The Pointy End

"The Pointy End" is the eighth episode of the first season of Game of Thrones. It is the eighth episode of the series overall. It first aired on June 5, 2011. It was written by executive producer George R.R. Martin and directed by Daniel Minahan.

Synopsis
In the aftermath of Nedʼs capture, Syrio and Arya face off against Lannister guards, while Cersei manipulates Sansa to her own ends. Robb rallies his fatherʼs northern allies against Tywin Lannister and heads south to war. Tyrion forms an uneasy alliance with the hill tribes and reunites with his father. Jon lashes out at Ser Alliser Thorne and battles a mysterious attacker from beyond the Wall. Dany is forced to reconcile her desire to conquer Westeros with Drogoʼs savagery after the Dothraki raid a peaceful village.

Recap
In King's Landing, Sansa Stark and Septa Mordane hear sounds of fighting. When they are confronted by Lannister guardsmen led by Sandor Clegane, Septa Mordane tells Sansa to leave whilst she confronts them. However, Sandor later finds and takes Sansa into custody. More Lannister guardsmen, this time led by Ser Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard, interrupt a lesson between Syrio Forel and Arya. Arya refuses to go with them, and when they try to force the issue Syrio disarms and disables all of the lightly-armored guardsmen with his practice sword. He tells Arya to run as he faces down Trant, noting that for himself, "The First Sword of Braavos does not run." Arya finds her real sword, Needle, and escapes from the Red Keep via the stables. When a stable boy tries to stop her, Arya is forced to kill him.

Varys visits Eddard Stark in his cell in the dungeons. He is incredulous that Eddard trusted Littlefinger over him, and even more so that he warned Cersei what he was going to do. Eddard says he wanted to extend mercy to Cersei's children, whom Robert would have killed if he'd known the truth. Varys bluntly tells Eddard that his mercy is what killed King Robert, to Eddard's shame. Varys then tells him that Catelyn also no longer holds Tyrion as her prisoner, meaning that the Starks have nothing to barter with for Eddard's life. When Eddard suggests they should just kill him, Varys says "Not today, my lord.". As he departs, Eddard asks Varys who he truly serves: Varys, in a rare display of honesty, replies "The realm, my lord. Someone must".

Cersei and Grand Maester Pycelle talk to Sansa and convince her to pen a letter to her brother Robb, asking him to bend the knee peacefully to Joffrey. Eddard's fate may depend on what his son and the other Northernlords do, so Sansa agrees to write the letter.

At Castle Black, news arrives of Eddard's arrest and imprisonment. Jon Snow is unable to do anything about it, to his frustration. Alliser Thorne taunts Jon, who threatens him with a knife and is confined to quarters for his trouble. Meanwhile, the bodies of several men from Benjen Stark's patrol have been found, but there is no sign of Benjen himself. Samwell Tarly notes that the bodies do not smell like they've been dead for weeks. Later, at night, one of the bodies reanimates as a wight and tries to attack the Lord Commander; unable to harm the undead monster with his sword, Jon finally destroys it by throwing an oil lamp that sets the wight on fire.

Sansa's letter reaches Winterfell and a disbelieving Robb. Maester Luwin notes the letter is the work of the Queen. Robb refuses to consider the request and sends out ravens, summoning the lords bannermen of the North and their armies to assemble at Winterfell.

At the Eyrie, Catelyn is furious when Lysa refuses to consider summoning the knights of the Vale to war. Despite setting in motion this chain of events with her letter to her sister, Lysa does not believe that war is in the Vale's best interests.

Tyrion and Bronn have reached the western edge of the Vale and are surrounded by members of the hill tribes, led by a fearsome warrior named Shagga. Tyrion does some fast-talking and convinces the hill tribes that House Lannister is an enemy of the Vale and its rulers. He proposes an alliance which will allow the tribes to enact vengeance against the Vale and get them properly armed and armored for war. They eagerly agree, and escort Tyrion and Bronn westwards towards where the Lannister armies are gathering.

The Dothraki raid a village in Lhazar, a peaceful country to the south-east of Vaes Dothrak. Daenerys is disturbed to see the Dothraki killing the villagers and raping their women, and orders it stopped. The Dothraki grow angry at not being able to take the spoils of victory, but Khal Drogo stops the complaints by killing Mago, one of the offended warriors who challenges him. Drogo takes a small wound in the process. Though Drogo dismisses it as a scratch, Daenerys insists it be treated and allows one of the women she rescued, a healer called Mirri Maz Duur to treat the wound, despite the distaste of Drogo's bloodriders, who derisively call the woman maegi (a witch).

In Winterfell, Robb holds a feast for several of his newly-arrived bannermen, but Greatjon Umber gets surly when Robb refuses to let him lead the vanguard. When he threatens to withdraw from the host and goes to draw a weapon, Robb sets Grey Wind on him, who bites off two of his fingers. Robb points out that it is death to draw steel on your liege lord, but suggests that the Greatjon was only going to cut Robb's meat. The Greatjon roars with laughter and accepts Robb's commands. Robb says farewell to Bran and Rickon, the latter of whom is convinced they won't see him again.

Bran prays by the heart tree when he is approached by Osha who tells him the Old gods are listening to him and that the Wildlings also worship the Old gods. She laments that the South has lost touch with the past; the southern Wierwoods were cut down years ago and the Southerners have no idea what's awakening in the north. They are interrupted by Odo who has lost his clothes and Osha remarks that he might have giant blood in him before Bran sends him away. Curious Bran asks her if giants live beyond the wall wich she affirms has well has many other beings; but not all of them are friendly.

At the Wall, the two wight bodies have been thoroughly burned. Sam says that he read in a book that the dead are animated by the touch of the White Walkers and that only fire can destroy such creatures. He hopes the Wall is big enough to hold them back when the Walkers come in force.

Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel intercept Robb's army in the Neck as it presses southwards. Catelyn tells Robb that he has no choice but to go to war, but he cannot lose, for the sake of Ned, Sansa and Arya.

Tyrion, Bronn, Shagga and a bunch of the hill tribes arrive at the Lannister encampment, to find Lord Tywin Lannister and his brother Ser Kevan, planning to engage the Stark army, which is moving south from the Neck. Tywin accepts Shagga's aid, but Shagga will only fight if Tyrion fights alongside them, a prospect which Tywin welcomes. Tyrion seems less enamored.

At Robb's camp, Robb and his lords are debating on the route of their march, and on whether to march directly against Tywin's army or against Jaime's army besieging Riverrun. To get to Jaime, they need to cross the Green Fork of the River Trident, and the only crossing is at the Twins, held by the notoriously prickly and easily-offended Lord Walder Frey. A Lannister scout is captured and Robb sends him back to warn Lord Tywin that twenty thousand Northern soldiers are marching against him.

At King's Landing, King Joffrey holds court. Janos Slynt, commander of the City Watch, is to be made Lord of Harrenhal as a reward for his loyal service. Cersei then dismisses Ser Barristan Selmy as head of the Kingsguard, noting that the time has come for an honorable retirement. Selmy is confused, pointing out that Kingsguard serve for life, but Joffrey angrily says that Selmy is too old, and couldn't protect his father. Selmy's disgrace is only compounded when he learns his post as Lord Commander is to be given to Jaime Lannister, much to his disgust. Furious, Selmy takes off his armor, throws his sword at Joffrey's feet and storms out, stating that he could still kill all five of the other Kingsguard present with ease.

Sansa begs Joffrey for her father's life, claiming that the medicine he was taking for his injured leg was responsible for his treasonous talk. Joffrey says that her soft words have moved him and he will spare Eddard, if he bends the knee to him and acknowledges him as king. Sansa says he will.

Memorable quotes
Syrio Forel: "I am Syrio Forel, and you will be speaking to me with more respect."

Syrio: "The First Sword of Braavos does not run."

Varys: "When you look at me, do you see a hero?"

Robb Stark: "Joffrey puts my father in chains, now he wants his arse kissed?"

Osha: "I tried telling your brother, he's marching the wrong way. All these swords, they should be going north, boy, north, not south. The cold winds are rising."

Robb: "Tell Lord Tywin, winter is coming for him. Twenty thousand northerners marching south to find out if he really does shit gold."

Ser Barristan Selmy: "I am a knight. I shall die a knight."

First appearances

 * Ser Meryn Trant
 * Mirri Maz Duur
 * Mago
 * Lord Greatjon Umber
 * Jafer Flowers
 * Othor
 * Shagga
 * Timett
 * Chella
 * Ser Kevan Lannister
 * Galbart Glover

Deaths

 * Syrio Forel (presumed)
 * Septa Mordane (confirmed in Fire and Blood)
 * Mago
 * Jafer Flowers
 * Othor

Cast
Starring
 * Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark
 * 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
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Richard Madden as Robb Stark
 * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
 * and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Also starring
 * Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo

Guest starring
 * Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * Jerome Flynn as Bronn
 * James Cosmo as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
 * Ian McElhinney as Lord Commander Barristan Selmy
 * John Bradley-West as Samwell Tarly
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel
 * Kate Dickie as Lady Lysa Arryn
 * Dominic Carter as Commander Janos Slynt
 * Natalia Tena as Osha
 * Susan Brown as Septa Mordane
 * Clive Mantle as Greatjon Umber
 * Mark Stanley as Grenn
 * Josef Altin as Pypar
 * Luke McEwan as Rast
 * Mark Lewis Jones as Shagga
 * Mia Soteriou as Mirri Maz Duur
 * Amrita Acharia as Irri
 * Roxanne McKee as Doreah
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Elyes Gabel as Rakharo
 * Dar Salim as Qotho
 * Robert Sterne as Royal Steward
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
 * Lino Facioli as Lord Robin Arryn
 * Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant
 * Simon Stewart as Lannister messenger
 * Matthew Scurfield as Stark steward
 * Frank O'Sullivan as Night's Watch messenger
 * Brian Fortune as Bowen Marsh
 * Chris Gallagher as Lannister scout
 * Rick Burn as Stark guard
 * Hugo Culverhouse as stableboy

Uncredited
 * Mark Coney as Galbart Glover
 * Dennis McKeever as Othell Yarwyck
 * Unknown as Maege Mormont
 * Unknown as Chella
 * Unknown as Timett
 * Unknown as Jafer Flowers
 * Unknown as Othor
 * Unknown as Mago