The Lion and the Rose

"The Lion and the Rose" is the second episode of the fourth season of Game of Thrones and the thirty-second episode of the series overall. It aired on April 13, 2014 and was written by George R.R. Martin, the writer of the Song of Ice and Fire novels on which the series is based. It was directed by Alex Graves.

At King's Landing
At his wedding feast, King Joffrey speaks to the crowd about contemplating history. Out of a large golden lion, five dwarves ride out, representing Joffrey, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy, each of the five kings in the War of the Five Kings. The dwarves put on a performance, jousting, fighting, and making crude sexual acts. Joffrey, his brother Tommen, Cersei, and Tywin laugh at the performance. The Tyrells (Margaery, Olenna, Mace, and Loras), as well as Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark, are disgusted. Joffrey then suggests the champion dwarf and Tyrion fight. Tyrion says Joffrey should fight instead and show the same bravery he displayed at the Battle of the Blackwater. Joffrey then empties his wine goblet over Tyrion's head, then orders Tyrion to be his cupbearer and serve him wine.

Tyrion approaches Joffrey, and Joffrey purposely drops the goblet and kicks it under the table. Sansa hands the goblet to Tyrion, and Tyrion fills it with wine and hands it to Joffrey. Joffrey demands that Tyrion kneel before him but Tyrion does not. Margaery interrupts the tense moment and says it is time to cut the pie. Joffrey hands the goblet to Margaery, who then places it at the edge of the table near her grandmother Olenna. Joffrey draws his new sword, cuts the pie, and several white doves fly out of the pie.

Sansa and Tyrion attempt to leave the feast, while Margaery serves Joffrey a piece of pie. Joffrey commands Tyrion to serve him wine to wash down the pie. Tyrion hands the goblet to Joffrey and he quickly drinks all of it. Joffrey tries to speak, but begins coughing. He grabs his throat, and Margaery and Olenna exclaim that he choking and needs help. Joffrey collapses face down and begins vomiting and convulsing. Jaime and Cersei rush in and turn Joffrey over on his back. Dontos Hollard suddenly approaches Sansa from behind and says she must come with him quickly, and she does. Joffrey points at Tyrion, as Tyrion examines the wine goblet. Joffrey's eyes turn red, blood runs from his nose, he stops convulsing, and dies. Cersei sobs with grief and orders the Kingsguard to seize Tyrion for the poisoning of Joffrey.

At Dragonstone
On the beach of Dragonstone, Melisandre presides over a public burning, setting three people chained to stakes ablaze as an offering to the Lord of Light. One of the condemned is Queen Selyse Baratheon's own brother, condemned for his lack of fervor in the Lord's power. Watching the proceedings, Ser Davos Seaworth holds his tongue, though his disgust both for the ritual and Melisandre are plain. Melisandre is surprisingly silent throughout the proceedings; it is Selyse who takes the greatest pleasure in the ritual.

Afterwards, Stannis and Selyse eat dinner, with Melisandre as a guest at their table. The royal couple argue over their daughter, Princess Shireen Baratheon; Selyse believes the girl's disfigurement is a punishment from the Lord of Light, but Stannis angrily forbids his wife from trying to physically chastise their daughter for her perceived faults. Selyse switches tactics and suggests that Melisandre speak to Shireen. Stannis doesn't protest, but Melisandre doesn't look particularly interested in the task. Nonetheless, Melisandre does speak with Shireen, explaining in gentle yet matter-of-fact terms that the Faith of the Seven and its holy books are lies: Melisandre insists there are only two gods, the Lord of Light and the Great Other, constantly at war. When Shireen asks if there is any truth to the Faith's belief in seven heavens and seven hells, Melisandre replies "There is only one hell... the one we live in now".

North of the Wall
We follow the point of view of a panting figure traveling through a dark, snow-covered forest. It kills a deer. Just as the figure makes its kill, it is revealed that the figure is Summer and that Bran Stark had been warging into Summer. Bran's warging is interrupted by Meera Reed, who says that Bran had been gone for hours. Bran is not happy about having been snapped out of his warging, saying that he was eating. Jojen Reed clarifies that Summer was eating and that what Bran cannot gain sustenance from what Summer eats. Jojen and Meera also caution Bran that warging so long is dangerous for other reasons. Even though it allows Bran the mobility he lost when he was injured, Bran would become trapped, forgetting his friends, his family, his home, and even himself. And if Bran forgets himself, they all lose everything.

The group breaks camp and continues traveling through the forest. They eventually come upon a Weirwood tree. Bran has Hodor take him to the tree. Bran touches the tree just under the face carved into it and sees a vision. Several images rush to Bran's mind, including swarms of crows, Wights (both human and horses), and the fall that paralyzed him. He also sees the Three-eyed raven taking flight in a darkened corridor and later land on a tree. Bran sees his father sharpening Ice, in the Black Cells, and being led to his execution; the Red Keep abandoned and covered in snow; and the shadow of a dragon flying over King's Landing. Bran also sees several images of a different Weirwood tree located on top of an otherwise barren mountain. During the vision, a gravely voice tells Bran to "look for me beneath the tree... NORTH." Bran snaps out of his vision out of breath, but then matter-of-factly states, "I know where we have to go."

Appearances

 * Main: The Lion and the Rose/Appearances

First

 * Tansy
 * Ser Axell Florent
 * Walda Bolton
 * Mace Tyrell
 * ​Dwarf 1
 * Dwarf 2
 * Dwarf 3
 * ​Dwarf 4
 * ​Dwarf 5

Deaths

 * Tansy
 * Ser Axell Florent
 * King Joffrey Baratheon

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
 * Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
 * Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre
 * Alfie Allen as Prince Theon Greyjoy
 * Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * Sophie Turner as Lady Sansa Stark
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Sibel Kekilli as Shae
 * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Snow
 * Conleth Hill as Lord Varys
 * Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn

Guest starring
 * Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
 * Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
 * Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
 * Noah Taylor as Locke
 * Tara Fitzgerald as Queen Selyse Baratheon
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Lord Mace Tyrell
 * Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell
 * Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed
 * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as Prince Tommen Baratheon
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant
 * Tony Way as Dontos Hollard
 * Kerry Ingram as Princess Shireen Baratheon
 * Charlotte Hope as Myranda
 * Jazzy de Lisser as Tansy
 * Paul Bentley as the High Septon
 * Elizabeth Webster as Lady Walda Bolton
 * James McHale as Ser Axell Florent
 * Pixie Le Knot as Kayla
 * Jón Þór Birgisson as a Musician
 * Orri Páll Dýrason as a Musician
 * Georg Hólm as a Musician
 * Raymond Griffiths as a Dwarf
 * Max Laird as a Dwarf
 * Dean Whatton as Dwarf
 * George Appleby as a Dwarf
 * Krysten Coombs as a Dwarf
 * Struan Rodger as the Three-eyed raven (uncredited)

Cast notes

 * 17 of 26 cast members for the fourth season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish), Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund), Rose Leslie (Ygritte), Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane), and Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.

In the books

 * See: Differences between books and TV series - Season 4 

Memorable quotes
Melisandre: "There is only one hell... the one we live in now."

Bronn: "Problem is, if you fight with an edged blade, I'll have to. And if I fight with an edged blade, I'll have no one left to pay me."