GAME OF THRONES SEASON 1 : LINE OF SUCCESSION

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 1 : LINE OF SUCCESSION

Since it first graced television screens in spring 2011, HBO’s Game of Thrones has earned its spot among the most popular, most beloved shows on the planet. Seamlessly meshing a myriad of captivating character arcs into one brilliantly conceived storyline, the show’s layered narrative packs itself tight with enough political intrigue, horrifying violence, and graphic nudity to keep even the most cynical of viewers glued to their TV screens. But we’re pretty sure the sex is the main selling point here…

Superb storytelling aside, Game of Thrones’ reputation for mercilessly and unceremoniously killing off many of its key players may be the most famous thing about it. The show’s fourth season saw the demise of several key characters, and it promises even more sex and carnage in its upcoming fifth season.

Given its complex, involved nature, Game of Thrones is a show best revisited before the arrival of a new season. The intricate web of characters, arcs, and themes becomes overwhelming for the unaware or the unfamiliar, so we decided to jump back to square one and follow the story from its chilling series opener all the way to the heart-stopping finale of Season Four.

Trust us, you’ll enjoy yourself. And, if anything, you’ll probably be itching for another rewatch by the time we’re done here.

Season 1

Winter has fallen upon Westeros, gripping the northern reaches of that cursed country with icy fingers. Eddard “Ned” Stark, Lord of Winterfell, finds himself caught between nobility and mercy when a young member of the Night’s Watch abandons his post after a vicious attack by undead beings known only as “White Walkers.” Realising what must be done, Ned beheads the unfortunate youngster as his sons look on, later explaining that the boy broke an oath when he abandoned his post.

An expedition into the woods leads to an encounter with a litter of abandoned direwolf pups, whose numbers match those of the Stark children (his sons Jon Snow, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, and two younger daughters, Sansa and Arya). Each Stark child takes one of the pups and calls it their own.

At King’s Landing, Jaime Lannister (also called “the Kingslayer”) and his sister, Queen Cersei Lannister, gaze upon the corpse of Jon Arryn, the recently deceased Hand of the King. News of Arryn’s death quickly spreads, prompting King Robert Baratheon, Cersei, her bastard son Joffrey (whom she had incestuously with Jaime), his younger siblings Tommen and Myrcella, and Cersei’s younger brother, Tyrion Lannister, to visit Winterfell personally. Upon their arrival, King Robert appoints Ned as the new Hand of the King. Across the Narrow Sea, in Essos, Daenerys and her older brother Viserys, of the exiled House Targaryen, plot their return to power. Viserys arranges for his sister to wed Khal Drogo, leader of the nomadic people known as the Dothraki. Her wedding gifts are an old book given to her by exiled warrior Jorah Mormont and three dragon eggs from Illyrio Mopatis.

Bran, a skilled climber, decides to scale one of Winterfell’s towers. Upon reachingthe top, he discovers Cersei and Jaime having sex. Without warning, Bran is pushed from his precarious perch by Jaime, who doesn’t want his incestuous relationship with Cersei to become public.

Bran survives his tumble from the tower, but is left crippled by the incident. Cersei, still insistent that no one finds out about her scandalous affair, sends assassins to finish off the broken child. All fail, and Bran eventually awakens, saddened by his inability to walk.

Ned, Sansa, and Arya travel to King’s Landing so that Ned can assume his duty as Hand of the King. During the journey, Arya and Joffrey butt heads after a disagreement regarding her direwolf Nymeria, forcing the young Stark girl to chase her wolf away to save its life. King Robert, under pressure from Cersei, orders Sansa’s wolf, Lady, to be killed in Nymeria’s place. Ned, heartbroken, takes it upon himself to kill the wolf, claiming it’s his responsibility.

The Starks arrive at King’s Landing with King Robert, Cersei, and the others, where Ned acclimatises to his new position and starts to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jon Arryn’s demise. Arya insists on being trained as a swordsman by Syrio Forel, while Sansa continues to pursue Joffrey. On a hunting trip, a wild boar injures King Robert and he dies after several days of agony, passing his title of king onto Joffrey. Jon Snow, Ned’s bastard son, joins the Night’s Watch atop the Wall (a literal wall of ice that stands hundreds of feet tall) with his uncle Benjen and Tyrion, who leaves soon after arriving and returns to King’s Landing. Jon meets Samwell (Sam) Tarly, a chunky, underestimated fellow with a big heart and tons to prove.

After some time, Daenerys begins to warm to Drogo and his Dothraki brethren, and soon becomes pregnant. Viserys, angry that things aren’t playing out the way he wants, threatens his sister in front of Drogo, Jorah, and a number of Dothraki warriors. Eager to give Viserys his ‘crown’, Drogo has two of his men hold the prince down while they pour molten gold on his head. The gold quickly burns through his head, killing him in seconds.

Following a fight with enemy raiders, Khal Drogo dies from an infected wound he received during the battle. Unfortunately, an attempt to save Drogo’s life using the blood magic is unsuccessful due to a double-crossing witch results in the death of Daenerys’ unborn son.

After uncovering Cersei and Jaime’s scandalous affair, Ned is thrown into jail and sentenced to die. Joffrey agrees to spare Ned if he admits Joffrey’s right to be king. Despite the negotiations taking place for Ned’s life, Joffrey decides to have him killed anyway. A heartbroken Arya slips away as Ned is beheaded before a large crowd at King’s Landing.

Daenerys’ dragons finally hatch in Drogo’s funeral pyre, and she becomes known as the Mother of Dragons.

Key Events: The re-emergence of the White Walkers. The death of Robert Baratheon. The decapitation of Eddard Stark. The death of Viserys Targaryen.