History Recap / GameOfThronesS1E2TheKingsroad

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Cersei's mention of her black-haired firstborn draws attention to her children, whose blond hair is of course seriously significant.
** This is a change from the books, where Cersei and Robert never had such a child.

* BigBadassWolf: Bran's wolf, who [[spoiler:defends him as well as his mother from an assassin.]] Arya's wolf, Nymeria, who [[spoiler:savages Joffrey when he threatens Arya with a sword.]] Averted with Sansa's wolf, Lady, who is sweet-natured, patient, and obedient, [[spoiler:and dead at the end of the episode.]]

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Sansa and Arya. A possible subversion, as even when Arya is furious with Sansa over [[spoiler:lying to Robert about what happened]], she immediately backs her up when [[spoiler:Cersei wants Lady killed.]] It doesn't do any good, but still...
* HarsherInHindsight: "Even if the boy survives, he'll be a cripple, a grotesque. Give me a good, clean death any day." -- Jaime Lannister
** "When we meet gain, we'll talk about your mother" -- Ned Stark.

* NeverHurtAnInnocent: Subverted with the assassin sent for [[spoiler:the comatose Bran]]; he's visibly distressed when he realises his distraction failed, and an innocent woman is in the room with his target, but his target is [[spoiler:an innocent child.]]

We open with the same [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome glorious]] [[VisualEffectsOfAwesome credits]]... except that [[TheProducerThinksOfEverything they've changed]]! Now, instead of showing Pentos, they show the Dothraki grasslands and Vaes Dothrak. We learn in the first scene that this is where Daenerys is now, travelling with her new husband and his tribe. Daenerys is having a bad day; she's tired, she's sick of eating dried horse meat, and she's so saddle sore that she needs the help of three maids just to get off her horse and walk to a tent. Jorah Mormont tells her that it will get easier, but Daenerys doesn't look like she's buying it. Jorah then takes Viserys aside to suggest he return to Pentos and wait in comfort for the Dothraki to return, but Viserys wants to personally ensure Khal Drogo holds up his end of the bargain. He also asks Jorah what happened in Westeros to make him flee across the Narrow Sea; turns out Jorah caught some poachers on his land and sold them to a slaver. Hang on, isn't he meant to be a good guy?

* InfantImmortality: Played straight with Bran, who survived being thrown off a tower (but remains comatose.) [[spoiler:Averted, brutally, with Mycah, the butcher's boy, who was rode down by the Hound for striking a member of the royal blood.]]

Speaking of Dothraki, Khal Drogo is still bending Daenerys over horsie-style every night. She doesn't look like she's having fun. But eventually she takes matters into her own hands. Whilst her three handmaids (Irri, Jhiqui and Doreah) fuss over her of an evening, trading stories about where dragons come from ("[[AsYouKnow It is known]]"), Daenerys finds out that Doreah is a bed slave and is trained in the arts of pleasure. Dany asks her to teach her how to seduce Khal Drogo. {{Fanservice}} and LesYay ensue.

Catelyn continues her vigil over Bran, explicitly neglecting her duties as the Lady of Winterfell and forcing Robb to step up in her stead. Robb gives her the first paragraph of a "WhatTheHellHero?" speech, but is derailed by a fire elsewhere in the castle. He rushes away, leaving the window open for the howls of the direwolves to filter in. Whilst he's gone, a creepy-looking man appears into the room with a wickedly-curved blade and almost literally announces his intention to slit Bran's throat. Catelyn fights him with every weapon at her disposal, but it's Bran's direwolf who saves the day. (Direwolf + assassin aimed at direwolf's master = dead assassin.)

Speaking of Dothraki, Khal Drogo is still bending Daenerys over horsie-style every night. She doesn't look like she's having fun. But eventually she takes matters into her own hands. Whilst her three handmaids (Irri, Jhiqui and Doreah) fuss over her of an evening, trading stories about where dragons come from ("[[AsYouKnow It is known]]"), Daenerys finds out that Doreah is a bed slave and is trained in the arts of pleasure. Dany asks her to teach her how to seduce Khal Drogo. {{Fanservice}} and LesYay ensue.

-->'''Tyrion:''' My dear brother, you wound me. You know how much I love my family.

* HeldGaze / IntertwinedFingers: Doreah instructs Danys on the importance of this in seduction.

* 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.

* HarsherInHindsight: "Even if the boy survives, he'll be a cripple, a grotesque. Give me a good, clean death any day." [[spoiler: Oh, honey...]]

* AlmostKiss: During her instruction in the art of lovemaking Daenerys suddenly flips Doreah into the inferior position starts to lean in...before panicking and backing off.

* BluntHonesty: Both Lannister brothers (in their unique JerkAss way) try to discourage Jon Snow from joining the Night's Watch.

** This is a change from the books, where Cersei and Robert never had such a child. In fact, the one time that Cersei got pregnant by Robert, she drank an abortive.

* RecklessGunUsage: Arya attempts to hug Jon with a sword in her hand. He makes her put it down before letting her get close to him.

* BlondGuysAreEvil: Joffrey, adding to the list.

Catelyn, 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 ([[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 [[Unobtanium dragonbone]]." Catelyn decides to ride for King's Landing, just herself and Rodrik Cassel, leaving Winterfell in the care of Robb and Bran's life in the care of the gods.

The king's procession has stopped for the night at an [[http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Crossroads_Inn inn]], and Sansa takes the opportunity to wander, her direwolf Lady at her heels. First she runs into Ser Ilyn Payne, the royal headsman, who has no lines because "The Mad King" had his tongue ripped out. Then she's trapped between him and The Hound, and it's hard to say who frightens her more. Prince Joffrey to the rescue! He takes her on a walk out to the river, where they come across two boys using sticks to play at swordfighting. ...Only, one of them's not a boy: it's Arya. Joffrey takes this opportunity to bully her opponent, wielding a (real) sword at him and slicing his face. When Arya whacks him on the back with her stick, he then starts slicing at her. He's quite a gentleman, this prince. Once again, direwolves win the day: Nymeria comes out of nowhere and attaches herself to Joffrey's sword arm teeth first. With Joffrey on the ground crying like a punk, Arya takes his sword and throws it into the river. She then flees while Sansa goes for help.

Catelyn, 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 ([[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 Valyrian steel, the hilt dragonbone." Catelyn decides to ride for King's Landing, just herself and Rodrik Cassel, leaving Winterfell in the care of Robb and Bran's life in the care of the gods.

Arya, knowing the queen will have Nymeria's head for harming the royal brat, makes Nymeria run away. [[EverythingsPreciousWithPuppies Nymeria is adorable]]. [[TearJerker Arya has to throw rocks]].