Directed By: David Nutter / Written By: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss

Original Airdate: May 13, 2012

At Winterfell, after Bran and Rickon Stark escape, Theon Greyjoy is outraged and sets off after them to no avail as Osha improvises. However, as does Theon so as not to lose face with the Ironborn. Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow finds himself separated from the other members of the Night's Watch and his prisoner soon turns the tables on him. In Robb Stark's camp, at a ruthless cost, Jaime Lannister escapes but is soon recaptured. At King's Landing, Sansa Stark has nightmares about her near rape experience. Cersei Lannister has advice for her but the young woman is clearly worried about having to marry King Joffrey Baratheon. In Qarth, Daenerys Targaryen meets with the ruling council and demands the return of her dragons after their mysterious disappearance.

main cast

qarth

Daenerys Targaryen is desperate to find her stolen dragons in Qarth as Ser Jorah Mormont returns to also find the news of Irri’s death as well as Doreah’s sudden disappearance. Daenerys orders him to find her dragons as he then seeks out Quaithe, a mysterious masked priestess he met at Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ welcome party. He finds her painting the skin of a sailor as the priestess explains that she is preparing the man for a voyage past Old Valyria and that all who sail past the Doom need protection. Jorah says that he did not come for a lesson and she correctly surmises that he is looking for the dragons. When he asks where the dragons are Quaithe counters by wondering if he will betray Daenerys again, revealing her awareness of his time spent spying on Daenerys for Lord Varys. Jorah is stunned into silence. Quaithe repeats the question and he responds “never.” Quaithe tells him that Daenerys is already with the thief and Jorah leaves hastily.

Meanwhile, Xaro hosts a council of the Thirteen inside his home as Daenerys stands before them alongside Kovarro, begging for their help. After the Spice King responds insensitively to her pleas, the warlock Pyat Pree informs the council that she should be reunited with her babies, adding that he will take her to the House of the Undying, where he has placed the stolen dragons himself. Daenerys is astounded as Pyat explains that upon her arrival to Qarth he made an arrangement with the King. Daenerys asserts that there is no King of Qarth as Xaro stands and says that there is now. He admits to being the other party in the arrangement and admonishes the rest of the Thirteen, asserting a need for Qarth to change if it is to truly become the greatest city that ever was or will be. The Spice King informs him that an alliance with a charlatan and three small dragons do not make him a king, though Xaro retorts that empires have been built by less. Suddenly, the servants step forward behind the dignitaries with knives in hand and slit the throats of the eleven members of the Thirteen. Daenerys looks on in horror as she realizes that every servant has Pyat Pree’s face as Kovarro shields her as they then flee from the room. When they are confronted with another likeness of the warlock on the way out, Jorah arrives and stabs him in the back, to no affect. The terrified trio run out of Xaro’s home as Pyat urges Daenerys to come visit him and her dragons.

harrenhal

Lord Tywin Lannister looks down at the courtyard of Harrenhal from his balcony as a score of Lannister men have been hung and his officers continue to question their troops about the assassination of Ser Amory Lorch. Tywin sniffs the dart that killed the knight and says that it was dipped in wolfsbane, a rare poison. He tells his subordinate Ser Gregor Clegane that the killer was no common assassin. Ser Gregor asserts that they have hung twenty men seeking the culprit and Tywin counters that he would not care if they had to hang a hundred. Tywin orders Gregor to attack the smallfolk of the region to show them what it means to choose the wrong side. Gregor leaves to carry out his orders as Arya Stark serves a meal to Tywin. Tywin questions where Arya learned about history and she claims that she was taught by her father. Tywin is dubious about the idea of a well read stonemason, saying that he has never met one. Arya asks if he has met many stonemasons and he warns her to be careful with her tone, saying that he enjoys her but has limits. He orders her to return the meal to the kitchen to finish it there. He criticizes her pronunciation of “My Lord,” warning her that lowborn girls say “Milord.” He says that if she is going to pose as a commoner she should do it properly and she claims that she was taught to speak properly by her mother, a maid to Lady Dustin. Tywin says that she is too smart for her own good and dismisses her.

king’s landing

In King's Landing, Sansa Stark comes to thank Sandor Clegane for saving her life during the recent riot in the city and says that he was very brave. Sandor simply says that a dog doesn't need courage to fight off rats. Sansa is perturbed by his "hateful speech," but Sandor cautions that a day will come when his penchant for violence is all that stands between her and her "beloved" King Joffrey Baratheon. Later, Sansa awakens in her bed from a nightmare, only to find the sheets covered in blood because she has had her first period. As she will be expected to marry and conceive a son with Joffrey when she begins menstruating, Sansa panics and frantically tries to get rid of the bloody sheets to remove the evidence. Shae tries to help Sansa hide the sheets but Sandor finds them. Terrified of being brought to Joffrey, Sansa is instead brought before Cersei Lannister, who in her own way tries to comfort her. Cersei reveals that the late King Robert Baratheon had abandoned her to hunt as she birthed each of her children, but that her brother Jaime Lannister insisted on being by her side the whole time. Cersei says that while Sansa will never love Joffrey, she will love their children and advises Sansa to love no one but her children. When Sansa wonders if she should not love Joffrey, Cersei only answers, "You can try, little dove.”

Later that evening, in Cersei’s chambers, Tyrion Lannister reports Stannis Baratheon’s fleet of two-hundred ships has been spotted sailing north past Tarth, as Cersei notes that his fleet outnumbers theirs. Tyrion predicts that they will reach the city within five days as Cersei is confident that they will withstand the assault. Tyrion then asserts that Joffrey needs to start acting like a king and warns her that the war she herself has started is coming to their doorstep and that the city wants Joffrey dead. Cersei counters that she is not the one giving Joffrey whores to abuse as Tyrion laments that mistake, admitting he’d hoped it would calm Joffrey. He adds that it is hard to put a leash on a dog once it's already been crowned as Cersei quietly admits that she hoped that her son would be like Jaime. Tyrion observes that he is more like Robert than Jaime but Cersei replies that while Robert was a drunken fool he did not enjoy cruelty. Cersei goes on to wonder if Joffrey’s cruelty is the price she must pay for her sins as Tyrion tries to comfort her that the Targaryen’s practiced incest for centuries. Cersei admits that although Jaime and her used to console each other with the same fact when they had doubts, she does not believe it absolves her. Tyrion says that Cersei has beaten the odds because Tommen and Myrcella are good decent children. Cersei then begins to cry and Tyrion approaches her, however, cannot bring himself to comfort her.

beyond the wall

Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow awakens next to his captive wildling Ygritte on the frozen stony ground of the Skirling Pass. Ygritte feels his erection pressing against her and jokes of Jon having pulled a knife on her during the night. He leaps up and she is surprised by his reaction, wondering if it is the first time he has been so close to a woman. She deduces that he is a virgin and asks how old he is as Jon says only that he is a man of the Night’s Watch. She retorts that he is a boy that has never been with a girl. Jon unties her legs as she needles him about his sexual repression. He orders her to get moving, leading her by a rope. Ygritte continues to tease Jon about his virginity as they walk on through the pass, searching for the rest of his scouting party. She asks if there are no women in the Night’s Watch and accuses Jon of homosexuality. He denies this and she suggests bestiality. When he does not respond, she deduces that they are reduced to masturbation and cites this is an explanation for their surliness. They then argue about freedom and who is invading whose lands. Jon tells Ygritte his father was Eddard Stark and as Northman, he has the blood of the First Men just like she does, to which Ygritte asks Jon why the Watch fights the wildlings. She states that the animosity of the southerners toward the wildlings is arbitrary, given that the free folk are only distinguished from them by living north of the Wall when it was constructed.

As they walk deeper into the pass Ygritte compares their cultures, asserting that the free folk are just as good as the people of the Seven Kingdoms. She insists that freedom is worth not living in castles and not being able to forge strong steel. Jon counters that the wildlings have accepted  Mance Rayder as their King Beyond the Wall. Ygritte retorts that they chose their king to lead them and adds that Mance was a man of the Night’s Watch like Jon but wanted to be free. She mocks Jon's sexual inexperience, surmising that he is a virgin. She taunts him by offering to teach him how to have sex as she teases that he knows nothing. Later, Ygritte questions Jon how long it will take them to reach his people and he claims that they are close. She presses him for a specific time and deduces that he does not know. She threatens to accuse him of rape when they reach his people, acting out a scenario for him where she was an innocent captive ruined by his advances. He orders her to turn around and she incorporates that into her accusation. She says that they might as well do it anyway, still needling him for his embarrassment about the subject. She approaches him as she speaks seductively about her proposal. When she gets too close he puts a hand on his sword and she pretends to back off. She then hauls on her leash, pulling Jon off his feet and darts away. He chases her into an ambush, finding himself surrounded by wildlings clad in white fur.

the westerlands

In the Westerlands, King Robb Stark receives the returning captive Alton Lannister, who was dispatched to the capital to offer peace terms to Cersei Lannister on behalf of the King in the North. Robb asks for the Queen Regent’s response and Alton admits that Cersei tore the letter in half. Robb then thanks Alton for acting with honor, although as he’s still their prisoner, Robb orders Lord Rickard Karstark to provide him with a clean cell and a hot supper. Rickard then reports that their cells are overflowing since taking further prisoners at the Battle of the Yellow Fork. Robb orders a new pen for Alton and says that he is to be held with his relative, Ser Jaime Lannister, under the guard of Rickard’s son Torrhen Karstark in the mean time. Talisa Maegyr  then enters his tent to inform that she has run out of medical supplies she brought with her and is unable to replace some of them. Talisa reveals that she is aware of his plan to force the Crag to surrender and asks him to obtain the supplies from the maester there. He then asks her to accompany him to the castle and speak to the maester herself. She is hesitant but accedes when he says he wants the wounded men of both sides to be treated well.

That night, after discussing familial ties in their shared cell, Jaime informs Alton Lannister that he is not well suited to imprisonment, joking that the revelation is shocking. Jaime muses that some men are better equipped for it, adding that his life has left him unfit for constraint. Alton moves within arm’s reach to quietly ask if Jaime has considered escape as Jaime replies that it occupies his thoughts every day. Jaime laments that the good prisoners of House Stark have bred good jailors and are very careful and then informs that there is a way he can escape that was not possible before. Jaime rises to his knees to get next to Alton. He says that his plan is simple and that he needs Alton to do just one thing for him. Alton willingly agrees to do anything. Jaime leans next to him and says that he needs him to die. Jaime headbutts Alton and wrestles him to the ground then repeatedly beats him in the head with his manacled hands, caving in his skull. Torrhen Karstark rushes to the cell door with his sword drawn and sees Alton’s body twitching face down in the mud while Jaime sags against the post he is chained to with his back to him. Torrhen enters the cell and turns over Alton, seeing his bloodied face. Jaime wraps his chains around Torrhen’s throat, strangling him to death, seizing his keys and facilitates his escape.

However, the following morning, Lady Catelyn Stark is informed of Ser Jaime’s re-capture, as he is dragged back to the Stark camp in chains while being berated by vengeful soldiers, as well as Rickard Karstark. Torrhen Karstark was the son of Lord Rickard, who now demands Jaime's execution in revenge, regardless of his protected status as both a prisoner of war and a valuable political hostage.  During a heated debate between Rickard and Catelyn, Brienne of Tarth half draws her sword and warns Rickard that threatening Catelyn is an act of treason. Catelyn is forced to argue for Jaime's life and Rickard begrudgingly concedes, while Jaime is placed back into his cell. That evening, Catelyn confronts Ser Jaime and asserts that he has no honor, as Jaime bitterly explains that his vows as a knight required him to defend the innocent and serve King Aerys Targaryen, however, his king was slaughtering the innocent. Jaime then considers concepts like honor and loyalty naïve at best and hypocritical at worst, asserting that he has only slept with his sister Cersei. He then ridicules Catelyn’s late husband by bringing up the shame of Eddard fathering the illegitimate Jon Snow with another woman. This brings Catelyn to breaking point and she asks Brienne of Tarth for her sword.

the north

At Winterfell, now held by the Ironborn, Theon Greyjoy awakens to find that Osha is gone and she has escaped with Bran and Rickon Stark along with their direwolves. Theon berates Lorren for allowing them to escape. When Lorren counters that Theon is also to blame for sleeping with Osha and letting his guard down, Theon furiously beats him. Theon leads the Ironborn on horseback to hunt down the boys with hounds to track them. The search leads them to a shepherd's farm, but the farmer says that he hasn't seen anyone. Dagmer Cleftjaw finds some walnut shells, so they know the boys were there, but the hounds can't get their scent. Theon then tells his men the hunt is over and to return Maester Luwin to Winterfell: he knows where they are, and his mercy has been exhausted. Upon their return to Winterfell, Theon announces that he is going to show the people of Winterfell what happens to those who are not loyal to him: he hoists two charred bodies of small children, burned beyond recognition, to either side of the main gate. In horror, Maester Luwin cries out in anguish.

*Episode descriptions from GOT Wiki