On his way out, Tyrion runs into Theon Greyjoy, and deduces very quickly that Catelyn Stark has left Winterfell. Tyrion also mocks Theon about his family; as it turns out, Theon's father lead a rebellion at some point, while outnumbered ten to one, and all of Theon's brothers were killed in the fighting. Theon himself seems to get along with the Starks as well as can be expected for a glorified hostage, but he's not pleased by Tyrion talking down to him.
Meanwhile, on the Wall, Alliser Thorne introduces a new recruit, Samwell Tarly, and has him "spar" with the others. Samwell is fat, shy, timid, and definitely no swordsman; in fairness, he does about as well as 98% of the people watching the show would, and is very quickly overwhelmed. He's knocked over and yields, and Thorne has one of the boys keep hitting him to "encourage" him to rise. Eventually, Jon Snow steps in to defend Sam, and Thorne sets three other students to attacking him. When they're defeated, Jon storms off in disgust, and receives Sam's profuse thanks. Sam also confesses that's he's a coward, which makes some of the other boys nervous.
We cut to Vaes Dothrak, the City of the Horse Lords, where Khal Drogo's horde has just arrived. Viserys grumbles about the mud and the lack of fancy architecture, and when Daenerys tells him not to speak of her people that way, he throws a tantrum and rides off. Daenerys asks Ser Jorah Mormont if Viserys could actually take the Seven Kingdoms if he did have an army of Dothraki at his command, and while Jorah is very diplomatic about it, and takes the time to mention a plot point that the Dothraki fear water their horses can't drink, his answer still boils down to "are you kidding me? Hell no." He also relates his own backstory: he sold slaves (poachers, specifically) to a Tyroshi, which is illegal in the Seven Kingdoms: "I had no money, and an expensive wife."
Viserys is in a bathtub, and Doreah is with him. This whole scene is what has been called a "Sexposition" scene, in which characters deliver a series of Infodumps whilst shagging each other. We're going to skip the shagging and stick to the exposition: the Targaryens were able to conquer the Seven Kingdoms because they were Dragon Riders. Also, the Iron Throne is actually made of swords, not just in the shape of them, all melted together by a dragon's breath. While the last dragons died many years ago, their skulls used to hang in the throne room at the Red Keep. Viserys names as many of them as he can remember before he gets Distracted by the Sex, but the pertinent ones for us are Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion, the three dragons whom the Targaryens first rode in on. One was cream-and-gold, one was green-and-bronze, and one was black-and-red. Sound familiar?Hint
Speaking of the Iron Throne, in King's Landing Sansa visits it in the company of Septa Mordane, who tells her about the bright and happy future she has ahead of her as Joffrey's queen. Sansa, who is still broken up about Lady, isn't having it. Eddard Stark, for his part, is receiving an update from a man who is evidently in charge of the city's police; his name isn't mentioned onscreen, but it's Janos Slynt, and he is indeed Lord Commander of the City Watch, called the "gold cloaks" for their distinctive capes. Slynt is reporting on unrest caused by the large number of people who have come to King's Landing for the tournament. Obviously, Ned did not succeed in dissuading Robert from throwing it.
Once the meeting is over, Ned consults with Grand Maester Pycelle, who was Jon Arryn's personal physician during his passing. Pycelle mentions that Lord Arryn visited him the night before he died, inquiring after a particular book: "The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, with descriptions of many high lords and noble ladies and their children." The book is as much a Doorstopper as the name would imply. When asked about Lord Arryn's last hours, Pycelle mentions that he kept saying, "The seed is strong," but ascribes this to meaningless deathbed babble. When asked about the possibility that Arryn was poisoned, Pycelle describes poison as the weapon of women, cravens... and eunuchs. "Did you know Lord Varys is a eunuch?" "Everybody knows that," Ned retorts. As he returns to his quarters with the book, he comes across Arya standing on one foot, practicing lessons from Syrio. She's sad that Bran will have to make a new way in the world, since he can't be a Knight in Shining Armor anymore, but as far as she's concerned her own course is set: she's going to be an Action Girl.
Jon Snow is keeping watch at the top of the Wall when Samwell Tarly shuffles up. The two share a fire, the watch and some backstories; Sam reveals that his father gave him the choice between taking the black and having a Hunting "Accident". Sam worries that he'll be made to spar again on the morrow: "I'm not going to get better." "Well," Jon observes with a smile, "you can't get any worse." And, just like that, he has a new friend.
Back in King's Landing, Ned and Littlefinger take a page from Aaron Sorkin's book with a pedeconference. (Who knew that technique was Older Than Steam?) Littlefinger offers the identity of Jon Arryn's former squire, "Ser Hugh of the Vale," who was knighted almost immediately after Arryn's death. Hmm, that's not suspicious at all. Littlefinger also points out all the spies in the area: there's one of Varys's "little birds," a gardener in the pay of the queen, and a septa who works for Littlefinger himself. All of them are keeping tabs on Ned Stark. Littlefinger tells him to send a deputy to question Ser Hugh, and then suggests a visit to an armorer on the Street of Steel, whom (according to Littlefinger's spies) Lord Arryn visited a number of times just prior to his death. Does any of this reek of Petyr Baelish just dropping a little too much information? Because to Ned Stark, Honor Before Reason personified, it doesn't. He thanks Littlefinger and apologizes for not trusting him. But Littlefinger smiles that little smile of his he does so well, and says, "Distrusting me was the wisest thing you've done since you got off your horse."
Jory Cassel goes to interview Ser Hugh but finds him pompous and arrogant. The armorer (name: Tobho Mott) is more obliging, and introduces Ned to the object of Lord Arryn's interest: "the boy." His name is Gendry. He has fashioned himself a helm in the style of a bull and was clearly born to wield a hammer, which serves him in his current profession as The Blacksmith. He has black hair and blue eyes. Does This Remind You of Anything?? It reminds Ned of someone: when Jory asks him, he confirms that Gendry is Robert Baratheon's bastard son.
Up at the Wall, Jon gathers the other new recruits and hands down the law: nobody is to lay a hand on Samwell Tarly in sparring, no matter how Ser Alliser yells at them. "Sam's no different from the rest of us. There was no place for him in the world, so he's come here." Pyp and Grenn fall in line, but Rast decides to keep bullying—at least until the other three ambush him while he sleeps and let him look down the snarling gullet of a direwolf. Come morn, all plays out as Jon has ordained, and Sam survives training, even managing to "defeat" Grenn. Unfortunately, Ser Alliser manages to ruin everything by coming up with a good point: "When you're out there, beyond the Wall, with the sun going down, do you want a man at your back? Or a sniveling boy?"
In Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys is minding her own business in her tent when Viserys happens, spitting anger and dragging poor Doreah by the hair. "You sent this whore to give me commands!" Dany explains that something must have been lost in translation, because she was actually trying to invite Viserys over for a meal. She also had Dothraki-style riding garments made for him, a leather vest and a gold-medallion-encrusted belt, but he throws them back in her face (literally), Turns Red, and begins to bully her physically, claiming she's "woken the dragon." Dany seizes the belt and smacks him across the face with it. It only takes the one cut over his cheekbone to make him back off, prompting her to spell out in no uncertain terms just what will happen if he dare do anything like that ever again, while he stares dumbfounded at her. Anticlimax Boss much?
Next there's a scene in Castle Black, where Jon and Sam gossip about how members of the Night's Watch visit the brothel in nearby Mole's Town, despite their vows of celibacy. Sam admits his frustration with girls, and Jon admits he's just as untouched as Sam: while he had an opportunity to bed Ros, the red-haired whore so beloved of Theon, he didn't go through with it because he didn't want to visit on some other child his own surname of "Snow," the name given to all bastards in the North. Anyway, they're interrupted by Ser Alliser, who gives some post-drama grumbling about the last time he went beyond the Wall. Evidently it was very traumatic. The Aesop of the tale? Once they take their vows, "They will call you men of the Night's Watch, but you'd be fools to believe it. And come the winter, you will die like flies."
Back in Vaes Dothrak, Dany paces in her tent and agonizes over offending her brother. Ser Jorah, though, is basically dismissive of her concerns. He asks if she really wants to see Viserys sit on the Iron Throne, and Daenerys admits the truth, possibly for the first time: "My brother will never take back the Seven Kingdoms. He couldn't lead an army even if my husband gave him one. He'll never take us home."
Back in King's Landing, "The Hand's" tourney is beginning. Sansa, Arya and Septa Mordane, in the stands, are visited by Petyr Baelish, who introduces himself as an old friend of their mother's. (He also explains his nickname, for those who were wondering: he hails from a peninsula of the Vale called "The Fingers" and was a bit of a runt when he was young.) King Robert, bored, yells for the jousts to begin, and with some helpful narration from from Littlefinger, we are introduced to the first two contestants: Ser Hugh of the Vale, and Ser Gregor Clegane, the Hound's older brother, called "The Mountain." The first tilt is inconclusive, but the second ends with Ser Hugh on the ground, two feet of broken-off lance through his throat. As his corpse is dragged off, his career as a tourney knight at an end, Littlefinger leans close and delivers another Info Dump: how the Hound got his scars. Young Sandor was playing with one of his brother's toys when Gregor came in and happened to notice. He shoved his brother's face into the fire and held it there. And Now You Know! Isn't that a sweet and heartwarming story?
Finally we return to the Inn at the Crossroads, where Sansa's direwolf met such a sad end two episodes ago. Catelyn and Ser Rodrik have stopped for a meal and are being plagued by a singer, Marillion, who attempts without success to entertain them. They shut up and draw up their hoods themselves when two unexpected visitors arrive: Yoren, the Night's Watch recruiter, and Tyrion Lannister, the Imp. With judicious application of some gold, he manages to buy someone's room reservation for the night (the offerer is a sellsword named Bronn), whilst Catelyn and Ser Rodrik keep their mouths shut. Unfortunately, it's for naught: Marillion offers to sing for him, drawing him right to them. Catelyn admits that her surname was "Tully" the last time she stayed here, and then stands up and begins to greet by name and sigil the men she sees around her: one bearing the black bat of Lady Whent of Harrenhal, another the red stallion of Jonos Bracken of Stone Hedge, an entire squad emblazoned with the twin towers of those who serve Walder Frey at the Twins... all lords who have sworn fealty to Catelyn's father, Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. And having placed herself quite firmly atop the feudal hierarchy, she proclaims Tyrion a conspirator in a plot to murder Bran, and calls upon those who serve her to take him into custody.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Abusive Parents: Sam was forced to join the Night's Watch by his father, Lord Randyll, who told him he was unfit to inherit and if he didn't go voluntarily, he would tragically fall from his horse while hunting.
- All for Nothing: Ser Jorah sold poachers into slavery to appease his wife's expensive tastes, earning the wrath of Ned Stark. Now that same wife is another man's lover.
- As You Know:
- Tyrion supplies some backstory by telling Theon Greyjoy about his own family's failed rebellion. It's justified by Tyrion disliking the Greyjoys for burning the Lannister fleet, and wanting to rub their loss in Theon's face.
- Pycelle tells Ned that Varys is a eunuch, and Ned remarks that everyone knows that. In this case Pycelle is making an unsubtle attempt to present Varys as a suspect in Jon Arryn's poisoning.
- Badass Boast: Daenerys Targaryen's first. It won't be the last.Viserys: You do not talk back to me! You are a horselord's slut. And now you've woken the dragon...
[He begins to slap her around — only this time, she grabs the medallion and gives him a good whack with it, much to his clear pain and astonishment]
Daenerys: I am a Khaleesi of the Dothraki! I am the wife of the great Khal and I carry his son inside me. The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands. - Beware the Nice Ones: Initially Daenerys was trying to patch things up between her and Viserys, but after Viserys throws it back in her face (literally), and starts abusing her both verbally and physically, Daenerys decides she's had enough of his shit and starts giving as good as she gets.
- Blood from the Mouth: Exactly what happens when you get the tip of a jousting lance rammed into your neck and bleed out. Somehow, they always seem to leave that part out of the songs.
- Brick Joke: Tyrion tosses some spare change to Theon, saying, "Your next tumble with Ros is on me." Ros does get that coin two episodes later.
- Bully Hunter: Jon quickly brings Rast into line.
- Bullying a Dragon: Viserys has indeed woken the dragon, and it's not him.
- By the Hair: Viserys drags Doreah to his sister this way after taking offense to her message.
- Censored Title: Sky's EPG not only censored the second word of this title, they censored the first (as "cripple" is considered "politically incorrect"), renaming the episode "...And Broken Things."
- Chekhov's Gunman: Bronn is introduced as the man who sells Tyrion his own room at the inn.
- City of Spies: During their Walk and Talk, Littlefinger points out the various agents working for Varys, Cersei and himself, all spying on what Ned is up to.
- Covert Pervert: Sam reveals himself to be this when discussing Ros. "I like girls, the same as you! They might not like me so much..."
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Ser Hugh gets Impaled with Extreme Prejudice through the throat with a jousting lance and dies choking on his own blood.
- Deadly Deferred Conversation: Ser Hugh arrogantly refuses to talk to Jory because he's not a knight, but he will talk to the Hand. He dies before he has the chance.
- Deconstructed Trope: The first joust between the Mountain and Ser Hugh is a nice and sudden slap in the face of how risky, dangerous, and ultimately deadly even the oft-loved and romanticized joust really can be. What, you thought no one actually died in those on a regular basis? They did. Accidents, most of them, but they did, and it was never a pleasant sight for modern sensibilities, given the weapons used. Just ask Ser Hugh. He won't be able to answer past the blood spurting from his mouth, unfortunately.
- Dirty Coward: Sam calls himself a coward, an unheard-of admission in this society; the other recruits respond like it's a disease that he might infect them with.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The Hound's scars are a result of his older brother Gregor shoving his face into a fire when Sandor was a child and Gregor was a teenager. Gregor did this because he caught his little brother playing with one of Gregor's old toys.
- Viserys strikes and threatens to murder Doreah simply because she (apparently) used the wrong choice of words when Daenerys sent the girl with a message to her brother.
Viserys: You send this whore to give me commands?! I should have sent you back her head! - Dissonant Serenity: Arya watches the death of Ser Hugh with rapt attention rather than horror.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Viserys is talking about dragons with a special kind of fervor while Doreah sits in a bathtub with him.Viserys: They got bigger... and bigger... and bigger...
- Doorstopper: That ponderous tome The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, with Descriptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Bran has his first dream of the Three-Eyed Crow, which leads him to the entrance to the crypts of Winterfell.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Aliser Thorne is never shown doing much more than hurling abuse at his students and encouraging them to beat the tar out of each other. He justifies it by saying that the boys need to be hard to survive on the Wall.
- Every Scar Has a Story: Littlefinger reveals the Dark and Troubled Past of Sandor Clegane.
- Foreshadowing:
- Jory and Jaime reminisce about a battle where Jory almost lost an eye. In the next episode Jaime kills Jory by stabbing him in the eye.
- Sam mentions his father threatening him with a "tragic" fall from his horse unless he took the Black. After taking his vows, he later does suffer a fall from his horse that looks like it could easily break a man's neck. Surprisingly, Sam is relatively unhurt.
- Tyrion taunts Theon by noting, "Nothing prettier than watching sailors burn alive." In Season 2, Tyrion plans the Greek Fireship defense which saves King's Landing in "Blackwater".
- Our first mention of Mance Raider, dragonglass, the Faceless Men, Harrenhall, Thoros of Myr and Walder Frey — all will become important later in the series.
- Theon bursts into Bran's bedchamber uninvited and gets growled at by Summer. This foreshadows Season 2 when Theon will return as an enemy, seizing Winterfell from Bran.
- Pycelle turns out to be right about one thing: poison is indeed used by women.
- The first moment of Daenerys standing up to Viserys comes when she whacks him with a gold medallion as he tries to attack her. They will find themselves in a similar position in a few episodes time, and Viserys will once again come a cropper thanks to some gold medallions... only in a rather more torturous fashion the next time.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Jon and Sam are scrubbing tables, you can see RL carved into a wooden post behind him. Very subtle...
- Gallows Humor: When Sam protests that he's not going to get any better at fighting, Jon points out that he can hardly get any worse. Both crack up laughing.
- Geeky Turn-On: Doreah really, really seems to like hearing about dragons.
- Going Native: Dany takes offense at Viserys' constant derogatory remarks about 'her' people. Averted with Viserys, who is outraged when Dany gives him a gift of Dothraki riding clothes.
- Guile Heroine: When arresting the son of the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms, Catelyn first goes around the inn reminding various bannermen of her familial connections to their lords, then calls on them to arrest Tyrion for attempting to murder a ten-year-old boy in violation of Sacred Hospitality. All the knights gallantly leap to arrest the evil Imp.
- Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Jon and Sam have a conversation about girls after others have made sarcastic comments about their relationship. Even In-Universe when Samwell hastens to explain that he likes girls, he just hasn't had sex with any.
- Here There Were Dragons: Dragons are extinct, and have been long since before Viserys was born, and it's implied that towards the end something had gone horribly wrong; the last of them were no larger than dogs and deformed to boot. Their skeletons are all that's left. From the books
- Hypocrite: Jaime complains about King Robert dishonoring his sister by sleeping around when he himself is carrying on an incestuous affair with Cersei. Granted, having to stand guard over the sleeping around is a bit much.
- Implied Death ThreatQueen Cersei: You're just a soldier, aren't you? You take your orders and you carry on. I suppose it makes sense. Your older brother was trained to lead and you were trained to follow.
Lord Eddard: I was also trained to kill my enemies, your Grace.
Queen Cersei: As was I.- When Rast refuses to go easy on Sam, Jon and his friends grab him at night and give him a good look at Ghost's teeth. He gets the message.
- In the Blood: Gendry did not only inherit Robert's hair colour, but apparently also his affinity for hammers.
- Kick the Dog:
- King Robert holds his orgies when Jaime Lannister is on duty, knowing he'll be insulted by the disrespect to his sister.
- Tyrion gets a Kick the Dog moment just after his Pet the Dog moment. His insulting Theon really comes out of nowhere as Theon was being uncharacteristically nice to him.
- Thorne gets Rast to beat Sam until he gets to his feet (which he doesn't). When Jon intervenes, he orders the other recruits to attack him en masse. Jon fends them all off.
- Viserys is Bathtub Bonding with Doreah, only to end up insulting and deriding her.
- Jousting Lance: The Mountain murders Ser Hugh with this weapon. Also doubles as Failed a Spot Check. Take a good look at the Mountain's jousting lance. A proper jousting lance for a tourney has some form of blunting on the tip, be it in the form of a tip forged from metal like Ser Hugh's, or (for poorer knights) a leatherbound soft wrap of some kind. The Mountain's lance not only lacks either of these, it seems to have quite the nice basic (if only wooden) point to its tip as well. That's not a lance for sport, that's a lance for killing, and any knight worth his title would know it. How everyone present at the joust fails to notice this is anyone's guess.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Ser Hugh is in shiny new armor, but finds himself taken out by a Black Knight.
- Lawful Stupid: Ned is clearly in way over his head in the complex politics of King's Landing, not caring at all that Cersei's spies are keeping an eye on his investigation into Jon Arryn's death. Littlefinger tries to teach him the importance of subtlety—even Jory, Ned's right-hand man, thinks he's sticking his neck out—but it doesn't seem to take.
- Looking Busy: Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish shows Lord Ned Stark people in the gardens in King's Landing. He notes that they are all spies who pretend to be doing something else. A little boy playing with another kid is one of spymaster Varys' 'little birds'; a man who is working in the garden is the Queen's spy, while a Septa pretending to read a book is one of his own.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Sam's father threatened to make Sam die in a Hunting "Accident". It's also strongly implied that this is what happened to Ser Hugh, at the end of the episode.
- A Man Is Always Eager: Subverted. Jon tells Sam the story of how he almost lost his virginity to a whore, but couldn't go through with it due to anxiety about fathering another bastard, just like him. Oh the irony...
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The reaction of everyone in attendance at the tournament when Ser Hugh cops it.
- Mood-Swinger: Jaime Lannister displays some of these traits; he goes from sulking over being forced to guard Robert's orgy, to cheerfully reminiscing about crushing Greyjoy's rebellion with Jory, to snapping at Jory for asking him to deliver Ned's message to the king.
- Mythology Gag:
- Doreah throws a bone to the book fans, offhandedly mentioning a dragonglass blade, a Faceless Man and a pirate who may or may not be Euron Crow's-Eye or Saaladhor Saan.
- Marillion offers to sing of Lord Tywin's victory at Kings Landing, which Tyrion says would only put him off his supper. Those who've read the novels know that this 'victory' was nothing more than an act of politically expedient Rape, Pillage, and Burn.
- Misplaced Retribution: Even though Theon was being genuinely nice for once which is notable because of how most noble folk view dwarves Tyrion still dislikes him for his family's crimes of which he had nothing to do with and takes great delight in rubbing his position as a captive in his face.
- No Party Like a Donner Party: Once, north of the Wall, Ser Alliser Thorne and the rest of his group were forced into cannibalism.Thorne: Wish we'd had you [Samwell] there. We would have lasted a fortnight on you and had bones left over for stew.
- Noodle Incident: When Jaime and Jory are standing outside the door to Robert's orgy, the door opens to let some of the women out and Robert can clearly be heard saying, "You smell like blackberry jam!" What the hell is going on in there?
- Not Afraid of You Anymore: Daenerys's time amongst the Dothraki has given her the self-confidence to stand up for herself. She makes it very clear to Viserys that the days of him bullying her into doing what he wants are over.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: When Ned says something to annoy Pycelle, the Grand Maester straightens up and loses the quaver in his voice.
- Oblivious Mockery: Marillion to Ser Rodrik. "The only songs the Northerners know is the howling of wolves!"
- Oh, Crap!:
- The look on Viserys' face when he pushes Dany a little too far and realizes he's in over his head a little more than he'd anticipated.
- Catelyn when the Imp walks into the inn and recognises her. She quickly gives Tyrion his own Oh, Crap! moment in return.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Catelyn tries to hide her face under her shawl, but Tyrion quickly recognises her.
- Pet the Dog:
- Tyrion gets a moment when he gives a design for a specialty saddle to Bran, allowing him to ride even as a paraplegic.Robb: Is this some kind of trick? Why do you want to help him?
Tyrion: I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards and broken things. - Cersei attempts this at the tail end of the episode with Ned, claiming she wants to "put the nasty business on the Kingsroad behind us." She even admits having Lady killed was extreme (though makes no real apologies) and asks how Sansa is doing. It's obvious that Ned wants to believe it, but isn't buying a single word. Once both understand that they don't care for one another (Ned's blunt deadpans don't help), it quickly degrades into a barely subtext-laden conversation where they acknowledge one another as opponents.
- Tyrion gets a moment when he gives a design for a specialty saddle to Bran, allowing him to ride even as a paraplegic.
- Poison Is Evil: Or at least the kind of weapon only used by the 'unmanly', e.g. women, cowards, and eunuchs. Which would include Varys, as Pycelle is only too quick to point out.
- Royal Harem: Subverted as it's more of a Paid Harem.
- Sacred Hospitality: Defied when Tyrion calls out Robb for not showing a lord's courtesy. If you look closely at the table, Robb's sword is laid out, showing that guest rights will not be granted. Played Straight afterwards when Robb offers his hospitality by way of apology.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tired of her husband's crudeness, Cersei walks out of the tourney before it starts. She later notes that Ned hasn't bothered to turn up either, despite the tourney ostensibly being in his honor.
- Sexposition: Viserys with Doreah. Followed by exposition with Sansa and her septa.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Aliser's speech to Jon and Sam subtly cast him as this, which led to his desire to become a Drill Sergeant Nasty—to prepare the recruits for the kind of hardships that lay ahead...which might include eating each other's corpses to survive.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Apparently there are still bitter memories of the Greyjoy rebellion among House Lannister, as both Tyrion and Jaime make clear their contempt and mistrust for Theon Greyjoy.From the books
- Stealth Insult: Though probably an unintentional one. When refusing the Dothraki clothes, Viserys asks if she expects him to braid his hair next. Daenerys replies that Viserys can't do that as he hasn't won any battles yet.
- Third Eye: The creepy crow from Bran's dream has one on its forehead.
- Took a Level in Badass: Daenerys finally standing up to Viserys.
- The Tourney: The Hand's Tourney, though the Hand has not bothered to show up.
- Trauma-Induced Amnesia: A realistic example; Bran doesn't remember anything of the day of his "accident," which is normal for coma patients.
- Unexpected Virgin: Jon Snow and Night's Watch recruit Sam get to talking about girls at one point. Sam, as fat as he is, couldn't attract any, but assumes Jon as a nobleman had them lining up. Jon tells him that he came close once with a prostitute but couldn't bring himself to consummate on the off chance he left her with a bastard child like himself.
- Villain Ball: Prince Viserys just gets dumber the more his sister gets tougher. He insists that Khal Drogo's army 'belongs' to him, as opposed to the Dothraki being allies. He flips out when Dany gets him some practical Dothraki riding gear to replace his increasingly tattered clothes. Most importantly, Viserys fails to realise the Balance of Power has shifted in favor of his sister, and still thinks he can bully her as always. Eventually Daenerys realises her brother just doesn't have what it takes to be a ruler or a conqueror.
- Vow of Celibacy: Sam grumbles how the officers of the Night's Watch are sneaking off to a brothel in Mole Town in violation of their oath. This is actually an example of Exact Words, as the Oath includes a command to "take no wives and bear no children," but it says nothing about sneaking off for a quick one with the local whores. This is Lampshaded at one point in the books and in the series.
- Wax On, Wax Off: Syrio's training for Arya seems to be taking this route; she is seen balancing on one leg at the top of a flight of stairs on his say-so, and mentions that tomorrow she's going to be trying to catch cats. A subversion, in that the use of the lessons was actually explained to her, and Arya is delighted to be doing them.
