Game of Thrones Episode Guide

The Kingsroad
Season 1
Episode Number: 2
Season Episode: 2

Originally aired: Sunday April 24, 2011

Writer: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Director: Timothy Van Patten
Show Stars: Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Sean
Bean (Eddard ”Ned” Stark), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen),
Nikolaj Coster Waldau (Ser Jaime Lannister), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion
Lannister), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark), Jack Gleeson (Joffrey
Baratheon), Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Mormont), Kit Harington (Jon Snow),
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark),
Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen), Richard Madden (Robb Stark), Rory
McCann (Sandor ”the Hound” Clegane), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark),
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)
Recurring Role: Amrita Acharia (Irri), Ron Donachie (Ser Rodrik Cassel), Wilko John-
son (Ser Ilyn Payne), Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark), Luke McEwan
(Rast), Roxanne McKee (Doreah), Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo), Sarita Pi-
otrowski (Jhiqui), Aimee Richardson (Myrcella Baratheon), Dar Salim
(Qotho), Jamie Sives (Jory Cassel), Donald Sumpter (Maester Luwin),
Callum Wharry (Tommen Baratheon)
Guest Stars: Conor Delaney (Lannister Guardsman), Rhodri Hosking (Mycah), Lalor
Roddy (Catspaw)
Summary: King Robert and his entourage head south with Ned Stark and his
daughters Sansa and Arya. While on the road, Arya gets into trouble
with prince Joffrey, which leaves Ned with a difficult decision to make.
Meanwhile, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister head off to the Wall in the
north, the former to join the Night’s Watch and the latter for curios-
ity. In Essos, Daenerys is learning what it means to be married to a
Dothraki warlord. In Winterfell, Bran Stark is fighting for his life after
his fall.

Dany is approached by Ser Jorah, who

prompts her to drink and eat. He gives
her a piece of jerky while stating the the
Dothraki have grass and horses in abun-
dance, and they can’t live on grass. She
regrets the bite of horse jerky. He says the
Dothraki believe the world will end when
the grass covers everything. She stops lis-
tening as her eye is caught by her hus-
band’s passing. He takes no notice of her.
They set up camp, and after an entire
day on horseback, Dany cannot walk alone. Her handmaidens help her to her tent. Jorah tells
Viserys that there is a place for him to stay that would be more comfortable for him, but Viserys
doesn’t care. He intends to remain with Drogo until he fulfills his end of the bargain. Before he
leaves, he assures Jorah that when he is king, Jorah will be outlawed for slave trading.
Tyrion wakes up in a stall, with a dog. Joffrey is speaking to him about going back on King’s
Road. Tyrion insists before he leave, he offers the Starks his sympathies. Joffrey refuses, and
Tyrion slaps him. One more word, and he’ll slap him again. Joffrey threatens to tell his mother,

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Cersei, so Tyrion slaps him again and tells him to go ahead. But before he does so, he shall be
apologizing to the Starks, as ordered. Joffrey whinges some more, so Tyrion slaps him again.
Joffrey walks away without another word.
A badly-scarred gentleman tells Tyrion that Joffrey should not soon forget their conversation.
Tyrion tells him that if he does, ”Be a good dog, and remind him.” He joins his family at breakfast.
Joffrey’s younger sister asks if Bran is going to die, and Tyrion says apparently not. Cersei and
Jaime appear concerned. That fall should have killed Bran. Cersei thinks it’s mean-spirited of
the gods to let a boy linger in such pain.
Cersei can’t believe Tyrion is going to visit the wall. Jaime asks if he’s going to wear the black
(join the watch). And turn celibate? Tyrion could never do that to the whores! He just wants
to stand on the wall and piss of the edge of the world. The queen finds such talk vulgar, and
removes the children from the table.
Jaime says if Bran leaves, he’ll be a grotesque cripple. He’ll take a good, clean death any
day. Tyrion says ”Speaking for the grotesques, I’d have to disagree.” If the boy does wake, Tyrion
would be very interested in what he has to say. Jaime asks whose side Tyrion is on. Tyrion is
aggrieved. Jaime knows how much he loves his family
Up in Bran’s room, Catelyn sits at his bedside. The queen joins her. She says she lost her
firstborn to fever, and at least acknowledges that that’s the last thing Cat needs to hear right
now. He was a little thing, like Bran. Both she and Robert were distraught. Cersei promises to
pray twice daily that Bran be returned to Cat. Perhaps this time, she’ll be heard.
Jon Snow works on a sword at the forge. Jaime sees him, and asks if he’s fought an actual
person as yet. The sword is for someone else, Jon has his own. Jaime thanks him in advance for
going to guard the wall.
Arya is packing her suitcase when Jon arrives, bearing the sword he was working on. She’s
trying to train her direwolf to fetch for her. He takes out the sword and advises her it’s not a toy.
She needs to be careful with it. It’s skinny, like her. She won’t be able to cut a man’s head off,
but she can poke him full of holes if she’s quick enough. Arya says she can be quick. He looks
intently at her, and finally pronounces he will miss her. She goes to hug him, but he pulls back.
She puts the sword down and leaps onto Jon. Her sword shall be called Needle.
His next stop is to say goodbye to Bran. Cat is cold and distant. He talks to Bran as though
he were awake, telling him where he’s going and what he will be doing. Once Bran is better, he
can come visit him. By then, Jon will be a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch. They can walk
the wall together. Cat struggles through her anger to tell Jon to leave. Now. She didn’t realize
her husband was watching. Jon bends and kisses Bran’s forehead before he goes. Ned closes the
door and sits on the bed.
She remembers 17 years ago, he left with Robert. One year later he came back, carrying
another woman’s child. And now he’s leaving again. Ned says he has no choice. She says men
always say that when honor calls. But he does have a choice, and he’s made it. He tries to comfort
her, but she’s having none of it. She can’t do it. He says she can. She must. He leaves, and she
cries.
Robb walks with Jon, who lies about Cat. ”She was very kind.” They exchange a strong hug
goodbye.
Eddard bids his son farewell. ”You are a Stark. You may not have my name, but you have my
blood.” Jon asks after his mother. Is she alive? Does she know about him, where he is? Does she
care? Eddard says that the next time they see each other, he promises they will talk about his
mother. He leaves, and Jon follows Benjen north, headed for the wall.
Robert is enjoying the country. He wants to leave the throne and just wander about, picking
up tavern wenches and seeing where life takes them. Robert tries playing the duty and honor
card, ”I never had a chance to be young” but Ned remembers a few chances. They both burst out
laughing. Robert takes a trip down memory lane and tries to remember Jon’s mother’s name.
Lila. Ned is very withdrawn, he doesn’t want to talk about it. Robert says if he weren’t king, Ned
would have hit him. That’s the worst thing about his coronation, Ned notes. He’ll never get to hit
him again.
Not the worse thing, Robert retorts. He hands over a paper to Ned. There was a rider in the
night. News of Dany’s wedding was sent. So what. Ned doesn’t see the threat, Dany is little more
than a child. Robert knows better. He knows how the Targaryens feel about the throne he sits.
Ned can’t believe they’re discussing this, so Robert puts it in plain English. She must be stopped

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before she breeds. What her father did to the Starks, what Raegar Targaryen did to Ned’s sister;
that was unspeakable. Robert vows to kill every Targaryen he can get his hands on.
Khal Drogo, it’s said he has 100,000 men in his horde. Ned doesn’t think it matters. A million
men on the wrong side of the sea, what of it. They have no ships. Robert notes that there are still
those in the seven kingdoms who call him usurper. Ned says Khal won’t cross. If he does, they’ll
throw him back in the sea. There’s a war coming, Robert says. He doesn’t know when, or with
who they will battle; but it’s coming.
Dany is being taken from behind by Khal. She seems to be in pain, but she sets her eyes on
her dragon eggs and calms herself.
Tyrion chats with Jon about two men brought in by the Night’s Watch. He notes that they
were probably given the choice of castration, or the Wall. Most men choose the knife. Is he not
impressed by his new brothers? Jon doesn’t answer, but asks Tyrion why he’s always reading.
Tyrion asks him what he sees? Jon thinks it’s a trick question, so Tyrion continues. What he
sees is a dwarf. If he’d been born a peasant, they would have no doubt left him in the woods
to die. But Tyrion was born a Lannister of Casterley Rock, and things are expected of him. His
father was the Hand of the King for 20 years. Jon interjects in a matter-of-fact tone, ”Until your
brother killed that king.” Tyrion agrees that that is what happened. Then Cersei married the new
king, and his repulsive little nephew will be the next king.
His mind is his most prized possession, and he reads to keep it sharp. He asks Jon what his
story is, bastard. Jon returns ”Ask me again nicely, and maybe I’ll tell you. Dwarf.” Tyrion grins
and shares his perception of Jon, then shares his wineskin with him.
Cat continues her vigil at Bran’s side, and is joined by Maester Luwin. He wants to review the
books, see what the royal visit cost them. She tells him to talk to Poole, her steward. However, he
went on the trip with Ned. She needs to not only appoint a new one, but there are several other
appointments that need taking care of. She returns sharply, the business of Winterfell is the last
thing on her mind since Bran’s fall.
Robb arrives and tells the Maester that he’ll make the appointments. They’ll handle it tomor-
row. The Maester accepts, and excuses himself. Robb asks when she last left the room. Bran is
out of danger. She disagrees. What if the Maester is wrong? Bran needs her! Well, so does her
other son, Rickon. He’s only six. He doesn’t know what’s happening. He follows Robb everywhere,
clutching at his leg. He’s opened the window for some air, and she reacts frantically. She wants
the direwolves to stop howling, she wants the window closed. His eyes widen as he sees the fire,
and runs from Bran’s room.
Cat looks out the window, and when she turns back, there’s a man in the room. ”You’re not
supposed to be here. No one’s supposed to be here.” He’s an assassin, sent to finish what Jaime
started with Bran. He pulls a knife, and Cat springs into action. He has the blade at her throat,
and she has both hands wrapped around the blade, drawing blood. They fight furiously, and she
is saved by Bran’s direwolf, who tears the man’s throat out and then sits at Bran’s side.
Dany’s wounds are treated. She chats with her handmaidens about dragons. She asks one of
them if they can teach her to make the Kahl happy. She says she can.
Jon and Tyrion set their eyes on the wall. It’s magnificent.
Catelyn goes to the site where Bran landed, and journeys up the tower from whence he fell.
She finds one very long blond hair. She calls a meeting, and tells Robb, Theon Greyjoy, the
Naester and another gentleman that she believes Bran did not fall. He was pushed, and when
he did not die the guilty party tried again. She’d stake her life on the Lannister’s involvement.
He must have seen something he wasn’t meant to see, although Cat has no idea what. The older
gentleman points out that the weapon the assassin bore was too fine for a murder. Valerian
steel and dragonbone. Someone gave it to him. Robb is ready to go to war, and Theon offers his
support. The Maester advises caution. Too easily, words of war become acts of war. They don’t
know the truth yet.
He wants Eddard informed, but Cat doesn’t trust a raven to carry these words. Robb wants
to go, but she bids him stay. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. She will take the
news herself. She doesn’t want a party, either. They will draw too much attention. The senior
gentleman volunteers to accompany her, and the Maester nods his acceptance.
Robb asks about Bran. Cat says there’s naught else she can do, save prayer. She leaves his
fate in the hands of The Seven. She hangs her craft on his wall before kissing him goodbye.

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Dany is trained in pleasing the Khal. When he arrives at their tent, she implements what she
learned and they both seem to enjoy themselves very much.
Sansa Stark is out for a walk when she runs into Sandor Clegane. He is the shield of Prince
Joffrey, and known as ”the Hound”; the same gentleman that witnessed Tyrion’s repeated slap-
ping of his nephew. He tells her that the first man she ran into wouldn’t talk to her because his
tongue was ripped out by the mad king 20 years ago. Joffrey joins them, and asks Sansa to walk
with him. She advises her direwolf to stay where placed, and goes with him.
Arya and a friend are playing at swords by the river when Sansa and Joffrey arrives. He’s
attempting to ply her with wine, but she’s reticent. When he calls her his princess, she drinks
some more. He tells her she’s safe with him and goes to break up Arya’s fight with her friend.
Arya tells them to go away. Sansa points out that he’s the butcher’s boy. Joffrey mocks him, and
pulls his own real sword against Micah’s wooden one. Arya tries to get through to Joffrey while
Sansa orders to stay out of it. Joffrey says ”I won’t hurt him. Much.” and prepares to draw blood
from Micah’s face. Arya nails Joffrey across the back with the wooden sword, and Micah runs.
Joffrey repeatedly swings and misses at Arya, who missteps and lands on the ground. The now
hysterical Prince Joffrey threatens to gut her, calling her the worst word you can call a female.
Her direwolf arrives, and Anya turns his sword on Joffrey. He promptly turns into a sniveling
whiner, begging for mercy. She throws his sword in the river and runs away. Sansa falls to her
knees at Joffrey’s side, calling him her poor prince and offering to bring help. He spits at her to
go, and not touch him.
Arya hears the searchers and tells her direwolf she has to go. They’ll kill her for what she did
to Joffrey. She doesn’t want to go, but Arya insists. The wolf stops again, so Arya throws a rock
at her.
Everybody is out searching for Arya. A man tells Ned that she’s been found, unharmed and
was brought before the king. The Lannisters found her. The queen ordered Arya brought straight
to Robert.
Ned arrives in the hall. Arya apologizes, and he hugs her after he ascertains that she’s alright.
He reacts in anger against Robert’s family. Why was Arya not brought to him at once? Cersei tries
to berate him, but Robert silences her and apologizes to Ned. Cersei lies, saying that Arya and
Micah attacked Joffrey, and her direwolf almost tore his arm off. Arya yells that that’s not true,
and tries to tell what did happen. The only truth Joffrey told was that Arya threw his sword in
the river. Robert reacts in anger, and asks after Sansa. Ned says she’s in bed asleep, but Cersei
draws her forward. She lies that everything happened so fast, she doesn’t remember. She didn’t
see anything. Arya reacts in rage.
Cersei pushes for justice, as Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life. Somebody
must pay. Robert points out the truth that Joffrey let that little girl disarm him. He turns to
Ned and tells him he is to discipline Arya, and Robert will discipline Joffrey. Ned is happy to
oblige. Cersei asks about the direwolf. ”What of the beast that savaged your son.” The wolf was
not found. If they can’t kill Arya’s, they’ll kill Sansa’s. Ned can’t believe his ears.
Sansa begs for her dog’s life, but it’s no good. Robert’s command stands. Ned will wield the
sword himself, as Lady is of the North and she deserves better than death at the hand of a
butcher. Cersei remains dispassionate and bemused. Sansa is heartbroken. The Hound puts his
arm around her. As Ned goes outside, he sees the butcher’s boy dead across the back of a horse.
They rode him down.
Ned comforts Lady before he takes her life. As he slices her throat, Bran’s eyes open.

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