Lord Snow

"Lord Snow" is the third episode of the first season of Game of Thrones. It is the third episode of the series overall. It first aired on May 1, 2011. It was written by executive producers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by Brian Kirk.

Synopsis
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, while Daenerys and Viserys journey onwards to the Dothraki capital of Vaes Dothrak.

Summary
The royal party reaches King's Landing. Lord Eddard Stark barely has time to get off of 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 unrepentant. 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 adviser in all matters scientific and academic; Lord Renly Baratheon, the youngest of the king's two brothers and Master of Laws; and Varys, a eunuch and the Master of Whisperers (the head of the king's intelligence network).

Eddard is stunned to learn that the crown is six million Gold Dragons 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, and install someone loyal like his great-uncle, Kevan as Warden of the North. Cersei points out that the North is too vast and wild to be militarily conquered by outsiders, and as King he needs to be more clever. She also advises him to be kind to Sansa Stark to avoid stirring up trouble for later, and concludes that "Anyone who isn't us is an enemy."

Eddard talks to Arya, who has been arguing with her sister, 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 and 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. When Robb pays a visit, Bran asks his brother if it is true that his legs are crushed and that he will never walk again. Robb reluctantly says this is so. Bran remarks that he would rather be dead.

Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik 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. 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. Thorne is disgusted at the poor performance of the others, but has no praise for Jon either, dubbing him Lord Snow, and describing him as "the least useless person here". 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 the commander of the Kingsguard. When Jaime Lannister appears, Robert jokingly questions him about Aerys Targaryen's death, wondering if the Mad King died begging for mercy, but Jaime rather coldly replies that the master he betrayed died screaming the same words he'd been saying since the siege of King's Landing began: "Burn them all".

Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys commands the khalasar to halt on a whim, exercising her growing authority and power. Viserys does not take well to being commanded and threatens his sister. He is strangled by Rakharo, a Dothraki warrior wielding a whip. Daenerys calms the situation and Viserys is 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 with they lay naked in each other arms. Ser Jorah Mormont and Rakharo compare the Westerosi and Dothraki ways of battle; of the heavily-armored but slow knights versus the lightly-armored 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 honor. 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 Mormont, the head of the Night's Watch, and his chief adviser, 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; after all, one of their number swore that the White Walkers had returned...right up to the moment Ned Stark cut his head off. Tyrion admits his skepticism 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 ranging 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 fulfills 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 realizes that a conflict between the Starks and Lannisters may be inevitable; his daughter may well be training herself for war.

Recap

 * Main: Lord Snow recap

A detailed recap of the episode scene by scene.

Commentary
Actors Isaac Hempstead Wright, Maisie Williams, and Sophie Turner provide an audio commentary for the episode on the DVD and Blu-Ray releases.


 * The young actors sing along with the main theme during the title sequence.
 * Sean Bean was noted by the younger actors for secreting chocolate bars on his person and sneaking them to his young co-stars during filming.
 * Conleth Hill apparently enjoyed trying to put Sophie Turner off during her close-ups.
 * English-accented Sophie Turner and Irish-accented Jack Gleeson would imitate one another's accents for amusement between takes.
 * Isaac Hempstead Wright's only scene with Jack Gleeson was a mock battle scene in the pilot, where Bran and Tommen have a mock fight whilst Joffrey and Robb watch on (this scene occurred in the book). This was not used in the final episode.
 * The argument between Arya and Sansa at the breakfast table was Sophie Turner's first scene filmed for the first season. Maisie Williams dented the table with the knife so badly it had to be rotated several times to hide the marks from the camera.
 * Mark Addy spooked one of the horses in the King's arrival scene in the first episode with his laugh, whilst he was talking to Bran.
 * Mark Addy's prosthetic beard was apparently easily removable so he could eat lunch without ruining it.
 * Eugene Simon taught Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner some magic tricks between takes.
 * Emilia Clarke was allowed to pick one of four horses for Daenerys's use in the series.
 * Harry Lloyd was responsible for introducing iPhone game Fruit Ninja to the cast. It went on to become a craze on set, with cast and crew competing to see who could get the highest score.
 * Joseph Mawle told Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner that if acting was easy, everyone would be doing it, so not to be worried if they found scenes hard because the producers had reasons for choosing them and they would be able to do the job.
 * The producers considered asking Miltos Yerolemou to shave his hair off to match the appearance of Syrio Forel in the books, but decided he looked better with his hair. Author George R.R. Martin himself would later say in another Season 1 commentary that he didn't care about such minor differences, being more concerned with the satisfying performance of the actor.

Memorable quotes
Eddard Stark: "War was easier than daughters!"

Cersei Lannister: "When Aerys Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne, your father was a rebel and a traitor. Someday, you'll sit on the throne, and the truth will be what you make it."

Joffrey Baratheon: "...Do I have to marry her?"

Cersei: "Yes, she's very beautiful, and young...and if you don't like her, you only need to see her on formal occasions, and when the time comes, to make little princes and princesses...and if you'd rather fuck painted whores, you'll fuck painted whores. And if you'd rather lie with noble virgins, so be it. You are my darling boy, and the world will be exactly as you want it to be."
 * --Cersei's blunt advice to her 14 year old son Joffrey, demonstrating her utterly indulgent perception of "parental guidance".

Cersei Lannister: "Everyone who isn't us is an enemy."

Benjen Stark: "You're no ranger. Here, a man gets what he earns, when he earns it."

Jaime Lannister: "I think we can outfox a ten year old." Cersei Lannister: "And my husband?" Jaime: "I'll go to war with him if I have to...they can write a ballad about us, 'the War for Cersei's Cunt'!" [Cersei slaps Jaime]

Jaime Lannister: "The boy won't talk. And if he does, I'll kill him, Ned Stark, the king, the whole bloody lot of them until you and I are the only people left in this world."

Benjen Stark: "We've been receiving disturbing reports."

Jon Snow: "What kind of reports?"

Benjen Stark: "The kind I don't want to believe."

Maester Aemon: The Starks are always right eventually; winter is coming. This one will be long and dark things will come with it...When winter does come, gods help us all if we're not ready!

First appearances

 * Varys.
 * Lord Renly Baratheon.
 * Grand Maester Pycelle.
 * Lord Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish.
 * Lancel Lannister.
 * Lord Commander Barristan Selmy.
 * Ser Alliser Thorne.
 * Grenn.
 * Pypar.
 * Yoren.
 * Lord Commander Jeor Mormont.
 * Maester Aemon.
 * Old Nan. (previously appeared in the background, but first has dialogue in this episode)
 * Rakharo.
 * Syrio Forel.

Cast
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
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * Richard Madden as Robb Stark
 * Jack Gleeson as Prince Joffrey Baratheon
 * and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Also Starring
 * Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo

Guest starring
 * 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 Donachieas Ser Rodrik Cassel
 * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
 * Francis Magee as Yoren
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Gethin Anthony as Lord Renly Baratheon
 * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon
 * Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel
 * Margaret John as Old Nan
 * Susan Brown as Septa Mordane
 * Robert Sterne as Royal Steward
 * Mark Stanley as Grenn
 * Josef Altin as Pypar
 * Luke McEwan as Rast
 * Elyes Gabel as Rakharo
 * Amrita Acharia as Irri
 * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister
 * Paul Portelli as a Drunk Man
 * Nickovich Sammut as Goldcloak 1
 * Seamus Kelly as Goldcloak 2
 * Emily Diamond as a King's Landing whore

Cast Notes

 * Starring cast members Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) and Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.
 * Aidan Gillen makes his first appearance as Petyr Baelish and is added to the opening credits having being absent from the previous two episodes.
 * Richard Madden (Robb Stark) is credited after Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark) in the opening sequence despite being credited before in the previous two episodes.
 * Casting associate Robert Sterne plays the Royal Steward who welcomes Eddard Stark to King's Landing.
 * Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) is credited as 'also starring' during the closing credits of this episode.