Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things

Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things is the fourth episode of Season 1 of Game of Thrones. It is the 4th episode of the series overall.

Overview
Tyrion Lannister stops at Winterfell on his way back to King's Landing and gets a frosty reception from Robb Stark, despite an act of kindess for Bran. King Robert Baratheon hosts a grand tourney for Eddard's investiture as Hand of the King, to Ned's discomfort. Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel stop at the Crossroads Inn on the way home and set a chain of events in motion which will have dire consequences.

Plot
In Winterfell, Bran Stark has a nightmare in which he sees a three-eyed crow. He wakes up to find his direwolf Summer by his side. Theon Greyjoy summons Hodor, the castle's dim-witted stableboy who can only say his name, to help carry Bran down to the great hall, where Robb is hosting a meeting with Tyrion Lannister, travelling down from the Wall to King's Landing.

Tyrion sympathises with Bran for being a cripple, which annoys Bran, but Tyrion simply says it is the truth, no less so for being a hard truth. He gives the Starks a diagram of a saddle which will allow Bran to ride even in his current state. He does it to repay Bran's half-brother's friendship and because he has a weakness for, "Cripples, bastards and broken things." Whilst preparing to leave the castle, Tyrion asks Theon why Lady Catelyn was not present to receive him and concludes that Catelyn is not in Winterfell. He also taunts Theon about how the son of the ferocious Balon Greyjoy has been reduced to playing lackey in Winterfell to his captors, leaving Theon furious. Tyrion and Yoren depart southwards.

At Castle Black a new recruit for the Night's Watch has arrived: Samwell Tarly, the son of the famous Lord Randyll Tarly. Samwell is fat, soft and pampered, and Ser Alliser Thorne has no time for his weakness. He directs the other recruits to attack 'Ser Piggy', but Jon Snow takes pity on him and fends off the attackers. Thorne tries to turn it into a game, goading the others to get past Sam's protector, but Jon is still better than them and fends them off. Whilst Samwell is grateful, he is also self-deprecating, claiming to be a coward and craven, to Jon's astonishment.

Khal Drogo's khalasar arrives at Vaes Dothrak, the Dothraki city. Viserys is annoyed that Drogo has been taking 'his' army in the wrong direction. Later, he bathes with Doreah and tells her about how he raised with stories about the Targaryen dragons and his own destiny.

In the Red Keep of King's Landing, Sansa Stark visits the throne room containing the Iron Throne. She and Septa Mordane discuss the expectation that Sansa will have to provide Joffrey with an heir. Sansa thinks the realm will hate her if she only has daughters.

During a meeting of the small council, Lord Eddard learns that the forthcoming tournament to celebrate his appointment is seeing the city swell with visitors, and has already resulted in a tavern riot, a brothel fire, three stabbings and a drunken horse race. After the meeting Eddard talks to Grand Maester Pycelle about Jon Arryn's last few weeks. Pycelle recalls that Arryn spent this time looking at a truly boring book about the lineages of the Seven Kingdoms, and his last words were, "The seed is strong."

At the Wall Sam tells Jon that he so disappointed his father that he offered him a choice on his 18th birthday: take the black, or risk a 'hunting accident'. Jon is shocked that a trueborn son of high birth should be treated worse than a bastard.

In King's Landing, Littlefinger meets with Eddard and suggests that he keeps his investigation into Jon Arryn's death lower in profile. He also gives Eddard some interesting intelligence: Jon Arryn's squire has been knighted and will fight in the forthcoming Hand's tourney. Eddard decides that Littlefinger may be more trustworthy than first he thought. His investigation leads him to a smithy in the city, where he meets master smith Tobho Mott and his apprentice Gendry, whose work Jon Arryn was also apparently interested in. Eddard twigs that Gendry is one of King Robert's bastard sons, but can't work out why Jon Arryn would be interested in this: Robert has many bastard children and shows little interest in any of them.

In the keep, one of Eddard's retinue, Jory Cassel talks to to Ser Jaime Lannister, who is angry that the king keeps him guarding his chamber whilst he cavorts with other women inside, flaunting his dishonourable treatment of Jaime's sister in his face.

At the Wall, Jon convinces most of the other recruits to go easy on Sam. Rast refuses, so Jon uses his direwolf Ghost to intimidate Rast into playing along. Furious, Alliser Thorne tells Jon that this charity won't help Sam harden up to survive the winter that is coming.

Viserys is invited to dine with Khal Drogo and Daenerys and becomes angry at Daenerys for ordering him around again. This time, Dany hits Viserys in the face with a belt and tells him that the next time he touches her, he will lose his hands. Later, Daenerys realises that Viserys will never become King of Westeros. He couldn't command an army even if Drogo gave him one.

The tournament begins and Ser Gregor Clegane, the elder brother of Sandor Clegane, the Hound, takes the field. His first joust is with Ser Hugh of the Vale, Jon Arryn's former squire. However, the friendly joust turns nasty and Gregor kills Ser Hugh 'by accident'. Littlefinger tells Sansa that Gregor, the 'Mountain That Rides', has a fell reputation: he burned his little brother's face for stealing a toy of his when they were young. Littlefinger recommends that Sansa not spread that story around.

At the Crossroads Inn, Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel are enjoying the hospitality of the innkeeper and, more reluctantly, the attempts by the troubadour Marillion to ingratiate himself with them. They are surprised when Tyrion Lannister and Yoren arrive, and quickly gain the favour of a sellsword, Bronn, who agrees to give his room to Tyrion. Tyrion recognises Catelyn and is surprised at this meeting by chance. In return Catelyn tells the stunned inn that Tyrion tried to murder her son Bran twice and that she asks their help in bringing him to the king's justice. The inn is located in the Riverlands, in the territory controlled by her father, so the knights present owe him their fealty. Tyrion finds himself surrounded by half a dozen men with swords, and in Catelyn's custody.

Memorable quotes

 * Tyrion Lannister: "I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards and broken things."


 * Jon Arryn: "The seed is strong."


 * Daenerys Targaryen: "The next time you raise your hands at me is the last time you will have hands."


 * Alliser Thorne: "You are boys still. When the winter comes, you will die like so many flies."


 * Jorah Mormont: "The common people pray for rain, health and a summer that never ends. They don't care what games the high lords play."
 * Daenerys Targaryen: "What do you pray for, Ser Jorah?"
 * Jorah: "Home."


 * Eddard Stark: "I was trained to kill my enemies, your grace."
 * Cersei Lannister: "As was I."
 * Catelyn Stark: "This man came into my house as a guest and there conspired to murder my son, a boy of ten. In the name of king Robert and the good lords you serve, I call upon you to seize him and help me return him to Winterfell, to await the King's Justice.

First apperances

 * Ser Gregor Clegane.
 * Commander Janos Slynt.
 * Samwell Tarly.
 * Tobho Mott.
 * Gendry.
 * Hodor (though Hodor briefly appeared in Winter is Coming, he first has dialogue here).
 * Marillion.
 * Bronn.
 * Ser Hugh of the Vale.

Deaths

 * Ser Hugh of the Vale.

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 Petyr 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

Also Starring

 * Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo

Co-starring

 * Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * Jerome Flynn as Bronn
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Jamie Sives as Jory Cassel
 * Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel
 * Francis Magee as Yoren
 * Ian McElhinney as Lord Commander Barristan Selmy
 * Dominic Carter as Commander Janos Slynt
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Gethin Anthony as Lord Renly Baratheon
 * Emun Elliott as Marillion
 * Susan Brown as Septa Mordane
 * Margaret John as Old Nan
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Mark Stanley as Grenn
 * Josef Altin as Pypar
 * Luke McEwan as Rast
 * Conan Stevens as Ser Gregor Clegane
 * Amrita Acharia as Irri
 * Roxanne McKee as Doreah
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Jefferson Hall as Ser Hugh of the Vale
 * Joe Dempsie as Gendry
 * Andrew Wilde as Tobho Mott
 * Callum Wharry as Prince Tommen Baratheon
 * Aimee Richardson as Princess Myrcella Baratheon
 * Kevin Keenan as Knight of House Whent
 * Patrick Ryan as Knight of House Bracken
 * Ryan McKenna as Knight of House Frey
 * Susie Kelly as Masha Heddle