History Recap / GameOfThronesS1E4CripplesBastardsAndBrokenThings

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 DropTheHammer, which serves him in his current profession as TheBlacksmith. He has [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience black hair]] and blue eyes. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything? It reminds Ned of someone: when Jory asks him, he confirms that Gendry is Robert Baratheon's bastard son.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Jon talks of Roz the whore; Sam approves of the red hair.

* InTheBlood: Gendry did not only inherit Robert's hair colour, but apparently also [[WeaponOfChoice his affinity]] for hammers.

* ArmourPiercingSlap: Not a literal slap, but when Daenerys swings a medallion belt into Viserys' face it has much the same effect.

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. "[[AsYouKnow 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 toe, 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 KnightInShiningArmor anymore, but as far as she's concerned her own course is set: she's going to be an ActionGirl.

''[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 [[TheXOfY 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 [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon will be the last time you have hands]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Initially Daenerys was trying to patch things up between her and Viserys, but after [[UngratefulBastard Viserys throws it back in her face]], 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.

** Viserys [[WouldHitAGirl strikes]] and threatens to murder Doreah simply because she used the wrong choice of words when Daenerys sent the girl with a message to her brother.

* NotAfraidOfYouAnymore: Daenerys's time amongst the Dothraki has led to her developing the self-confidence to stand up for herself. She makes it clear to Viserys that the days of her being a doormat he could walk all over and bully into doing what he wants are over.

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 heirarchy, she proclaims Tyrion a conspirator in a plot to murder Bran, and calls upon those who serve her to take him into custody.

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 [[NotSoDifferent no different]] from the rest of us. There was [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer 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 [[JerkassHasAPoint coming up with a good point]]: "When you're out there, beyond the Wall, with [[DarknessEqualsDeath the sun going down]], do you want a man at your back? Or a sniveling boy?"

* RealityEnsues: 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.

* FamousLastWords: Discussed by Pycelle, who comments that for all their supposed importance, they're usually no more relevant than our first words. So Jon Arryn couldn't possibly be leaving a DyingClue when he said, "The seed is strong," could he?

* MisplacedRetribution: Even though [[PetTheDog 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 capive in his face.

* SinsOfOurFathers: 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.

** Jory and Jaime reminisce about a battle where Jory almost lost an eye. [[spoiler:In the next episode Jaime kills Jory by stabbing him in the eye.]]

** Tyrion taunts Theon by noting, "Nothing prettier than watching sailors burn alive." In Season 2, [[spoiler:Tyrion plans the {{Greek Fire}}ship defense which saves King's Landing in "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS2E9Blackwater Blackwater]]"]].

** Theon bursts into Bran's bedchamber uninvited and gets growled at by Summer. [[spoiler:This foreshadows Season 2 when Theon will return as an enemy, seizing Winterfell from Bran.]]
** Pycelle turns out to be right about one thing: [[spoiler:poison is indeed used by women]].

* AManIsAlwaysEager: 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. [[spoiler:Oh the irony...]]

* LookingBusy: 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 Septa pretending to read a book is one of his own.

-->"''She did not know what was more satisfying: the sound of a dozen swords drawn as one or the look on Tyrion Lannister’s face.''"
---> --Creator/GeorgeRRMartin, ''Literature/AGameOfThrones''

!!Tropes
* AbusiveParents: 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 [[HuntingAccident tragically fall from his horse while hunting.]]

-->'''Viserys:''' You do not talk back to me! You are a horselord's slut. And now you've woken the dragon...
-->'''Daenerys:''' I am a [[TheXOfY 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 [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon will be the last time you have hands]].

* BloodFromTheMouth: Exactly what happens when you get the tip of a jousting lance rammed into your neck and bleed out. [[BrickJoke Somehow, they always seem to leave that part out of the songs]].
* BrickJoke: Tyrion tosses some spare change to Theon, saying "Your next tumble with Ros is on me". Ros does get that coin two episodes later.

* {{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.''
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Bran has his first dream of the Three Eyed Crow, which leads him to the entrance to the crypts of Winterfell.

* FamousLastWords: Discussed by Pycelle, who comments that for all their supposed importance, they're usually no more relevant than our first words. So Jon Arryn couldn't possibly be leaving a DyingClue when he said, "The seed is strong", could he?

** Tyrion taunts Theon by noting "Nothing prettier than watching sailors burn alive." In Season 2, [[spoiler:Tyrion plans the {{Greek Fire}}ship defense which saves King's Landing in "Blackwater"]].

** Pycelle turns out to be right about one thing: [[spoiler:poison is indeed used by women.]]

* {{Guile Hero}}ine: 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 [[WouldHurtAChild murder a ten year old boy]] in violation of SacredHospitality. All the knights gallantly leap to arrest the evil Imp.

* HereThereWereDragons: 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[[note]]From the books...: The Targaryens, understandably, started getting pretty desperate when the dragons started dying out, since they were a huge part of the foundation of their power. They got even more desperate when they started trying to bring them back after they'd gone completely extinct. Don't want to list all of the horrible experiments that went on here, but let's just say that one of them involved drinking wildfire and leave it at that[[/note]].

* InTheBlood: Gendry did not only inherit Robert's hair colour, but apparently also [[WeaponOfChoice his affinity ]] for hammers.

* JoustingLance: The Mountain murders Ser Hugh with this weapon. Also doubles as FailedASpotCheck. 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 it's 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.

* LawfulStupid: 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, his right-hand man, thinks he's sticking his neck out-- but it doesn't seem to take.

* AManIsAlwaysEager: 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.[[spoiler:Oh the irony...]]

** 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 RapePillageAndBurn.

* NoodleIncident: 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?''

* PetTheDog: Tyrion gets a moment when he gives a design for a specialty saddle for 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 [[TitleDrop cripples, bastards and broken things.]]

* RealityEnsues: 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.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Aliser's speech to Jon and Sam subtly cast him as this, which led to his desire to become a DrillSergeantNasty - to prepare the recruits for the kind of hardships that lay ahead...which might include [[ImAHumanitarian eating each other's corpses to survive]].

* TraumaInducedAmnesia: A realistic example; Bran doesn't remember anything of the day of his "accident", which is normal for coma patients.

* VillainBall: 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 more practical Dothraki riding gear to replace his [[PrincessInRags increasing tattered clothes]]. Most importantly, Viserys fails to realise the BalanceOfPower has shifted in favor of his sister, and still thinks he can bully her as always. Eventually Daenerys realises her brother [[StupidEvil just doesn't have what it takes]] to be a ruler or a conqueror.
* VowOfCelibacy: 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 actually is an example of ExactWords, as the Oath mentions to take no wives and bear no children, 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 series.
* WaxOnWaxOff: Syrio's training for Arya seems to be taking this route; she was 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.

As the opening credits fade, we see Bran, standing in the yard at '''Winterfell''', practicing his archery, which is strange since last episode he was a paraplegic. He sees a large crow or raven and follows it through the courtyard, only to realise it has three eyes--this far from [[TheSimpsons Springfield]], this is disturbing--but then he wakes up, and realises he's still crippled. Theon Greyjoy comes in and tells him they have visitors; Hodor, a large bearded man who can apparently say nothing but his name, is brought in to serve as a low-tech wheelchair. They go down to meet the visitor, who turns out to be Tyrion Lannister. He asks if Bran remembers anything from his accident, and Maester Luwin swiftly assures him that he remembers nothing from that day. Tyrion has also brought a present for Bran--a design for a saddle that will allow Bran to sit a horse without using his legs. Robb questions Tyrion's motives, but Tyrion points out that he has a soft spot for [[TitleDrop cripples, bastards, and broken things]]. Realising he's been kind of a dick, Robb offers Tyrion Winterfell's hospitality, but Tyrion says he'll bed down elsewhere and everyone will be more comfortable for it.

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 {{Infodump}}s 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 Rider}}s. 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 [[DistractedByTheSexy 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. [[{{Foreshadowing}} Sound familiar?]][[labelnote:Hint]] Those are the same colours as Dany's dragon eggs. [[/labelnote]]

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 back stories; 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.

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 DropTheHammer, which serves him in his current profession as TheBlacksmith. He has [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience black hair]] and blue eyes. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything? 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 [[NotSoDifferent no different]] from the rest of us. There was [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer 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 lets 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 [[JerkassHasAPoint coming up with a good point]]: "When you're out there, beyond the Wall, with [[DarknessEqualsDeath the sun going down]], do you want a man at your back? Or a sniveling boy?"

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."