History Recap / GameOfThronesS1E2TheKingsroad

* NoAnimalsWereHarmed: Lampshaded by GRRM on his not-a-blog, in which he recounts all the people who protested Sean Bean's treatment of Zanni, the dog who played Lady. He then goes on to mention that the actor who played Mycah was not harmed either, but nobody asked about him.

* HowlingToTheNight: Wolves can be heard as Jon travels further north to the Wall. The HowlOfSorrow of the direwolves doesn't improve Catelyn's grief madness.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Daenerys receives a lesson in seduction from her handmaid Doreah. It's, erm... hands-on, [[GirlOnGirlIsHot to say the least]].

* HotBlooded: Arya, to disastrous effect.

* HowlingToTheNight: Wolves can be heard as Jon travels further OopNorth to the Wall. The HowlOfSorrow of the direwolves doesn't improve Catelyn's grief madness.

* {{Foil}}: The differences between Sansa and Arya are particularly highlighted in this episode: Ladylike Sansa goes on romantic walks with the Crown Prince while tomboyish Arya prefers sparring with the butcher's boy; when Joffrey hurts Mycah, Sansa tries to negotiate with him while Arya attacks; and afterwards Sansa pretends she doesn't remember what happened because she doesn't want to displease the Queen and her betrothed while Arya vehemently insists that Joffrey is guilty of hurting her friend and refuses to back down.

** The entire conversation between Robert and Ned about a) Jon Snow's mysteriously-unrevealed mother, b) Ned's unwillingness to talk about her, and c) Ned's visible fury and irritation at Robert's bloodthirsty threats against Daenerys (even if she is leagues away) get a proper RewatchBonus, about ''five seasons after'', after what was revealed in "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS6E10TheWindsOfWinter The Winds of Winter]]". Moreover, the subtext of the entire conversation (i.e. the origins of the Rebellion and Robert's life-long grudge against Rhaegar for taking Lyanna) gets an even more bitter and sadder subtext with the revelations of "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS7E7TheDragonAndTheWolf The Dragon and the Wolf]]".

Back in '''Winterfell''', Catelyn, with her hands bandaged, visits the tower from whence Bran fell. She finds [[AffairHair a single blonde hair]]. She then calls a council in the godswood at Winterfell (of [[TheChick herself]], [[TheBigGuy Ser Rodrik Cassel]], [[TheSmartGuy Maester Luwin]], [[TheHero Robb]] and [[TheLancer Theon]]), and gives voice to her theory: Bran saw something he was not meant to see, warranting not only his DestinationDefenestration but the [[RevealingCoverup clumsy assassination attempt]] as well. Ser Rodrik also points out that the dagger is too fine a weapon for a mere cutthroat: "The blade is [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Valyrian steel]], the hilt [[NighInvulnerable dragonbone]]." Catelyn decides to ride for King's Landing with Rodrik Cassel, leaving Winterfell in the care of Robb and Bran's life in the care of the gods.

* BuxomIsBetter: "Thank the Gods for Bessie! And her tits!"

We return to '''Winterfell''', to find Tyrion Lannister waking up in a kennel, very hungover and cuddling a dog. His nephew Joffrey is there with his bodyguard. Tyrion informs Joffrey that he will give his sympathies to the Starks before they leave. When Joffrey complains that he can't abide the wailing of women, Tyrion [[ArmorPiercingSlap slaps him!]] Three times! And when Joffrey cries and attempts to protest, Tyrion outright orders him to go to the Starks and pay his proper respects to them.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Tryion slaps the future king, [[RuleOfThrees thrice!]] This is the start of a RunningGag.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Dany's situation improves once she learns to make love to her husband as an equal.

* HeldGaze: Doreah instructs Daenerys on the importance of this in lovemaking (plus the [[{{dominatrix}} need to get on top]]). When Drogo tries to forcibly push her onto hands and knees, she tells him in Dothraki that she wants to look at his face this time. They end up having sex while [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex holding each other tight and staring intensely into each others eyes]].

* NeverLiveItDown:
** In-universe example. Catelyn is a loving wife and mother, but she still feels the pain of Ned's old infidelity deeply and does not like him leaving with Robert again, since the first time Ned left 17 years prior, he had an affair, resulting in the conception of his [[HeroicBastard illegitimate]] child Jon, and returned with Jon to Winterfell. Ned himself regrets hurting Catelyn with his infidelity.
** Though at the same time, the show removes Catelyn's own out of universe moment of this from the books, where she snaps at Jon that he should have been the one that fell.
** The show does however keep in Sansa's case of this (lying about what happened between Arya, Joffrey and Mycah) which some fans hold against her for a ''long'' time.