History Recap / GameOfThronesS1E6AGoldenCrown

It's '''Vaes Dothrak''', and there's a feast. Things are going pretty well for Drogo and Dany until Viserys stumbles in, either drunk or more insane than usual (he was drunk in the book, but the TV show doesn't say anything either way) and calls for his sister. The Dothraki makes fun of him, and Khal Drogo tells Jorah to offer the prince a seat... in the back of the tent. "That is no place for a King!" the self-proclaimed Dragon spits at the humiliation. "You are no King," answers Drogo in common tongue with a scoff. Angered, the Beggar King draws his sword, and holds first Jorah, then Dany at swordpoint, threatening to spill blood in the sacred city. He demands the [[TitleDrop golden crown]] he was promised in exchange for his sister keeping her skin intact. Drogo agrees. Viserys, happy to have his demands met, lets his guard down, only to get grabbed by the Khal's bodyguards.

While Viserys shouts furious demands for the guards to unhand him, Drogo takes off his medallion-encrusted belt and tosses it into a pot over the cookfire, where the gold [[SpecialEffectFailure begins to melt]], and a horrible realization dawns on Viserys. He starts desperately begging his sister to stop the Dothraki, but she just looks coldly at him as Drogo approaches him with the pot of molten metal. The Khal lifts the up pot and once again addresses the Beggar King in common tongue with the words: "A crown for a king." To quote the book: "Viserys began to scream the high, wordless scream of the coward facing death." He gets his golden crown... but he doesn't seem to enjoy it very much. He hits the ground with clanking finality and stays there.

* AbsenteeActor: Finn Jones is credited in this episode, but Loras doesn't appear.

** Viserys is [[FalseReassurance confident in his safety]] in Vaes Dothrak, since the Dothraki can't spill blood in the city, to the point where he threatens the king and queen. Apparently he doesn't consider that you can have limbs broken and be [[KillItWithFire roasted to death]] without any blood being spilled.

** When Viserys turns up at the feast, Qotho refers to him as "Khal Rhae Mhar", elicting a derisive chuckle from Drogo. In the novel, Khal Rhae Mhar is a mocking title (it translates to "Sorefoot King" in Dothraki) the Dothraki give Viserys behind his back in response to Daenerys confiscating his horse and forcing him to walk.

* WhosLaughingNow: Lysa [[SmugSnake smugly]] tells Tyrion his guilt or innocence will be judged by her son, who's already expressed interest in making Tyrion fly. The moment Tyrion derails her plans by demanding TrialByCombat, Lysa's smug composure falters.

* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: Gold doesn't melt ''that'' fast, at least not at temperatures you'd find in your average open-fire stewpot.

'''Across the narrow sea''', Daenerys continues her obsession with her dragon eggs. Today she tries putting one on the coals of the fire. Nothing happens, even when she picks it up--including the "Oww, my burnt hands!" reaction you'd expect when someone picks up a red-hot glowing stone. Dany's hands are unblemished. [[{{Foreshadowing}} Huh]]?

Bran is having another "three-eyed crow" dream, venturing deeper into the crypts beneath '''Winterfell''', when Hodor bursts in with the saddle Tyrion designed for him. Next thing we know, Bran is riding around on his horse Dancer, hooting and hollering, whilst Robb and Theon discuss how House Stark should react to Ned's injury. Their strategy session is interrupted by the realization that they've misplaced Bran. (Good going, guys.) Bran is elsewhere in the forest, waylaid now by four wildlings who have made their way south of the Wall, at least one of whom is a deserter from the Night's Watch. Robb and Theon arrive, precipitating a short, tense confrontation, resulting in three dead men dead and the lone woman, Osha, taken prisoner.

In '''the Eyrie''', Tyrion manages, after much slow and careful talking, to convince Mord that helping him will be beneficial, as even an imbecile like Mord turns out to know the good old saying "A Lannister always pays his debts." And so Tyrion tells Mord that he will be richly rewarded if he can relay a message to Lysa Arryn; that he is ready to confess. And it works, as Tyrion is let out of his cell and brought before the court, but much to the fair lady's annoyance, he instead launches into a litany of sins which have to be seen to be believed, while he persists in proclaiming his innocence in the matter of Lord Arryn's death and Bran's botched slaying, and demands a TrialByCombat. Ser Vardis Egen, one of the Knights of the Vale, champions her cause, while Tyrion manages to get Bronn to stand for him.

Back in '''King's Landing''', Ned sits the Iron Throne for the first time in his life, passing judgment on the petitions of riverlanders who have come to King's Landing for justice. They were attacked in the night by a band of raving rapers, led by a man who chopped the head off a horse in anger. "That sounds like someone we know," Littlefinger whispers to Ned. "''[[DontExplainTheJoke The Mountain]]''." They also left behind a bunch of fish, which Littlefinger observes is the sigil of House Tully. "Can you think of ''any'' reason the Lannisters might ''possibly'' have for being angry with your wife?" Ned commissions a force to bring Clegane to justice, led by Lord Beric Dondarrion, and then passes a royal decree stripping Clegane of his lands, titles and knighthood. He also summons The Mountain's master, Tywin Lannister, to court; he must either declare his loyalty or face the same fate. [[ThisMeansWar It's on now, kids]].

It is time for the trial by combat in the '''the Eyrie''', as the light-footed [[CombatPragmatist Bronn]] fights [[KnightInShiningArmor Ser Vardis Egen]], using his heavy gear and the environment against him, and handily dodges his attacks while sticking to striking the knight with small, swift attacks. It's not really a contest, especially since Ser Vardis has Lysa on his side. "Enough, Ser Vardis, finish him," Lysa shouts, after he's already been injured and ''Bronn doesn't have a scratch on him''... and the brave fool obeys. Bronn just dodges the worn-out knight once again, slices his leg, before he gives him the CoupDeGrace and throws him out of the Moon Door. Much to the dismay of the Tully sisters, Tyrion is returned both his freedom and his purse. One takes him out the door, whilst the other goes to Mord. "A Lannister always pays his debts."

More check-ins: In '''King's Landing''', Joffrey visits Sansa, interrupting a pretty serious snark-fest between her and Septa Mordane. He gives her a necklace (and a kiss!) and promises never to mistreat her again. Meanwhile, near '''Winterfell''', Theon finds his favorite whore Ros on the kingsroad, heading to the greener (fleshier?) pastures of the capitol. She gives him one more flash of her cooter. That's the only appropriate word for the circumstances.

It's '''Vaes Dothrak''', and there's a feast. Things are going pretty well for Drogo and Dany until Viserys stumbles in, either drunk or more insane than usual (he was drunk in the book, but the TV show doesn't say anything either way) and calls for his sister. The Dothraki makes fun of him, and Khal Drogo tells Jorah to offer the prince a seat... In the back of the tent. "That is no place for a King!" the self-proclaimed Dragon spits at the humiliation. "You are no King," answers Drogo in common tongue with a scoff. Angered, the Beggar King draws his sword, and holds first Jorah, then Dany at swordpoint, threatening to spill blood in the sacred city. He demands the [[TitleDrop golden crown]] he was promised in exchange for his sister keeping her skin intact. Drogo agrees. Viserys, happy to have his demands met, lets his guard down, only to get grabbed by the Khal's bodyguards.

* TenMinuteRetirement: King Robert orders Ned to put his Hand badge back on. "And if you take if off again, I'll pin it on Jaime Lannister!"

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: A mild case. While he tries to hide it, Ned can't resist smirking a bit along with Arya after Sansa says she doesn't "want someone brave, handsome and strong", but Joffrey.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Tyrion confesses to [[PokeThePoodle childhood pranks]] like putting goat shit in his uncle's boots, and masturbating into a pot of turtle stew "that I do believe my sister ate, or at least I ''hope'' she did!"

** When Robert (who is ignorant of his youngest brother's homosexuality) asks him, "Have you ever fucked a Riverlands girl?", Renly's vague response is "Once, I think." Renly's annoyed facial expression indicates that he often uses this line whenever someone inquires about his sexual conquests.
* CaptainObvious: Littlefinger. He feels the need to point out to Ned that fish are the sigil of House Tully. The house of Ned's wife of 17 years. The house that are lords paramount of the Riverlands. A house that ranks in the top ten prominent houses of Westeros. A house who's sigil is ''being held by a bannerman in front of Ned''. See AsYouKnow.

-->'''Bronn:''' No, I didn't. ''({{Beat}} as he looks through the hole he'd pushed the corpse into)'' [[HonorBeforeReason He did]].

-->'''Ned:''' I'll make you a match with someone who is worthy of you. Someone brave and gentle and strong.
-->'''Sansa:''' [[ThatCameOutWrong I don't want someone brave and gentle and strong! I want him!]]
-->'''Ned and Arya:''' *Exchange grins*

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Tyrion mentions that he once "[[UnusualEuphemism milked his eel]]" into some stew, which his sister later ate (or at least, he hopes she did.)
* DestinationDefenestration: The Moon Door. Specifically, Ser Vardis Egen’s corpse is thrown through it after Bronn kills him.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: King Robert boasts of "doing the eight" -- screwing a girl from each of the Seven Kingdoms, plus the Riverlands. The next scene involves some peasants from the Riverlands telling of how their farms were burnt and women raped by marauding knights, which makes one wonder how many of the girls Robert had were willing.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Bronn showcases he has the capacity to show mercy in certain situations. When he has Ser Vardis on his knees, he gave Lysa the opportunity to call the fight. It was only after it became clear she didn't intend to that he delivers the final blow.

** Drogo promises Viserys "a golden crown which all men shall tremble to behold". What he got certainly does make you tremble.

* FinishHim: Subverted; Lady Lysa calls on Ser Vardis to finish Bronn, not realising that he's not holding off deliberately; it's because he can't land an effective blow on his lightly-armoured yet more skilled opponent. Ser Vardis obediently charges towards Bronn, who expertly dodges him and inflicts a fatal wound.
* {{Foreshadowing}}): Daenerys's comment about her brother who was killed by melted hot gold. Tyrgaryens have the blood of dragons in their veins and are rumoured to be heat-resistant.

* GloryDays: Deconstructed by Renly. Old war stories are all fine and dandy if you were a noble on the ''winning side''; for everybody else, WarIsHell. The fact that Robert ''misses'' those times of instability shows just how much of a BloodKnight he is.
* GoingCommando: Roz just has to lift her skirt to give Theon his money's worth.
* GrievousHarmWithABody: Bronn shoves a knight into Ser Vardis' way during their duel.
* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Justified with Mord who's so thick a lord from the richest house in the Seven Kingdoms can't bribe his way out.
-->'''Tyrion:''' Sometimes possession is an abstract concept-- ''thunk''

* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Ser Vadis wears a helm, but not Bronn. Then again, Bronn's not wearing any plate armor at all.
* HolyGround: Daenerys and her brother Viserys travel with the Dothraki to Vaes Dothrak, their holy city in which it is forbidden to draw swords or shed blood. Having no respect for the Dothraki ways, Viserys exploits the fact that they will not violate their own rules, drawing a sword and making demands. He really should have paid attention to the exact phrasing of those rules, they don't actually say "no killing".

* IronicEcho: Robb tells off [[WarHawk Theon who's urging him to declare war]] over the attack on his father. "It's not your House." Then Robb asks where Bran has got to. Theon replies sarcastically "I don't know. It's not my House."

-->"MAKE THE BAD MAN FLY!"

* MeaningfulEcho: Tyrion isn't making headway with Mort until he uses the saying "a Lannister always pays his debts" that Bran mentioned in his lesson with Maester Luwin.
* MeaningfulLook: After her brother goes too far, Danys doesn't have to exchange words with her husband over what's going to happen next.
* MoralMyopia: During the duel between Ser Vardis and Bronn, the same nobles who were cheering on Ser Vardis to cut Bronn in half start to plead for mercy when Bronn wins the fight. Additionally, Lysa has the nerve to say Bronn wasn't noble for killing Ser Vardis even though Bronn gave her the opportunity to call the fight when he was the clear victor which forced him to finish Ser Vardis.

* OhCrap

** Ser Vardis has this reaction when Tyrion names his brother [[FamedInStory Jaime]] as his champion. He's visibly relieved when Lysa informs Tyrion that they're not going to wait till Jaime arrives.

* PercussiveTherapy: Eddard is incredulous that Robert is going off to hunt in the middle of a crisis. The king snaps, "Killing clears my head!" Part of his frustration with Cersei is that he can't work off his anger by beating her, as it's "not kingly".

* ProfessionalButtkisser: It's implied that several of the Vale knights who call up on Lysa to name them her champion are this, considering how they're basically volunteering to slaughter a dwarf to gain favor with their lady. Ser Vardis is the only one that doesn't, because [[KnightInShiningArmor he finds it dishonorable to fight a dwarf]], and agrees to instead face Tyrion's able-bodied champion.
* RageBreakingPoint: The thing that makes Viserys finally snap is Drogo waving him off to a demeaning part of the hall at the feast, and when Viserys protests it's no fit place for a king, Drogo sneers back "You are no king!"

-->'''Robert:''' Easy boy, you might be my brother, but you're speaking to the king.

* SchiffOneLiner: Daenerys Targaryen's wry comment about her brother who has just been brutally killed by her husband, pointing to the moral ambiguity of the episode's outcome.

* ThatCameOutWrong: Sansa describing her desire to marry Joffrey over a hypothetical lord put forward by her father--"I don't want someone brave and gentle and strong, I want him!" Arya snickers in response and Ned has to hide his smile.

%% * TrialByCombat: Tyrion invokes this to save himself from the Eyrie.
* UnusualEuphemism: Tyrion provides quite a few ways to describe {{A Date With Rosie Palms}}. "I made the bald man cry!" (Complete with hand movement)

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: When Lysa Arryn tells Ser Vardis to stop holding back and finish off Bronn already, the wounded and exhausted knight can only give an exasperated look along the lines of "I am ''trying'', (my) lady!".

** Viserys, after realising he's pushed Drogo's grudging tolerance of him too far and thanks to his abusiveness towards her, Daenerys won't lift a finger to try and help him.

** Also a short, but effective one from Drogo after he tries to banish Viserys off to a quiet corner of the feast where he won't bother anyone.
-->'''Viserys''': [[DudeWheresMyRespect That is no place for a king!]]
-->'''Drogo''': You are no king!

* SchiffOneLiner (also {{Foreshadowing}}):

In '''the Eyrie''', Tyrion manages, after much slow and careful talking, to convince Mord that helping him will be beneficial, as even an imbecile like Mord turns out to know the good old saying "A Lannister always pays his debts." And so Tyrion tells Mord that he will be richly rewarded if he can relay a message to Lysa Arryn; that he is ready to confess. And it works, as Tyrion is let out of his cell and brought before the court, but much to the fair lady's annoyance, he instead launches into a litany of sins which have to be seen to be believed, while he persists in proclaiming his innocence in the matter of Lord Arryn's death and Bran's botched slaying, and demands a TrialByCombat. Ser Vardis Egen, Lysa's [[TheDragon Dragon]], champions her cause, while Tyrion manages to get Bronn to stand for him.

** Dany, too. When Drogo's bloodriders restrain Viserys in preperation for Drogo to kill him, the look on her face never changes one iota from almost total serenity. He ''really'' shouldn't have threatened to kill her baby.

* TrialByCombat: Tyrion invokes this to save himself from the Eyrie.

* WhamEpisode: The first (past the pilot episode) to really emphasize the mood and direction of the story.

* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Viserys calls his sister "Dany" when he realises he's in deep sh*t.

* TheAlcoholic: "More wine, your Grace?"

* BerserkButton: Viserys managed to push Khal Drogo's by threatening Daenerys and her unborn son.

* DaddysGirl: Arya for Ned again. When he tells the girls they're leaving Kings Landing, Sansa complains she can't leave Joffrey while Arya asks Ned if he's going to die because of his hurt leg. After Sansa starts gushing over her "golden lion" and that she [[{{ComplimentBackfire}} doesn't want someone brave, gentle and strong]], Ned sees Arya laughing and doesn't even try to stop himself from joining her, clearly appreciating his younger daughter also got the joke.

* MoralMyopia: During the duel between Ser Vardis and Bronn, the same nobles who were cheering on Ser Vardis to cut Bronn in half start to plead for mercy when Bronn wins the fight.

* TranslatorBuddy: Doreah is shown whispering Viserys' words into Drogo's ear as he makes his demands. In the books, she's so terrified of Drogo's reaction that she can't bring herself to translate, so Dany, who at this point is [[MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels still far from fluent in Dothraki]], has to use what little she knows to tell him what Viserys said.

* DissonantSerenity: Dany watching her brother die a CruelAndUnusualDeath.

-->'''Jorah:''' It means everything to me.

* TranquilFury: When Viserys first enters his tent, Khal Drogo basically sees him as an amusing nuisance. When Viserys pulls out his sword and starts threatening his wife and unborn child, [[PapaWolf his demeanor changes]], but he never raises his voice once.

* AintTooProudToBeg: With Theon ready to put an arrow in her head, Osha begs for mercy.

* TenMinuteRetirement: King Robert orders Ned to put his Hand badge back on. "And if you take if off again, I'll pin it on Jaime Lannister!"

** King Robert also yells for silence when Ned and Cersei start shouting over each other.

** Ser Barristen looks worried over how King Robert keeps chugging down the wine in the middle of a boar hunt.

* RageBreakingPoint: The thing that makes Viserys finally snaps is Drogo waving him off to a demeaning part of the hall at the feast, and when Viserys protests it's no fit place for a king, Drogo sneers back "You are no king!"
* RapePillageAndBurn: The Mountain and his men, except [[MakeAnExampleOfThem they didn't bother with pillaging]].

* FinishHim: Subverted; Lady Lysa calls on Ser Vardis to finish Bronn, not realising that he's not holding off deliberately; it's because he can't get an effective blow on his lightly-armoured yet more skilled opponent. Ser Vardis obediently charges towards Bronn, who expertly dodges him and inflicts a fatal wound.

--> Ned: "I'll make you a match with someone who is worthy of you. Someone brave and gentle and strong."
--> Sansa: "I don't want someone brave and gentle and strong! I want him!"
--> Ned and Arya: *Exchange grins*

* DaddysGirl: Arya for Ned again. When he tell the girls they're leaving Kings Landing, Sansa complains she can't leave Joffrey while Arya asks Ned if he's going to die because of his hurt leg. After Sansa starts gushing over her "golden lion" and that she [[{{ComplimentBackfire}} doesn't want someone brave, gentle and strong]], Ned sees Arya laughing and doesn't even try to stop himself from joining her, clearly appreciating his younger daughter also got the joke.

While Viserys shouts furious demands for the guards to unhand him, Drogo takes off his medallion-encrusted belt and tosses it into a pot over the cookfire, where the gold [[SpecialEffectFailure begins to melt]], and a horrible realization dawns on Viserys. He starts desperately begging his begging his sister to stop the Dothraki, telling her "I'm the Dragon!", but she just looks coldly at him as Drogo approaches him with the pot of molten metal. The Khal lifts the up pot and once again addresses the Beggar King in common tongue with the words: "A crown for a king." To quote the book: "Viserys began to scream the high, wordless scream of the coward facing death." He gets his golden crown... but he doesn't seem to enjoy it very much. He hits the ground with clanking finality and stays there.

* NoodleIncident[=/=]NoodleImplements: Tyrion confesses, "I once brought a jackass and a honeycomb into a brothel..." but he's cut off before he can finish. Robin is particularly interested in hearing what happened next.

* DestinationDefenestration: The Moon Door.

* SilenceYouFool
-->'''Tyrion:''' I once brought a [[NoodleImplements jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel--
-->'''Lady Lysa:''' SILENCE!
-->'''Robin:''' What happened next?

* UnusualEuphemism: Tyrion provides quite a few ways to describe {{A Date With Rosie Palms}}. "I made the bald man cry!"

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: When Lysa Arryn tells Ser Vardis to stop holding him back and finish off Bronn already, the wounded and exhausted knight can only give an exasperated look along the lines of "I am ''trying'', (my) lady!".

* GroinAttack: One of the wildlings that surround Bran suggests they chop off his penis and stuff it in his mouth.