Lord Snow

Lord Snow is the third episode of Season 1 of Game of Thrones. It is the 3rd episode of the series overall.

Overview
Jon Snow attempts to find his footing at Castle Black amidst hostility and suspicion from his fellow members of the Night's Watch. Eddard Stark and his daughters arrive at King's Landing. Catelyn renews an old friendship with a member of the court, whilst Viserys and Daenerys journey onwards to the Dothraki capital of Vaes Dothrak.

Plot
The royal party reaches King's Landing. Lord Eddard Stark barely has time to get off his horse before he is asked to attend a meeting of the king's small council. Before that he runs into Jaime Lannister in the throne room. Jaime is unhappy with Eddard judging him for killing the Mad King, the murderer of Eddard's father and brother, but Eddard is unrepentent. He then meets the council members: Lord Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish, the king's master of coin and a friend of Eddard's wife from childhood; Grand Maester Pycelle, the king's advisor in all matters scientific and academical; Lord Renly Baratheon, the youngest of the king's two brothers and master of laws; and Varys, a eunuch and the head of the king's intelligence network.

Eddard is stunned to learn that the crown is six million in debt to various debtors, half to Lord Tywin Lannister, and that King Robert Baratheon has ordered this debt increased to pay for a lavish tournament to celebrate Eddard's appointment. Eddard decides to ask Robert to cancel the tournament, but the council is doubtful he'll listen.

Elsewhere, Queen Cersei talks to Joffrey about the incident on the river. She tells him that when he is king, the truth will be whatever he decides it will be. Joffrey tells her that he thinks there will be trouble with the Starks, and that when he is king he'll double their taxes, force them to contribute to a standing army and, if they should object, he'd crush them. Cersei points out that the North is too vast and wild to be militarily conquered by outsiders, and as king he needs to be cleverer. She also advises him to be kind to Sansa to avoid storing up trouble for later, and concludes that "Anyone who isn't us is an enemy."

Eddard talks to Arya about the same incident, explaining that Sansa was put in a difficult position by the king and queen, and whilst she shouldn't have lied, winning the long-term approval of Joffrey, her future husband, was important. Arya is unhappy with the situation, but Eddard mollifies her by allowing her to practice with her sword, Needle.

At Winterfell Bran has awoken, but cannot remember anything that happened to him on the tower. His injuries have left him bed-ridden, unlikely to walk again. Old Nan, the oldest servant in the castle, tells Bran stories to pass the time, but he doesn't want her usual heroic stories about the likes of Ser Duncan the Tall. She instead speaks of the White Walkers and the coming of a vast winter that will blanket the world. Bran asks Robb if it is true that his legs are crushed and he will never walk again. Robb reluctantly says this is so.

Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel arrive at King's Landing and attempt to sneak into the city, but are spotted by one of Littlefinger's men. They are taken to meet Littlefinger at a brothel he owns, where Lord Varys is also waiting: one of his 'little birds' told him they were coming. Catelyn is angered by the way they've been treated, but asks Littlefinger for aid in finding the people who tried to have Bran killed. Littlefinger is able to answer this quickly: the elaborate dagger wielded by the assassin used to be his, but he lost it in a gamble with Tyrion Lannister.

Littlefinger fetches Eddard to meet his wife, but Eddard suspects a trick and pushes Littlefinger up against a wall outside the brothel wanting to know what his game is. Catelyn then appears and Eddard is pacified. After hearing her news, he vows to find the truth and expose the Lannisters to Robert and Littlefinger agrees to be his ally in this, for the affection he once bore Catelyn as a youngster.

At Castle Black, the primary redoubt of the Night's Watch in the shadow of the Wall, Jon Snow shows his worth to the trainer, Ser Alliser Thorne, by besting several fellow members of the Watch in the practice yard. Later on, several of the other recruits gang up on him but the situation is defused by Tyrion. Tyrion points out to Jon that none of the other recruits had the benefit of a skilled master-at-arms to train them, and Jon is alienating them through his stand-offish attitude and superior combat skills.

Ravens arrive at Castle Black and King's Landing with news of Bran's recovery. In the capital Cersei fears he will expose their secret, but Jaime comforts her. Elsewhere, Robert swaps old war stories with Ser Barristan Selmy, a distinguished and famous knight and commander of the Kingsguard.

In the Dothraki sea Daenerys commands the khal to halt on a whim, to exercise her growing authority and power. Unfortunately, Viserys does not take well to being commanded and threatens his sister, but is disarmed by a Dothraki warrior, Rakharo, and forced to walk, a sign of shame amongst the horse-riding Dothraki. Later, Daenerys is told she is pregnant by Irri. She relays the news to Khal Drogo and tells him she thinks it will be a boy. Ser Jorah Mormont and Rakharo compare the Westerosi and Dothraki ways of battle, of the heavily-armoured but slow knights versus the lightly-armoured but fast-moving horse-warriors. Jorah has heard of Rakharo's father, a great warrior, but admits that he disgraced his own father, a man of great honour and responsibility. When he learns that Daenerys is pregnant, he announces he must split off from the column to ride to the Free City of Qohor, but will rejoin them before they reach Vaes Dothrak.

At Castle Black, Tyrion meets with Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (the father of Ser Jorah Mormont, Dany and Viserys's new ally), the head of the Watch, and his chief advisor, the ancient and blind Maester Aemon. Jeor asks for Tyrion to intercede at court and get the Watch more men, as they are dangerously under-strength. Aemon warns that the Stark words are right: a terrible winter is coming and more dangerous things than just wildlings might come with it. Tyrion admits his scepticism that supernatural creatures might exist, but agrees to bring word to his queen.

Later, Benjen Stark meets Jon atop the Wall and tells him he is going on a rangering in the Haunted Forest. He refuses to take Jon with him, telling him he isn't ready, and that here rank and nobility means nothing: every man must earn everything he gets. Before departing for King's Landing, Tyrion fulfils an old ambition by climbing to the top of the Wall and urinating off the edge of it. He and Jon share a moment of fellowship before he departs for the capital in the company of Yoren, the recruiter for the Night's Watch who is also bound for King's Landing.

In King's Landing, Eddard has contracted a swordmaster, Syrio Forel, the former First Sword of Braavos, to teach Arya how to use her sword properly. Arya is thrilled, and 'the dance' begins. As Eddard watches them practice, his pleasure at seeing Arya happy sours when he realises that a conflict between the Starks and Lannisters may be inevitable...

Starring

 * Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark
 * Mark Addy as King Robert Baratheon
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Princess Daenerys Targaryen
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr 'Littlefinger Baelish
 * Harry Lloyd as Prince Viserys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * Richard Madden as Robb Stark
 * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * Jack Gleeson as Prince Joffrey Baratheon
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
 * and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Co-starring

 * Greg Spence
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * James Cosmo as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Jamie Sives as Jory Cassel
 * Ian McElhinney as Lord Commander Barristan Selmy
 * Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel
 * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
 * Francis Magee as Yoren
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Gethin Anthony as Lord Renly Baratheon


 * Margaret John as Old Nan
 * Amrita Acharia as Irri
 * Elyes Gabel as Rakharo


 * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister
 * Paul Portelli
 * Nickovitch Sammut
 * Seamus Kelly
 * Emily Diamond
 * and Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo