The Prince of Winterfell


 * This article is about the actual episode. You may be looking for the title or the holder of that title, Theon Greyjoy.

"The Prince of Winterfell" is the eighth episode of the second season of Game of Thrones. It is the eighteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on May 20, 2012. It was written by executive producers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by co-executive producer Alan Taylor.

The episode won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Costumes in a Series in September 2012.

Plot
Bran and Rickon Stark are revealed to be alive.

Beyond the Wall
Ygritte brings Jon Snow before the Lord of Bones, who orders him executed, because he has already captured Qhorin Halfhand and doesn't need two "crows" for questioning. Ygritte convinces him to spare Jon because of his Stark blood. Qhorin initiates a plan to install Jon as a spy within the wildling ranks.

Grenn and Samwell Tarly discover a cache of dragonglass weapons at the Fist of the First Men. Jon's absence has been noted, but Sam refuses to believe that he is dead.

Across the Narrow Sea
Ser Jorah Mormont advises Daenerys Targaryen to leave her dragons and flee Qarth. She insists on attempting to reclaim them and asks Ser Jorah to lead her to the House of the Undying, without knowing what lies in wait.

In the Seven Kingdoms
Yara Greyjoy arrives at Winterfell with a small band of men, but instead of bringing reinforcements she offers Theon only advice. Winterfell is too far from the sea, they can't successfully defend it with so few soldiers, and the North is rising against him. She implores Theon to abandon the castle and return home with her, but he refuses to give up his prize. Dagmer tells Theon that after killing the orphans, he also murdered the farmer and his wife. Luwin spots Osha sneaking into the catacombs. He follows her inside, and she explains that after reaching the farm she doubled back, using a stream to mask their scent from the hounds. Luwin urges her not to tell Bran and Rickon about the children Theon had murdered, but Bran is sitting up behind a corner and listening to them.

Stannis Baratheon's fleet is closing in on King's Landing. Stannis tells Davos that he admires him and offers him the Hand of the King role once he takes back his throne. Tyrion Lannister scours history books seeking inspiration for his plans to defend the city. He takes advice from Bronn and Varys and decides to make use of the stocks of wildfire. King Joffrey Baratheon is full of bravado, but his mother is worried about letting him fight. She tries to ensure his safety by kidnapping the prostitute Ros, believing that she is Tyrion's lover. Tyrion is relieved that Shae is safe but vows revenge against his sister. Lord Tywin Lannister is torn between needing to defend King's Landing and wanting to drive King Robb Stark from the Westerlands. He decides to march west, leaving Arya Stark at Harrenhal to serve his castellan, Ser Gregor Clegane. Realizing that she has missed her chance to kill Tywin, Arya pressures the assassin Jaqen H'ghar into aiding her escape from Harrenhal. She forces him to help her by giving him his own name as the third death he promised. She will only revoke his name when he agrees to break her and her friends out of the fortress. Arya, Hot Pie, and Gendry walk through the gates at midnight, as Jaqen instructed. They escape Harrenhal, realizing that the guards have been killed.

Robb is furious when he learns that his mother Catelyn Stark has freed his prized captive Ser Jaime Lannister. He tells her that she has betrayed him and orders her kept under guard. Catelyn has sent Brienne of Tarth to escort Jaime to King's Landing to exchange him for her daughters, Sansa and Arya. Brienne uses a canoe to evade pursuit. Robb plans to relieve Winterfell by turning Theon's men against him with an offer of mercy, issuing his orders to the bastard of the Dreadfort through Roose Bolton. Robb seeks solace in the arms of Lady Talisa Maegyr, ignoring his betrothal to House Frey.

Recap

 * Main: The Prince of Winterfell recap

A detailed recap of the episode scene by scene.

Appearances

 * Main: The Prince of Winterfell/Appearances

First

 * The Lord of Bones

Deaths

 * Borba, killed off-screen by the Lord of Bones' warband
 * Harker, killed off-screen by the Lord of Bones' warband
 * Stonesnake, killed off-screen by the Lord of Bones' warband

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark
 * Emilia Clarke as Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Prince Bran Stark
 * Richard Madden as King Robb Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Alfie Allen as Prince Theon Greyjoy
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
 * Sibel Kekilli as Shae
 * Jerome Flynn as Bronn
 * Conleth Hill as Lord Varys

Guest starring
 * Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin
 * Natalia Tena as Osha
 * Oona Chaplin as Lady Talisa Maegyr
 * Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
 * Rose Leslie as Ygritte
 * Simon Armstrong as Qhorin Halfhand
 * Gemma Whelan as Princess Yara Greyjoy
 * Joe Dempsie as Gendry
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Ralph Ineson as Dagmer Cleftjaw
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
 * John Stahl as Lord Rickard Karstark
 * Mark Stanley as Grenn
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie
 * Esme Bianco as Ros
 * Andy Beckwith as Rorge
 * Steven Cole as Kovarro
 * Edward Dogliani as Lord of Bones
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Gerard Jordan as Biter
 * Art Parkinson as Prince Rickon Stark
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Ian Whyte as Ser Gregor Clegane
 * Kerr Logan as Matthos Seaworth
 * Moe Dunford as a Stark messenger
 * Mark Byatt as a Lannister torturer
 * David Sheenan (sic) as a Stark guard
 * Aiden Condron as a Lannister captain
 * Ciaran McMahon as a Lannister soldier

Uncredited
 * Unknown as an Ironborn lookout
 * Unknown as a Tortured Lannister
 * Unknown as the Fury gunnery officer
 * Unknown as Lannister bannerman 1
 * Unknown as Lannister bannerman 2
 * Unknown as Lannister bannerman 3

Cast notes

 * 19 of 25 cast members for the second season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members James Cosmo (Jeor Mormont), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish), Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), and Carice van Houten (Melisandre) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.
 * Jack Gleeson is credited ahead of Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Richard Madden, Maisie Williams and Alfie Allen when he was credited after them when they last appeared together in "The Old Gods and the New."
 * Sibel Kekilli is credited ahead of Jerome Flynn and Conleth Hill when she was credited after them when they last appeared together in "What is Dead May Never Die."
 * Guest star David Sheehan's name is spelled incorrectly in the credits as David Sheenan.

Memorable quotes
Yara Greyjoy: "Which one gave you the tougher fight, the cripple or the six-year-old?"

Cersei Lannister: "Do you know why Varys is so dangerous?"

Tyrion Lannister: "Because he has thousands of spies in his employ? Because he knows everything we do before we do it?"

Cersei: "Because he doesn't have a cock."

Tyrion: "Neither do you."

Cersei: "Perhaps I'm dangerous, too. You, on the other hand, are as big a fool as every other man. That little worm between your legs does half your thinking for you."

Tyrion: "It's not that little."

Tyrion: "I will hurt you for this. A day will come when you think you are safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth... and you will know the debt is paid."

Joffrey Baratheon: "They say Stannis never smiles. I'll give him a red smile, from ear to ear."

Dagmer: "What's this?"

Theon Greyjoy: "Gold...for the farmer. For his...trouble."

Dagmer: "His troubles are done. He's feeding the crops now. His wife too. You want to keep a man silent, you silence him."

Osha: "Who was that out there...hung from the gates?"

Luwin: "Must have been the farmer's boys."

Osha: "He killed them and burned them....and passed them off as the little lords?"

Luwin: "Shh, shh, shh. They mustn't know. Bran would blame himself."

Osha: "They'll never hear it from me. The little lads have suffered enough."

In the books

 * See: Differences between books and TV series - Season 2 


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Clash of Kings:
 * Chapter 34, Jon IV: The dragonglass weapons are discovered.
 * Chapter 38, Arya VIII: Tywin leaves Harrenhal.
 * Chapter 41, Tyrion IX: Tyrion and Varys discuss Stannis's impending attack.
 * Chapter 47, Arya IX: Arya gives Jaqen his own name to get what she wants.
 * Chapter 49, Tyrion XI: Tyrion makes final preparations for the defense of King's Landing.
 * Chapter 54, Tyrion XII: Cersei confronts Tyrion with a captive.
 * Chapter 56, Theon V: Yara visits Winterfell to try to convince Theon to leave.
 * Chapter 68, Jon VIII: Jon and Qhorin are captured by the wildlings. Qhorin plans to make Jon a spy in their ranks.
 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Storm of Swords:
 * Chapter 1, Jaime I: Jaime is escorted towards King's Landing by Brienne.
 * Chapter 2, Catelyn I: Catelyn is imprisoned for freeing Jaime.