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"You win or you die"
―Tagline[src]

Game of Thrones: Season 1[1] is the first season of Game of Thrones. It consists of ten episodes. It premiered with "Winter Is Coming" on April 17, 2011 on HBO, and concluded with "Fire and Blood" on June 29, 2011. It is based on A Game of Thrones, the first novel of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

Premise[]

Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author), this sprawling HBO drama series is set in a grounded fantasy world inhabited by ambitious men and women of both honor and ill-repute, much like our own real world.[1]

Overview[]

Season 1 Locations map

A map showing the notable locations of Season 1.

Season 1 spans a period of several months on a world where the seasons last for years at a time. The action begins in the unified Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as the long summer ends and winter draws near. Lord Eddard Stark is asked by his old friend, King Robert Baratheon, to serve as the Hand of the King following the death of the previous incumbent, Eddard's mentor Jon Arryn. Eddard is reluctant but receives intelligence suggesting that Jon was murdered. Eddard accepts Robert's offer, planning to use his position and authority to investigate the alleged murder.

Meanwhile, on the eastern continent of Essos, the exiled children of House Targaryen, which Robert destroyed to claim the throne, are plotting to return to Westeros and unseat the 'usurper'. To this end, Viserys Targaryen arranges the marriage of his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo, the leader of 40,000 Dothraki warriors, in return for the use of his warriors in invading Westeros. For her part, Daenerys just wants to find a safe refuge far away from King Robert's assassins and her brother's scheming ambition.

Finally, on the northern-most border of the Seven Kingdoms the sworn brothers of the Night's Watch guard the Wall, a 300-mile-long colossal fortification of ice which has stood for thousands of years. The Watch defends the Wall against the depredations of the lawless wildlings who live beyond, but rumor speaks of a new threat arising in the lands of perpetual winter.

Episodes[]

No. Image Title Air date Viewers
1.[8] Thrones S01E01 "Winter Is Coming"[8] April 17, 2011[3] 2.22[citation needed]
Series Premiere. Lord Ned Stark is troubled by disturbing reports from a Night's Watch deserter; King Robert arrives at Winterfell.[1]
2.[14] Thrones S01E02 "The Kingsroad"[14] April 24, 2011[3] 2.20[citation needed]
The Lannisters plot to ensure Bran's silence; Jon and Tyrion head to the Wall; Ned faces a family crisis en route to King's Landing.[1]
3.[12] Thrones S01E03 "Lord Snow"[12] May 1, 2011[3] 2.44[citation needed]
Jon impresses Tyrion at Castle Black; Ned confronts his past and future at King's Landing; Daenerys finds herself at odds with Viserys.[1]
4.[9] Thrones S01E04 "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"[9] May 8, 2011[3] 2.45[citation needed]
Ned probes Arryn's death; Jon takes measures to protect Sam; Tyrion is caught in the wrong place.[1]
5.[15] Thrones S01E05 "The Wolf and the Lion"[15] May 15, 2011[3] 2.58[citation needed]
Ned refuses an order from the King; Tyrion escapes one perilous encounter, only to find himself in another.[1]
6.[10] Thrones S01E06 "A Golden Crown"[10] May 22, 2011[3] 2.44[citation needed]
Ned makes a controversial decree; Tyrion confesses to his 'crimes'; Viserys receives payment for Daenerys.[1]
7.[16] Thrones S01E07 "You Win or You Die"[16] May 29, 2011[3] 2.40[citation needed]
Ned confronts Cersei about her secrets; Jon takes his Night's Watch vows; Drogo promises to lead the Dothraki to King's Landing.[1]
8.[11] Thrones S01E08 "The Pointy End"[11] June 5, 2011[3] 2.72[citation needed]
The Lannisters press their advantage over the Starks; Robb rallies his father's northern allies and heads south to war.[1]
9.[13] Thrones S01E09 "Baelor"[13] June 12, 2011[3] 2.66[citation needed]
Ned makes a fateful decision; Robb takes a prized prisoner; Dany finds her reign imperiled.[1]
10.[17] Thrones S01E10 "Fire and Blood"[17] June 19, 2011[3] 3.04[citation needed]
Season 1 Finale. A new king rises in the North; a Khaleesi finds new hope.[1]

Cast[]

Main page: Game of Thrones: Season 1/Cast

Starring[]

Also starring[]

Guest starring[]

Crew[]

Producers[]

Writers[]

Directors[]

Production[]

Filming[]

Season 1 was mainly filmed on location in Northern Ireland and Malta, with the Paint Hall facility in Belfast being used as the main studio.

Deleted scenes[]

Brandon's execution

Brandon Stark is executed by the Mad King.

Due to limitations of filming time, there was very little shot for the season which was not eventually used. However, a notable scene cut was a flashback scene featuring the execution of Brandon Stark at the hands of the Mad King. Actors were cast for this scene and it was filmed, even appearing in some trailers, but ultimately was not used. The scene did not even appear on DVD or Blu-ray releases of the season.[18]

Home video[]

GoT Season 1 DVD promo

The Season 1 Blu-ray set.

Season 1 of Game of Thrones was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 6, 2012. In the United States, Best Buy had exclusive packaging featuring the sigils of House Stark and House Targaryen on the cover, while HMV featured the Stark cover in the UK.

BestBuy S1 DVD

The Season 1 Targaryen and Stark packaging exclusive to Best Buy in the United States.

On release, the DVD and Blu-ray became the fastest-selling release in the history of HBO, outselling in its first week box sets of series such as The Sopranos, Band of Brothers and True Blood. It sold over 350,000 copies in its first week on sale, with 57% of those sales on the Blu-ray format. It has also set new HBO records for digital sales on iTunes.[19]

As well as all ten episodes of the first season, the set includes the following extra and special features:

Blu-ray exclusives[]

  • Blu-ray Complete Guide to Westeros: An interactive compendium of the noble houses and lands featured in Season One, PLUS 24 exclusive histories of the Seven Kingdoms as told by the characters themselves.
    Game of Thrones Limited Edition Season 1

    The limited edition set.

  • Anatomy of an Episode: An in-episode experience that explores the creative minds and colossal efforts behind episode six, “A Golden Crown”.
  • In-Episode Guide: In-episode resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations, and relevant histories while each episode plays.
  • Hidden Dragon Eggs: Find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content.

Blu-ray and DVD[]

  • Making Game of Thrones: An exclusive 30-minute feature including never-before-seen footage from the set and interview from the cast and crew.
  • Creating the Show Open: An inside look at the creation of the Emmy-winning opening title sequence for Game of Thrones
  • From the Book to the Screen: Executive producers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, and author George R.R. Martin talk about the challenge of bringing Martin’s epic fantasy novel to life on HBO.
  • Character Profiles: Profiles of 15 major characters as described by the actors portraying them.
  • Audition Tapes: 25 minutes of audition reels and tapes showing how the main actors won their roles.
  • Inside the Night’s Watch: An in-depth look at the unique order of men who patrol and protect the Wall, a 700-foot ice structure that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the darkness beyond.
  • Creating the Dothraki Language: An insightful glance into the comprehensive language created for the Dothraki people in Game of Thrones.
  • Audio Commentaries: Seven audio commentaries with cast and crew.
    • "Winter Is Coming": Commentary by producers/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
    • "The Kingsroad": Commentary by actors Lena Headey, Mark Addy and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
    • "Lord Snow": Commentary by actors Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and Isaac Hempstead-Wright.
    • "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things": Commentary by actor Kit Harington and writer Bryan Cogman.
    • "A Golden Crown": Commentary by actors Peter Dinklage, Harry Lloyd and Emilia Clarke, and director Daniel Minahan.
    • "The Pointy End": Commentary by writer/producer/consultant George R.R. Martin.
    • "Fire and Blood": Commentary by producers/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and director Alan Taylor.

Special limited edition[]

Season 1 was reissued on 20 November 2012 in a special limited edition box set. This set contains the entirety of Season 1 on Blu-ray and DVD (with the accompanying special features), as well as access to digital downloads of the episodes. The set also included a dragon egg paperweight and a bonus preview disc containing the first episode of Season 2.

In the books[]

Main page: Differences in adaptation/Game of Thrones: Season 1

The season generally follows the first novel A Game of Thrones, and consists of a few scenes based on the second novel A Clash of Kings.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Trailers[]

Behind the scenes[]

The Artisans[]

House features[]

Character features[]

Commentary[]

Images[]

References[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Game of Thrones: Season 1. HBO. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Game of Thrones. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 GAME OF THRONES (HBO). The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  4. Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season (2012).
  5. Jacob Klein (March 4, 2012). Game of Thrones DVD & Blu-Ray Available 3/6!. HBO Watch. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 1: "Winter Is Coming" (2011).
  7. Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 3: "Lord Snow" (2011).
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Winter Is Coming. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 A Golden Crown. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Pointy End. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Lord Snow. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Baelor. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  14. 14.0 14.1 The Kingsroad. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Wolf and the Lion. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  16. 16.0 16.1 You Win or You Die. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Fire and Blood. HBO. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  18. Westeros.org report on the scene
  19. Westeros.org article on DVD sales

Notes[]

  1. In "You Win or You Die," Jorah Mormont receives a pardon stating that the current year is 298.

External links[]


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