Game of Thrones (Season 1)

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Arrow
Season 1
DVD cover art
Starring	See List of Game of Thrones cast
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	HBO
Original release	April 17 – June 19, 2011
Season chronology
	Next → Season 2
List of Game of Thrones episodes

The first season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011 in the U.S. and concluded on June 19, 2011. It consists of ten episodes, each of approximately 55 minutes. The series is based on A Game of Thrones, the first novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO had ordered a television pilot in November 2008; filming began the following year. However, it was deemed unsatisfactory and later reshot with some roles recast. In March 2010, HBO ordered the first season, which began filming in July 2010, primarily in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with additional filming in Malta.

The story takes place in a fantasy world, primarily upon the continent Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east, Essos. Like the novel, the season initially focuses on the family of nobleman Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Warden of the North, who is asked to become the King's Hand (chief advisor) to his longtime friend, King Robert Baratheon. Ned seeks to find out who murdered his predecessor, Jon Arryn. He uncovers dark secrets about the powerful Lannister family, which includes Robert's queen, Cersei, that his predecessor died trying to expose. This leads, after Robert's death, to Ned's arrest for treason. Ned's eldest son, Robb, begins a rebellion against the Lannisters. Ned is killed at the order of Cersei's tyrannical teenage son, King Joffrey Baratheon. Meanwhile, in Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of the former king, forces his sister Daenerys to marry a Dothraki warlord in exchange for an army to pursue his claim to the Iron Throne. The season ends with Viserys dead and Daenerys becoming the Mother of Dragons.

Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast, including established actors such as Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, and Iain Glen. Newer actors were cast as the younger generation of characters, such as Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams.

Critics praised the show's production values and cast; Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister received specific accolades, as did Bean and Clarke, as well as Ramin Djawadi for music.

The first season won two of the thirteen Emmy Awards for which it was nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage) and Outstanding Main Title Design. It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. U.S. viewership rose by approximately 33% over the course of the season, from 2.2 million to over 3 million by the finale.

[edit] Episodes

See also: List of Game of Thrones episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Winter Is Coming"	Tim Van Patten	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	April 17, 2011	2.22
In the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a soldier of the ancient Night's Watch flees an attack by supernatural creatures, the White Walkers, thought to be mythical. At Castle Winterfell Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North, decapitates him for desertion. In King's Landing, Jon Arryn, the King's Hand, dies under mysterious circumstances. King Robert Baratheon, Ned's old friend, offers Ned the position and proposes marriage between his son Joffrey and Ned's daughter Sansa. Ned's wife Catelyn shows him a letter from her sister Lysa, Arryn's widow, saying that Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters, Queen Cersei's family. Catelyn believes the Lannisters are plotting against Robert. Ned's young son, Brandon, climbs a tower; he witnesses Cersei having sex with her twin brother, Jaime, who pushes Bran out of the high window. Meanwhile across the Narrow Sea in Essos, the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen coerces his sister, Daenerys, to marry a Dothraki warlord, Drogo, in exchange for an army to conquer Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne. A wedding gift is three apparently fossilized dragon eggs.
2	2	"The Kingsroad"	Tim Van Patten	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	April 24, 2011	2.20
Ned accepts his new role as King's Hand, leaving Winterfell with his daughters, Sansa and Arya, while Catelyn stays behind to tend to Bran. The unconscious Bran is attacked by an assassin, but his mother and his direwolf save him. Catelyn suspects Lannister involvement. Jon Snow, Ned's illegitimate son, heads north to join the brotherhood of the Night's Watch, protectors of the Wall that keeps the White Walkers and the Wildlings from entering civilized Westeros. Jon had given Arya a thin sword she names "Needle". The dwarf Tyrion Lannister, Cersei's brother, decides to accompany Jon to the Wall. When Joffrey threatens Arya's friend, Arya's direwolf defends her, provoking a conflict between the Starks and the Lannisters. Cersei demands that Robert have Arya's direwolf killed, but as Arya has sent it away, to save it, Sansa's direwolf is killed instead. In Winterfell, Brandon awakens from unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Daenerys is befriended by Jorah Mormont, a disgraced knight, while she focuses on learning how to please Drogo.
3	3	"Lord Snow	Brian Kirk	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	May 1, 2011	2.44
Ned joins the King's Small Council at King's Landing, capital of the Seven Kingdoms, and learns just how poorly Westeros is being managed. Catelyn tries to covertly warn her husband but is intercepted by an old friend, Councillor Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Bran learns he will never walk again. He does not remember the events leading to his fall. Jon struggles to adapt to life on the Wall, as he trains with a number of low-born recruits who are not impressed by his bloodline. Lord Commander Mormont asks Tyrion to plead with the King to send more men to the Night's Watch. Daenerys learns that she is pregnant and begins to stand up to Viserys.
4	4	"Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"	Brian Kirk	Bryan Cogman	May 8, 2011	2.45
Tyrion makes saddle modifications for Bran that will allow the paraplegic boy to ride. Ned searches for clues to the unexplained death of his mentor and predecessor Arryn and, in the process, discovers King Robert's illegitimate son, Gendry. Robert and his guests witness a tournament honoring Ned. Jon takes measures to protect Samwell Tarly, an awkward and friendless boy, from the abuse of the Night's Watchmen. A frustrated Viserys clashes with his newly empowered sister. Sansa dreams of life as a queen, while Arya envisions a far different future. At a chance encounter in a roadside tavern, Catelyn rallies her father's allies and has Tyrion arrested for conspiring to murder her son.
5	5	"The Wolf and the Lion"	Brian Kirk	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	May 15, 2011	2.58
Ned refuses to participate in Robert's plan to assassinate the pregnant Daenerys Targaryen and resigns as Robert's Hand, angering the king. Catelyn and Tyrion (whom she has taken as her prisoner) arrive at her sister Lysa's fortress home in the Eyrie. News of Tyrion's capture reaches King's Landing where Jaime Lannister, the Queen's twin brother, demands answers from Ned. A vengeful Jaime orders Ned's men killed and fights Ned until Jaime's man stabs Ned in the leg from behind, leaving him wounded.
6	6	"A Golden Crown"	Daniel Minahan	Story by : David Benioff & D. B. Weiss Teleplay by : Jane Espenson and David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	May 22, 2011	2.44
Robert reappoints Ned as Hand and tasks him with running affairs until Robert returns from hunting. Villagers from Riverrun arrive with news of atrocities committed by raiders, who Ned deduces were led by Gregor Clegane, a Lannister retainer. Ned sentences Ser Gregor to death and sends a message to Tywin Lannister, summoning him to a trial. Ned decides to send Sansa (now reconciled with Joffrey) and Arya back to Winterfell. Ned discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are not Robert's biological children. Bran, while testing his new saddle, is attacked by Wildings. Robb, Ned's oldest son, and Theon, Ned's foster son whose father was a fallen rebel king, save him. In the Vale, Tyrion demands a trial by combat. Lysa chooses Ser Vardis as her champion. The sellsword Bronn volunteers as Tyrion's champion. He kills Vardis and thereby obtains Tyrion's release. Meanwhile, Viserys becomes enraged with Drogo for not honoring his promise and threatens to kill Daenerys' unborn child. Drogo kills Viserys by pouring molten gold on his head.
7	7	"You Win or You Die"	Daniel Minahan	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	May 29, 2011	2.40
In King's Landing, Ned tells Cersei he knows that her children are Jaime's. They learn that Robert has been critically wounded by a boar while hunting. A dying Robert names Ned the "Protector of the Realm" to rule until Joffrey reaches the legal age. Ned sends a message to Stannis, Robert's brother, intending to enthrone him, since Robert has no legal heirs. Ned asks Petyr Baelish to gain the loyalty of the City Watch. After Robert's death, Ned confronts Cersei and Joffrey in the throne room, where Baelish and the City Watch betray Ned and attack his men. At the Wall, Ned's younger brother Benjen disappears during a foray to the north, beyond the Wall. Jon and Sam are picked as stewards, with Jon assigned to Lord Commander Mormont. The stewards swear their loyalties to the Night's Watch. In Essos, Robert's assassin is exposed by Jorah before he can poison Daenerys. Drogo vows to conquer the Seven Kingdoms and give that realm to his son. He starts marching towards Westeros.
8	8	"The Pointy End"	Daniel Minahan	George R. R. Martin	June 5, 2011	2.72
Arya escapes the Red Keep after her Braavosian sword master delays the guards sent to arrest her, but Sansa is captured. Robb hears the news and prepares the Northern armies to fight the Lannisters, leaving Bran behind to rule Winterfell. Lysa refuses to fight the Lannisters, and Catelyn leaves to join Robb's camp. Tyrion and Bronn are surrounded by Shagga and his men. Tyrion convinces them to escort him to Tywin, who will repay them. At the camp, Tywin asks Shagga to help them in their confrontation with the Starks in exchange for even greater payment. Joffrey appoints Tywin as his Hand. Sansa begs Joffrey to show mercy upon Ned. Joffrey agrees if Ned publicly recognizes Joffrey's claim to the throne and admits to committing treason. At the Wall, some bodies affected by the White Walkers are found. One awakens as a wight, but Jon kills it. In Essos, Drogo's soldiers begin attacking nearby settlements, enslaving locals in order to sell them and gain the money to buy the ships necessary to cross the Narrow Sea. Drogo receives a serious wound in a fight.
9	9	"Baelor	Alan Taylor	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	June 12, 2011	2.66
The Stark army arrives at the Twins castle; Catelyn convinces Lord Frey to let them pass and assist them, in exchange for her agreeing to the marriage of Robb and Arya to Frey's children in the future. Robb sacrifices 2,000 soldiers in a confrontation with the Lannister army, to capture Jaime. In a public hearing, Ned confesses to treason and publicly affirms Joffrey is the rightful heir. However, rather than sentencing him to the Wall as had been negotiated, the vengeful Joffrey has him decapitated, while Sansa, and Cersei and other counselors object futilely. Sansa watches her father die, and Arya is present in the crowd. At the Wall, Jeor Mormont gives his family sword to Jon in gratitude, and Maester Aemon reveals to Jon that Aemon is a Targaryen. In Essos, Drogo's wound becomes septic and his death imminent. Daenerys asks a mystic slave woman to use blood magic to save him. The woman tells everyone to leave the tent and stay outside until the spell is over. Daenerys goes into labor, and Jorah brings her into the forbidden tent seeking aid.
10	10	"Fire and Blood"	Alan Taylor	David Benioff & D. B. Weiss	June 19, 2011	3.04
The North secedes from the Seven Kingdoms and proclaims Robb as their king. With Jaime captured by the Starks and Robert's brothers challenging Joffrey's claim to the throne, Tywin appoints Tyrion as acting King's Hand, while Tywin fights to defend Joffrey's reign. Jon considers deserting his post at the Wall to avenge Ned and support Robb, but his friends convince him to honor his oath and stay. Jon joins a Night's Watch expedition to find Benjen beyond the Wall. Yoren, a Night's Watch recruiter, helps Arya escape King's Landing disguised as a boy, while Joffrey plans to make Sansa his queen despite her father's execution. Daenerys's baby is dead, and Drogo has been left in a vegetative state by the witch's treacherous magic. Daenerys ends Drogo's life. She places her three dragon eggs next to Drogo and lights a funeral pyre. She burns the witch alive on Drogo's pyre and, ignoring Jorah's pleas, walks into the flames herself. When the embers die the following morning, Daenerys is found, unharmed, flanked by three newly hatched baby dragons. Jorah and other witnesses kneel before her.

[edit] Cast

See also: List of Game of Thrones characters

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Starring

Sean Bean as Eddard "Ned" Stark Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont Harry Lloyd as 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 Joffrey Baratheon Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

[edit] Also starring

• Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo

[edit] Guest cast

The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 1. They are listed by the region in which they first appear:

[edit] At and beyond the Wall

[edit] In King's Landing

[edit] In the North

[edit] In the Riverlands

[edit] In the Vale

[edit] In Essos

[edit] Production

[edit] Casting

[edit] Filming

[edit] Music

Main article: Game of Thrones: Season 1 (soundtrack)

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical response

[edit] Ratings

See also: [[Game of Thrones (TV Series)#Viewer numbers|]]

[edit] Accolades

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Game of Thrones

The first season of Game of Thrones was nominated for thirteen Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Tim Van Patten for "Winter Is Coming"), and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Baelor"). It won two, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Main Title Design.<ref name="emmy 2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dinklage, who plays Tyrion, was also named best supporting actor by the Golden Globes, the Scream Awards and the Satellite Awards.

Year	Award	Category	style="width:40%;" | Nominee(s)	Result	class="unsortable" | {tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}

[edit] Release

[edit] Broadcast

[edit] Home media

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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