjoy the fallout.