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

Original Airdate: June 19, 2011

As the tragic news of Eddard Stark’s execution spreads across the Seven Kingdoms, Bran and Rickon Stark share a prophetic dream of his demise,  Catelyn Stark interrogates Jaime Lannister about her son's fall and Robb Stark’s destiny is forever changed. After a surprising decision by his father Tywin, Tyrion Lannister heads south to King's Landing. Meanwhile, Arya Stark must conceal herself under a new identity in an attempt to escape the capital while her sister Sansa is terrorized by King Joffrey Baratheon. At Castle Black, Jon Snow is forced to choose between the Night's Watch and his family. Across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen pays a terrible price to save Khal Drogo, but finds new hope when her dragon eggs hatch and three dragons are born.

main cast

King’s landing

At the Great Sept of Baelor, Eddard Stark has been executed by a brutal beheading, as commanded by King Joffrey Baratheon. Eddard’s ancestral sword is covered in blood, and  Sandor Clegane holds Lord Eddard's head up to the adulation of the baying crowd. At the sight Sansa Stark then faints on the steps of the Sept. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos in the crowd,  Yoren drags Arya Stark away, making a point of calling her a boy. Once he gets her out of the courtyard, he cuts her hair off with a knife. He tells her that he will get her out of King's Landing and to Winterfell as a recruit of the Night's Watch, but he warns her not to trust the other recruits, since apparently half would hand her over to the Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister, for a pardon, while the other half would do the same, but only after raping her first.

Some time later, King Joffrey is holding court in the throne room and a singer is brought before him, charged with making up an amusing but offensive song about the late King Robert  Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. The song says that the boar might have killed King Robert, but the lion in his bed had previously castrated him. The singer turns out to be Marillion, who accompanied Catelyn Stark and Tyrion Lannister to the Vale of Arryn. Joffrey asks Marillion if he wants to keep his hands or tongue. When Marillion fearfully responds that everyone needs hands, Joffrey commands Ser Ilyn Payne to cut out his tongue instead. Then in an act of pure sadism, Joffrey takes Sansa up to the walls to see her father Eddard’s head mounted on a spike and makes her look at it. Sansa also witnesses the head of Septa Mordane upon a spike along the row of other Stark guards and household retainers. He cruelly mocks Sansa, promising he will give her brother Robb Stark's head next. She quietly retorts, however, that Robb might give her Joffrey's instead. Infuriated, Joffrey orders Ser Meryn Trant to beat her, as Cersei has told him that a king should not hit his queen. Sansa moves up behind Joffrey, apparently preparing to shove him off the walkway to his death, but Sandor unexpectedly dabs the blood off her lip with a handkerchief and after Joffrey leaves, tells her to give him what he wants. Meanwhile, Grand Maester Pycelle takes the prostitute Ros to bed, boasting of the several great kings he has served. After a bored Ros leaves, Pycelle stands and limbers up, revealing that he’s not as frail in mind or body as he lets on. After dressing, he resumes his act and leaves his chamber. That evening, Cersei Lannister has taken a new lover, her cousin Lancel Lannister. She receives a letter informing her of her brother Jaime Lannister's capture. A naked Lancel then asks for news of the war, pondering what their next move is, but Cersei is unconcerned with his opinion.

The following morning, Lord Petyr Baelish discusses kingship with Lord Varys as they engage in banter revolving around Varys’ lack of genitalia. They eventually acknowledge their mutual admiration and respect of one another, before being interrupted by Joffrey and his entourage. Meanwhile, Yoren has assembled a band of new recruits for the Night's Watch. Pretending that Arya is a boy called "Arry," he has her join the group. Also in the group are Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands and Gendry, who unbeknownst to him is King Robert's bastard son. He had been working at the armory for Tobho Mott, but with Robert dead, the secret funds being sent to Mott stopped, so he fired Gendry and told him he had to join the Watch. When Hot Pie and Lommy try to bully Arya into giving up  her sword, she angrily draws the sword, warning that she "has already killed one fat boy" and will happily do it again. Gendry breaks up the argument by taking Arya's side, threatening the boys with violence to keep them from picking on Arya later. Yoren now has to get them all to the Wall, a thousand leagues away, through the war-torn Riverlands.

winterfell

Meanwhile, at Winterfell, Bran Stark continues to experience the recurring dream of the Three-Eyed Raven. After he wakes up, Bran informs the wildling Osha about how the dream always ends with the raven flying into the crypts underneath the castle. Bran then informs Osha that he thinks his father Eddard is in the tombs. With this, Osha takes Bran down there as he speaks to her about the histories of some of the Stark ancestors entombed below. They are both then surprised by Shaggydog,  Rickon Stark's direwolf, who leaps out at them from the empty tomb of Lord Eddard. Bran’s younger brother Rickon calls Shaggydog off, and then eerily reveals to Bran that he had the same dream of their father as well. As they make their way back up to the courtyard, Osha is still trying to assure Bran that it could be a coincidence. However, they both see Maester Luwin from across the courtyard who solemnly holds a raven’s letter. The maester looks at them with such sadness as he slowly walks towards the pair in order to deliver the news of Eddard’s demise.

the riverlands

At the House Stark camp, Catelyn Stark stoically walks through the encampment and receives the condolences and respect of the northern bannermen, who bow to her as she passes. She makes her way into the woods around the camp.  Once she is out of everyone's sight, she breaks down, practically hyperventilating with grief. Hearing something from deeper in the woods, she finds her distraught son Robb hacking his sword at a tree in anger and grief. Lady Catelyn calls to him and tells him he is ruining his sword. Robb drops the sword and falls into her arms, vowing to kill the Lannisters who murdered his father. Catelyn comforts him and promises him revenge, but only after they rescue Sansa and Arya first.

That evening, at Robb's camp, he and his bannermen debate whether to cooperate with  Stannis  or Renly Baratheon in the war against King Joffrey. While the younger Renly has greater forces on his side, as the elder Baratheon brother, Stannis is the next in line of succession. Greatjon Umber takes a stand to voice his opinion on the matter, only to spit on both Baratheon brothers. He vehemently questions why the northerners should be told what to do by rulers in the south at all, reminding them that the North was independent of the other Six Kingdoms before the dynasty of House Targaryen threatened them with their fleets of dragons. With the dragons gone, Umber declares there is only one king worthy of his respect and allegiance and bows before Robb, calling out, "The King in the North!" Theon Greyjoy stands to ask Robb if he is his brother, “now and always”. The northern bannermen then take up the cry as well, bowing before the new King in the North, swearing fealty to Robb.

Afterwards, Lady Catelyn visits the captive Jaime Lannister, who has been tied up to a post inside the encampment. The Lannister knight taunts her about Eddard's death and offers to serve her as a lover. After calling her a lonely woman, Catelyn hits him in the head with a rock. Jaime states that she can kill him but he doesn't fear death, though Jaime probably realizes that the Starks won't kill him as long as his sister Cersei holds Sansa and Arya hostage. Catelyn then asserts that he has violated the laws of man and gods, however, he ponders where Ned's gods were when his head was cut off. Jaime questions the existence of all gods, Old and New. She says there is injustice in the world because of men like him, to which Jaime responds "There are no men like me, only me". He admits to pushing young Bran from the tower, but still doesn't reveal why.

Elsewhere in the Riverlands, where the Lannister’s hold their war camp, Tywin Lannister is leading a strategy meeting and is furious that his son Jaime has been captured by the Starks. Tywin's brother Kevan Lannister describes the war as a "catastrophe". In addition to Jaime's aforementioned defeat, both Stannis and Renly have claimed the Iron Throne, meaning the Lannisters are now fighting a three-front war. Tyrion points out that any chance of negotiating with Robb Stark died when his father was executed. The Lannister army is now exposed, so Tywin decides to retreat to the castle Harrenhal and as he is reluctantly impressed by Tyrion's astute judgment of the situation, orders his son to go to King's Landing and serve as acting Hand of the King in Tywin's stead. He is to control his sister Cersei and his ill-tempered nephew Joffrey to prevent the young king from making more idiotic mistakes. Tywin also orders Tyrion to leave  his whore behind. Later that evening in his tent with Shae, much to her elation, Tyrion defies Tywin’s command and informs her that she will be joining him on his journey back to King’s Landing, where he adds his assumption that the ladies of the court could learn a great deal from someone like her.

the wall

When news of his father Eddard’s execution has finally reached Castle Black, a panicked Jon Snow prepares to leave on horseback in order to join his brother Robb's army and seek vengeance for his father. However, Samwell Tarly desperately attempts to keep Jon from deserting his vow to the Night’s Watch, for which the penalty is his own execution. Jon makes it clear to his friend that he understands the cost more than Sam does himself, as he’s witnessed it first-hand when Eddard executed the deserter named Will back at Winterfell. Jon sternly commands the stubborn Samwell to move out of the way of his horse, eventually having to knock Sam down before racing away from Castle Black. As Jon charges through the forest he realizes that he is being pursued on horseback. One of his pursuers eventually, however, hits a tree branch and is unhorsed. When Jon realizes it was Samwell, he turns back to help him and then shouts at Sam, Grenn and Pypar to all to go back or they will get in trouble as well. The trio then surround Jon and recite their oath to the Night's Watch, as Jon comes to realize that they are right. Leaving would make him an oath-breaker, something his father would never countenance if he were alive. Jon agrees to return to the Wall with them.

Some time later, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont decides to overlook Jon's brief desertion and therefore bypassing it’s punishment. Mormont admits many have fled the Wall, only to think better of it and return unpunished. The Lord Commander rationalizes that if the Night’s Watch executed everyone who had once deserted, they'd have no men left. Jeor then informs Jon that the hostile war between the Lannisters and Starks is less important than what they are about to face. Not only a renewed threat from several bands of wildling tribes who are forming a rebellion against them, but also the looming resurgence of White Walkers. Mormont asks Jon if he feels as though his brother’s war is more important than the threat of mankind. When Jon answers “no,” Jeor then explains to him that he means to lead the Night's Watch in force through the Haunted Forest and far beyond the Wall in order to learn more of their foes and prepare to battle against them. He also notes that they will find Jon’s missing uncle, Benjen Stark, whether he is dead or alive. With news of their dangerous exhibition, Jon agrees to commit himself fully to the Night's Watch and all that lies ahead.

lhazar

In the wastelands beyond Lhazar, Daenerys Targaryen wakes up to terrible news from Ser Jorah Mormont. He reports that her son, Rhaego, has died. When Daenerys asks Jorah to inform her of how Rhaego perished, he regretfully admits to her that the boy “never lived”. Mirri Maz Duur then quietly enters the tent, informing Daenerys that Rhaego was born blind, deformed and covered in scales. She callously reminds Daenerys that only death could pay for the life of Khal Drogo. Daenerys demands to see her husband, shouting at Mirri to show her what she has bought with her son’s life. Though Jorah attempts to keep her resting, Daenerys rises in order to follow the healer along the cliffs of Lhazar. He informs her that the majority of the khalasar have also moved on, leaving them behind. To further devastation, Daenerys then finds Drogo in an unresponsive, catatonic state. Daenerys demands to know why, as Mirri Maz Duur then explains that when Daenerys "saved" her, she had already been raped three times and the temple she served had been burned and defiled by the Dothraki. Mirr declares to that she has now gotten her revenge. Not only on Drogo, but on Daenerys' child Rhaego, who now in future can burn no cities and slaughter no innocents. Mirri does agrees that Daenerys saved her life, but then informs her to ask Drogo: “what is life worth when all else is gone?”

That evening, Daenerys is in her tent tending to the dying Drogo, who remains in a vegetative state. She speaks to Drogo while bathing him, telling him that he has always been a fighter and that she needs for him to fight now for his life. Daenerys begs for him to come back to her, however, nothing she attempts shows any signs of reaction. Daenerys painfully realizes that he is no longer cognizant and witnessing him in a state of immobility, she is brokenhearted. Daenerys lies upon his chest in tears until she eventually kisses her husband goodbye. In absolute desolation, she then smothers him with a pillow until he reaches the Night Lands, the land of the dead where a Dothraki’s soul travels to.

Afterwards, Daenerys and her small retinue of Dothraki remaining prepare a funeral pyre for Khal Drogo. At Daenerys’ command, her bloodrider Rakharo places the three gifted dragon eggs she received from Illyrio Mopatis on top of the funeral pyre. Considering their dire position, Ser Jorah advises Daenerys to sell the dragon eggs. After she refuses, Jorah expresses his concern that Daenerys intends to kill herself in the fire. Though he pleads for her to reconsider, stating his refusal to watch Daenerys burn, she kisses him on the cheek and then turns towards the remaining Dohtraki. Daenerys informs them that if they wish to go, they may. However, if they choose to remain loyal she promises to lead them into a glorious future as equals: “husbands and wives, brothers and sisters.” After a few Dothraki leave during her speech, Mirri laughs at her, prompting Daenerys to command for the witch to be bound to one the pillars of the pyre. After Daenerys sets the pyre alight, Mirri screams in agony while the flames consume her. Daenerys then calmly and silently walks into the fire as the flames appear to consume her as well. At dawn, the fire eventually dies down. Ser Jorah and the rest of the khalasar awaken to find Daenerys with three newly-hatched baby dragons crawling over her. Her nude body is covered in ash, but she is completely unharmed. At the sight of the mythical animals born anew, an amazed Jorah and the few remaining Dothraki kneel and swear their allegiance to the “Mother of Dragons”. After she slowly stands up, the black hatchling on her shoulder rises, spreads its wings and screams, announcing the return of dragons to the world.

*Episode descriptions from GOT Wiki