Game of Thrones Season 1 Recap: Episode Plot Summary

Game of Thrones Season 1 presented a whole new world of fiction and thrill and everyone was in awe. The show had everything including The Iron Throne, fire breathing dragons, brutal killings and a whole lot of nudity. Game of Thrones Season 1 premiered back in 2011. With the final season of Game of Thrones approaching, let’s take a quick recap of the first season. Let’s do this episode wise and discuss the first season.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 1: Winter is Coming

King Robert Baratheon with Queen Cersei Lannister and the entire family arrives in Winterfell. They offer Ned Stark to be the Hand of the King. On the other side of the narrow sea, we see the story of the Targaryens. Viserys Targaryen trades his sister, Daenerys Targaryen to the Dothraki leader as a wife.

In exchange, he wants the Dothraki army to take back the Iron Throne. In Winterfell, Ned’s youngest son Bran Stark finds out the Cersei and Jaime (her brother) are involved sexually. So, to keep this a secret Jaime pushes Bran out of the window.  

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 2: The Kingsroad

Bran goes into a coma after the great fall. His mother, Catelyn Stark, doubts that this was a murderous attempt by one of the Lannisters. By then, Ned has to leave for King’s Landing to honour his new position as the Hand of the King. But, Catelyn does not want Ned to leave. Arya and Sansa join Ned. On the other hand, Jon Snow (Ned’s bastard son) also leaves for The Night’s Watch. The Night’s Watch is an army of men who watch over a giant ice wall. This wall separates the seven kingdoms from the white walkers and the wildlings. Tyrion Lannister (Cersei’s other brother) also joins Jon Snow to his journey to the Wall.

Also during a misunderstanding, Arya’s pet direwolf bites Prince Joffrey and flees. Hence, as a punishment, Ned kills Sansa Stark’s direwolf. Meanwhile, Daenerys gets married to Khal Drogo and focuses on how to please her new husband.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 3: Lord Snow

Ned reaches King’s Landing and realizes that the management system in Westeros in terrible. Bran learns that he will never be able to walk again and Catelyn is heartbroken because of this. She goes to King’s Landing to alert Ned about the intentions of the Lannisters. Catelyn meets Lord Baelish (Littlefinger) on the way. She also discovers that the knife which was found in the tower following Bran’s fall, belonged to Tyrion.

Arya starts learning swordsmanship. And Jon Snow has a hard time to make his mark in Castle Black. Meanwhile, Daenerys finds out that she is pregnant.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 4: Cripples, Bastards and Broken things

Ned tries to investigate the death of the previous Hand of the King, Jon Arryn. During that, he meets one of Robert’s bastard sons, Gendry. A tournament is held in KIng’s Landing to celebrate Ned’s appointment. Tyrion returns to Winterfell to hire more men for the Night’s Watch. But he finds out that he is the main suspect for Bran’s condition. Hence, he gets captured by Catelyn Stark under the suspicion of an attempted murder of Bran.

Sansa starts falling in love with Joffrey and imagines her life as a queen. On the other hand, Viserys becomes impatient with the Dothraki army as he needs them to invade Westeros as soon as possible.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 5: The Wolf and The Lion

Catelyn Stark and the bannermen are attacked by savages while transporting Tyrion for trial. Tyrion ends up saving Catelyn’s life by killing a man with a shield. He is the taken to the Eyrie, to Catelyn’s sister, Lysa.

In King’s Landing, Arya finds out about an impending war and Tyrion’s arrest through Lord Varys. Ned gets attacked by Jaime because of his alleged involvement in Tyrion’s arrest. Robert comes to know about Daenerys’ alliance with the Dothrakis and plans for an attack. This drives a rift in his relationship with Ned.  

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 6: A Golden Crown

Tyrion somehow manages to get a trial by combat. His victory would ensure his freedom. So, he hires a mercenary named Bronn as his champion. Bronn ultimately wins and Tyrion becomes a free man.

Ned finally learns about the reason for Jon Arryn’s death. It was Arryn’s discovery of Joffrey being Jaime’s son, not Robert’s. Meanwhile, Dany proves her worth to the Dothraki by devouring a horse’s heart. Viserys gets jealous of the attention that she is getting and threatens her. Khal Drogo gives him a crown made of molten lead which ultimately kills him.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 7: You Win or You Die

King Robert Baratheon return from his hunt, wounded and ultimately dies. Joffrey is crowned as the king. Ned confronts Cersei about Joffrey’s secret. He reveals this information to the council. But, he gets betrayed and gets jailed. Daenerys is rescued by an attack by Jorah Mormont. She and the Dothraki army pledge to get revenge and reclaim the throne.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 8: A pointy end

Back at the great Wall, Jon Snow finds the bodies of two men who had gone missing for days. Yet, their bodies had not decomposed. At night, one of the corpses come back to life and only dies when Jon Snow lights it on fire. Everyone suspects that the white walkers had returned.

In King’s Landing, the Lannisters plan to capture the Stark girls. Sansa gives in but Arya manages to escape. Cersei informs Sansa that Ned has to offer his loyalty to Joffrey or else he will be executed.

Khal Drogo gets badly wounded in an attack by the Dothraki on some villagers.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 9: Baelor

Khal Drogo becomes incredibly sick and becomes infected. She seeks the help of a witch who could heal him by blood magic. In King’s Landing, Ned is compelled to pledge his loyalty to Joffrey in front of the kingdom. However, Joffrey’s tyrannical behaviour gets the best of him and he goes back on his word. Ned is beheaded in front of everyone and this leaves his daughters in shock.

Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 10: Fire and Blood

Ned Stark’s death causes a lot of chaos in the North. It declares Robb Stark as the King in the North. Arya goes into hiding as a boy named Harry with The Hound. Sansa is still bound in King’s Landing at the Lannisters’ mercy. Also, Tyrion becomes the Hand of the King who needs to keep Joffrey’s behaviour in check.

Meanwhile, the blood magic of the witch kills Daenerys’ unborn child in an attempt to revive Khal Drogo. She of course fails to do that. In a fit of rage, she ties the witch to Drogo’s funeral pyre and sets it on fire. She then walks into the pyre with the three dragon eggs. When the fire dies out, she walks out of it, unharmed and with three baby dragons.  

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