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The fifth season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered on HBO on April 12, and concluded on June 14, 2015. It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States, consisting of 10 episodes, each running approximately 50–60 minutes. The season primarily adapts material from ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'', the fourth and fifth novels in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, though it also uses elements from the third novel, ''A Storm of Swords'', as well as the upcoming sixth novel ''The Winds of Winter''. It also contains original content not found in Martin's novels. The series is adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Like previous seasons in ''Game of Thrones'', the fifth season continues storylines primarily set within the fictional land of Westeros, whereas one storyline is set in another continent, Essos. The season continues the aftermath of the deaths of King Joffrey Baratheon and Tywin Lannister, as Tywin's son Tyrion, now on the run after killing his father, travel to Essos, where he crosses paths with Daenerys Targaryen, who is struggling to balance her political ambitions with her dragons. Erstwhile, the Lannister family continues to struggle coping with Tywin and Joffrey's deaths while encountering new enemies; Jon Snow and the Night's Watch now serve under Stannis Baratheon; the remaining Stark children face new hardships in their respective journeys. HBO ordered the fifth season on April 8, 2014, together with the sixth season, which began filming in July 2014. The season was filmed primarily in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Croatia and Spain. ''Game of Thrones'' features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Kit Harington. The season introduced a number of new cast members, including Jonathan Pryce and Alexander Siddig. Critics praised the show's production values and cast, giving specific accolades for Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. Viewership yet again rose compared to the previous season. This season set a Guinness World Record for winning the highest number of Emmy Awards for a series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister * Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister * Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen * Kit Harington as Jon Snow * Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish * Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister * Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell * Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon * Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth * Carice van Houten as Melisandre * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane * Hannah Murray as Gilly * Conleth Hill as Varys * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei * Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark * Jerome Flynn as Bronn * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy / "Reek" * Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton * Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont ===Guest cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 5. They are listed by the region in which they first appear: ====At and beyond the Wall==== * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon * Owen Teale as Alliser Thorne * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck * Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * J. J. Murphy as Denys Mallister * Will O'Connell as Todder * Brenock O'Connor as Olly * Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder * Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Karsi * Zahary Baharov as Loboda * Ross O'Hennessy as the Lord of Bones * Murray McArthur as Dim Dalba * Ian Whyte as Wun Wun * Ali Lyons as Johnna * Richard Brake as the Night King ====In the North==== * Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton * Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Florent * Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon * Charlotte Hope as Myranda ====In the Vale==== * Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne ====In Dorne==== * Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell * Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell * Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand * Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon * DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah ====In King's Landing==== * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle * Anton Lesser as Qyburn * Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell * Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell * Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister * Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane * Paul Bentley as the High Septon * Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella * Will Tudor as Olyvar * Josephine Gillan as Marei ====In Braavos==== * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris * Gary Oliver as Ternesio Terys * Oengus MacNamara as the thin man * Faye Marsay as the Waif * Sarine Sofair as Lhara * Hattie Gotobed as Ghita ====In Slaver's Bay==== * Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm * Reece Noi as Mossador * Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq * Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz * Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Malko * Meena Rayann as Vala ==Production== ===Crew=== The production team during a location scouting at Klis Fortress, Croatia prior to season 5. The writing staff for the fifth season includes executive producers and showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, producer Bryan Cogman, and Dave Hill, who was promoted to staff writer this season after previously working as an assistant to Benioff and Weiss. Author George R. R. Martin, who had written one episode for each of the first four seasons, did not write an episode for the fifth season as he was working to finish writing the sixth novel of the series, ''The Winds of Winter''. The directing staff for the fifth season is Michael Slovis (episodes 1 and 2), Mark Mylod (episodes 3 and 4), Jeremy Podeswa (episodes 5 and 6), Miguel Sapochnik (episodes 7 and 8), and David Nutter (episodes 9 and 10). Nutter is the only returning director with the rest being first-time ''Game of Thrones'' directors. ===Writing=== This season features more original material than previous seasons. The deviations from Martin's novels are in part attributable to the way the television series has covered most of the novel series' published material and in part to the directors' opinions of the actors' abilities. For example, Sansa Stark arrives at Winterfell to marry Ramsay Bolton in "High Sparrow," a plotline that had been given to a minor character in the novels. In an interview, show writer David Benioff explains that Sophie Turner's development as an actress was one of the reasons that they decided to give her character more dramatic scenes, saying, "Even if child actors come in and do a great audition, it’s so hard to know if they’re going to quite literally grow into the parts. With Sansa and Arya in particular, their storylines have become quite dark. It was such a gamble and the fact that they’ve both become such great wonderful actresses is a bit of a miracle." Bryan Cogman added that it made more sense to give the Winterfell storyline to a proven actress who was already popular with viewers than to bring in a new character. Other changes include the portrayal of Tommen as old enough to interact with Margaery and the Faith Militant as an adult, the speeding up or streamlining of several subplots, and the introduction of fewer new characters. According to Benioff and Weiss, "We felt we'd capsize the show if we put in every single character from the books." Critics particularly liked the decision to have Tyrion actually meet Daenerys at the end of "The Gift," which has yet to happen as of ''A Dance with Dragons''. David Benioff cited the television adaptation's faster pace as part of the rationale behind this decision. ===Filming=== The Alcázar of Seville stands in for the Water Gardens of Dorne. Filming for the fifth season began in July 2014 in Belfast and ended in December 2014. Locations in Northern Ireland included Titanic Studios, Belfast and the cliff edge of Binevenagh Mountain. The Winterfell sets were in the village of Moneyglass. Some of the scenes that take place in the principality of Dorne were filmed in Spain, beginning in October 2014. Locations explored for the production included the Alcázar of Seville and the University of Osuna. On October 14, some scenes were filmed on the Roman bridge of Córdoba. Benioff and Weiss said that season 5 would include flashbacks, which they had previously avoided, and that Córdoba would represent the city of Volantis. Cersei's "walk of atonement" from ''A Dance with Dragons'' was filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in the Stradun street between the Dubrovnik Cathedral and the Sponza Palace in early October 2014. The production reportedly employed a body double for Lena Headey for part of the scene in which Cersei appears naked. Meereen scenes were once again shot in Diocletian's Palace in Split, and on Klis Fortress north of Split. A town on the coast of the Bay of Kaštela in Croatia, the 16th century Kaštel Gomilica stood in for some parts of Braavos. A very small portion of one episode was filmed in Calgary, Alberta, Canada: the scenes featuring Jon Snow's wolf Ghost (played by animal actor Quigly) who also appears in season 6. ===Casting=== Jonathan Pryce plays the High Sparrow. The fifth season adds previously recurring actors Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon), Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar) and Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) to the series' main cast. In the fifth season, the region of Dorne is introduced as a location. Alexander Siddig joins the cast as Doran Martell, the ruling Prince of Dorne, and elder brother of Oberyn Martell, while his son Trystane Martell is portrayed by Toby Sebastian. The role of Cersei's daughter Myrcella Baratheon, who is Doran's ward and betrothed to Trystane is played by Nell Tiger Free. The role was portrayed by Aimee Richardson in the first two seasons. DeObia Oparei portrays Areo Hotah, the captain of the Dornish palace guard. The three eldest bastard daughters of Oberyn Martell (collectively known as the "Sand Snakes") are portrayed by Keisha Castle-Hughes (Obara Sand), Jessica Henwick (Nymeria Sand), and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand). In King's Landing, Jonathan Pryce joins the cast as the High Sparrow, the leader of the militant faithful in King's Landing, while Hannah Waddingham portrays Septa Unella, one of the "Most Devout", the ruling council of the Faith of the Seven. Nell Williams was cast as a young Cersei Lannister seen in flashbacks, while Jodhi May was cast as Maggy the Frog, a fortune-teller. Across the Narrow Sea, Enzo Cilenti joins as Yezzan, a Yunkish nobleman and slave trader, while Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was cast as Malko, a slaver, who does not appear in the novels. At Castle Black and beyond the Wall, new cast members include Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh, First Steward of the Night's Watch. J. J. Murphy, who was cast as Night's Watch officer Denys Mallister, died in August 2014 shortly after filming his first scenes; his role was not recast. One role that was recast for season 5 was Ross O'Hennessy as the Lord of Bones. O'Hennessy replaces Edward Dogliani who was last seen in the season 3 premiere "Valar Dohaeris". Charles Dance, whose character died in the previous season, returned for one episode to portray Tywin Lannister's corpse. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark), Kristian Nairn (Hodor) and Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed) are absent this season because their part in the story has reached the end of ''A Dance with Dragons''. ===Music=== The soundtrack for the season was released digitally on June 9, 2015, and on CD on July 17, 2015. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== On Metacritic, the season (based on the first four episodes) has a score of 91 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, the fifth season has a 93% approval rating from 50 critics with an average rating of 8.61 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bloody action and extreme power plays return full throttle, as ''Game of Thrones'' enjoys a new-found liberation from the world of the source material, resulting in more unexpected thrills." One notable exception is the sixth episode, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", which was heavily criticized due to the showrunners' decision to have a well-liked character suffer a sexual assault. It received a rating of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, lower than any previous episode of the show. The eighth episode, "Hardhome", received significant praise and was immediately regarded as one of the best episodes in the series. According to ''Business Insider'', "Despite the attacks, ''Game of Thrones'' remains a steady hit." Season 5 featured more significant changes from the novels. Some of the changes were more well-received than others (the sexual assault scene was heavily criticized and caused great controversy). The various plotlines for the season also differed significantly in reception. The Dornish subplot received an overwhelmingly negative reception. In particular, the hyped Sand Snakes were maligned by critics and fans alike, as many found them cheesy and unlikeable. In contrast, Tyrion's storyline was highly praised. Many fans felt that his subplot progressed overly slowly in the novels, and his meeting with Daenerys was particularly lauded. ===Ratings=== The gross viewing figure per episode for the show, which include streaming, DVR recordings and repeat showings, averaged at 20 million this season. Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead. ''Business Insider'' noted a significant difference in the ratings between this season and previous seasons. The typical pattern involves "Solid premiere viewings followed by a slow but steady gain of momentum through to the finale. Historically, the finale episodes of each season have beaten the premiere for total number of viewers". However, this season showed a significant decline from 8 million viewers at the premiere to 5.4 million at the seventh episode, "The Gift". ''Business Insider'' cites two likely reasons for the lower ratings: backlash over the rape scene in "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", one of many deviations from the novels throughout the season that "have upset fans," and increased online streaming through HBO Now. It also acknowledged a possible effect of the first four episodes leaking online before the season premiere and the decision to air on Memorial Day weekend in the United States (a weekend that had been skipped in previous seasons). ''Business Insider'' reached out to HBO for comment, HBO responded that it is seeing an increase in overall viewer numbers this season taking into account streaming services, which are not included in Nielsen ratings. The dip in ratings did not extend to the eighth and ninth episodes, "Hardhome," and "The Dance of Dragons", which were both seen by over 7 million viewers. The season finale, "Mother's Mercy" was seen by 8.11 million people, setting a new record and making it the most watched episode of the series. ===Accolades=== For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series. For the 31st TCA Awards, the series was nominated for Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama. For the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 24 nominations, the most of any series. It won 12 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Peter Dinklage for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Mother's Mercy", and David Nutter for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Mother's Mercy". Nominations included Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke both for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Diana Rigg for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Jeremy Podeswa for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken". Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 AFI Awards AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Most Bingeworthy Show ''Game of Thrones'' 31st TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Gold Derby TV Awards 2015 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "Hardhome" "Mother's Mercy" Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold EWwy Award Best Supporting Actress, Drama Maisie Williams Sophie Turner 67th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Nutter for "Mother's Mercy" Jeremy Podeswa for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Mother's Mercy" Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister 67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Fabian Wagner for "Hardhome" Anette Haellmigk for "Sons of the Harpy" Rob McLachlan for "The Dance of Dragons" Gregory Middleton for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy Series Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Nina Ayres, Alex Fordham for "The Dance of Dragons" Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, Laura Pollock, Nicola Mount for Mother's Mercy Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Nicola Matthews for "Mother's Mercy" Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron for "High Sparrow", "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", and "Hardhome" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower for "Hardhome" Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series Tim Porter for "Hardhome" Katie Weiland for "The Dance of Dragons" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Peter Bercovitch, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan T. Wilhoit for "Hardhome" Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters for "Hardhome" Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Jabbar Raisani, Eric Carney, Stuart Brisdon, Derek Spears, James Kinnings, Matthew Rouleau for "The Dance of Dragons" Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series Rowley Irlam E! Online Best. Ever. TV. Awards Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters for "Hardhome" Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley for "Hardhome" Outstanding Editing Tim Porter for "Hardhome" Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Jabbar Raisani for "The Dance of Dragons" British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner for "Hardhome" ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award David Morgan, Sean Savage, Ben Wilson, David Worley for "Hardhome" Australian Production Design Guild Production Design for a Television Drama Deborah Riley 20th Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' IGN Awards Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "Hardhome" Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Villain Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton IGN People's Choice Awards Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "Hardhome" Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Villain Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton 2016 Guinness World Records Largest TV drama simulcast ''Game of Thrones'' Most viewers sharing a single torrent file simultaneously ''Game of Thrones'' 42nd People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Emilia Clarke Shorty Awards Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' GIF of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Come At Me Bro Empire Awards Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Art Directors Guild Awards 2015 One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley for "High Sparrow", "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" and "Hardhome" Screenwriters Choice Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks Webby Award Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' Location Managers Guild Awards Outstanding Locations in Period Television Robert Boake and Tate Araez Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss for "Hardhome" American Cinema Editors Awards 2016 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Katie Weiland for "The Dance of Dragons" Tim Porter for "Hardhome" Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton for ''Game of Thrones'' 68th Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series David Nutter for "Mother’s Mercy" American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner for "Hardhome" 73rd Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 13th Irish Film & Television Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham MTV Millennial Awards Killer Series of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 21st National Television Awards Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' Producers Guild of America Awards 2015 "Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence 42nd Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington Best Supporting Actress on Television Lena Headey Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series Maisie Williams Brenock O'Connor 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series Boian Anev, Richard Bradshaw, Jonathan Cohen, Christopher Cox, Jacob Cox, Matt Crook, Rob DeGroot, Levan Doran, Clint Elvy, James Embree, Bradley Farmer, Richard Hansen, Bobby Holland-Hanton, Radoslav Ignatov, Borislav Iliev, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Milen Kaleychev, Paul Lowe, Jonathan McBride, Sian Milne, David Newton, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Jan Petrina, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Dominic Preece, Marc Redmond, Paul Shapcott, Ryan Stuart, Pablo Verdejo, Calvin Warrington-Heasman, Annabel E. Wood, Danko Yordanov, and Lewis Young Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, Ian Beattie, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Michael Condron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ben Crompton, Liam Cunningham, Stephen Dillane, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, Tara Fitzgerald, Jerome Flynn, Brian Fortune, Joel Fry, Aiden Gillen, Ian Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Michiel Huisman, Brenock O'Conner, Daniel Portman, Iwan Rheon, Owen Teale, Sophie Turner, Carice Van Houten, Maisie Williams and Tom Wlaschiha Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Glamour Awards 2016 Best UK TV Actress Sophie Turner Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel for "Hardhome" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel for "Hardhome" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz for "Hardhome" USC Scripter Award Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Hardhome" Visual Effects Society Awards 2015 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Stuart Brisdon for "The Dance of Dragons" Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Florian Friedmann, Jonathan Symmonds, Sven Skoczylas, Sebastian Lauer' for "Mother's Mercy" - Wounded Drogon James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Joseph Hoback, Matt Derksen for "Dance of Dragons" - Drogon Arena Rescue Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Dominic Piche, Christine Leclerc, Patrice Poissant, Thomas Montminy-Brodeur for "City of Volantis" Rajeev B R., Loganathan Perumal, Ramesh Shankers, Anders Ericson for "Drogon Arena" Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project David Ramos, Antonio Lado, Piotr Weiss, Félix Bergés for "Hardhome" Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Eduardo Díaz, Guillermo Orbe, Oscar Perea, Inmaculada Nadela for "Hardhome" Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, Eric Andrusyszyn for "Drogon Arena" Travis Nobles, Mark Spindler, Max Riess, Nadja Ding for "Drogon Lair" Writers Guild of America Awards 2015 Episodic Drama David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Mother's Mercy" Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan for "The Dance of Dragons" TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" ==Release== ===Broadcast=== The season was simulcast to 170 countries by HBO and its broadcast partners. In some countries, it aired the day after its first release. Sky Atlantic, the network serving the United Kingdom and Ireland, aired the premiere the day after HBO, but joined the simulcast for the rest of the season. ===Marketing=== A half-hour documentary, ''Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life'', aired on HBO on February 8, 2015. It covered one day of production of season 5 on three sets in Belfast, Dubrovnik and Osuna from the viewpoint of key crew members. The first official trailer for season 5 was released on January 30, 2015, and the season's second trailer was released on March 9, 2015. The world premiere of the first episode of the fifth season was held at the Tower of London on March 18, 2015. ===Home media=== The season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 15, 2016, in region 1 and March 14, 2016, in region 2. ===Illegal distribution=== On April 11, prior to the airing of the season's first episode, screener copies of the first four episodes were leaked to several file sharing sites. According to TorrentFreak, 18 million different IP addresses downloaded the leaked episodes, totaling 32 million downloads during the first week. The fifth season of ''Game of Thrones'' was the most-pirated TV series in 2015. ==References== ==External links== * – official US site * – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

The sixth season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered on HBO on April 24, 2016, and concluded on June 26, 2016. It consists of ten episodes, each of approximately 50–60 minutes long, largely of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Some story elements were derived from the novels and from information Martin revealed to the show-runners. The series was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO ordered the season on April 8, 2014, together with the fifth season, which began filming in July 2015 primarily in Northern Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Iceland and Canada. The entire season cost over $100 million to produce. The season follows the continuing struggle between the Starks and other noble families of Westeros for the Iron Throne. The Starks defeat the Bolton forces in the "Battle of the Bastards", culminating with Sansa Stark feeding her tormenting husband Ramsay Bolton — who had earlier murdered his father Roose and stepfamily — to his starving hounds, and Jon Snow is proclaimed the King in the North. Tyrion attempts to rule Meereen while Daenerys is held captive by a Dothraki tribe. At King's Landing, the Tyrell army attempts to liberate Margaery and Loras, but Margaery capitulates to the High Sparrow, who becomes more powerful by influencing King Tommen. At her trial, Cersei burns the Great Sept — killing her rivals — and is later crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, while Tommen commits suicide. Ellaria Sand and three of Oberyn Martell's daughters kill Doran and Trystane Martell and seize control of Dorne. In Essos, Daenerys Targaryen is captured by Khal Moro who takes her before the khals; she burns them alive and takes command of the Dothraki. Olenna and the Dornish ally with Daenerys. ''Game of Thrones'' features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington. The season introduced new cast members, including Max von Sydow, Pilou Asbæk and Essie Davis. Critics praised its production values, writing, plot development, and cast. ''Game of Thrones'' received most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, with 23 nominations, and won twelve, including that for Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row. U.S. viewership rose compared to the previous season, and by approximately 13% over its course, from 7.9 million to 8.9 million by the finale. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== ===Guest cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 6. They are listed by the region in which they first appear: ====In the North, including the Wall==== * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne * Natalia Tena as Osha * Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark * Owen Teale as Alliser Thorne * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * Brenock O'Connor as Olly * Charlotte Hope as Myranda * Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton * Paul Rattray as Harald Karstark * Dean Jagger as Smalljon Umber * Tim McInnerny as Robett Glover * Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont * Sean Blowers as Wyman Manderly * Tom Varey as Cley Cerwyn * Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan * Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck * Ian Whyte as Wun Wun * Murray McArthur as Dim Dalba ====Beyond the Wall==== * Max von Sydow as the Three-eyed Raven * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed * Kristian Nairn as Hodor * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark * Kae Alexander as Leaf * Vladimir "Furdo" Furdik as the Night King ====In the Riverlands==== * David Bradley as Walder Frey * Clive Russell as Brynden Tully * Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully * Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion * Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr * Tim Plester as Black Walder Rivers * Daniel Tuite as Lothar Frey * Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Lem * Ricky Champ as Gatins * Ian Davies as Morgan * Ian McShane as Brother Ray ====On the Iron Islands==== * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy * Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy * Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy * Michael Feast as Aeron Greyjoy ====In Dorne==== * Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell * Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand * Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand * DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah ====In King's Landing==== * Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle * Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell * Anton Lesser as Qyburn * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister * Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella * Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane * Josephine Gillan as Marei * Nathanael Saleh as Arthur * Annette Hannah as Frances ====In the Vale==== * Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce ====In Braavos==== * Faye Marsay as the Waif * Richard E. Grant as Izembaro * Essie Davis as Lady Crane * Leigh Gill as Bobono * Eline Powell as Bianca * Rob Callender as Clarenzo * Kevin Eldon as Camello ====In Meereen==== * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm * George Georgiou as Razdal mo Eraz * Eddie Jackson as Belicho Paenymion * Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz * Ania Bukstein as Kinvara * Gerald Lepkowski as Zanrush * Meena Rayann as Vala ====In Vaes Dothrak==== * Joe Naufahu as Khal Moro * Andrei Claude as Khal Rhalko * Tamer Hassan as Khal Forzho * Staz Nair as Qhono * Chuku Modu as Aggo * Deon Lee-Williams as Iggo * Souad Faress as the High Priestess * Hannah John-Kamen as Ornella ====In the Reach==== * James Faulkner as Randyll Tarly * Samantha Spiro as Melessa Tarly * Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly * Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly ====In flashbacks==== * Robert Aramayo & Sebastian Croft as Eddard Stark * Matteo Elezi as Benjen Stark * Aisling Franciosi & Cordelia Hill as Lyanna Stark * Wayne Foskett as Rickard Stark * Fergus Leathem as Rodrik Cassel * Annette Tierney as Old Nan * Sam Coleman as Hodor * Leo Woodruff as Howland Reed * Luke Roberts as Arthur Dayne * Eddie Eyre as Gerold Hightower * David Rintoul as Aerys II Targaryen ==Production== ===Crew=== The writing staff for the sixth season includes executive producers and showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, producer Bryan Cogman and Dave Hill. Author George R. R. Martin, who had written one episode for each of the first four seasons, did not write an episode for the sixth season, as he was working to finish writing the sixth ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novel, ''The Winds of Winter''. The directing staff for the sixth season was Jeremy Podeswa (episodes 1 and 2), Daniel Sackheim (episodes 3 and 4), Jack Bender (episodes 5 and 6), Mark Mylod (episodes 7 and 8), and Miguel Sapochnik (episodes 9 and 10). Sackheim and Bender were first-time ''Game of Thrones'' directors, with the rest each having directed two episodes in the previous season. ===Writing=== With the end of the fifth season, the content of the show has reached the plot of the latest novel in Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''A Dance with Dragons''. Season 6 director Jeremy Podeswa said in August 2015: "Right now in season six, what we're shooting currently isn't based on anything in the book. It's fully based on discussions the writers have had with George Martin, because the series has now surpassed the books in terms of what's available." Actress Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell, later added that the show's writers "know where it's got to go and what George Martin's intentions for the characters are. But they are just filling in the gaps." The season premiere starts off right where the fifth season ended. A plot from ''The Winds of Winter'' regarding a traveling theater troupe located in Braavos that stages a play called "The Bloody Hand", about the events that have taken place in King's Landing since the beginning of the series, is included in the sixth season. ===Filming=== Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain is among the filming locations. Filming for season six began in July 2015, and ended on December 17, 2015. The budget for the sixth season increased compared to the previous seasons as each episode did cost over $10 million per episode, totaling over $100 million for the full season and setting a new high for the series. The season filmed in five different countries, Northern Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Iceland and Canada. Like the previous seasons, a large amount of production took place in Northern Ireland, mainly in Belfast and on the Causeway Coast, including film locations in the Binevenagh, Magilligan area which was used to film scenes for the Dothraki Grasslands, and Larrybane Quarry and Ballintoy Harbour, both used for scenes in the Iron Islands. The small village of Corbet was also used, for the siege of Riverrun. As in previous seasons, some of Castle Black was set at the abandoned Magheramorne quarry. From September 3 to October 23, 2015 the show also filmed in Spain, specifically in Girona, Navarre, Peniscola, and Almería. Some filming locations in Spain included the Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, the Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarre, the Alcazaba in Almería, and the Castle of Santa Florentina in Canet de Mar. In August 2015, HBO announced that for the first time since season 1, the show would not be filming any scenes in Croatia. The Croatian city of Dubrovnik has stood in for King's Landing since the beginning of season 2; nearby cities such as Klis, Split and Šibenik have been used to depict various other locations. Contradicting the statement by HBO, cast of the show were seen in costume in Dubrovnik in October 2015. Only a very small portion of the season was filmed in Canada (north of Calgary, Alberta): the scenes featuring Jon Snow's wolf Ghost (played by animal actor Quigly). However, some of the special effects were created at Montreal's Rodeo FX studios which has won Emmy Awards previously for its work on the series. ===Casting=== Pilou Asbæk plays Euron Greyjoy. The sixth season saw the return of Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark, Kristian Nairn as Hodor, Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy, and Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who did not appear in the fifth season. Clive Russell, Tobias Menzies, Patrick Malahide, Richard Dormer and Paul Kaye also returned to the show as Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Balon Greyjoy, Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr after not appearing since the third season. Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow was added to the series main cast after appearing in a recurring role in the previous season. Across the Narrow Sea, Melanie Liburd plays a Red priestess from Asshai who is in R'hllor's service. At the Reach, House Tarly is introduced, with Freddie Stroma joining the cast as Samwell Tarly's brother Dickon Tarly, a character who was mentioned in the novels but has yet to appear in them. Other members of House Tarly that were introduced were Randyll Tarly, played by James Faulkner; Melessa Tarly, played by Samantha Spiro and Talla Tarly, who was portrayed by Rebecca Benson. Veteran actor Max von Sydow was cast to play the Three-Eyed-Raven, who is training Bran. The character was previously played by Struan Rodger in the fourth-season finale "The Children". David Bradley confirmed in August 2015, that he would be returning to the show as Walder Frey after last appearing in the third-season finale "Mhysa", but he did not confirm when he would be returning. After the second official trailer was released, it was confirmed that Bradley would appear in the sixth season. Danish actor Pilou Asbæk joins the show as Theon Greyjoy's uncle, pirate captain Euron Greyjoy. Members of the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men made cameo appearances. Ricky Champ played Gatins, an outlaw who is a part of a band using religion to justify extorting the people of the countryside. A young Ned Stark was portrayed by Sebastian Croft in a flashback scene. The sixth season also included a traveling theater troupe located in Braavos that stages a play called "The Bloody Hand", about the events that have taken place in King's Landing since the beginning of the series. Essie Davis and Kevin Eldon joined the cast in this theater troupe, portraying actors playing Cersei Lannister and Ned Stark, respectively, while Richard E. Grant was cast as the troupe's manager. Members of Icelandic indie band Of Monsters and Men appear as the musicians of the Braavos theatre group. ===Music=== The soundtrack for the season was digitally released on June 24, 2016, and was released on CD on July 29, 2016. The album reached on the ''Billboard'' 200, on Soundtrack chart, and on the Canadian Albums chart on its digital release, with the track from the season finale "Light of the Seven" reaching on ''Billboard''s Spotify Viral 50 chart. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== The season received highly positive reviews, with special praise directed at the episodes "The Door", "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter". On Metacritic, the season (based on the first episode) has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the sixth season has a 94% approval rating from 34 critics with an average rating of 8.28 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bloody and captivating as always, ''Game of Thrones'' plunges back into the midst of a world touched by grief, dread, and precarious sexuality." ===Ratings=== The season finale had 8.89 million viewers on its initial airing on HBO, up ten percent from the previous season's finale, which was the most-watched episode prior to this episode. The average gross viewing figure per episode for the show, which include streaming, DVR recordings and repeat showings, reached over 25 million this season, and it was described as the last consensus show on television. The figure went up by 25% compared to previous year, and viewing figures of the show this season on its on demand services HBO Now and HBO Go went up by over 90%, which were new records for HBO. Almost 40% of viewers of the show watched this season on HBO digital platforms. The show also broke records on pay television channels in 2016 in the United Kingdom with an average audience of more than five million across all platforms, and in Australia with a cumulative average audience of 1.2 million viewers. Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead. ===Accolades=== For the 32nd TCA Awards, the series was nominated for Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama. For the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 23 nominations, the most of any series. It won 12 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Battle of the Bastards", and Miguel Sapochnik for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Battle of the Bastards". For the 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series won for Best Drama Series. Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 AFI Awards AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' 32nd TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' TV Choice Awards Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Kit Harington Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actor Ian McShane Max von Sydow Best Drama Episode "Battle of the Bastards" "The Winds of Winter" Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, Carla Stronge EWwy Award Best Supporting Actress, Drama Sophie Turner 68th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Kit Harington as Jon Snow Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister Maisie Williams as Arya Stark Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jack Bender for "The Door" Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Battle of the Bastards" 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Max von Sydow as Three-Eyed Raven Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Gregory Middleton for ''Home'' Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy Series Michele Clapton, Chloe Aubry, Sheena Wichary for ''The Winds of Winter'' Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Laura Pollock, Gary Machin, Rosalia Culora for ''The Door'' Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron for ''Blood of My Blood'', ''The Broken Man'', and ''No One'' Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Sarah Gower, Emma Sheffield, Tristan Versluis, Barrie Gower for ''The Door'' Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series Tim Porter for ''Battle of the Bastards'' Katie Weiland for ''Oathbreaker'' Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Michael Wabro, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit for ''The Door'' Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters for ''Battle of the Bastards'' Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Sam Conway, Matthew Rouleau, Michelle Blok, Glenn Melenhorst for ''Battle of the Bastards'' Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series Rowley Irlam Outstanding Interactive Program Game of Thrones Main Titles 360 Experience Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Editing Tim Porter for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau for "Battle of the Bastards" Australian Production Design Guild Production Design for a Television Drama Deborah Riley 3D Award for Visual Effects Design Iloura for "Battle of the Bastards" British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner for "The Winds of Winter" ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award Sean Savage, David Morgan & John Ferguson for "Battle of the Bastards" American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner for "Battle of the Bastards" Anette Haellmigk for "Book of the Stranger" 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Kit Harington Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Most Bingeworthy Show ''Game of Thrones'' IGN Awards Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Winds of Winter" Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Winds of Winter" Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' MTV Fandom Awards Fan Freak Out of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' – Resurrection of Jon Snow International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series Ramin Djawadi Film Music Composition Of The Year Ramin Djawadi for "Light of the Seven" World Soundtrack Awards Television Composer of the Year Ramin Djawadi 2017 43rd People's Choice Awards Favorite Premium Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Emilia Clarke 44th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Nicholas Tripodi, Dean Elliott, James Hollingworth, Matt Weaver for "Battle of the Bastards" 74th Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Lena Headey 21st Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Lena Headey Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 Episodic Drama David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Winds of Winter" Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series Boian Anev, Kristina Baskett, Rachelle Beinart, Richard Bradshaw, Michael Byrch, Nick Chopping, Christopher Cox, Jake Cox, David Cronnelly, Matt Crook, Levan Doran, Bradley Farmer, Vladimir Furdik, Richard Hansen, Rob Hayns, Paul Howell, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Milen Kaleychev, Leigh Maddern, Jonathan McBride, Leona McCarron, Kim McGarrity, Richard Mead, Casey Michaels, Sian Milne, David Newton, Jason Otelle, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Marc Redmond, Paul Shapcott, Jonny Stockwell, Ryan Stuart, Edward Upcott, Leo Woodruff Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, Dean Charles Chapman, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Liam Cunnungham, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Kristofer Hivju, Michiel Huisman, Faye Marsay, Jonathan Pryce, Sophie Turner, Carcie Van Houten, Gemma Whelan, Maisie Williams, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage American Cinema Editors Awards 2017 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter for "Battle of the Bastards" Art Directors Guild Awards 2016 One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley for "Blood of My Blood", "The Broken Man" and "No One" Producers Guild of America Awards 2016 The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau, Sam Conway for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Matt Derksen, Joseph Hoback for "Battle of the Bastards" – Drogon Sebastian Lauer, Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Anthony Sieben for "Home" – Emaciated Dragon Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, François Croteau, Alexandru Banuta for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City Edmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, Cheri Fojtik for "The Winds of Winter" – Citadel Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, Michelle Blok, Christopher Baird, Drew Wood-Davies for "Battle of the Bastards" Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Kevin Blom, Sasmit Ranadive, Wanghua Huang, Ben Andersen for "Battle of the Bastards" Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, James Dong, Xavier Fourmond for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Thomas Montminy-Brodeur, Patrick David, Michael Crane, Joe Salazar for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City Dominic Hellier, Morgan Jones, Thijs Noij, Caleb Thompson for "Battle of the Bastards" – Retaking Winterfell Eduardo Díaz, Aníbal Del Busto, Angel Rico, Sonsoles López-Aranguren for "The Door" – Land of Always Winter Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Brett Voss for "Battle of the Bastards" 69th Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" USC Scripter Award Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Winds of Winter" Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker, Kay Bilk Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks Best Special Makeup Effects – Television Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton, April Ferry Dorian Awards TV Drama of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 22nd National Television Awards Best Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel, Brett Voss, John Matter, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Wilhoit, Paula Fairfield and Bradley Katona for "Battle of the Bastards" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel and Tim Hands for "Battle of the Bastards" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz for "Battle of the Bastards" Society of Camera Operators Awards Camera Operator of the Year – Television Sean Savage Zulu Awards Best Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton for "Home" Location Managers Guild Awards LMGI Award for Outstanding Locations in Period Television Matt Jones and Naomi Liston 43rd Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington Best Actress on Television Lena Headey 22nd Empire Awards Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Irish Film & Television Academy Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Best Sound ''Game of Thrones'' Best VFX ''Game of Thrones'' Webby Award Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' Unscripted (Branded) "Battle of the Bastards" Featurette Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Miguel Sapochnik (director) for "Battle of the Bastards" David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Jack Bender (director) for "The Door" 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards Show Of The Year ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor In A Show Emilia Clarke Tearjerker Hodor's (Kristian Nairn) Death 2017 British Academy Television Awards Must-See Moment "Battle of the Bastards" Glamour Awards Best UK TV Actress Sophie Turner ==Release== ===Broadcast=== The season was simulcast around the world by HBO and its broadcast partners. While in some countries, it aired the day after its first release. ===Marketing=== On November 23, 2015, a teaser poster displaying Jon Snow was released on the official ''Game of Thrones'' Twitter account. A 41-second teaser trailer was released on December 3, featuring Jon Snow from the fifth season episode "Hardhome", as well as many of the previous seasons' highlights, and a voice-over from Max von Sydow as the Three-Eyed Raven and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. The first footage from the season was revealed in a new promotional video released by HBO highlighting its new and returning original shows for the coming year on December 6, 2015, showcasing scenes involving Daenerys Targaryen, Ramsay Bolton, Cersei Lannister, and Tommen Baratheon. On December 28, 2015, ''Entertainment Weekly'' released its "Exclusive First Look" issue, featuring an image of Bran Stark, who was noticeably older from his last appearance in season four, and with shorter hair. On January 22, 2016, three teaser trailers were released, with each teaser depicting the banners of the houses Targaryen, Lannister and Stark, and included voice-overs by Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton, Jonathan Pryce as The High Sparrow and an unknown character speaking in Dothraki. On February 11, 2016, HBO released 28 exclusive photos from the sixth season, picturing several of the main characters during the season and confirming the fates of Theon, Sansa and Myrcella, while Jon Snow was notably absent. HBO released a teaser trailer on February 14, 2016, that shows the faces of a number of living as well as deceased characters such as Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, Stannis Baratheon, Ygritte and, controversially, Jon Snow in the House of Black and White. On February 24, 2016, HBO released 16 character posters of both deceased and alive characters, and two official posters featuring various characters. A behind-the-scenes video of the sixth season was released on February 29, 2016, focusing on camera operators working on the show. The first official trailer for season 6 was released on March 8, 2016. Another behind-the-scenes video was released on March 22, 2016, focusing on the creative process of prosthetics, specifically the White Walkers. The video also contained new footage of White Walkers from the sixth season. On March 24, ''Entertainment Weekly'' revealed a series of new issues titled "Dame of Thrones", featuring six of the female lead characters from the series and focus on the sixth season. On March 26, 2016, new photos from season six, in addition to a new promo named "March Madness" with new footage, was released by HBO. After the screening of the season premiere "The Red Woman", HBO released a second official trailer. As well, in July 2016, HBO released a "blooper reel" online, a video of outtakes from season 6. ===''After the Thrones''=== ''After the Thrones'', a live aftershow in which hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan discuss episodes of the series, airs on the stand-alone streaming service HBO Now on the Monday following each episode of the show's sixth season. ===Home media=== The season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 15, 2016. The set includes extra background, behind-the-scenes material and deleted scenes. ===Copyright infringement=== The sixth season of ''Game of Thrones'' was the most-pirated TV series in 2016. ==References== ==External links== * – official US site * – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

'''''For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones''''' is a soundtrack inspired by the television series ''Game of Thrones'', released by Columbia Records on April 26, 2019. The album features the SZA, The Weeknd and Travis Scott collaborative single, "Power Is Power", which was released on April 18, 2019, as well as the two promotional singles, "Kingdom of One" by Maren Morris and "Nightshade" by The Lumineers, which were released simultaneously on April 12, 2019. ==Reception== AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album 2.5 out of 5 stars. ==Track listing== Credits adapted from Tidal. '''Notes''' * signifies a co-producer * signifies a miscellaneous producer * "Nightshade" features background vocals by Lauren Jacobsen * "Turn on Me" features background vocals by Arone Dyer and Kyle Resnick ==Charts== Chart (2019) Peakposition Australian Digital Albums (ARIA) 23 ==See also== * Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References==

'''Renly Baratheon''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Renly is the youngest of the three sons of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont, and the younger brother of Robert and Stannis Baratheon. He is Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. He served as master of laws in his eldest brother's small council, before crowning himself king in the wake of Robert's death with the support of the Reach and the Stormlands, an act that helps kick off the War of Five Kings. This brings him into conflict with his older brother Stannis, whose claim is greater. Renly's homosexual relationship with Loras Tyrell is alluded to in the books and is made clearly evident in the television show. Both men are among Martin's most prominent LGBTQ characters, although Renly and Loras' adapted relationship and the show's portrayal of the latter has received mixed criticism. Renly Baratheon is portrayed by Gethin Anthony in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Renly Baratheon is the younger brother of King Robert and of King Stannis. He is a handsome and charismatic man that wins friends easily, which makes him popular with the smallfolk. He is thought to look extremely similar to his older brother Robert, albeit smaller and slimmer, inheriting the Baratheon height and long black hair. Although he is well-liked and charismatic, many powerful lords at court secretly consider him to be vain and frivolous. He is described as disdainful of reading, although he enjoys hunting and jousting. Renly is also a closeted homosexual engaged in a relationship with Loras Tyrell. Renly is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Ned and Catelyn Stark. He is also often mentioned and remembered by Brienne of Tarth, who had fallen in love with him at a young age. Renly is mostly a background character in the novels. == Storylines == left Renly Baratheon is the youngest of the Baratheon brothers and Lord of Storm's End. He is described as handsome and charismatic, winning friends easily. Renly serves on Robert's council as Master of Laws. After Robert dies, Renly declares himself King of the Seven Kingdoms in ''A Clash of Kings'', wins the support of the Baratheon bannermen as he is their Lord Paramount, and seals an alliance with House Tyrell by marrying Margaery Tyrell. Before he can march on the capital though, he hears Stannis is besieging Storm's End. Renly marches there, intending to kill his brother in battle, and turning down an offer to become Stannis' heir. Before the battle he is assassinated by a shadow conjured by Melisandre, though it is unclear if Stannis is aware of this or not. ==TV adaptation== Banner of arms of King Renly Baratheon in ''Game of Thrones'' Renly Baratheon is played by the British actor Gethin Anthony in the television adaption of the series of books. Gethin Anthony on his character: "The reason why I like playing him is I think he's a fantastic man who believes in Westeros being a cultured and enlightened place. His major advantage -- and why he gets on well in the world -- is that he gets on well with people." ====Season 1==== Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, is the youngest brother of King Robert and Master of Laws in the Small Council. He is popular with the people because he is handsome, jovial, and throws extravagant balls and masquerades. He is not fond of fighting or bloodshed, and would rather make friends than kill enemies. He is secretly the lover of Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers, who convinces him that those qualities make him better ruling material than either of his older brothers. While Robert lies dying, Renly attempts to convince Ned of this, and that the two of them should kidnap Joffrey and rule the realm themselves. However, Ned refuses, so Renly, Loras, and their followers flee south. Once Joffrey becomes King and has Ned executed, Renly challenges his alleged nephew's claim to the throne. ====Season 2==== Renly declares himself King of the Seven Kingdoms during Season 2 and wins the support of the Baratheon bannermen and the support of other houses, despite Stannis' better claim. He also seals an alliance with the powerful House Tyrell and its bannermen (including Randyll Tarly, father of Samwell Tarly) by marrying Margaery Tyrell. He leads his massive army slowly through southern Westeros, biding his time. Catelyn Stark tries to convince Renly and Stannis to put aside their differences and unite against the Lannisters but it fails as both brothers refuse to give their claim for the throne. On the night before a battle between his and Stannis's forces, Renly agrees to Catelyn to allow Robb Stark to keep the title "King in the North" and rule the North and Riverlands, but on the condition that he swear fealty to Renly as King on the Iron Throne. Before Catelyn can offer a real negotiation, Renly is assassinated by Melisandre, who gives birth to a shadow demon and sends it to kill Renly in order to remove him from Stannis' path. Stannis is initially unaware of the exact nature of Melisandre's crime, and is later visibly shocked and saddened of the role he played in his brother's death, which he visibly regrets. ====Season 5==== Renly is later avenged in the Season 5 finale when Brienne of Tarth executes his brother Stannis after the battle outside Winterfell against the Boltons, spitefully telling Stannis that Renly was the rightful King. === Family tree of House Baratheon === == References ==

"'''The Queen's Justice'''" is the third episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 63rd overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Mark Mylod. At Dragonstone, Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth meet with Daenerys Targaryen, from whom Jon asks for aid in defeating the White Walkers, but Daenerys iterates her desire to take the Iron Throne instead. In King's Landing, Euron Greyjoy returns bearing gifts to Cersei Lannister, in the form of Ellaria Sand and Tyene Sand. At the Citadel, Samwell Tarly and Archmaester Ebrose examine a now healed Jorah Mormont. In Winterfell, Sansa Stark is reunited with her brother Bran Stark. At Casterly Rock, the Unsullied infiltrate and capture the castle, but Euron's Iron Fleet arrives, and begins destroying their ships, leaving them stranded. Meanwhile, Jaime Lannister leads the Lannister army to take Highgarden. The title of the episode refers to Cersei Lannister exacting vengeance, her own way of justice, on both the Sand Snakes and Olenna Tyrell. "The Queen's Justice" received positive reviews from critics, who considered the long-awaited meeting between Daenerys and Jon, the agonizing fates of Ellaria and Tyene Sand, Sansa and Bran's reunion, the bait-and-switch scene concerning Casterly Rock and Highgarden, and the final fates of Ollena Tyrell and Ellaria Sand as highlights of the episode. In the United States, it achieved a viewership of 9.25 million in its initial broadcast. It was also Diana Rigg's pick to support her nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress. "The Queen's Justice" marked the final appearances of Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell), Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand) and Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand). ==Plot== ===On Dragonstone=== Jon and Davos arrive at Dragonstone with their soldiers. They agree Daenerys is not responsible for her father's crimes, but Daenerys denies Jon's assertion he should not be held by his ancestors' oath to hers. Jon explains the threat of the White Walkers and wights, but Daenerys wants to claim the Iron Throne before considering other threats. Jon is forced to remain at Dragonstone. Varys asks Melisandre why she hides from Jon; she admits they parted on bad terms due to her mistakes. She plans to return to Volantis, and Varys urges her to stay overseas forever, but she predicts that both of them will die in Westeros. Speaking with Jon, Tyrion concedes that Jon's willingness to meet with Daenerys has convinced him that the White Walkers are real. Tyrion explains that Daenerys' followers are loyal because Daenerys dedicates herself to protecting others from threats she understands. Tyrion relays Jon's request to mine dragonglass on Dragonstone; Daenerys accepts Tyrion's recommendation to agree as a gesture of goodwill. ===In the Narrow Sea=== One of the few remaining ships of Yara's fleet rescue Theon. The Ironborn disbelieve his claim that he tried to rescue Yara from Euron. ===In King's Landing=== Euron parades his captives Ellaria, Tyene, and Yara through abusive crowds in the streets of King's Landing. He presents the Sands as his gift to Cersei. Ellaria and Tyene are bound and gagged in the dungeon. Cersei kisses Tyene with the same poison Ellaria used to kill Myrcella, and tells Ellaria she will be kept alive to watch her daughter die and decompose. Tycho Nestoris of the Iron Bank comes to collect repayment of the Lannisters' loans. Cersei denigrates Daenerys as a possible investment, and secures a fortnight to pay the debt. ===At Winterfell=== Sansa competently manages Winterfell, preparing it as an emergency refuge for all Northerners. Littlefinger counsels Sansa to "fight every battle" mentally. Bran and Meera arrive, and Sansa is reunited with her brother. In the Godswood, Sansa is confused by Bran's revelation that he is the Three-Eyed Raven, and troubled by his specific knowledge of her suffering ("Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"). ===In Oldtown=== Archmaester Ebrose proclaims that Jorah is healed of greyscale and releases him. Jorah plans to return to Daenerys. Sam admits that he administered the forbidden treatment; Ebrose praises his skill, but punishes his disobedience with an assignment to copy a large number of old documents. ===At Casterly Rock=== The Unsullied infiltrate Casterly Rock via its sewers, which Tyrion designed. They capture the castle, finding far fewer defenders than expected. Meanwhile, the Iron Fleet arrives and destroys Daenerys' ships, stranding Grey Worm and his army. ===At Highgarden=== Jaime, Randyll, and their armies take Highgarden, having abandoned Casterly Rock to trick Daenerys into committing her Unsullied forces to a strategically useless position. Jaime grants Olenna the mercy of a quick and painless death by poison, over Cersei's original plans to execute her. After drinking the poison, Olenna confesses to murdering Joffrey and asks Jaime to tell Cersei. Incensed, Jaime leaves Olenna to die alone. ==Production== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Queen's Justice" was written by the series' creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Mark Mylod, his second of two episodes for this season. Mylod joined the series as a director in the fifth season, working on "High Sparrow" and "Sons of the Harpy". Indira Varma made her final appearance as Ellaria Sand. "The Queen's Justice" was the final episode for actress Indira Varma, who had played Ellaria Sand since the fourth season. "The Queen's Justice" was also the last episode for recurring cast members Diana Rigg and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, as Olenna Tyrell and Tyene Sand were killed. The episode featured the return of Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris, who was last seen in season 5's "The Dance of Dragons". Kit Harington spoke about the scene he shot with Peter Dinklage in Spain, saying "It was a beautiful location with 50 mph winds and I was wearing a cape next to a cliff—There was a danger of me being blown off! I'm not sure it's the way I would have wanted to go." Indira Varma and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers's last scene was technically difficult for the actresses, because they were shackled. The shackles were felt-lined but tight, and Varma and Sellers ended up "bruised and battered" due to the physical intensity of their acting. Varma had to be cut from the shackles at the end of the day. ==Analysis== D. B. Weiss talked about the return of Bran to Winterfell, saying "One of the things we loved about Game of Thrones from the very first book is it's not a world where magic is the primary driver of the story, it's a world where human psychology and behavior and desire are drivers of the story. We try very hard to make sure it stays that way because that's a lot more relatable to the vast majority of the audience than magic powers—as much fun as those are. So with Bran, ideally you want to use him in a way that adds to the story and enriches the story and not in a way that's a magic bullet to conveniently deal with things that you haven't come up with a better way to deal with. So it was a balancing act to account for who Bran is now without letting that overtake the story." Isaac Hempstead Wright explained how the magical conversion has altered the characters personality, saying "It's like imagining you have all of space and time in your head—Bran is existing in thousands of planes of existence at any one time. So it's quite difficult for Bran to have any kind of semblance of personality anymore because he's really like a giant computer". He went on to add that "Bran really at this stage is not the Three-Eyed Raven. He's got the title but hasn't had thousands of years of sitting in a cave looking through time. Somebody put in front of him a massive encyclopedia of all of time and he's only opened page one. He can look stuff up but doesn't have this all-knowing all-seeing capability just yet." Indira Varma expected the seventh season would be her character's last, reasoning that a "less important character" like Ellaria would have to be phased out to make room for the story's climax. She expected audiences to be "more invested in Cersei," who had more screen time than Ellaria, but she hoped positive fan reception for Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell would carry over to sympathy for Ellaria. Varma had hoped for her character to die on screen, but found the fate Weiss and Benioff crafted for Ellaria to be "really clever" and beyond "every parent's worst nightmare." Weiss praised Diana Rigg's performance in her final scene as Olenna Tyrell, for contributing to the character uniquely "winning her own death scene." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Queen's Justice" was viewed by 9.25 million total viewers on its initial viewing on HBO, which was slightly less than the previous week's rating of 9.27 million viewers for the episode "Stormborn". The episode also acquired a 4.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.272 million viewers on Sky Atlantic during its Simulcast, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "The Queen's Justice" received positive reactions from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 40 reviews of the episode and judged 89% of them to be positive, with an average rating of 7.9 out of 10. The website's consensus for the episode stated "'The Queens Justice' saw the much-anticipated meeting between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen -- but had much larger surprises in store before its shocking end." Matt Fowler of IGN described the episode as "amazing", saying ""The Queen's Justice" did justice to the long-awaited coming together of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. With a devilishly good script and some pointed action (along with a few twists and turns), this episode contained a ton of long scenes, but no fat. - This was prime Thrones." He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Shane Ryan of ''Paste Magazine'' wrote "It was, by far, the best episode of the season. I've always contended that the show does best when it pushes the drama and the narrative ahead by means of two-person scenes, and the examples in "The Queen's Justice" were phenomenal". Glen Weldon of NPR also praised the episode and Diana Rigg's performance, writing "It's a hell of a way to go out, but a character like Olenna -- and an actress like Rigg, who always let you see the danger flashing behind those eyes – deserves nothing less." Bennett Madison of ''Vanity Fair'' wrote, "''Game of Thrones'' has spent so much time building up tension and drawing out plots that many of its ongoing story lines have literally been brewing for years ... With this episode, 'The Queen's Justice', we're finally starting to see some real payoff." Andy Hartup of GamesRadar similarly gave praise to the episode for granting victories to antagonists like Cersei and Euron, while criticizing the character dynamics in scenes taking place at Winterfell and Dragonstone. Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote of the episode, "As befits its title, this week's installment asks us to consider what it means to be a ruler ... and what it means to seek justice." Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant praised the final scene of Olenna Tyrell, writing "As much as a momentous encounter between two major characters grabbed the spotlight, ''Game of Thrones'' proved that a character's last words could be just as important as their first." Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' praised the performances of Rigg, Coster-Waldau and Dinklage, but was critical of Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington's scenes together, writing that "in the Dragonstone scenes, Clarke and Harington mostly served to bring out each other's most wooden line readings". She also addressed the way the episode approached themes of female empowerment, writing that "if any show has been a cautionary tale about the difference between female empowerment and true social change, ''Game of Thrones'' has been it". ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Editing Jesse Parker 2018 Art Directors Guild Awards One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell ==References== ==External links== * "The Queen's Justice" at HBO.com * *

"'''Winterfell'''" is the eighth season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 68th overall. It was written by Dave Hill and directed by David Nutter. It aired on April 14, 2019. The episode centres on Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow arriving in Winterfell with Unsullied and Dothraki forces, after Jon Snow has pledged his allegiance to her. It also reunites Jon with his Stark siblings Bran and Arya for the first time since the first season's second episode. "Winterfell" received positive reception from critics, who listed Jon Snow and Daenerys's arrival at Winterfell, Jon's long-awaited reunion with Arya, the destruction of Last Hearth, Sam's revelation to Jon Snow about his true lineage, Jaime and Bran's tense encounter, and the performances of Sophie Turner and John Bradley as highlights of the episode. The episode received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series and was Sophie Turner's pick to support her nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Qyburn informs Cersei Lannister that the White Walkers have breached the Wall, which pleases Cersei. Euron Greyjoy arrives with Yara Greyjoy as his prisoner and with the Golden Company. Euron uses his deeds to convince Cersei to start their relationship, and the pair have sex. Euron insists that he will impregnate Cersei, who appears to be visibly upset when he leaves the room. Qyburn visits Bronn and presents him with the crossbow Tyrion used to assassinate his father Tywin Lannister. Should Jaime and Tyrion survive the war against the dead, Cersei wants Bronn to assassinate them. ===In the Narrow Sea=== Theon Greyjoy secretly boards Euron's flagship in the night and frees his sister Yara. Yara decides to retake the Iron Islands while Euron is distracted by matters in King's Landing, whereas Theon decides to journey to Winterfell to fight the undead with Daenerys and the Starks. ===At Last Hearth=== Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion, having survived the fall of Eastwatch, lead their party into House Umber's seat of Last Hearth, already sacked by the dead. They encounter Eddison Tollett, who had evacuated the Night's Watch from Castle Black. They find young Lord Ned Umber, who had been evacuating Last Hearth's inhabitants, dead and impaled to a wall. Tormund declares that they must reach Winterfell before the Night King. Ned reanimates as a wight, and Beric burns him with his flaming sword. ===At Winterfell=== Daenerys Targaryen arrives at Winterfell alongside Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Jorah Mormont, Varys and Missandei, with Grey Worm leading her Unsullied and Dothraki armies. Jon reunites with Bran and Daenerys is greeted by Sansa Stark, the townspeople, and the Northern lords, though the pleasantries are cut short when Bran Stark reveals to Daenerys and Jon that the Night King has reanimated Viserion and breached the Wall. Sansa has ordered the Northern lords to retreat to Winterfell to make the stand against the undead, but at council, Lyanna Mormont and the other lords express displeasure towards Jon for abandoning his position as King in the North by swearing fealty to a Targaryen. This tension is magnified when Tyrion declares that the Lannister army will soon march north too; Sansa fears that the combined forces might overstretch their supplies, but in private implies to Tyrion that she does not believe Cersei will send her army. Arya reunites with Jon, Gendry (who is working in Winterfell's forges crafting dragonglass weapons), and the Hound. Davos Seaworth suggests to Tyrion and Varys that the Northerners could be won over by betrothing Jon and Daenerys. Jon and Daenerys ride the dragons, deepening their bond. Later, Sansa accuses Jon of bending the knee out of love for Daenerys. Samwell Tarly meets Daenerys, who thanks him for curing Jorah of his greyscale, but after discovering his identity admits that she executed his father, Randyll, and his brother, Dickon. Bran instructs a heartbroken Samwell to tell Jon about his true Targaryen heritage, the news of which leaves Jon stunned. Jaime Lannister arrives at Winterfell and is shocked when he encounters Bran in the courtyard, waiting for him. == Production == === Writing === The episode was written by Dave Hill, his final script of the series. The episode adapts material from the unpublished novels ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring'', among them the released sample chapter "The Forsaken", in which Euron Greyjoy converses with a captive member of his family aboard his ship. === Casting === The episode saw the introduction of Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland, the commander of the Golden Company. On preparing for his role in the season, Rissmann said, "I did some research into who this person was, where he comes from, and the books are quite precise. And then you see in the scripts what is there, what are the similarities, what are the differences. So I did a bit of research on that, especially since this world was so properly thought through. It's a functioning world, and that's why it's actually so appealing." Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm) is listed as a series regular in the opening credits for the first time in this episode; he has previously appeared as a supporting/guest actor. Actors Rob McElhenney and Martin Starr and writer Dave Hill made cameo appearances as Ironborn soldiers killed when Theon rescues Yara. === Filming === The episode was directed by David Nutter who had previously directed two episodes each in the second, third and fifth season. The outdoor Winterfell scenes were filmed at sets in Moneyglass and Magheramorne in Northern Ireland, with indoor scenes filmed at Paint Hall studios in Belfast. == Reception == === Ratings === "Winterfell" was viewed by 11.76 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, and an additional 5.6 million viewers on streaming platforms, for a total 17.4 million viewers. === Critical response === The episode received largely positive reviews from critics, and is the best reviewed episode of the season. It has a 92% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 107 reviews with an average score of 7.72 out of 10. The site's consensus reads, "Though surprisingly bloodless, hard-fought reunions, bone-chilling surprises, and a welcome dose of humor help "Winterfell" set the stage for what should be an epic final season." Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' wrote, "This was a thrilling episode with its pedal to the floor, in which new alliances were made, old ones tested and long-awaited reunions occurred (hurrah for Jon and Arya's tenderly scripted meeting)". Todd VanDerWiff of ''Vox'' praised the episode's visual quality, stating, "For as much as I grouse about ''Game of Thrones'', it's often casually stunning in a way that no other TV show comes close to pulling off". Ron Hogan of Den of Geek similarly highlighted the episode's pacing, while also praising John Bradley who "runs through the entire gamut of emotions in a very short time on screen". Among the negative reviews, Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' criticized the show's pace, stating "Momentum, the idea that we are hurtling toward some conclusion that will explain it all, has been so encoded into the ''Game of Thrones'' experience that in the absence of any forward motion, the show is ... kind of dull." === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Sophie Turner Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Crispin Green ==References== ==External links== * "Winterfell" at HBO.com * *

"'''Power Is Power'''" is a song by American singer SZA, Canadian singer The Weeknd and American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on April 18, 2019, as a single from the ''Game of Thrones'' companion soundtrack, ''For the Throne''. The song is the second of the two collaborative singles released by The Weeknd and Scott in 2019, being preceded by "Wake Up". ==Background and release== Following the release of the collaboration "Wake Up" by Travis Scott featuring The Weeknd, as the fourth single from Scott's ''Astroworld'' on March 26, 2019. In early April of that year, rumours regarding the possibility of a ''Game of Thrones'' inspired track by SZA, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott began to circulate around the web. The artists' involvement on the ''For the Throne'' soundtrack was then later confirmed on April 8, via an announcement of the soundtrack by Columbia Records. Following the release of the promotional singles "Kingdom of One" by Maren Morris and "Nightshade" by The Lumineers on April 12, SZA then later shared the cover art and release date of the song, on her Instagram profile on April 16. ==Lyrics== The title of the song is a line spoken by the character Cersei Lannister in the HBO TV series ''Game of Thrones'', the song's lyric however revolve around the character Jon Snow. Writers at the time interpreted the lyrics as possibly foreshadowing the aforementioned character winning out the conclusion of the show. ==Music video== Teasement for the music video first began on April 20, 2019, the video features a medieval theme, reminiscent of its source show ''Game of Thrones''. It was directed by Anthony Mandler and released on May 5, 2019. ==Charts== Chart (2019) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 30 China Airplay/FL (''Billboard'') 22 France Digital Tracks (SNEP) 140 Ireland (IRMA) 31 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 3 Norway (VG-lista) 33 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 41 ==Release history== Region Date Format Label(s) United States April 18, 2019 April 23, 2019 Contemporary hit radio Rhythmic contemporary Italy May 3, 2019 Contemporary hit radio Sony ==References== ==External links== * * *

"'''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'''" is the second episode of the eighth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 69th overall. It was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by David Nutter. It aired on April 21, 2019. The episode takes place entirely in Winterfell and is dedicated to the buildup before the battle between the living and the dead. It has been likened to a bottle episode, though it does not meet the definition of the term. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" received positive reception from critics, with many highlighting the episode's balance of the show's longtime characters and citing it as one of the best episodes of the series. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) submitted the episode to support her Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) later selected the episode to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The title is a reference to the title bestowed on Brienne of Tarth after Jaime Lannister knights her and to the collection of stories of the same name by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels on which ''Game of Thrones'' is based. ==Plot== Daenerys and Sansa both contemplate the fate of Jaime Lannister, who reveals Cersei was lying about sending her army. They let Jaime fight for them after Brienne vouches for him. Jaime speaks with Bran and apologizes for trying to kill him ("Winter Is Coming"), but Bran holds no anger. Meanwhile, Daenerys is angry at Tyrion for believing Cersei, but is mollified by Jorah. Sansa and Daenerys attempt to clear the air between them based on their mutual love of Jon, but Daenerys doesn't have an answer when Sansa asks about the fate of the North once Daenerys takes the Iron Throne. Theon returns wishing to fight for the Starks. Tormund, Beric, and Edd arrive and tell Jon that the Army of the Dead will arrive before the following morning. At the war council, Bran persuades them to let him act as bait to lure the Night King, who wishes to kill him. Theon volunteers to defend Bran with the Ironborn, and Jon and Daenerys plan to ambush the Night King when he reveals himself to destroy him. Arya talks to the Hound, and asks him why he came North since he only fought for himself, and he retorts that he had fought for her ("The Children"). Arya then visits Gendry. He reveals he is a bastard of Robert Baratheon. Wanting to lose her virginity before the battle, Arya seduces and sleeps with Gendry. Tyrion, Jaime, Brienne, Podrick, Davos, and Tormund gather in the meeting hall to drink before the battle. The conversation turns to why women cannot be knighted; in response to Tormund's remark that he would knight Brienne without hesitation, Jaime knights an emotional Brienne. Jorah fails at attempting to stop Lyanna Mormont from fighting in the battle. Sam approaches Jorah and gives him House Tarly's Valyrian sword Heartsbane, out of gratitude for the influence Jorah's father Jeor had on him. Daenerys visits Jon in the crypts and he reveals his true parentage to Daenerys but Daenerys is skeptical about the reliability of the information. They are interrupted by horn blasts signalling the approach of the Army of the Dead. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by "series veteran" Bryan Cogman. This was his eleventh and final script of the series overall. For him "the biggest challenge was not writing a Wikipedia page." The episode adapts material from the unpublished novels ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring'', along with original material not published in George R. R. Martin's novels. ===Filming=== The episode was directed by David Nutter, his second of three episodes this season. The outdoor Winterfell scenes were filmed at sets in Moneyglass and Magheramorne in Northern Ireland, with indoor scenes filmed at Paint Hall studios in Belfast. Executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss let Maisie Williams decide how much of her body to show on camera during her sex scene; she didn't believe that Arya's nakedness was central to the narrative, and she "kept herself pretty private." ===Music=== The episode features a song called "Jenny's Song", sung by Podrick while many of the characters were drinking by the fire before the upcoming battle. The first line of the song appeared in the book ''A Storm of Swords''; the writers wrote the rest of the lyrics while series composer Ramin Djawadi set it to music. Another version of the song, titled "Jenny of Oldstones", was sung by the band Florence and the Machine and played over the ending credits. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The episode was viewed by 10.29 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, and an additional 5.61 million viewers on streaming platforms, for a total 15.9 million viewers. ===Critical response=== The episode received largely positive reviews from critics and acclaim from many longtime commentators of the series. It has an 87% rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes based on 94 reviews, with an average rating of 8.12/10. The site's critics' consensus states: "What 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' lacks in forward narrative momentum it makes up for in cryptic callbacks, intimate moments, and the promise of imminent battle – though some fans may find their patience tested. The things we do for love." Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' believed that the episode did a good job with building up the story before the eventual climax at Winterfell and wrote, "In this last week before the big White Walker clash and the presumable carnage and loss of beloved characters it will entail, it was a reminder that the things we do for love can be heroic, too." David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' suggested that "audiences didn't need most of last week's dire episode," adding that smooshing the episodes together would result in "a good hour of fan service," before the potential death of some of the characters in the next episode. Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' believed that the episode did a good job of distinguishing between the two sides of the upcoming battle by showing "the warm bodies and warmer conversations between our tragically, beautifully human characters." Rosenberg went on to analyze that the apocalyptic situation facing the characters served as a meta commentary for the impending end of the series, writing, "It’s a sly note to those of us who have spent a decade or longer with George R.R. Martin’s characters, an admonition that even when this hugely absorbing series ends in a few weeks, its best moments will live on in those of us who have loved it and challenged it. And in the hands of writer and co-executive producer Bryan Cogman — who has always, to my mind, better understood what made “Game of Thrones” wonderful than even the men who created and ran the darn thing" Author Stephen King shared praise about the episode on Twitter, writing "As a long-time storyteller, I'm in awe of how perfectly the minds behind this show brought all the major characters together at Winterfell. They made it look easy. Constant Readers, it is not." Among the negative reviews, Liz Shannon Miller of ''IndieWire'' criticized the pace of the episode and unnecessary confrontations between the characters and added, "The issues surrounding "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" would be lesser if a) Episode 1 hadn't also been so devoted to moving pieces into place and b) Season 8 wasn't going to be only six episodes." === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Gwendoline Christie ==References== ==External links== * "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" at HBO.com *

"'''Jenny of Oldstones'''", alternatively titled "'''Jenny's Song'''", is a song appearing in the HBO TV series ''Game of Thrones''. It was included in two separate parts in the second episode of the series' eighth season, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". In the first instance of the song, it was performed during the episode by character Podrick Payne, portrayed by Scottish actor Daniel Portman. The song then played during the episode's end credits, performed by British indie rock band Florence and the Machine. Florence and the Machine released the song as a single the day after the episode aired, on 22 April 2019. The song was released by HBO and record label Universal Music Group. ==Background== "Jenny of Oldstones" is an adaptation of a song mentioned in George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', on which ''Game of Thrones'' is based. In the third novel in the series, ''A Storm of Swords'', a character asks for "my Jenny's song" to be performed. Only one line of the song is quoted in the novel itself: "High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts." In the fictional history of the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the titular Jenny of Oldstones was a commoner whom a prince gave up his inheritance to marry. The song was written by German composer Ramin Djawadi, who composes the music for ''Game of Thrones'', and screenwriters D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, who added lyrics to the fragment written in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by Martin. Florence and the Machine's recording of it was produced by American musician Doveman and Florence and the Machine frontwoman Florence Welch. The song is a folk ballad, with influences of Celtic music. Weiss and Benioff reportedly approached Welch in 2012 to record the song "The Rains of Castamere", although she had turned down their request. Following the release of "Jenny of Oldstones", Welch stated in an interview with ''The New York Times'' that this was during her "wild years", when she was "less focused". In the episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", the recording of the song by Welch was played over the closing credits. The song was however first heard performed by Daniel Portman as the character Podrick, who sang a verse in a sequence reminiscent of the scene in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' when Pippin sang "The Edge of Night" before the battle of Minas Tirith. The version sung by Portman is a simplified in its harmonies, while the version by Welch is close to how Djawadi originally wrote it with more chord changes. ==Commercial performance== "Jenny of Oldstones" debuted at number 75 in the UK and 64 in Ireland. It was the seventh best-selling digital song the week it was released in the United States. In Belgium, the song did not enter the Ultratop 50 or Ultratip 50, but did appear on the Flemish extra tips chart. ==Credits and personnel== Credits adapted from YouTube, provided by Universal Music Group. * Florence Welch – lead vocals, music production * Doveman – music production, mixing, keyboards, programming * Chris Gehringer – mastering * D. B. Weiss – composing, songwriting * David Benioff – composing, songwriting * Ramin Djawadi – composing, songwriting * George R. R. Martin – composing, songwriting ==Charts== Chart (2019) Peakposition Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA) 21 Greece (IFPI) 4 Ireland (IRMA) 56 France Digital Tracks (SNEP) 20 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 18 ==See also== * Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References== ==External links== *

"'''The Long Night'''" is the third episode of the eighth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 70th overall. It was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It aired on April 28, 2019. It is the longest episode of the series, with a run time of 82 minutes. "The Long Night" takes place entirely at Winterfell and depicts the final battle between the Army of the Dead and the combined armies of the living, ending one of the series' primary storylines. The episode's title refers to the prolonged winter that occurred thousands of years earlier, in which the White Walkers first descended upon Westeros. The episode received mixed reviews. Critics praised the visual grandeur and scale of the battle and Arya Stark's personal storyline as its highlights. It received nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for Ramin Djawadi, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Carice van Houten for her final performance as Melisandre. It was later picked by Alfie Allen and Maisie Williams to support their nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, respectively. It has so far received five Primetime Emmy Awards. This episode also marks the final appearances of Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Megan Parkinson (Alys Karstark) and Vladimir Furdik (The Night King). == Plot == The Armies of the Living and of the Dead meet; the Dothraki charge after Melisandre summons fire into their blades, but are quickly overwhelmed by the wights. Eddison Tollett dies after saving Samwell Tarly. Bran Stark, guarded by Theon Greyjoy and the Ironborn, waits in the godswood to lure the Night King; indeed, the Night King, atop undead Viserion, notices that Bran has warged into flying ravens. The living retreat into Winterfell while Melisandre invokes her god and ignites the trench around it. Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen engage the Night King with their dragons. Wights walk into the trench, their bodies serving as a bridge for other wights to cross and storm the castle. Lyanna Mormont stabs a wight giant in the eye with a dragonglass dagger, destroying him while he crushes her to death. Beric Dondarrion sacrifices his final life to save Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane from wights. They find Melisandre, who says Beric was resurrected for a purpose now served, and repeats a prophecy she previously told Arya ("The Climb"); that she would "shut many eyes forever", emphasizing "blue eyes". The Night King is dismounted and caught in Drogon's fire, but he is immune to it. He raises the dead Winterfell defenders and the Starks buried in the crypts. Jon is knocked off Rhaegal, as is Daenerys from Drogon. Daenerys fights wights alongside Jorah Mormont, who eventually succumbs to his wounds after the battle. Jon heads for the godswood but is blocked by Viserion. The Night King arrives at the godswood for Bran and kills a charging Theon. Arya suddenly leaps at the Night King; he grabs her by the throat and dagger-wielding hand, but she drops her Valyrian steel dagger to her free hand and stabs him, destroying him and obliterating his army. Melisandre, her purpose served, walks into the snow at dawn, removes her magical choker, and dies of old age as Davos watches. == Production == The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. === Writing === The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. === Filming === The episode was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It was filmed in 55 night shoots over 11 weeks, and during harsh weather, at sets in Moneyglass, Saintfield and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Cinematographer Fabian Wagner described the shoot as "physically exhausting... they say don't work with animals or kids. We had everything times 100." Sapochnik studied the siege of Helm's Deep in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' to stage the battle scenes in a way "to not have an audience feel battle fatigue", claiming that "the less fighting you can have in a sequence, the better". He also shifted the moods from scene to scene to convey suspense, horror, action, and drama. He described the battle as "survival horror" comparable to ''Assault on Precinct 13'' in its focus on a group besieged by outsiders. === Casting === Country singer Chris Stapleton has a cameo appearance as a wight alongside his bass player and tour manager. Stapleton said his management contacted the show asking if he could be considered for a bit part in an episode and the producers invited him to fly to Belfast to film his scenes. == Reception == === Ratings === The episode was viewed by 12.02 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, and an additional 5.78 million viewers on streaming platforms, for a total 17.8 million viewers. === Critical response === The episode received a mixed reception; on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 73%, based on 107 reviews, but an average rating of 8.79/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Winter has come and gone and Arya Stark may officially be the baddest woman in the land, but despite delivering some epic and emotional moments 'The Long Night' leaves a few things to be desired (lighting, anyone?) heading into the final stretch". There was praise for the direction and cinematography, with James Hibberd for ''Entertainment Weekly'' describing it as "an action epic that manages to weave character-driven stories through clear and comprehensible battle...GoT continues to make every fight unique, compelling and grounded". Arya's unexpected defeat of the Night King was also praised. Alison Herman wrote for ''The Ringer'': "That Arya was the one to seal the deal is heartening, at least...it was the woman who learned to master death and, ultimately, reject it, wielding the very weapon that caused her family so much grief". Myles McNutt wrote for ''The A.V. Club'': "What was pitched by the fandom around the show as an episode rife for death pooling became an episode about a girl who has lost her entire adolescence training for this moment facing the realization that she was not as prepared as she thought, before gaining the confidence—foreknowledge?—to strike the winning blow”, allowing “the final moment to land despite an unavoidable feeling of anti-climax". However, many criticized the handling of the White Walker mythology, the lack of catharsis, and the use of dark production lighting which was seen as gratuitous, artistically unnecessary and disorienting. Caroline Fromke of ''Variety'' wrote: "After years of underlining just how huge and terrifying and all-consuming the threat of White Walker destruction would be, plunging back into 'who gets to sit on that pointy chair' will feel very silly." Zach Kram of ''The Ringer'' called it "a strangely unsatisfying conclusion to a story line that has sustained the show from the very beginning... it seems like those most central questions will remain forever unanswered." Some critics also noted that the episode seemingly concluded the Azor Ahai prophecy arc without resolving it, as they expected Azor Ahai to kill the Night King, yet Arya Stark does not meet the prophecy's other requirements. The conclusion of the White Walker storyline and its significance to the ending of the show caused debate among commentators. Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' argued that it was a perfect ending to what was ultimately a secondary storyline to ''Game of Thrones,'' writing, "The Night King (who isn't really in the books) is pretty one-dimensional and uninteresting. More to the point, he isn't really what these stories have ever been about ... Cersei is far, far more interesting and compelling, because she's a real person with real motivations and fears and love and hate and everything in-between." On the contrary, Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' called the ending an "intellectual letdown, where a big episode of ''Game of Thrones'' felt like badly shot and edited fan service rather than a genuine revelation." Beric Dondarrion's saving of Arya and subsequent death scene were generally well-received. Jolie Lash of Collider called it "an emotional and courageous ending", and said by opening his eye after death instead of closing it, the "character remained intriguing". In interviews with actor Richard Dormer, Josh Wigler of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and Leigh Blickley of ''The Huffington Post'' noted the barricade of the hallway (which some fans have named the "Bericade") was reminiscent of Hodor's iconic death, both selflessly suffering to defend the greater good; Dormer agreed and added it was also "almost Christ-like". Jack Shepherd of ''The Independent'' felt the death was "grisly, but purposeful" and gave the performance a 4/5 rating. Ryan Grauer, an associate professor of international affairs told ''Vox'' that "the tension between good military tactics and good television came into conflict" in this episode. Mick Cook, an Afghanistan war veteran, agreed that the army of the living incorrectly placed its infantry, catapults and trench, and ineffectively used its wall defenses and light cavalry (Dothraki). Tim Goodman of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the polarized reaction a demonstration of the impossibility of pleasing an entire audience of a television show with the scope of ''Game of Thrones'', comparing it to the reception of the final seasons of ''Breaking Bad'', ''Mad Men'', ''The Sopranos'', and ''The Wire''. He wrote, "Fans (of television) are a combination of knowing exactly what they want from you and the story, not knowing what they want but willing to turn on you instantly if they don't get it, and some weird combination of happy but disappointed or let down, but also unwilling to trade the experience for anything ... A consolation is that memory (and opinion) fades, and you're going into the magical, mythical Hall of Fame no matter what." === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Miguel Sapochnik Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alfie Allen Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Maisie Williams Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Carice van Houten Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Nicola Mathews, and Pamela Smyth Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special Emma Faulkes, Paul Spateri, Chloe Muton-Phillips, Duncan Jarman, Patt Foad, John Eldred-Tooby, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch, John Matter, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Simon Kerr, Danny Crowley, and Ronan Hill == References == == External links == * "The Long Night" at HBO.com *

"'''The Last of the Starks'''" is the fourth episode of the eighth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 71st overall. It was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by David Nutter. It aired on May 5, 2019. "The Last of the Starks" shows the aftermath of the battle against the Army of the Dead while setting the stage for the final confrontation, with Daenerys, Jon, and their remaining forces going towards King's Landing to confront Cersei and demand her surrender. The episode received mixed reviews. Critics praised its return to the political intrigue of earlier ''Game of Thrones'' episodes, but criticized the episode's writing. It received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and was picked by Emilia Clarke to support her nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This episode marks the final appearance of Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), and Hannah Murray (Gilly), as well as the final appearances of six actors whose characters died in the previous episode, but were seen as corpses: Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Mormont), Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont), Richard Dormer (Beric Dondarrion), Ben Crompton (Eddison Tollett), and Staz Nair (Qhono). ==Plot== ===At Winterfell=== Jon leads a mass funeral cremation for the dead. At a feast, Daenerys legitimizes Gendry as a Baratheon and makes him Lord of Storm's End, the ancestral home of House Baratheon. Gendry proposes to Arya, but she declines. Brienne leaves a drinking game in discomfort when Tyrion guesses she is a virgin. Jaime goes to Brienne's room and they have sex. Daenerys is uncomfortable at the acclaim the wildlings give Jon and, in private, begs him to never reveal his true parentage. Jon reassures Daenerys that he's renounced his claim for hers but insists he must tell Arya and Sansa the truth. Daenerys plans to immediately storm King's Landing, but Sansa argues the soldiers need rest. Ultimately, they agree Jon will lead the army on foot while Daenerys and her fleet will sail to Dragonstone. Afterwards, Arya and Sansa tell Jon that they distrust Daenerys but Jon defends her. After swearing Sansa and Arya to secrecy, Jon has Bran tell Arya and Sansa of his true parentage. Bronn arrives to kill Jaime and Tyrion, but accepts their offer of Highgarden in exchange for their lives. Arya and Sandor Clegane ride for King's Landing. Sansa reveals Jon's parentage to Tyrion, who then tells Varys. Jon gives Ghost to Tormund, who plans to return north of the Wall with the wildlings; Tormund suggests that Jon join them. Jon also bids farewell to Sam and a pregnant Gilly. After learning of Cersei's capture of Missandei and Sansa suggesting Daenerys will execute Cersei for this, Jaime leaves for King's Landing during the night in hopes of saving her, despite Brienne's tearful plea that he stay with her. ===At Dragonstone=== Euron's Iron Fleet ambushes Daenerys's fleet and kills Rhaegal. Missandei is captured. Daenerys is convinced to talk to Cersei first instead of attacking King's Landing. Varys fears for Daenerys' mental stability and tells Tyrion he believes Jon would be a better ruler, but Tyrion stands by her. ===At King's Landing=== Euron reports his success to Cersei, who claims to be pregnant with his child. She orders the gates of the Red Keep remain open, making her subjects human shields to deter an all-out assault on the city. Daenerys and her army arrive at the walls of King's Landing. Cersei and Daenerys demand each other's surrender, with Cersei threatening to kill Missandei. Tyrion attempts to appeal to Cersei's humanity to get her to surrender. Cersei refuses and has Gregor Clegane behead Missandei, horrifying and enraging Grey Worm and Daenerys. == Production == === Writing === The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. === Filming === The episode was directed by David Nutter. This was his final episode of the series overall. During filming of the banquet scenes, a disposable coffee cup was accidentally left on the set; it was briefly visible in the original broadcast of the episode, but was digitally erased two days later. Actress Nathalie Emmanuel was digitally inserted into the long shots of her own death scene, because filming took place at a great physical height and was exposed to photographers. To keep the plot secret, Emmanuel did not participate in those takes, while her close-ups were shot separately on a sound stage. == Reception == === Ratings === The episode was viewed by 11.8 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO. An additional 5.4 million viewers watched on streaming platforms, for a total of 17.2 million viewers. === Critical response === The episode received mixed to negative reviews; on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 58%, based on 107 reviews and an average rating of 7.01/10, with the critics consensus stating: "'The Last of the Starks' strains to set the board for ''Game of Thrones'' conclusion, but serves up enough political intrigue and touching character interactions to satisfy". Among the positive reviews, Spencer Kornhaber of ''The Atlantic'' wrote, "despite all of the logical head-smack moments ... I'm not brimming with complaints. The episode recaptured some classic ''Thrones'' qualities, really." Chris Barton of ''Los Angeles Times'' praised the storytelling and the interaction between characters and believed that "the bulk of this episode was filled with the sort of palace intrigue and character dynamics that made the show more than the sum of its dragons." Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' believed that the episode did a good job of showing the conflicts between humans and wrote, "It hasn't missed a step thematically, moving from humanity's need to stop killing itself and face a common threat to its compulsion to annihilation even after seeing what it can accomplish as a united front." Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' wrote in her review that the pace of the episode was just right and added, "Where a lesser show would have hurried the action, moving us swiftly on to the battle with Cersei, The Last of the Starks took time to show what the true cost of the Battle of Winterfell was." Among the negative reviews, Shirley Li of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that she wasn't impressed by "The Last of the Starks" and criticized the "nonsensical storytelling" in this episode. David Malitz of ''The Washington Post'' also questioned the logic in this episode, and, referring to the confrontation between Daenerys and Euron, wrote, "Maybe it was just good luck on those initial kill shots, though, because the next few dozen arrows that fly toward Daenerys and Drogon all miss their mark. Every single one of them. Yep." Steve Johnson of ''Chicago Tribune'' believed that the show had lost its exciting storyline and, referring to the downfall of the Night King in the last episode, wrote, "How are we supposed to get thrilled about fighting mere Cersei again when we've already bested the greatest enemy of all time?" Alan Sepinwall of ''Rolling Stone'' labeled the episode as a "structural oddity", and wrote, "It never feels solid enough. The script races through the transition, piling one personality-altering event on top of the next so that none of them gets to breathe." Longtime ''Game of Thrones'' reviewer, Erik Kain of ''Forbes'', stated that "so much happened and so little of it felt right, that today I'm left feeling letdown more than anything, and dreading the next two episodes instead of eagerly awaiting them." On the "Inside the Episode" featurette for "The Last of the Starks", showrunner David Benioff explained that Daenerys lost Rhaegal and her fleet because "Dany kind of forgot about the Iron Fleet and Euron's forces". Amy Jones of ''The Daily Telegraph'' described the explanation as "so stupid", while fans ridiculed Benioff by turning the statement into a meme. === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Nutter Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke == References == == External links == * "The Last of the Starks" at HBO.com *

'''Stannis Baratheon''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. He is the second son of Steffon Baratheon, the lord of Storm's End, and his wife Lady Cassana Estermont, and brother to King Robert and Renly. He is the Lord of Dragonstone and a claimant to the Iron Throne after his elder brother's death. Stannis's goals are frequently impeded by his lack of manpower and resources, owing to his unpopularity with other noble houses. He must therefore rely on the counsel of the foreign priestess Melisandre and his right-hand man, lowborn smuggler Davos Seaworth, who later becomes his Hand of the King. Stannis often struggles to escape the shadow of his two more overtly charismatic brothers, particularly Robert. Though first mentioned in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Stannis formally appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). In December 2011, Martin posted a sample chapter from the yet-unfinished ''The Winds of Winter'', told from Theon Greyjoy's viewpoint, which confirmed Stannis' return in the sixth book. Stannis is portrayed by English actor Stephen Dillane in the HBO television adaptation of the series, who has received significant critical praise for his performance. Stannis is a divisive character among fans of the books and television show alike, enjoying both great popularity for his dedication to justice and dark horse status, as well as opposition for his unrelenting attitude towards the Iron Throne. He has earned particular attention for the differences in his characterization between the novels and show, particularly during season five. == Character description == Stannis Baratheon is the younger brother of King Robert and older brother of Renly. He is portrayed as a brooding and humorless man with a harsh but fair sense of duty and justice whose dour demeanor is often off-putting in comparison to his two more charismatic brothers. He is renowned as a skilled and prescient military commander. Although he is initially said to be extremely stubborn and inflexible, in later books he has shown some ability to use diplomacy and deception to achieve his goals. Stannis is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, predominantly Davos Seaworth and Jon Snow, and later Asha and Theon Greyjoy. ===Background=== Stannis was born as the second of Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont's three sons, and in his youth he was constantly overshadowed by his older brother Robert. When Stannis was fourteen he witnessed his parents' death in a shipwreck off the coast of House Baratheon's castle of Storm's End, and subsequently lost his faith in the Seven Gods. During Robert's Rebellion, a teenage Stannis holds Storm's End in Robert's absence, but is besieged by Mace Tyrell and Paxter Redwyne for the best part of the year. Stannis' garrison only avoids starvation thanks to the smuggler Davos Seaworth, who evades the blockade by the Redwyne fleet to bring the Baratheon soldiers a cargo of onions and fish. When Eddard Stark arrives to lift the siege, Stannis knights Davos as reward for his aid, but also insists that Davos have four fingers removed as punishment for his years of illegal smuggling; Davos agrees, on the condition that Stannis removes the fingers himself. Stannis is subsequently tasked with building a new royal fleet to assault Dragonstone and capture the island, but arrives to find that Aerys II Targaryen's children Viserys and the newborn Daenerys had fled. Robert names Stannis Lord of Dragonstone, giving him control over the islands of Blackwater Bay and the nearby peninsula of Massey's Hook - but Stannis feels slighted, as their younger brother Renly is named Lord of Storm's End, giving him control over the entirety of the Stormlands. It is suggested that this was because Robert was following the custom of granting Dragonstone to the king's heir, but Stannis perceives it as an insult. Several years later, Stannis is married to Lady Selyse Florent, but Robert soiled their wedding bed by deflowering Selyse's cousin Delena, further insulting Stannis. Stannis and Selyse have a single daughter together, Shireen, who nearly dies in infancy after contracting greyscale and is left disfigured. Stannis, who is named Robert's Master of Ships, destroys the Iron Fleet under the command of Victarion Greyjoy at Fair Isle during the Greyjoy Rebellion and leads the conquest of Great Wyk, the largest of the Iron Islands, adding to his significant military resume. At the beginning of the first novel ''A Game of Thrones'', Stannis comes to suspect that Robert's children with Cersei Lannister are not actually his, and reveals his suspicions to Robert's Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn. The two discover several of Robert's bastard children in King's Landing, and begin to gather proof, before Jon's sudden, untimely death. ===Appearance and personality=== Stannis is frequently described as a large and sinewy man that towers over others, such as Davos Seaworth and Jon Snow, a Baratheon trait. He lacks the long black hair of his brothers, and is instead balding, although he keeps a close-cropped beard of the signature Baratheon black. His face is described as 'tight like cured leather' with hollow, gaunt cheeks. His eyes are described by Asha Greyjoy as 'deep, sunken pits', with a powerful stare that suggests an 'iron ferocity'. Stannis' most prominent characteristics are his flinty and austere demeanor, unrelenting stubbornness, and powerful sense of duty and justice, the latter of which he is notorious for throughout Westeros. He rarely forgives a slight; Jon Snow once comments that "Stannis Baratheon with a grievance was like a mastiff with a bone; he gnawed it down to splinters." His signature tic is grinding his teeth, often in the face of unpleasant or unforeseen circumstances. He is a renowned commander, sailor, and warrior, although he is a better tactician than fighter. Stannis is known for his brusqueness and lack of tact in social situations and finds himself uncomfortable around women, including his own wife. He abhors brothels and once tried to have them banned from King's Landing, which made him unpopular with the smallfolk there. He dresses plainly in dark clothing and is rarely seen without his sword and dagger. Stannis is plagued with bitterness at the lack of respect and affection he has been shown by his older brother King Robert, and even in childhood was described by the Baratheon family maester as "the most unloved of the three"; a "solemn and joyless" child "mature beyond his years". Stannis is an atheist, despite claims that he is being manipulated by the red priestess Melisandre. Although Stannis suffers from a lack of support and resources during the War of Five Kings, he is frequently described by his adversaries, including Tywin Lannister, as the most dangerous rival claimant. Above all he is characterized by his fearless and uncompromising pursuit of justice and duty - he is described by Varys in this way: "His claim is the true one, he is known for his prowess as a battle commander, and he is utterly without mercy. There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man." == Storylines == Personal coat of arms of Stannis Baratheon ==== ''A Game of Thrones'' ==== When Robert travels to Winterfell to name Eddard as his new Hand, Stannis flees to Dragonstone with his forces, including most of the royal navy. Stannis suspects Cersei's involvement in Jon's death. It is later revealed that the true culprit was Jon's wife Lysa, who was persuaded to poison her husband by her lover, Petyr Baelish. Eddard continues Stannis and Jon's investigations, and discovers that Cersei's children are the products of her incestuous affair with her twin brother Jaime Lannister. After Robert's death, Eddard tries to replace Robert's presumed heir Joffrey Baratheon with Stannis, but loses the political struggle against the Lannisters and is executed. ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Stannis comes under the influence of the red priestess Melisandre, who believes that Stannis is the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, a messianic figure in her faith. Stannis declares himself the one true King; however, most of the Baratheon bannermen support the claim of his younger and much more charismatic brother, Renly, as does the powerful House Tyrell due to Renly's marriage to Margaery Tyrell. Stannis tries to negotiate with Renly, offering him the chance to become his heir, which offer Renly rejects, planning to have Stannis killed the next day. Renly is subsequently assassinated by a shadow conjured by Melisandre using Stannis' life force, and many of Renly's bannermen immediately swear allegiance to Stannis, although the Tyrells side with the Lannisters due to their offer to have Margaery marry Joffrey. Stannis assaults King's Landing by sea, but many of his men are killed when Tyrion Lannister detonates wildfire in the River Blackwater. Stannis' forces still nearly claim victory, but Lannister and Tyrell reinforcements arrive in time to drive Stannis' men away from King's Landing. However Rolland Storm, the Bastard of Nightsong, commands his forces well enough that Stannis is able to escape. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== Stannis retreats to Dragonstone with what is left of his army. He imprisons his Hand Lord Alester Florent, one of his wife's uncles, for trying to offer terms of surrender to the Lannisters. Another of Selyses' uncles, Ser Axell Florent, castellan of Dragonstone, aims to become Stannis' Hand of the King. He suggests a plan to attack Claw Isle in retaliation for Lord Celtigar's bending the knee to Joffrey, but Davos derides an attack on this defenseless island as evil. For this honest counsel Stannis names Davos as his new Hand. Melisandre tells Stannis to burn Edric Storm, one of Robert's bastards, as a sacrifice to raise dragons from Dragonstone. Stannis is conflicted about burning his nephew but uses Edric's blood collected by three leeches to curse the rival kings: Balon Greyjoy, Joffrey Baratheon, and Robb Stark. After Joffrey's, Balon's, and Robb's deaths seem to prove the power of king's blood, Stannis considers sacrificing Edric. Davos smuggles Edric off Dragonstone to the Free Cities, and then persuades Stannis to sail to the North and save the Night's Watch from the wildling army. After Melisandre burns Alester Florent as a sacrifice to R'hllor to ensure favorable winds, Stannis takes most of his remaining army and sails north to crush the wildling assault, managing to rout the whole host with few casualties. He remains at the Night's Watch headquarters at Castle Black to negotiate a settlement with the wildlings, and offers to legitimise Eddard's bastard Jon Snow if Jon will fight with Stannis' army. Jon, who has been elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, declines, as he has made an oath binding him to serve the Night's Watch. ==== ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== Stannis sends ravens to the Northern houses naming himself as king and asking for their support, but only House Karstark and a faction of House Umber swear allegiance. Stannis has the King-beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder burned at the stake, and most of the wildlings bend the knee to Stannis, although Stannis is unaware that Melisandre had used glamours to switch Rayder and his lieutenant, the Lord of Bones. To rally the North, Stannis intends to attack House Bolton's castle The Dreadfort with the help of Arnolf Karstark, castellan of Karhold. In reality Arnolf is working with the Boltons, hoping to entrap Stannis and have his hostage great-nephew Harrion Karstark executed so his branch of the family can take Karhold. On Jon's advice, Stannis instead rallies the northern mountain clans and attacks Deepwood Motte, ousting the Ironborn holding the castle and taking Asha Greyjoy captive. He restores the castle to House Glover, thus winning their support and that of House Mormont. He marches on Winterfell to confront the Boltons, joined by the men of Arnolf Karstark and Mors Umber (one of the castellans of the Last Hearth), but his host is waylaid by heavy snows and forced to stop at a crofter's village three days away from Winterfell. A letter is later sent to Jon Snow by Ramsay Bolton claiming that Stannis has been defeated and killed, though it is unknown how much of the letter is true. George R. R. Martin confirmed to a fan in 2015 that Stannis is still alive in the books. ==== ''The Winds of Winter'' ==== In December 2011, Martin posted a sample chapter from the yet-unfinished sixth book ''The Winds of Winter'', told from Theon Greyjoy's viewpoint, where Stannis is actively and efficiently preparing for the looming battle against the Bolton-Frey-Karstark alliance. He secures a loan by signing a blood contract with the Braavosi banker Tycho Nestoris, whose convoy managed to find Stannis' army, and plans to immediately send Tycho back to the Wall for safety. Tycho also brought a message from Jon Snow informing Stannis of Arnolf Karstark's planned treachery, after which Stannis arrested Arnolf, his son Arthor and his three grandsons and plans to execute them. He also subdued Tybald, the Dreadfort maester, who out of fear confesses that he has already revealed Stannis's position to the Boltons in Winterfell. Stannis then sends Ser Justin Massey to escort Tycho and the escaped "Arya Stark" back to Castle Black to reunite her with Jon Snow, in gratitude for Jon's counsel of gathering the northern mountain clans. Massey is to then travel to Braavos and use a loan from the Iron Bank to hire twenty thousand sellswords for Stannis. Stannis tells Massey that he may hear of Stannis's death in Braavos, but even if that news is true, Massey is to follow the orders as to seat his daughter Shireen on the Iron Throne. Stannis then interrogates Theon for information regarding the Boltons' military strength. When Theon taunts Stannis for not taking Ramsay seriously, Stannis confidently reveals that he already has a battle plan to utilize the terrain against the incoming Frey army. Stannis next receives Asha Greyjoy, and informs her that her brother Theon must be executed, as showing him mercy would mean losing all of the northmen. To spare Theon the agony of death by burning, Asha pleas Stannis to personally execute Theon by beheading in the tradition of the northmen. === Family tree of House Baratheon === == TV adaptation == Stephen Dillane plays the role of Stannis Baratheon in the television series. Stannis Baratheon is played by Stephen Dillane in the television adaption of the series of books. ==== Season 2 ==== Stannis' personal banner in the TV series. Stannis falls under the influence of Melisandre, a priestess of R'hllor who believes Stannis is the reincarnation of a legendary hero from her religion. After Robert's death, Stannis claims himself the true heir to the Iron Throne as Cersei's children are bastards born of incest. However, most of the Baratheon bannermen support the claim of the younger but far more charismatic Renly. Stannis confronts Renly and offers to make him his heir if he supports him, but Renly refuses, only using the negotiations as an opportunity to mock his brother, and intending to kill Stannis in battle the next day. Melisandre, who had seduced Stannis, gives birth to a shadow baby bearing Stannis' face that kills Renly, and many of Renly's bannermen immediately swear allegiance to Stannis. He then attacks King's Landing by sailing up Blackwater Bay. Stannis' force breaches the walls, but due to Tyrion Lannister's use of wildfire and the arrival of last-minute Lannister and Tyrell reinforcements, he is defeated. Nonetheless, he is convinced to continue fighting by Melisandre, and is further convinced by her magic as she shows him a vision of a battle in the flames. ==== Season 3 ==== Stannis acquires one of Robert's bastards, Gendry, from the Brotherhood Without Banners and plans to sacrifice him to further his quest for the Iron Throne. After Davos Seaworth questions his course of action, Stannis has three leeches drawn with Gendry's blood and throws them into a fire, calling for the death of Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy and Joffrey Baratheon. Upon the news of Robb's death, Davos releases Gendry to prevent him from being sacrificed. Stannis subsequently sentences Davos to death but is swayed by Melisandre, who encourages him to travel North to aid the Night's Watch against the White Walkers emerging from beyond the Wall. ==== Season 4 ==== Stannis hears of Joffrey's death and chastises Davos again for releasing Gendry and not finding him a suitable army, prompting Davos to write to the Iron Bank of Braavos in Stannis' name to help pay for an army. The Iron Bank nearly refuses Stannis' request, but Davos manages to convince them that Stannis is the only one they can turn to since Tywin Lannister is nearing old age. Stannis and his army arrive at the Wall shortly after the Battle of Castle Black, interrupting a parley between Jon Snow and Mance Rayder and crushing the wildling force. Stannis learns that Jon is Ned Stark's son, and on Jon's advice, he places Mance and his men under arrest. He is later present at the funeral of the Night's Watch brothers who died during the Battle for Castle Black. ==== Season 5 ==== Stannis begins plans to retake the North from Roose Bolton, hoping to recruit Mance's wildling army, if Mance will bend the knee to him. Mance refuses, and Stannis has him burnt at the stake. Stannis offers to legitimise Jon as a Stark to win the loyalty of the Northerners who refuse to recognise Stannis as their king, but Jon decides to remain loyal to his vows to the Night's Watch. Stannis marches on Winterfell, but his army is delayed by a large snowstorm. In the chaos Ramsay Bolton and his men infiltrate Stannis's camp, and destroy all supplies and horses. Melisandre persuades a reluctant Stannis to sacrifice Shireen to ensure victory. Although the snowstorm lifts, half of Stannis's army deserts him, Selyse commits suicide out of guilt, and Melisandre flees to Castle Black. Stannis decides to complete the march on foot. As his army arrives at Winterfell, it is swiftly defeated by a cavalry charge led by Ramsay Bolton. Stannis survives the battle, but is confronted by Brienne of Tarth, a former member of Renly's Kingsguard. Stannis confesses to killing Renly with blood magic, and Brienne executes him, telling Stannis she is killing him in the name of the 'rightful' King Renly. === Critical reception === The English actor Stephen Dillane has received positive reviews for his performance as Stannis Baratheon, especially in the fifth season. On her review for "Sons of the Harpy", Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' wrote, "Stephen Dillane has always been wonderful at showing us the core of this rigid, complex man." His performance on the same episode also received positive reviews from ''Vulture''. Harri Sargeant of ''Hypable'' wrote, "Stephen Dillane has always been one of the classiest actors on the show, and his last moments as the King Who Almost Was saw as commanding a performance as ever." In her review for ''Mother's Mercy'', Meghan O'Keefe of ''Decider'' wrote, "Whether you like Stannis or not, you have to admit that Stephen Dillane delivered a monumental performance this season." Cindy Davis of ''Pajiba'' wrote "After Shireen’s seemingly pointless death, it’s a testament to Stephen Dillane’s phenomenal skills that we could feel anything at all for a man who watched his daughter burned alive." Nick Steinberg of ''Goliath'' wrote, "Credit has to go to Stephen Dillane for his performance, especially in these last few episodes where he’s had to convey a form of grim tragedy that’s effectively conveyed the character’s downfall. For his part, Dillane expressed misgivings about his performance, telling ''The Times'' newspaper, "I didn’t know what I was doing until we’d finished filming and it was too late. The damage had been done. I thought no one would believe in me and I was rather disheartened by the end. I felt I’d built the castle on non-existent foundations.”''''' == References == ==Sources== *

"'''The Bells'''" is the fifth and penultimate episode of the eighth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 72nd and penultimate episode of the series. It was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It aired on May 12, 2019. "The Bells" features the final battle for control of the Iron Throne, with Daenerys Targaryen's forces commencing their assault on Cersei Lannister's forces at King's Landing. The episode received criticism from critics and audiences alike. Critics praised the episode as visually impressive and commended the acting and direction, but criticized the pacing and logic of the story, as well as its handling of the character arcs of Tyrion, Jaime, Cersei, Grey Worm, Varys, and particularly Daenerys. It received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and was also picked by Lena Headey to support her nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. It eventually was awarded the prizes for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. ==Plot== ===At Dragonstone=== Varys writes a letter about Jon Snow's true heritage when a girl informs him that Daenerys Targaryen continues to refuse food. He tells her to "try again at supper". Varys implores Jon to take the Iron Throne, but Jon refuses to betray Daenerys. Tyrion Lannister informs Daenerys of Varys' plot; she executes Varys. When Daenerys says she does not have the people's love in Westeros, Jon assures Daenerys he loves her. However, when he stops her kiss, Daenerys resigns herself to fear. Tyrion implores Daenerys to spare the common folk in King's Landing if the city bells ring, and she nods toward Grey Worm. She informs Tyrion that Jaime Lannister has been captured on his way to King's Landing and warns Tyrion not to fail her again. ===At King's Landing=== Tyrion arrives at the Unsullied camp and frees Jaime so Jaime can take Cersei Lannister away from King's Landing to Pentos. Jaime makes for the Red Keep. The next day, Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane enter the Red Keep. The battle begins with Daenerys and Drogon burning Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet, the Golden Company, and the city's defenses. Grey Worm kills Harry Strickland. When Daenerys' army storms King's Landing, the remaining Lannister forces drop their weapons and the city surrenders. Daenerys refuses to accept the surrender and, atop Drogon, lays waste to the city, while her army, led by Grey Worm, massacre the unarmed Lannister soldiers. Jon unsuccessfully tries to stop his men from attacking, kills one who attempts rape, and eventually, he and Davos Seaworth have the rest fall back as the city burns. Jaime fights Euron, who badly wounds him, but Jamie is able to mortally wound Euron, leaving him to die. Sandor convinces Arya to give up her desire for revenge against Cersei and he and Arya part ways as friends. As Cersei and Qyburn attempt to escape, Sandor arrives and kills the Queensguard in order to fight his brother, Gregor Clegane. Gregor kills Qyburn and Cersei flees. Gregor resists all attacks but when Sandor tackles him through a wall, the brothers fall to their deaths in the fire below. Jaime reunites with Cersei, but find their escape passage is blocked by rubble from the attack. They resign themselves to their fate and embrace as the Keep's cellar ceiling collapses on them, killing them and their unborn child. Arya experiences the chaos in King's Landing and tries to help the smallfolk she encounters but is knocked unconscious when a bell tower falls near her. When she wakes up, she discovers the burned corpses of the smallfolk on the street. She encounters a white horse coated in blood and rides it away. == Production == === Writing === The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. === Filming === The episode was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. This was his final episode of the series. For the filming of the episode, the city of Dubrovnik (the stand-in for King's Landing) was recreated on the backlot of their Belfast set. Filming Varys's death scene ultimately ended up taking seven months as rain kept postponing the shoot. In a promotional photo of the scene in which Jaime and Cersei embrace at the Red Keep, his right hand is visible instead of the metallic prosthetic the character received in season 4. In the actual episode, only the metallic hand is seen. The error in the image garnered attention in light of the previous episode's coffee cup mistake. ===Casting=== Laura Elphinstone was cast as one of the inhabitants of King's Landing who helped Arya Stark during the dragon attack on the city. The American football quarterback Aaron Rodgers appears in a cameo in this episode. == Reception == === Ratings === The episode was viewed by 12.48 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, surpassing "The Dragon and the Wolf" as the most-watched episode of the series. An additional 5.9 million viewers watched on streaming platforms, for a total of 18.4 million viewers. ===Critical response=== ====General==== On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 49% based on 107 reviews, and an average rating of 6.32/10, with the critical consensus stating, "Death, destruction, and the deterioration of Daenerys' sanity make 'The Bells' an episode for the ages; but too much plot in too little time muddles the story and may leave some viewers feeling its conclusions are unearned." It is the second lowest-rated episode on Rotten Tomatoes, behind "The Iron Throne." Lenika Cruz of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that although she found the special effects stunning and the acting spectacular, this was "the worst ''Game of Thrones'' episode ever" because the plot was either too obvious or illogical, with the massacre seeming "an unearned negation of the identity Daenerys had spent years building for herself". Emily VanDerWerff of ''Vox'' found the episode grim and absent of sense, but credited director Miguel Sapochnik for "the gorgeous visuals that extended beyond the battle scenes." VanDerWerff praised the acting of the cast such as Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, and Emilia Clarke; the latter two made their characters' actions believable even when they were illogical. Alex McLevy of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote that the episode successfully demonstrated that "the chaos of war makes villains and victims of us all", with the "progression from exhilarating hope to tragic denouement being skillfully executed by director Miguel Sapochnik" with better large-scale choreography than in the "The Long Night". Hugh Montgomery of BBC Culture wrote that characters such as Tyrion, Jaime, Daenerys, and Cersei were "definitively sacrificed to the show's scrambled plotting", and that ''Game of Thrones'' was previously "a show that intelligently delineated a senseless world", but that it was now nonsense. VanDerWerff stated that Cersei and Jaime's deaths were not given much thought by the writers and were instead simply something to check off a list. Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'', saying that the episode lacked substance and was an "absolute disaster", argued that Grey Worm, Daenerys and Varys took actions which were wildly out of character. Alan Sepinwall of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that the episode's "technical genius" and "the visual clarity only made it easier to see how muddled the show has been, from both a narrative and character standpoint, in this home stretch", with the scorpions turning from accurate to useless, Euron surviving Drogon to have a "pointless fight with Jaime", the setting of Cleganebowl being invulnerable while the castle fell, Jaime easily entering the gated Red Keep, and the appearance of "seemingly hundreds of Dothraki" despite most of them apparently dying in 'The Long Night'. Lawler also said that the writers "threw out their own rule book (suddenly the scorpions don't work and Drogon can burn everything?) to pursue gross spectacle". Several critics criticized the pacing of events; Lawler wrote that the pacing started off rushed, while Spencer Kornhaber of ''The Atlantic'' said that the show was "sprinting through plot check marks". Will Bedingfield of ''Wired'' also felt that the show rushed storylines, seeing the death of Varys as being without the climactic buildup previous seasons had. Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' attributed season eight's pacing problems to season seven having had pacing issues that ensured that the rest of the series would feel "breathless and rushed." ====Daenerys's arc==== Critics generally considered Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) villainous turn in this episode unearned. Daenerys's turn from hero to villain was especially criticized, with many reviewers and fans feeling that, because she was built up as a morally good protagonist for seven seasons, it made no narrative sense, or that it was not executed properly within the provided timescale. Mike Hogan of ''Vanity Fair'' said that although the show had been clear that Daenerys has a temper, "we have seen her balance that violence with mercy, kindness, and above all shrewdness." Zack Beauchamp of ''Vox'' argued that Daenerys's previous cruelties were somewhat logical because she killed people who "committed crimes deserving of punishment" and Samwell Tarly's father and brother because they "refused to submit to her rule," but that there was no reason to go after harmless civilians. He said although the show had been "building toward Daenerys becoming the Mad Queen" and this route could have worked, "its execution was sloppy and rushed" and "it felt as if Daenerys had become a monster simply because the show needed her to become a monster, not because it was paying off a thoughtfully developed character turn." ''Slate'''s Sam Adams said "the show spent far more time making Dany a hero" than building her up as the Mad Queen. ''The Atlantic'' staff opined, "''Game of Thrones'' could have easily demonstrated the nasty reality of Daenerys's fight for Westeros without putting the choice to massacre innocents directly on her shoulders. Instead, 'The Bells' ended up painting one of the most pivotal plot points in the final season as an emotional lashing-out from a tired, lonely, paranoid young woman." Kathryn VanArendonk of ''Vulture'' also criticized the episode for "ultimately hinging on a trope as painfully stale as 'and then the scary powerful woman goes crazy'." Eliana Dockterman of ''Time'' criticized the analyses of Daenerys's advisors as also playing "into the terrible trope of the crazed, power-hungry woman" and Tyrion's advice as having kept Daenerys from taking the Iron Throne much earlier and without as much bloodshed. She said she understood the idea of power corrupting "a heroic figure like Daenerys" and Daenerys falling prey to a messiah complex, but that the show needed to evolve her to that point like it evolved other characters to their points. Alan Sepinwall of ''Rolling Stone'' stated that Daenerys's descent into madness is the kind of development that requires "at least another half of a regular-length GoT season to feel earned." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' said that Daenerys's final arc comes down to two aspects – story development and character development. He said Daenerys burning down King's Landing is a logical and effective way of ending the story on a thematic level, adding that how "it reshapes the rest of the episode is a striking reframing of the violence that has defined the show." Character-wise, he felt that the choice was "undeniably trickier" because one might be led to believe that Daenerys's choice was purely reflexive when it was instead due to "a collection of life experiences that left her believing that ruling with fear was the only path ahead of her." He said "the writers failed to create the necessary structure for the villainous turn" and they could have better highlighted Daenerys's destiny as a villain by referencing things such as her prophecy in Qarth. ''Variety'''s Daniel D'Addario also argued that it made sense that Daenerys would burn the city because her "tactics have always been more deeply rooted in dominance than in empathy." Arguing that the change in Daenerys's arc has likely been planned by George R. R. Martin from the beginning, Vox's Andrew Prokop stated, "If ''Game of Thrones'' ended with a triumphant Daenerys Targaryen heroically taking the Iron Throne, it wouldn't be ''Game of Thrones''. This is the show of Ned Stark's death. This is the show of the Red Wedding. This is the ending it was headed toward all along." Screen Rant's Alexandra August felt that "ultimately it comes down to your interpretation of Dany's arc and how much that interpretation was diluted by pacing, execution and cultural context, if at all." She pondered different ways the show could have pulled off the arc better, such as Daenerys only choosing to kill Cersei, but concluded that there would eventually be someone else to push her over the edge regardless. Also stating that "there are many ways to interpret" Daenerys's decision to burn the city, Megan Garber of ''The Atlantic'' said that maybe it was the Targaryen madness having settled in, or her ruthlessness taking over, or a "crazy edit" by the writers, or a decision "that some innocents must die in the present so that many more can live peacefully in the future," or maybe that Daenerys "having recently lost her second dragon and the apparent loyalty of those left in her orbit, she simply made a blunt calculation about power and what will be required to attain it." Garber said that "ambiguity is a powerful tool in storytelling," but that "it is also a difficult one to wield well," and that "Dany is a savior, and Dany is a monster, and it is impossible to know where one ends and the other begins." To Garber, this uncertainty made Daenerys's actions all the more horrific because logic will not always win and "justice won't always save the day." Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss attributed Daenerys's decision to burn the city to having lost almost all of her friends and advisors, no longer trusting Jon Snow, and wanting to reclaim the home that her family built. Benioff said that Jon also being unable to return her affections because they are related played a factor. Weiss stated, "I think that when she says, 'Let it be fear,' she's resigning herself to the fact that she may have to get things done in a way that isn't pleasant." Benioff said that the ruthless side to Daenerys had always been there and that "if Cersei hadn't betrayed her, if Cersei hadn't executed Missandei, if Jon hadn't told her the truth ... if all of these things had happened in any different way, then I don't think we'd be seeing this side of Daenerys Targaryen." Emilia Clarke said, "Every single thing that's led her to this point, and there she is, alone." VanArendonk expressed disappointment that Weiss and Benioff explained Daenerys's actions as due to her emotions, instead of some "twisted, empathetic logic". Emma Baty of ''Cosmopolitan'' also criticized the showrunners' response, stating, "Totally, totally. A woman is definitely prone to ending thousands of innocent lives just because her dad did the same, even though in the entire series, she's been insistent on not becoming that person. That checks out!" ===Audience response=== ''People'' magazine's Aurelie Corinthios said, "Despite the major plot developments, viewers were left wanting more from a series that has spent the last eight seasons meticulously building up complex characters." She added that "others defended the episode, arguing that while the action was definitely 'rushed,' the main elements still made sense. Plus, didn't we always know we wouldn't get a happy ending?" Lauren Hill of ''Chicago Tribune'' relayed that the episode "had fans very divided. Some are upset by the character arcs of certain fan favorites while others saw this coming for quite some time." Reviewers made note of the negative fan reactions, especially to Daenerys's arc. Estelle Tang of ''Elle'' stated that many "commented how unbelievable it was for Dany to turn into a violent vengeance-seeker this far into the show's run." ''Esquire'''s Gabrielle Bruney said viewers felt that the writers threw out her character development. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' staff stated that "many ''Game of Thrones'' viewers see Daenerys' acts as nothing short of a character assassination, laying blame for the treatment of the Dragon Queen, Cersei and the series' other powerful women at the feet of creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss." Mehera Bonner of ''Cosmopolitan'' wrote that "fans are absolutely devastated" by the episode and that they bemoaned "how the show has been completely ruined by sloppy writing and terrible decisions." She said, "While you could argue that we should have seen a lot of this coming, many fans were... I don't know... just hoping for better? Better than Daenerys becoming a Mad Queen just because it's in her family history and better than Jaime reverting to his season 1 personality just because it’s the easy way out." A petition to HBO for a remake of the eighth season of ''Game of Thrones'' "that makes sense" was started on Change.org after the fourth episode "The Last of the Starks" aired, but went viral after the fifth episode "The Bells" aired. The petition described showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as "woefully incompetent writers". As of May 18, 2019 (i.e., the evening before the series finale), it has amassed over 1 million signatures. The petition was labelled as "ridiculous" by actor Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark), and "rude" by actor Jacob Anderson (who plays Grey Worm). Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa) said that "there's always been crazy twists and turns" on ''Game of Thrones'' and "so Daenerys becoming something of the Mad Queen — it shouldn't be such a negative thing for fans. It's a shock for sure, but I think it's just because it hasn't gone their way." She argued, "All of these petitions and things like that — I think it's disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years, and for 11 months shooting the last season." === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron Outstanding Special Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Sam Conway, Mohsen Mousavi, Martin Hill, Ted Rae, Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, and Thomas Schelesny ==References== == External links == * "The Bells" at HBO.com *

"'''The Iron Throne'''" is the series finale of the American fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones''. It is the sixth episode of the eighth season and the 73rd overall episode of the series. Written and directed by the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, it aired on HBO in the United States and Canada on May 19, 2019. This is the only episode of the season that does not feature the "Game Revealed" and "Inside the Episode" behind-the-scenes specials, which were recorded yet unreleased for unknown reasons. "The Iron Throne" features the characters dealing with the aftermath of Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) devastation of King's Landing and determining who will finally rule Westeros. Some commentators took issue with the episode's story arcs, pacing and tone, while others deemed it a satisfying conclusion to the series. Benioff and Weiss received directing and writing nominations for the episode at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, whilst Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage selected the episodes to support their nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, respectively. == Plot == Jon and Davos survey the destruction that Daenerys Targaryen wrought on King's Landing after she took the city from Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion finds the crushed corpses of Cersei and Jaime in the ruins of the Red Keep and mourns them. Grey Worm executes Lannister soldiers, telling Jon that Daenerys ordered it. Daenerys declares to the Unsullied and Dothraki that they "liberated" the people of King's Landing, and she will "liberate" the entire world. Tyrion publicly resigns as Daenerys’ Hand in protest and is arrested for treason. Arya tells Jon that because of his Targaryen heritage, Daenerys will kill him as a threat to her rule. Jon visits Tyrion in captivity, who tells Jon that despite Jon's love for Daenerys, it is Jon's duty to kill her for being the people's greatest threat. Tyrion also warns that Arya and her sister Sansa will not bend the knee to Daenerys, putting all of House Stark in danger. In the throne room, Jon confronts Daenerys, who blames the deaths of civilians on Cersei for using them as human shields. She refuses to forgive Tyrion or the Lannister prisoners, arguing that their executions – and a continued "liberation" campaign – are necessary to establish her vision of a good world. Unable to dissuade her, a conflicted Jon reaffirms his fealty to her and fatally stabs her as they kiss. As he grieves, Drogon arrives. After discovering that Daenerys has been murdered, Drogon melts the Iron Throne and carries Daenerys's body away to the east. Some time later, the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms convene to discuss the fates of Tyrion and Jon. Tyrion, still held prisoner by Grey Worm, suggests that future monarchs be chosen by a council, instead of inheriting the crown. This suggestion is agreed upon by the lords and ladies present, and Tyrion nominates Bran to be the new king of Westeros, dubbing him Bran the Broken. Everyone agrees with the nomination except for Sansa, who declares the North's independence from the Seven Kingdoms. Bran accepts, appoints Tyrion as his Hand, and sentences Jon to rejoin the Night's Watch to appease Grey Worm and the Unsullied, who then depart with the Dothraki for Naath, the homeland of his deceased lover Missandei. Days later, Tyrion convenes a new Small Council consisting of Bronn (now Lord of Highgarden), Brienne, Davos, and Sam. As they begin planning to rebuild King's Landing, Bran, King of the Six Kingdoms, briefly meets with the council and tasks himself with finding Drogon. Arya sets sail to explore the uncharted seas west of Westeros. Sansa is crowned Queen in the North by the Northern lords. Jon returns to Castle Black and reunites with Tormund, Ghost and the rest of the Wildlings, and leads them to return to the lands beyond the Wall. == Production == === Writing === The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Isaac Hempstead-Wright stated that Benioff and Weiss told him Bran becoming king came from George R. R. Martin's outline for future novels. === Filming === The episode was directed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. During filming of the Dragonpit scene in Seville, Spain, actors Vladimir Furdik (The Night King), Faye Marsay (The Waif), Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar), and Kit Harington (Jon Snow) were brought by HBO to the city as decoys to hide plot points. In the same scene, two plastic water bottles were spotted by the audience behind John Bradley and Liam Cunningham's feet. == Reception == === Ratings === The episode was viewed by 13.61 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, making it the most watched episode of the series, surpassing the preceding episode "The Bells", as well as the most-watched HBO telecast ever, surpassing the 13.4 million viewers of ''The Sopranos'' episode "For All Debts Public and Private". An additional 5.7 million viewers watched on streaming platforms, for a total of 19.3 million viewers. === Critical response === On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 48% based on 133 reviews, with an average rating of 6.32 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads: "If nothing else, 'The Iron Throne' is a bittersweet – if unfortunately bland – series finale that ensures ''Game of Thrones'' fans will linger on the fate of their favorite characters for some time. Will they ever be satisfied by the show's conclusions? Ask us again in 10 years." As of 9 August 2019, it is the lowest rated episode of the series. James Poniewozik of ''The New York Times'' felt the story insufficiently explained why Daenerys burned King's Landing and how she arrived at her final character point, stating that "a woman, abused and traded like chattel, becomes so caught up in her zeal to do good that she sees anything but blind adoration as evil" was a solid idea, but that viewers were not taken "inside her perspective to make that change seem real and inevitable." Poniewozik said "small character moments" like Tyrion straightening chairs, Arya sailing west and Jon rejoining the Wildlings "made emotional sense". Hank Stuever of ''The Washington Post'', who watched with lowered expectations, said the series "sailed (and trotted) off to a noble and perhaps anticlimactic end...It was everything nobody wanted, but it was still quite a thing: adequately just, narratively symmetrical and sufficiently poignant. It went long on swelling imagery and somewhat short on dialogue." Laura Prudom of ''IGN'' wrote that the finale was "not a disaster", but also "not quite the dream of spring we might've hoped for", "struggling to resolve many of the show's lingering plot threads in a satisfying and coherent conclusion, and once again falling victim to the season's needlessly truncated episode order." Critics took issue with the episode's pacing and final revelations. Spencer Kornhaber of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that the finale was "tonally odd, logically strained, and emotionally thin" and a "drama turned into a sitcom". Lenika Cruz, also writing for ''The Atlantic'', wrote that the episode had "pacing issues, rushed character development, tonal dissonance, the lack of attention to detail, unexplained reversals, and weak dialogue". Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' wrote, "Tragedy and injustice were as baked into the series' identity as dragons and battles," but the finale was "unrecognizable. It was hacky; it was cliched. Every character left standing received a saccharine coda...It didn't gracefully swerve into another lane, it careened off a cliff." Inkoo Kang of ''Slate'' wrote that "We know governance is complicated, and the show’s depiction of those complications is one of the reasons why it initially felt so refreshingly relatable – but the finale’s argument that an abdication of responsibility is the best we can hope for in a leader – feels lazy and false." Conversely, ''TV Guide''s consensus concluded that the Game of Thrones finale "finished strong," ranking it #33 on the list of all 73 episodes. Richard Roeper, writing for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', wrote that "over all, the finale was a solid and largely satisfying wrap-up to one of the most exciting and enthralling TV series ever," and was "melancholy, bittersweet, twist-filled and at times surprisingly humorous." Hugh Montgomery of BBC also rated the episode 4/5, writing that the finale largely satisfies "on the terms the creators have previously set out" in the "ruinous" penultimate episode. Bran becoming king was "true to the show’s sense of realpolitik" as a "contingently happy ending", whereas the show "provides an efficient, if disappointingly uncontroversial, ending" for Jon, Arya and Sansa. Karl Quinn of ''The Age'' wrote that the show "may have resolved itself" too quickly in dramatic terms, but Bran's ascension "made perfect sense" thematically according to the show's "anti-war and anti-despot themes...After all the bloodshed, butchery and burning, ''Game of Thrones'' ended not with a bang but with a ballot." Lucy Mangan of ''The Guardian'' gave a 4/5 rating, stating that "the finale just about delivered. It was true to the series' overall subject – war, and the pity of war – and, after doing a lot of wrong to several protagonists last week, did right by those left standing." === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kit Harington Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) Jonathan Freeman Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland == References == == External links == * "The Iron Throne" at HBO.com *

"'''Blood of My Blood'''" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 56th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Jack Bender. Bran Stark and Meera Reed are rescued from the White Walkers by Benjen Stark. Samwell Tarly returns to his family's home in Horn Hill, accompanied by Gilly and little Sam; Jaime Lannister attempts to rescue the Queen, Margaery Tyrell; Arya Stark defies the Faceless Men; and Daenerys Targaryen rides on Drogon and emboldens her newly acquired khalasar. "Blood of My Blood" was positively received by critics who praised the return of several notable characters, including Benjen Stark, Walder Frey and Edmure Tully. Further praise was given to other plot points, such as Samwell's return to Horn Hill, and Arya's decision to return to being a Stark rather than a disciple of the Many-Faced God. The episode title is a reference to a famous Dothraki saying used between a Khal and his bloodriders. Filming of Bran's visions was put together precisely and also very carefully chosen. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 6.71 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran and Meera continue to flee the wights. Bran, still in his visions, witnesses several events: Jaime Lannister killing King Aerys Targaryen, a dragon flying over the Red Keep, his fall from Winterfell which left him paralyzed, the Night King transforming Craster's last son into a White Walker, the massacre at Hardhome, Ned Stark's beheading, the murder of Catelyn and Robb Stark at the Red Wedding, and wildfire exploding beneath King's Landing. As the wights close in, a black-clad rider appears and pulls Meera and Bran onto his horse, allowing them to escape. Bran awakens to find the rider is his uncle, Benjen Stark, who had gone missing beyond the Wall. Benjen explains that he was stabbed by a White Walker during a ranging and was left to die and become another wight, but was saved by the Children of the Forest by being impaled with dragonglass. He tells Bran that he needs to become the Three-Eyed Raven and control his skinchanging before the Night King comes south. ===At Horn Hill=== Samwell, Gilly, and Little Sam arrive at Horn Hill, the seat of House Tarly. Sam warns Gilly not to mention that she is a Wildling, due to his father Randyll's hatred of Wildlings. They are warmly greeted by Sam's mother Melessa and sister Talla. At dinner, Randyll insults Sam's bookishness, weight, and lack of fighting prowess. Gilly defends Sam, mentioning that Sam killed a Thenn and a White Walker. When Sam's brother Dickon insists that White Walkers don't exist, Gilly declares that she saw the act herself, but in doing so reveals her Wildling heritage. Disgusted, Randyll further insults Sam and Gilly, prompting Melessa and Talla to leave the room with Gilly in anger. Randyll tells Sam that Gilly and Little Sam can remain at Horn Hill, but that he must never set foot in Horn Hill again. Sam bids farewell to Gilly, but then changes his mind and decides to bring her and Little Sam with him to the Citadel. As they leave, Sam takes House Tarly's ancestral Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, as well. ===In Braavos=== Arya returns to watch the play featuring Lady Crane. She sneaks backstage during the last act and poisons Lady Crane's rum. As she attempts to leave, Lady Crane stops her, and they discuss acting and Lady Crane's early life. Back in the dressing room, Arya stops Lady Crane from drinking her rum, and warns her that her rival Bianca wants her dead. The scene is witnessed by the Waif, who returns to tell Jaqen of Arya's failure. Jaqen gives the Waif permission to kill Arya, on the condition that Arya doesn't suffer. Meanwhile, Arya retrieves her sword, Needle, from the rocks where she had hidden it and goes into hiding. ===In King's Landing=== The High Sparrow, along with Tommen, prepares for Margaery's walk of atonement. The High Sparrow allows Tommen to visit his wife, where he discovers that Margaery has become a devout follower of the Faith of the Seven and repented for her sins. Jaime and Mace Tyrell lead a company of Tyrell soldiers to the Great Sept of Baelor, where the High Sparrow is presenting Margaery to the people of King's Landing. Jaime orders the High Sparrow to release Margaery and Loras, threatening force against the Faith Militant. The High Sparrow declares that Margaery will not have to perform a walk of atonement, and instead presents Tommen, who announces that he has agreed to unite the Faith and the Crown. When Mace asks Olenna what this means, she bitterly replies it means the High Sparrow has won. In the throne room, Tommen relieves Jaime of his duties on the Kingsguard as punishment for taking up arms against the Faith, to Jaime's dismay. While speaking with Cersei, Jaime reveals that he has been given orders to oust the Blackfish from Riverrun, but that he would rather massacre the Faith Militant to release Tommen from the High Sparrow's influence. Cersei warns him that, if he does so, he will be killed, thus defeating the purpose of liberating Tommen. She counsels him to instead lead the Lannister army on Riverrun as a show of force to their enemies. Cersei expresses no concern about her upcoming trial, as it will be a trial by combat and she has chosen The Mountain as her champion. Cersei and Jaime then passionately kiss. ===At the Twins=== Lord Walder Frey receives word that Riverrun has been retaken by the Blackfish, and chastises his sons Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers, who had been ordered to hold the castle. Walder demands that the Tully stronghold be taken back, refusing to be humiliated by not being able to hold a single castle. He orders his men to bring in Edmure Tully, held as a prisoner of the Freys since the Red Wedding, and declares that they will use him to retake Riverrun. ===In the Dothraki Sea=== While riding, Daenerys is discussing with Daario how many ships she needs for her army to cross the Narrow Sea when she notices an unusual gust of wind and rides out alone to investigate. Daario grows impatient, but as he prepares to follow her, Drogon flies over the khalasar, with Daenerys riding on his back. Daenerys lands nearby and rallies the Dothraki by stating that she chooses them all to be her bloodriders, rather than the traditional three chosen by khals. She then asks if they will cross the Narrow Sea with her and help her retake the Seven Kingdoms, which they unanimously agree to do. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote the episode, his first of two episodes of the season. "Blood of My Blood" was written by Bryan Cogman. Cogman has been a writer for the series since its beginning, previously writing seven other episodes, as well as the subsequent episode. The title of the episode, "Blood of My Blood", is a reference to the famous Dothraki saying between a Khal and his bloodriders. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Cogman described some of the thought process he had when writing the reunion between Samwell and his family, saying, "As much as Sam has gone through, I love exploring those family dynamics. His mother and sister and brother are all fundamentally decent people but his father is just a cold hearted bastard when it comes to his distant son. There's a painful part of the scene where his father just unloads on him and tells him every hateful thing he ever thought about him and Sam can't defend himself. We found that fascinating – Sam has killed a man, he's killed a White Walker, he's emerged as such a great hero, but he still can't stand up to his dad." Cogman noted, about the Arya storyline in the same interview, that he comes from a theater background, and that "being able to comment on the show and the reactions to the show through the players were so much fun. The show is often accused of being gratuitous in all kinds of way – the violence and the bigness of the characters. It's a huge operatic story. We're able to lovingly spoof ourselves but also play with ideas about how audiences view the show, good and bad, and how a perspective of a story changes. Plus there’s the dramatic deliciousness of Arya watching her own life play out on stage." Weiss also spoke about Arya, saying "We were excited to do the play within the play, and it's a distorted fun house mirror representation of things we've already seen." Benioff continued, "Part of Arya's amusement is just that she knows that they're getting so many details wrong, but she always regretted that she didn't have a chance to watch Joffrey die, and now she gets to. It's obviously a comic version of it, but that gives her great pleasure." Weiss also noted, "Arya is slowly getting seduced by these performances, and Lady Crane, the actress that she's charged with killing, this is somebody who like her has taken as her life's work the job of becoming other people." In regards to the final scene of the episode with Daenerys Targaryen riding Drogon and emboldening her newly acquired khalasar, Benioff stated in the "Inside the Episode" featurette that the scene is a reflection of the speech that Khal Drogo gave before his death, with Benioff saying "One of our favorite moments from season one was watching Khal Drogo deliver a speech to his gathered khalasar, that speech clearly lingered in Daenerys's mind, and she's echoing almost the exact same language when she's talking to the Dothraki now. She's basically telling them the promise that one of the great Khals had made years before and saying now is the time to live up to that promise and fulfill it." ===Casting=== Actor David Bradley (''pictured''), as well as Joseph Mawle and Tobias Menzies returned to the series after a nearly three-year absence. The episode saw the return of several characters from previous seasons and the introduction of new characters that had either been mentioned or had some connection to established characters. Joseph Mawle, who was previously cast to play Benjen Stark and was featured in three episodes in the show's first season before disappearing (as he does in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series that the show is based on). In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Bryan Cogman spoke of the re-introduction of Benjen and Mawle to the show saying "It was great to have Joe Mawle back with us – it must have been a trip for him to step back into the character after so long – but he's also decidedly not the Benjen of season 1. So that was fun to explore." Mawle had been interviewed in 2013, where he expressed his desire to return to the series. Another return involved the story of the Riverlands with actor David Bradley returning to the show as Walder Frey, who last appeared in the aftermath of the Red Wedding, as well as Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, who also had not appeared since the Red Wedding episode "The Rains of Castamere", in the third season. Tim Plester, who plays one of Walder's sons also returned but his other son, Lothar, was re-cast, with Daniel Tuite taking over the role. Several new actors were cast as Samwell Tarly's family in Horn Hill. Samwell's father, Randyll Tarly, had been referenced several times and had been described as "cruel" in his treatment of his oldest son. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', John Bradley (Samwell Tarly) spoke about the introduction of his family to the series, stating, "When you see Sam with his father and mother and brother especially, he starts to make sense. The character is contextualized. Why is his psyche the way it is? Why does he behave the way he does? Ever since you first saw him, he comes from this very sincere and heartfelt maternal love, and then there's this monster. You can see why he's so damaged. His emotional life has been pulled in so many different directions. He's so incredibly confused." Actor James Faulkner was cast in the role of Randyll, with Samantha Spiro portraying Samwell's mother and Freddie Stroma and Rebecca Benson portraying Samwell's brother Dickon and sister Talla. For Bran's brief vision sequence at the beginning of the episode, actor David Rintoul was cast as King Aerys II Targaryen in a scene that had only been described to that point. It depicts the murder of Aerys, who is repeatedly yelling "burn them all", at the hands of Jaime Lannister. ===Filming=== The Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the Great Sept, with some extending CGI altering the building. "Blood of My Blood" was directed by Jack Bender, who also directed the previous episode "The Door", his directorial debut for the series. Bender had been approached to direct for the series but declined due to the extensive time commitment involved in shooting, which he noted in an interview as having to commit to "four-and-a-half to six months because of the enormity of the episodes". For the primary King's Landing scene at the Great Sept, with Margaery being presented to the city by the High Sparrow, the grand staircase of the Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain was used. The cathedral was constructed in the 11th century, and continued its expansion throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as the 18th century. According to prior reports, filming took place over the course of approximately two weeks, with many different challenges involved in shooting at the location, including "extras requiring medical attention due to exhaustion and dehydration," as well as the need for extensive security to close off certain areas, during filming, from the public. Parts of Braavos were also filmed in Girona. In nearby Canet de Mar, Catalonia, Spain, the Castell de Santa Florentina, an 11th-century medieval castle, was utilized for the castle of House Tarly. The director of the episode, Bender, conducted an interview with ''The Wall Street Journal'' following the airing of the episode, and spoke about filming the play with Arya in Braavos, stating "I staged the whole play, we did it, and the producers came in to watch the rehearsal, including all the fart jokes, all that stuff, some of which was written. So, after we watched the rehearsal, and the guys laughed a lot, I said, 'My only concern is, am I mocking your brilliant show too much?' And they said, 'No, do it more!' They're completely unpretentious, David and Dan, and they loved it." He also noted that several other extra scenes were filmed, but were cut from the final version of the episode, noting that they will likely be released as deleted scenes on the DVD for the season. In the behind the scenes video published by HBO following the airing of the fifth and sixth episodes, Benioff described Bran's visions at the beginning of the episode as being something that was put together very precisely and purposefully, noting "Even though some of those images flash by in just a fraction of a second each of them was very carefully chosen. And the Mad King was probably the most dramatic of those because we've been hearing about the Mad King from the very beginning of the show, but he's never appeared on screen before. And shooting it, you know, spending a lot of time on what ended up being maybe like a second and a half, couple seconds, of screen time." The new scenes of the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, are interspersed with previously shown footage of the White Walkers, as well as wildfire explosions, and other landmark moments from throughout the series, such as Ned Stark's beheading, the Red Wedding, and Bran falling from the Broken Tower in the series premiere. In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin, the Mad King is described as having long, unkempt hair and beard, with nine inch long fingernails. The show's version portrayed his look in a more tidy fashion, with David Rintoul playing the role of the Mad King. Ellie Kendrick, who portrays Meera Reed in the series, in an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' spoke about the re-introduction of Benjen Stark, or Coldhands Benjen, and working with Joseph Mawle, saying "It was so fantastic. And it's interesting. If you've read the books, then you know about the Coldhands character, who was cut out of the Bran, Meera and Jojen storyline on the show. It was always interesting, having read the books, watching this amalgamation of story lines happen. Benjen is sort of like the Coldhands character in that he's a slightly suspicious guy who is half-dead and half-alive with blue hands. I thought that was very cool, the way it happened. It was a nice marriage between the book and TV revelations rolled into one. I was very excited having him on set. I loved working with Joseph Mawle, and I loved having another member of our rapidly dwindling gang." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Blood of My Blood" was viewed by 6.71 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, which was a modest decrease from the previous week's rating of 7.89 million viewers for the episode "The Door", likely due to the Memorial Day holiday in the United States. The episode also acquired a 3.25 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.684 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.126 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Blood of My Blood" was positively received by critics who praised the return of several notable characters from past seasons, including Benjen Stark and Walder Frey, as well as Samwell Tarly's return home to Horn Hill and Arya's decision to return to being a Stark, abandoning the teachings of the Faceless Men. It has received a 88% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 44 reviews with an average score of 7.6/10, a decrease over the previous episode. The site's consensus reads "Crucial power dynamics are reassessed and significant characters return in the skillfully plotted and gratifying "Blood of My Blood"." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review of the episode, "Some sluggish stories took better turns this week – albeit sometimes by just ending things for now – while a book character many thought would never appear on the series made a notable splash, answering a big mystery that the novels hadn’t even revealed yet in the process. There were some great moments in "Blood of My Blood", but mostly the big returns made it possible to salivate for the payoffs (and possible characters) to come." He also continued by noting, "this installment probably speaks, more than any other episode so far this season, to the accelerated rate of payoffs we're now getting that the show isn't directly following the books." Fowler gave the episode an 8.6 out of 10. Laura Prudom of ''Variety'' also praised the pacing of the episode as well as the season's payoffs, writing "There's a clarity of purpose in Season 6 that certainly gives the impression that we're barreling towards a conclusion instead of just meandering through Dorne or killing time in Qarth." Emily VanDerWerff of ''Vox'' likewise praised the structure of the season, noting the recent absence of Ramsay Bolton as a positive, but continuing, "Though it wasn't as good as the last two episodes, "Blood of My Blood" continued the general upswing in quality ''Game of Thrones'' season six has undergone." VanDerWerff also wrote in her review, ""Blood of My Blood" is another exciting hour of television, even if it's a bit more piece move-y than, say, "The Door". The revelations are milder, the characters mostly talk about what they're going to do next, and the stories go from Point A to Point B, instead of Point X, Y, or Z. But there's still plenty going on that's worth checking out." Comparing the episode to "Book of the Stranger", Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' said, "The problem with emerging naked from a flaming temple is that it's hard to top. It's hard to top, that is, unless you happen to have a dragon with a flair for dramatic timing." Aaron Riccio of ''Slant Magazine'' criticized the episode, writing in his review "The largest problem with tonight's episode is that it either changes course so abruptly or restates certain theses so redundantly that it feels like a bit of a tease, especially to those not invested in Samwell Tarly's storyline." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron 2017 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley ==References== ==External links== * "Blood of My Blood" at HBO.com * *

The '''Night King''' is a fictional character appearing in the HBO high fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', based on George R. R. Martin's novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. He is depicted as the leader and the first of the White Walkers, having existed since the age of the First Men, and is the most dangerous and powerful of his race. The Night King is an original creation of the television adaptation, thus far having no counterpart in the novels upon which the show is based. The Night King was portrayed by British-American actor Richard Brake in seasons 4 and 5 and then by Slovakian actor and stuntman Vladimir Furdik in seasons 6 to 8. ==Description== In ''Game of Thrones'', the Night King is physically distinguished from the other White Walkers by his "crown" of pointy, frosty horns. ==The Night's King in the novels== The "Night King", as presented in the show, has not appeared in ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. In the novels, the title "Night's King" is given to the long-ago legendary 13th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, who supposedly married a female White Walker and led the Night's Watch to commit atrocities. Regarding whether the character in the television series is the same as the one in the novels, Martin said, "As for the Night's King (the form I prefer), in the books he is a legendary figure, akin to Lann the Clever and Brandon the Builder, and no more likely to have survived to the present day than they have." ==Development== '''Top:''' Vladimír Furdík as the Night King with only practical effects and prosthetics.'''Bottom:''' Added VFX in post-production, with altered eyes and an icy layer. In order to create the Night King, according to Barrie Gower, it is primarily practical prosthetic, but also incorporates some visual effects (VFX) to create a more icy look and feel, saying about the eyes, "The effects department alters the eyes in post-production. They give them that blue-glowy hue to them, which we can't really achieve with contact lenses." In regards to the overall prosthetic, "they've added this sort of icy layer over the top of him to create this—it's something incredibly difficult to achieve practically, prosthetics are cast in a translucent rubber, which can only give you so much of that icy quality, so visual effects help augment it a little bit further to give it more dimension." In the fourth and fifth season, the Night King was portrayed by Richard Brake, with a head mold of Brake being created in order to accurately mold the prosthetic to his face. In the sixth season he was portrayed by Vladimir Furdik. The White Walker army was first shot in front of a green screen in Magheramorne quarry, and according to a piece in ''The Hollywood Reporter'' "A scan was taken from a drone and used as the basis for a CG model of the location, which was augmented with VFX and joined with volcanic hills that were photographed in Iceland." Crowd replication was used to create the 1,000-man army, with special effects supervisor Joe Bauer saying "It's scans of those actors in the makeup and costumes, with variations we used to make a digital army that extends up onto the hills." Bauer also noted that VFX were used to create the weather conditions in the scene, noting "It's wind, mist, fog and heavy atmosphere that you'd get in a marine layer. The dramatic value is to say something's wrong; it's a mystery what they are facing. The temperature drops, and our characters can see their breath. The weather obscures their vision." Spain-based El Ranchito, one of several special effects companies used by ''Game of Thrones'', was responsible for the White Walker army shots. ==Storylines== ===Season 4=== The Night King's first appearance is through a vision Bran Stark has with a Weirwood Heart tree. He experiences a flood of images from the past, present, and future, many of which he was not physically present for. He does not comprehend what all of these images are but, in retrospect, one of them is an image of the Night King picking up the last of Craster's sons off an ice altar. After Rast leaves Craster's final son in the Haunted Forest, a White Walker retrieves the child. The Walker travels to the White Walkers' fortress in the Lands of Always Winter and lays the child on an altar made of ice. The Night King approaches and places his finger on the boy, transforming him into a White Walker. ===Season 5=== The Night King appears again when Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane are coordinating the evacuation of Hardhome. While loading the ships with wildlings, Hardhome is attacked by an army of wights. While assisting in the defense of Hardhome, Jon and Tormund see the Night King observing the battle along with his generals. The Night King also observes Jon destroying a White Walker with his Valyrian steel sword Longclaw. Jon and his allies are forced to flee Hardhome after the walls fall to the army of the dead; as they sail to safety, they witness the Night King reviving the dead as wights. ===Season 6=== The Night King appears in a vision being observed by Bran and the Three-eyed Raven, where they witness him as a human being forcibly transformed into the first White Walker by the Children of the Forest by impaling him with a dragonglass dagger. Bran subsequently confronts Leaf about creating the White Walkers. She explains that they were at war with the First Men and had no choice. Later on, Bran decides to observe a vision without the Three-Eyed Raven. He witnesses a massive army of wights led by the Night King, who touches him whilst in the vision. Bran awakens to find a mark where he was touched, and the Three-Eyed Raven warns that he must leave, as the Night King is now able to bypass the magic protecting the Three-Eyed Raven's lair. The Night King and his army quickly arrive and the Night King kills the Three-Eyed Raven, but Bran and Meera Reed are able to escape. ===Season 7=== The Night King is shown leading his army south. Through ravens' eyes, Bran locates the Night King's army beyond the Wall. When the Night King looks up, the ravens disperse, and Bran is pulled out of the warging. He requests that ravens be sent throughout the Seven Kingdoms to warn of the threat. The Night King is present when the wights and White Walkers battle Jon Snow at the Wight Hunt, who traveled beyond the Wall with the Hound, Jorah, Beric, Thoros, Gendry, Tormund and several other Wildlings to attempt to capture a wight to use as proof for the gathered high lords of Westeros. Remembering their encounter from Hardhome, the Night King keeps his gaze on Jon for some time. Beric Dondarrion suggests trying to kill the Night King; as they know, killing a White Walker kills any and all wights it raised, so killing the Night King might destroy every such monster under his command, putting an end to the Great War before it truly begins. Jon dismisses the plan, however, arguing that trying to fight their way through the wights to reach the Night King would be suicide. When Daenerys Targaryen arrives and her dragons burn many wights, the men try to evacuate on Drogon but the wights continue their attack; using an ice javelin, the Night King kills Viserion. The Night King keeps his gaze on an enraged Jon, who appears on the verge of calling him down to fight directly, but his lieutenant hands him another spear. The Night King throws it at Drogon, but the dragon takes flight and dodges in time. Jon stays on the ground to cover the others' departure, but is pulled into the water, and the others are forced to flee on Drogon. Jon emerges from the water and is saved by Benjen Stark, who gives Jon his horse to ride to Eastwatch while sacrificing himself to hold off the wights. After their battle is over, the Night King reanimates Viserion. The undead army arrives at Eastwatch; when the Night King appears, riding Viserion, Tormund orders the defenders to evacuate. Breathing blue fire, Viserion destroys Eastwatch and a section of the Wall, allowing the White Walkers and their wight army to finally invade the Seven Kingdoms while the Night King flies overhead towards the North. ===Season 8=== Led by the Night King, the dead quickly advance south and attack Last Hearth, massacring the population and adding them to their army, before marching on Winterfell. Bran, knowing that the Night King plans to destroy him, plans to hide in Winterfell's Godswood as bait, with Jon and Daenerys lying in wait with the dragons to ambush him. However, Jon and Daenerys leave their position to attack the wights when they begin overwhelming Winterfell's defenders, and the Night King engages them with Viserion, resulting in Jon and the Night King being dismounted. Daenerys attempts to burn the Night King, not realizing that he is immune to fire, and flees when the Night King attempts to kill her dragon Drogon. Jon attempts to fight the Night King, but the Night King reanimates those killed in battle to protect him. The Night King and the White Walkers head to the Godswood for Bran, and are confronted by Theon Greyjoy, whom the Night King kills. However, before he can kill Bran, he is ambushed by Arya Stark, who destroys him by plunging a dagger made out of Valyrian steel into the Night King's chest. With the Night King dead, the White Walkers shatter and the Army of the Dead collapses. ==Merchandising== Dark Horse produced a Night King bust in March 2016, which was followed by an 8-inch Night King figure by Dark Horse Deluxe in late 2016. Funko also released a "Night King" POP! figure that same year. == References == * 50px Content in this article was copied from Night King at Game of Thrones Wiki, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.

"'''No One'''" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 58th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Mark Mylod. Arya Stark fights for her life and chooses her destiny; Jaime Lannister returns Edmure Tully to Riverrun; Cersei Lannister is thwarted; Daenerys Targaryen returns to Meereen; and Sandor Clegane tracks down the Brotherhood Without Banners. "No One" received mostly positive reviews from critics, who listed the conclusion of Arya's story with the Faceless Men, the reintroduction of the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Jaime's scheme to retake Riverrun as high points of the episode, but also received some criticism as being anticlimactic. Filming of the episode's foot chase scene between Arya and the Waif required a month of practice in Belfast to get the choreography right. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 7.60 million in its initial broadcast. The episode was Peter Dinklage and Maisie Williams' selection for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards to support their nominations. The episode marked the final appearance of Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar), Faye Marsay (the Waif), and Clive Russell (Brynden Tully). ==Plot== ===In the Riverlands=== Sandor tracks down some of the Brotherhood Without Banners and brutally kills them. He then comes across Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, who are preparing to hang the rest of the men responsible for the attack on the village. Sandor bargains with Beric, who allows him to personally hang two of the men. Beric and Thoros try to recruit Sandor into the Brotherhood, explaining that they intend to head north to fight the White Walkers and need his strength. Brienne and Podrick arrive at Riverrun, where they reunite with Jaime and Bronn. Brienne explains that she has come to recruit the Blackfish and the Tully army for Sansa, but Jaime points out that he is currently besieged. Brienne proposes that if she can convince the Blackfish to surrender, then Jaime will allow him and the Tully army safe passage North. Jaime agrees to the plan, but only gives Brienne until nightfall. She attempts to return Oathkeeper to Jaime, stating that she has completed her mission, but Jaime tells her that it is hers and hers alone. Brienne notes that should she be inside Riverrun for a siege she would be bound to fight alongside the Blackfish, and against Jaime. She attempts to negotiate with the Blackfish, but, despite being sympathetic to Sansa's plight, he refuses to abandon Riverrun. Meanwhile, Jaime talks with Edmure, trying to win his cooperation by tempting him with seeing his newborn son, and offering to send him and his family to Casterly Rock, away from the Freys. Edmure insults Jaime, and asks him how he can live with himself. Jaime responds that he wants to take Riverrun to be back with Cersei and is willing to do anything to achieve it, even if it means killing every Tully he finds. Edmure, cowed by this threat, is sent by Jaime to parley with the Blackfish. Despite the Blackfish's protests, the Tully soldiers allow Edmure entry into the castle. Edmure then orders his men to surrender Riverrun, and also orders the Blackfish's capture. The Blackfish helps Brienne and Podrick escape, but remains to fight to the end. Jaime is informed about the death of the Blackfish, and sees Brienne and Pod escaping on the river. Jaime and Brienne mournfully wave each other farewell. ===In Meereen=== With the Red Priests on their side and spreading pro-Daenerys propaganda, Tyrion and Varys see Meereen returning to life. After warning Tyrion not to trust the Red Priests, Varys leaves for Westeros on a secret mission to find more allies. Tyrion then has a drink with Grey Worm and Missandei, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a fleet sent by the Masters to attack the city. As the fleet bombards Meereen, Tyrion and Grey Worm are discussing their strategy when Daenerys returns to the city with Drogon. ===In King's Landing=== The Faith Militant, led by Lancel Lannister and with Tommen's blessing, arrive to take Cersei to see the High Sparrow (whom they now refer to as the High Septon). Cersei refuses to go with them and when one of the Faith Militant attacks, he is brutally killed by Gregor Clegane. Seeing the rest of the Faith Militant soldiers intimidated, Cersei remarks that the High Sparrow is free to come to the Red Keep to see her. She then attends a royal announcement by Tommen in the throne room, but Kevan Lannister, her uncle and Hand of the King, refuses to let her stand by his side. Tommen announces the date that Cersei and Loras' trials will be held, and that, in consultation with the High Sparrow, he has decided to end the practice of trial by combat as a means of resolving conflicts. The prospect of a trial by seven septons instead clearly worries Cersei. Qyburn then reports to Cersei about a "rumor" that she ordered him to investigate, and remarks that it is "more, much more". ===In Braavos=== Lady Crane returns to her chambers to find a wounded Arya hiding inside, and helps stitch her wounds. She tells Arya that, thanks to her warning, she mutilated her would-be killer Bianca's face before kicking her out of the acting company. She then offers to have Arya join them, but she refuses, saying that she intends to travel west of Westeros to see the edge of the world. As Arya recovers, the Waif arrives and kills Lady Crane, intending to kill Arya as well. Arya flees through the streets of Braavos, but during the chase, Arya's wounds reopen and she limps back to her hideout with the Waif in pursuit. As the Waif closes in, Arya extinguishes the candle lighting the room; having trained while blinded for several weeks, Arya has the upper hand. At the House of Black and White, Jaqen follows a bloodtrail to the Hall of Faces, where he finds the Waif's face before being held at sword-point by Arya. Jaqen congratulates Arya for finally becoming No One. However, she rejects the title, asserting her identity as Arya Stark before turning and leaving, announcing that she is "going home." Jaqen proudly watches on as she leaves. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "No One" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, David Benioff spoke about the revelation in King's Landing, and Tommen's decision to abolish "trial by combat," stating "This moment is a grievous blow for Cersei because she's been counting on trial by combat really since the end of season five. This was always her ace in the hole, the Mountain was never going to lose a trial by combat there's no one out there who could beat him. And then Tommen takes it away from her and knowing really what he's doing. He might be a weak King, but he's not an idiot, he understands that this move is going to mean that she's probably not going to fare that well in this trial. So it's a pretty devastating moment for Cersei, and you see that in her reaction, and partly because it just bodes so ill for this coming trial, and partly because it's her own son who's really betrayed her." Speaking about the siege of Riverrun, Weiss noted about Brienne and Jaime's reunion that "Jaime didn't expect to see Brienne necessarily ever again, he certainly didn't expect to see her marching into his military camp. And his relationship is obviously very complicated, and fraught, and has undercurrents that he's uncomfortable with feeling." Benioff continued about Brienne's escape, "It's these two who are not quite sure how they feel about the other, and he lets her go. He'd be well within his rights to send his men after her, to capture her, and it wouldn't be that hard to capture her since she's being slowly rowed away by Podrick, but he doesn't. She might technically be an enemy now that she's serving Sansa Stark, who is still obviously a suspect in Joffrey's murder, but she's not Jaime's enemy." Clive Russell, who portrayed Brynden "Blackfish" Tully in the series, spoke about his character's encounter with Brienne of Tarth, in an interview with IGN, noting "Brienne represented for him his young self, a person of integrity, a soldier of integrity, trying to do the right thing. That added to the conflict he felt of what was the right thing to do: whether to send men to Sansa or not." He continued by saying about their relationship to each other, "She spoke very clearly to power. She was talking to an older man who's, initially, very irritated by her being there, but eventually takes her very, very seriously. There's a touching moment where he acknowledges that to her face. It's very touching and sad, and I think that's what it's about. He's really recognizing the next generation of what I once was." In the conclusion of the "Inside the Episode" segment Weiss spoke about Arya's story, saying "Arya is in danger, she's got an open wound in her stomach, and the one person who has protected her to this point unfortunately gets murdered. The fact that the Many-Faced God gets the people who have been promised to him really makes you think that there's almost an inevitability about what happens to people who run afoul of the Faceless Men, as Arya has done." Weiss continued about the final part of the sequence, "Arya's telling Jaqen by putting the face on the wall that 'this account is settled, and we're good here, and now I'm going to walk away,' and I think she knows what the answer's going to be. The implication, obviously, is that Jaqen was, on some level, rooting for the outcome that he got. He may be "no one," but there's still enough of a person left in him to respect, and admire who this girl is and what she's become. Arya finally tells us something that we've kind of known all along, that she's not no one, she's Arya Stark of Winterfell." ===Casting=== Richard Dormer (''pictured'') and Paul Kaye returned to the series as Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, respectively. "No One" saw the reintroduction of Richard Dormer and Paul Kaye, who portrayed Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, respectively, in the third season, last appearing in the episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", before returning for the sixth season. Dormer was previously asked about returning to ''Game of Thrones'' in an interview in February 2015, saying at the time that he was doubtful about coming back to the series, stating "they haven't told me about it, so I don't think so." He also noted about his portrayal of the character, "Beric was a noble character, a leader of men. Kind of like Robin Hood. So I thought, that's how I'll play the guy." Paul Kaye's participation in the series was confirmed in mid-April 2016, with his agency posting about the casting shortly before the premiere of the sixth season. The episode also featured the deaths of several recurring characters in the series. Faye Marsay, who portrayed the Waif, spoke about her participation in the episode, and leaving ''Game of Thrones'' after several seasons, saying "As much as I'm sad that I'm now off of the show, I think that storyline needed to be concluded that way. I'm rooting for Arya and Maisie as well. Even though I won't be able to hang out with everyone again, I think it was done right and done properly. I think Arya deserved to rip off her face and stick it on a wall." Recurring guest actors Clive Russell as Blackfish, and Essie Davis as Lady Crane portrayed their characters for the last time in the series, as they were killed off on screen. In the first scene featuring Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, comedian Steve Love was cast as one of the Brotherhood members killed by the Hound. Love previously had become known for his impressions of various ''Game of Thrones'' characters, uploading the video to YouTube, which ultimately resulted in his appearing on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. Following the appearance, Love stated that he had received an email from Benioff offering him a part in the show, saying "I broached the subject by sending them an email back saying 'Listen I don't know what your plans are for me but it would really mean a lot to me if I could have one of those trademark ''Game of Thrones'' gruesome death scenes, and they wrote back saying 'Actually Steve, that was exactly what we had in mind for you.'" ===Filming=== Filming of the exterior chase scenes throughout Braavos took place in Girona, Spain. "No One" was directed by Mark Mylod. Mylod previously directed the fifth season episodes "High Sparrow" and "Sons of the Harpy". Mylod also directed the previous episode, "The Broken Man", for the sixth season. Mylod stated in an interview that the most physically challenging scene to direct was the chase scene, while the scene he was most scared to shoot was the conversation between Jaime and Edmure, stating that he felt the writing was "so freaking good that I was scared about fucking it up." Mylod additionally spoke about filming the final scenes of the episode, the foot chase between Arya and the Waif, in the behind the scenes featurette published by HBO after the airing of the episode. Mylod stated that he did extensive research in order to create the foot chase, saying "I devoured every foot chase in the history of cinema, but trying to take from that something that would fit into the blueprint of the ''Game of Thrones'' visual style, which is not necessarily the same kind of kinetic, handheld feel that you find in many contemporary thrillers. It's a much more classic frame." He continued, "Everything hinged from finding this very lovely, steep stairwell and thinking 'Wouldn't it be great if she leapt off that, and then tumbled down the stairs?' I had this image in my head that I wanted lots of oranges rolling down, not quite sure where that comes from, but it looked pretty." Mylod also stated in a separate interview that it was a conscious decision not to show the final fight between Arya and the Waif, given that it took place in the dark, noting "when the character dies in the dark, unless we switch on night-vision goggles, we're not going to be able to see that, and we're not going to stick around to hear a scream in the dark anyway. It was actually a conscious choice in the writing and I think, for me, a very elegant storytelling beat as to get that reveal a few seconds later." In an interview, Maisie Williams described the thought process behind Arya's scenes, as well as the process of filming saying "We wanted people to think this could be the end, or the start of the end. Like maybe her wound is going to fester – like The Hound." She continued, "There was this constant spectrum of conversation with Mark Mylod during the chase of about how petrified she needs to look, but also how safe she is. Arya's been very lucky with the people she's encountered so far. The whole time she was with The Hound she took a back seat because he was really good. So I wanted her to look like she was struggling." Williams also stated that she gave input on how the scene should take place, stating "I didn't want the chase stunt to be unnecessary or superhuman. I got on set and they were going to have Arya rolling around, and diving, and I was like, "That looks amazing, but no." I'd be like, "Why would she run over there? She'd just duck under here and just get out." It doesn't look quite as cinematic, maybe, but they'll have to find something else if they want cinematic. And I felt awful because the job of the stunt guys is to make everything look as crazy and cool as possible. But I know Arya now. In the beginning it was a lot of guesswork and now I've figured her out." Faye Marsay, who portrayed the Waif, spoke about her scenes and filming with Williams, saying, "I think we did a month in Belfast before we started shooting. We went into the stunt tent and lived there. It was choreographed like a dance. Maisie is so well coordinated and good at what she does. I'm a little bit less coordinated and easily pissed off. I would drop the stick down and go, "I can't do it!" And she would encourage me. She's so supportive. We did a month, and then the day before the cameras turned on, we would go through the moves a couple of times so we wouldn't hurt each other. There were a few times we clipped each other. I remember getting her in the stomach really bad one time, and she nearly cut my ear off at one point. It was fun. It was a lot of fun, but we were exhausted as well." The castle face, and drawbridge were physically built, with the rest added in post-production with special effects. Filming of the Riverrun sequence began in October 2015, and led to some complaints by locals living in the area following the construction of a portion of the Tully castle. The shooting of the scenes took place in Corbet, County Down, Northern Ireland. Due to some concerns over the size of the structure, filming was unable to take place until local inspectors were able to determine if the production unit followed what had been agreed upon in the "planning application." Construction of a portion of the castle began in September, with tents and wooden additions being added shortly after. In addition, the production unit also created an actual working drawbridge for the scenes, rather than relying on CGI to create the set piece. Visual effects were added to create the rest of the castle. Clive Russell, who portrayed Blackfish, spoke about working with Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, noting "There's something very curious, by the way, I'm probably about 6'6" tall. I think she's about 6'3", but all the time I worked with her, I felt like she was taller than me. Now I don't really know what that has to do with it. It might be something to do with being confronted by a physically charismatic very tall woman, or maybe it's that she's caught the impressiveness of the character of that woman, that soldier. She's also an extraordinarily hilarious woman. We had great fun together. It was great fun to play." Gwendoline Christie also spoke about filming with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who portrays Jaime Lannister, again, saying "I was excited, It was really fun to be with Nikolaj again, and I thought the way of which their reunion happens is not really expected. I just loved that it was so formal, because within the confines of such formality, and having to negotiate with each other, there are so many other stories begging to be told in those moments. There's a slow process of creeping familiarity among two people who haven't been together for a long time; it was allowed to build." Coster-Waldau also spoke about their first reunion scene, stating "It's a great scene. These characters are so much about holding their cards so close to their chest and they don't want to reveal how they're feeling. But we know there's history between them, that this is more than two knights meeting. But they would never acknowledge that." Mylod, spoke about the decision to show Blackfish's death off screen, saying "there was a lot of tonal discussion about this, and I think I can safely speak for the writers that the choice was a conscious one in the writing not to see his actual death, because the emotional focus was really about the final moments between him and Brienne -- two warriors, two samurais, facing each other -- and Brienne's acknowledgment that this fellow samurai has chosen his moment, and this is his moment of dignity and choice of his death. So it was really about that moment of choice and the dignity and acceptance between these two great warriors, rather than the actual detail of his actual death. That was actually a tonal choice as to how we saw that character." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "No One" was viewed by 7.60 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, which was slightly less than the previous week's rating of 7.80 million viewers for the episode "The Broken Man". The episode also acquired a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.436 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.113 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "No One" was received mostly positively by critics, who listed the conclusion of Arya's story with the Faceless Men, the reintroduction of the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Jaime's scheme to retake Riverrun as high points of the episode, but some critics described sequences in the episode as being anticlimactic. It has received an 85% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 47 reviews with an average score of 7.2/10. The site's consensus reads ""No One" sees some fan favorites back in action and moves the final few pieces into place for a momentous – and long-awaited – battle." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode, ""No One" may have given us a bloodless siege, but there were plenty of bloody moments, namely from the brothers Clegane, who were both awesomely brutal this week. Though not against one another, as it looks like, for now, the Cleganebowl's been canceled. I loved the end of Arya's arc along with Jaime's scheme to take Riverrun - though I'm curious to see what comes of the Tully angle. Brienne failed to get an army for Sansa and Jaime's just going to head back home now? It seems like there should be more to this that him just winning one for the Lannister name. Though regardless of what the payoff might be, it was still good to see how so much of this story tied back to the first three seasons and Jaime's time as Catelyn's prisoner." He gave the episode an 8.2 out of 10. Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' criticized the episode's momentum within the season, writing "The lack of momentum driving these stories is surprising to me given that the season has largely been doing a fine job with internal momentum." McNutt continued, "The show may have run into an unfortunate convergence of so many anti-climactic storylines in a single episode, but their very existence is a necessary byproduct of a narrative that is preparing to shed its skin and move forward with a new lease on life." Despite this, he gave the episode a grade of B-. Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' wrote about the episode, "Not the greatest episode of the season, but I still didn't want it to end. Sometimes I realize that even an episode I have lots of complaints about manages to be some of the best television out there. ''Game of Thrones'' isn't always on the money, but even an off night can be surprisingly good." James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' summarized the episode in his review by saying "Cheers, chills, and the sound of online fan theories imploding. "No One" delivered Jaime Lannister's finest scene in years, a thrilling chase, and set one Stark on an exciting new path." Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' criticized the episode in his review, writing, "It's just not all that satisfying. After endless weeks of stick-beating and the events of last week, it all seemed a little too tidy," and additionally called Arya's story "anticlimactic." However, Egner also praised the episode's continuation with the King's Landing story, as well as the follow up with Sandor Clegane and the Brotherhood Without Banners. ''TV Guide''s Damian Holbrook criticized as implausible the fact that Arya, after being stabbed multiple times in the previous episode by the Waif, was able to outrun and kill her faster, stronger nemesis in this episode. Hanh Nguyen of Indiewire also felt the Riverrun sequence ended in an anticlimactic fashion as well. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Maisie Williams as Arya Stark Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron 2017 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley ==References== ==External links== * "No One" at HBO.com * *

A '''White Walker''' is a humanoid creature from the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the George R. R. Martin novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' on which it is based. Primarily referred to as '''the Others''' in the novels, White Walkers are a supernatural threat to humankind who dwell north of The Wall in Westeros. ''The Verge'' named them among "the most visually iconic creatures on the show". White Walkers are also featured in the show's merchandising. ==Description== Martin introduces the Others in the prologue of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), describing them as "Tall ... and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk" with eyes "deeper and bluer than any human eyes, a blue that burned like ice". Accompanied by intense cold, they wear armor that "seemed to change color as it moved", and wield thin crystal swords capable of shattering steel. The Others move silently, and they speak their own language; Martin writes that their voices are "like the cracking of ice on a winter lake". In ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), they are shown to be vulnerable to weapons made of dragonglass (obsidian), as Samwell Tarly kills one this way: In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Sam uncovers ancient record fragments which suggest that the Others are also vulnerable to something called "dragonsteel", which he and Jon Snow surmise is another term for Valyrian steel. Creatures killed by the Others soon reanimate as wights: undead with pallid skin, black hands, and glowing blue eyes similar to the Others'. Dragonglass has no effect on them. Wights may be physically injured, but even dismembered parts remain animated, so they must be destroyed by fire. The humans who live in the north beyond the Wall—called "wildlings" by the inhabitants of Westeros—burn their dead so they will not become wights. ==Novels== In 2012, Chris Lackner wrote in ''Dose'', "Fans of the novels are eagerly awaiting Martin's final two installments of the seven-part series. In particular, they are eager to learn more about the White Walkers—or The Others—a mysterious, undead race seemingly bent on humanity's destruction." ===Backstory=== In the novels and the 2014 companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'', Martin establishes that, millennia before the events of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, a pact existed between the Children of the Forest (elf-like creatures) and the First Men (mankind). This was weakened by the emergence of the Others, an enigmatic and malevolent nonhuman species who inflicted a night that lasted a generation and a winter that lasted decades. After the Others were pushed back, the Children and the First Men raised The Wall, a vast barrier of stone, ice and magic from one coast of northern Westeros to the other, to bar the passage of the Others south. ===''A Game of Thrones''=== As ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) begins, the general belief across Westeros is that the Others are a legend to scare children, or else "gone eight thousand years". But the Others have re-emerged, and are gaining power—and creating wights—beyond the Wall. In the Prologue, a ranging party from the Night's Watch come face to face with a group of the Others, who kill Ser Waymar Royce. Reanimated as a wight, he then kills the ranger Will. Out ranging beyond the Wall, Jon Snow and the Night's Watch find the corpses of two of their fallen brothers. Brought home to Castle Black, the dead men rise and kill several of their living fellows before they are destroyed. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Sam Tarly kills an Other with a dragonglass dagger in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). His former comrade Small Paul is killed and reanimated as a wight. The undead Paul is unfazed by the dragonglass, but Sam is able to put him down with fire. Bran Stark recalls the story of the Night's King, a Stark and the 13th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch who had been seduced by a female White Walker. The Night's King and his queen enslaved the brothers of the Watch until the Starks and the wildlings joined forces to defeat him. ===''The Winds of Winter''=== Martin said in 2012 that readers will see more of the Others in his forthcoming novel ''The Winds of Winter''. He noted in a 2012 ''Dose'' interview, "We'll learn more about their history, certainly, but I don't know about culture ... I don't know if they have a culture". ==TV adaptation== The White Walkers portrayed on HBO's ''Game of Thrones'' differ slightly in appearance from their literary counterparts, but Aaron Souppouris of ''The Verge'' named them among "the most visually iconic creatures on the show". In the TV series, the primary White Walker has been portrayed by Ross Mullan. Their apparent leader is the Night King, portrayed by Richard Brake and Vladimir Furdik, who first appeared in the episode "Oathkeeper", in which he places his hand on Craster's baby son, transforming him into a White Walker. In "Hardhome", the effectiveness of Valyrian steel against the White Walkers is proven as Jon shatters one to pieces with a single stroke of his ancient sword Longclaw. Unlike in the novels, the TV series has established that wights can be destroyed by dragonglass. In the season 6 episode "The Door" (May 2016), Bran Stark experiences a vision of the creation of the Night King by Leaf, one of the Children of the Forest, by stabbing a human prisoner in the chest with a dragonglass dagger. Leaf explains to an incredulous Bran that the Children were at war with the First Men at the time of the Night King's creation. In season 7, when Jon kills a White Walker, the wights under its control are also destroyed. The Night King kills Daenerys Targaryen's dragon Viserion in the seventh season episode "Beyond the Wall", and then reanimates him as a wight. In the season finale episode "The Dragon and the Wolf", the Night King uses the dragon to breach the Wall. In the eighth season premiere, "Winterfell", a group of survivors from the Wall's destruction discover that Last Hearth, the home of House Umber, has been attacked by the Army of the Dead in their conquest of the North, with all of its inhabitants killed. The Night King has also left a message in the form of the deceased Ned Umber impaled on a wall and surrounded by a spiral of severed limbs. In the second episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", the inhabitants of Winterfell make plans for defending the castle against the Army of the Dead. Bran states that the Night King is seeking an "endless night", as he plans to cleanse the world of all life and memory and intends to kill Bran as a major step towards this goal. The White Walkers are later seen viewing Winterfell from a distance as the living prepare to fight them. In the third episode "The Long Night", the Army of the Dead marches on Winterfell and nearly wipes out the combined armies of the living. The Night King eventually reaches the Godswood, kills Theon Greyjoy, and prepares to strike down Bran. However, the Night King is ambushed and killed by Arya Stark with the Valyrian steel dagger that Bran had previously given her ("The Spoils of War"), which causes both him and the other White Walkers to shatter and results in the complete obliteration of the Army of the Dead. ===Merchandising=== In 2012, Funko released a White Walker figure as part of their POP! Television line, which are 4.5 inch vinyl figures in the Japanese super deformed style. The company later produced a Mystery Mini Blind Box figurine of a stylized White Walker. Dark Horse released a 9-inch White Walker bust statue in 2013, and later a 9-inch full figure statue. In 2014, Funko released a 6.5 inch articulated White Walker action figure (with spear accessory) as part of their HBO-licensed Legacy Collection line, which features "some of the series’ most popular characters". ==See also== * Themes in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' ==References== ==Further reading== *

'''Melisandre of Asshai''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. She is a priestess of the god R'hllor (also called the Red God or the Lord of Light) from the continent Essos and a close advisor to King Stannis Baratheon in his campaign to take the Iron Throne. She is often nicknamed '''the Red Woman''' due to the color of her hair and clothes, and has mysterious powers over fire and shadow. She is a prominent example of Martin's use of magic within the story, and is the source of several important prophecies that guide the narrative. Introduced in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), Melisandre has come to Westeros to propagate her faith in the Red God. She subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Melisandre is not a point-of-view character in the first four novels, her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other characters such as Davos Seaworth and Jon Snow. In the fifth novel ''A Dance with Dragons'', she has a single point-of-view chapter. George R. R. Martin stated she will return as a viewpoint character in future novels. Melisandre is portrayed by Dutch actress Carice van Houten in the HBO television adaptation, in a performance which earned van Houten a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series nomination. == Character == ===Background=== Melisandre was born an unknown number of years before the start of the series, possibly with the name "Melony". As a child slave, she was sold to the Red Temple and trained for the priesthood. Believing Stannis Baratheon to be the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, a mythic messiah prophesied by her faith, she travels to his island stronghold, Dragonstone, during the events of ''A Game of Thrones''. Tywin Lannister indirectly mentioned her as "a shadowbinder from Asshai" during a private conversation with Tyrion Lannister after the Battle in the Whispering Wood. Also known as "The Red Woman", Melisandre possesses magical abilities that can cast glamour and manipulate fire and shadow, has prophetic visions by looking into fire, and takes an aggressively militant stance against the other religions of Westeros. She is described as a beautiful voluptuous foreign woman with red eyes and red hair, always dressing in red robes and wearing a red gold choker set with a large ruby, and rarely sleeps or eats. Melisandre is introduced in ''A Clash of Kings'' and serves as the third-person narrator for one chapter of ''A Dance with Dragons''. == Storylines == Personal coat of arms of Stannis Baratheon ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Melisandre converts Stannis's wife Selyse to her religion, along with several other members of Stannis' court. Stannis' maester Cressen, fearing Melisandre's power and her influence over him, tries to assassinate Melisandre with poison in a murder-suicide, and although Melisandre drinks most of the poison her powers allow her to survive. When Stannis' brother Renly also declares himself king, Melisandre has a vision of Renly defeating Stannis' host at King's Landing. She convinces Stannis to impregnate her, giving birth to a shadow demon that kills Renly. She also births another demon that kills Storm's End's castellan, Ser Cortnay Penrose, when he refuses to yield Storm's End. Ser Bryce Caron convinces Stannis to leave Melisandre at Dragonstone during the Battle of the Blackwater, which ends in Stannis' defeat. During the battle, Ser Garlan Tyrell dons Renly's armor and leads the Tyrell-Lannister vanguard, thus fulfilling Melisandre's earlier prophecy. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== Stannis' advisor Davos Seaworth blames Melisandre for Stannis' defeat and plans to assassinate her but Melisandre sees the plot in her flames and has him arrested. She attempts to persuade Stannis to sacrifice his bastard nephew Edric Storm to awaken stone dragons beneath Dragonstone. Stannis only allows her to leech him and burns the leeches to curse Stannis's rivals: Balon Greyjoy, Robb Stark, and Joffrey Baratheon. All three die in various circumstances soon after. Davos smuggles Edric to Lys to prevent his sacrifice. Melisandre then accompanies Stannis and Davos to the Wall to defeat Mance Rayder's wildling host. ==== ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== Jon Snow swaps Mance Rayder's baby son with Gilly's baby, and sends the baby with Gilly, Samwell Tarly and Maester Aemon to Oldtown, to prevent Melisandre from burning the baby to perform fire magic. When Stannis orders Mance Rayder to be burned alive for deserting the Night's Watch, she uses her magic to secretly switch Mance's identity with Rattleshirt's, another wildling raider, resulting in Rattleshirt being burned instead. She later reveals this to Jon Snow, and sends Mance to Winterfell with six spearwives to rescue "Arya Stark" (actually Sansa Stark's handmaiden Jeyne Poole) from Ramsay Bolton. Melisandre remains at the Wall while Stannis marches on Winterfell. Noting that her powers are stronger at the Wall, she asks R'hllor for a vision of Azor Ahai, but only sees "Snow". She also warns Jon of having seen "daggers in the dark". Jon ignores her warnings, and is later stabbed by mutineers led by Bowen Marsh. == TV adaptation == Carice van Houten plays the role of Melisandre in the television series ====Season 2==== Melisandre is first introduced during a beach side ceremony on Dragonstone, where she burns the statues of the Faith of the Seven, drawing the ire of Stannis' maester Cressen. Cressen attempts to poison her in a murder-suicide attempt; despite drinking the poison, Melisandre is unharmed. She convinces Stannis to impregnate her, giving birth to a shadow demon that kills Stannis' brother Renly, a rival claimant to the throne. However, Stannis' advisor, Davos Seaworth, counsels Stannis to leave Melisandre on Dragonstone when he attacks King's Landing; when the attack fails, Melisandre claims that Stannis' defeat was a result of not bringing her to the battle. Stannis attempts to strangle Melisandre in a fit of rage, before she makes him understand his role in Renly's death, and assures him that his betrayals will be worth it in the end. ====Season 3==== Melisandre begins burning members of Stannis' court alive at Dragonstone. Davos, blaming Melisandre for Stannis' defeat, tries to assassinate her but fails and is imprisoned. She travels to the Riverlands to meet up with the Brotherhood without Banners, who have taken on Robert Baratheon's bastard Gendry as a blacksmith. During her meeting, Melisandre is astonished when the Red Priest Thoros of Myr reveals he has resurrected the Brotherhood's leader Ser Beric Dondarrion six times. Melisandre purchases Gendry from the Brotherhood, much to the fury of Gendry's friend Arya Stark. Before parting ways, Melisandre leaves Arya with a cryptic prophesy: "I see a darkness in you, and in that darkness eyes staring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you'll shut forever. We will meet again." Melisandre uses Gendry's blood in a ritual to kill Stannis' rivals. However, before Gendry can be sacrificed, Davos helps him escape. Davos staves off his own execution by showing Stannis a letter from the Night's Watch, claiming that the White Walkers have returned. After burning the letter in the flames, Melisandre corroborates Davos' story, and declares that Stannis will have need of Davos in future. ====Season 4==== Melisandre accompanies Stannis, Davos and their army to the Wall. Before the Baratheon forces sail north, she convinces Selyse Baratheon to bring Stannis' daughter Shireen to the Wall with them, claiming that the Lord of Light has use for her. ====Season 5==== Melisandre presides over Mance Rayder's burning. She attempts to seduce Jon Snow, but he rejects her advances. She later joins Stannis and Davos on their mission to take Winterfell from the Boltons. When a large snowstorm delays their march, Melisandre suggests that Stannis sacrifice Shireen. Stannis initially refuses, but after a raiding party led by Ramsay Bolton burns their supplies, he gives in and allows her to burn Shireen at the stake. The blizzard lifts, but half of Stannis' army deserts and Selyse commits suicide out of guilt for Shireen's death. Melisandre flees to Castle Black, where her distraught demeanour leads Davos and Jon to realise that Stannis and Shireen are dead. ====Season 6==== Still reeling from Stannis' defeat, Melisandre is further shocked when Jon is assassinated by his officers, as she had had a vision of him fighting at Winterfell. In shock and suffering a crisis of faith, she returns to her sleeping chambers. She removes her ruby necklace while undressing, proving that the necklace is a magical glamour, as she is revealed to have a physical body countless years older than she normally appears. Following the imprisonment of the mutineers by the wildlings, Davos persuades her to attempt a resurrection of Jon, which, to her shock, is ultimately successful. Melisandre comes to believe that the "prince that was promised" was not Stannis, but Jon, and dedicates herself to his service. Realizing that her constant meddling had done more harm than good, Melisandre works no magic without Jon's permission, nor does she try to convert anyone – including Snow – to worship the Lord of Light. Melisandre joins Jon in his march on Winterfell to confront Ramsay Bolton. Although Jon forbids her from resurrecting him again if he falls. Melisandre says she will at least try, as the Lord of Light might still need him. In the aftermath of House Stark's recapture of Winterfell (which validates her vision), Melisandre is confronted by Davos, who has discovered that she burned Shireen at the stake. Jon Snow exiles her from the North, threatening to have her executed if she ever returns. Melisandre protests that she is now dedicated to the cause of defeating the White Walkers, but ultimately agrees to leave and rides south. ====Season 7==== Melisandre arrives on Dragonstone, which is now occupied by Daenerys Targaryen. Melisandre claims that both she and Jon (who has been crowned King in the North since her exile) are the "prince that was promised", and suggests that Daenerys summon Jon to Dragonstone to hear of his experiences fighting the White Walkers. When Jon and Davos arrive on Dragonstone to meet Daenerys, Melisandre avoids them and decides to return to Volantis. Although Daenerys' advisor Varys warns that Melisandre will not be safe if she ever returns to Westeros, she declares that she will eventually make one final journey to Westeros to die. ====Season 8==== Melisandre returns to Winterfell as the forces of the living prepare to do battle with the White Walkers and their army of wights and sets Daenerys' Dothraki horde's arakhs on fire before they charge the dead. She is confronted by Davos as she enters Winterfell, but assures him she will be dead before dawn. When Daenerys is unable to see Davos' signal to light a defensive trench, Grey Worm escorts her outside to use her abilities to ignite the trench. The wights ultimately make their way into the castle, and Melisandre takes refuge in the Great Hall, later joined by Arya, Sandor Clegane, and a mortally wounded Beric Dondarrion. Melisandre tells Arya that Beric was resurrected for a purpose that has now been served, and reminds her of her prophecy that Arya would "shut many eyes forever", emphasizing the blue eyes of the wights and White Walkers. Arya realizes that her third victim is the Night King, commander of the White Walkers and leaves for Winterfell's Godswood, where she ultimately destroys the Night King, in doing so destroying the rest of the army of the dead. In the battle's aftermath, her purpose fulfilled, Melisandre walks out of Winterfell while removing her necklace and collapses into dust. ===Recognition and awards=== Year Award Category Result 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series == References ==

'''Arya Stark''' is a fictional character in American author George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' epic fantasy novel series. She is a prominent point of view character in the novels with the third most viewpoint chapters, and is the only viewpoint character to have appeared in every published book of the series. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Arya is the third child and younger daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Lady Catelyn Stark. She is tomboyish, headstrong, feisty, independent, disdains traditional female pursuits, and is often mistaken for a boy. She wields a smallsword named Needle, a gift from her half-brother, Jon Snow, and is trained in the Braavosi style of sword fighting by Syrio Forel. Arya is portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams in HBO's Emmy-winning television adaptation of the novel series, ''Game of Thrones''. Her performance has garnered critical acclaim, particularly in the second season for her work opposite veteran actor Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) when she served as his cupbearer. She is among the most popular characters in either version of the story. Williams was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2016. She and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. == Character == === Background === Arya is the third child and younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark and is nine years old at the beginning of the book series. She has five siblings: an older brother Robb, an older sister Sansa, two younger brothers Bran and Rickon, and an older illegitimate half-brother, Jon Snow. === Description === Arya is left-handed and talented in sums and housekeeping, and is excellent at horse-riding. In contrast to her more praised sister Sansa, who favors activities traditionally befitting a noblewoman and expresses disdain for outdoor activities, Arya shows no interest in dancing, singing and sewing, and revels in fighting and exploring, much to the chagrin of her mother and household tutor Septa Mordane. She is described as "wolf-blooded", blunt, impulsive and "always difficult to tame" by her mother, and was given the nickname "Arya Underfoot" by the guards of Winterfell. She is particularly close to her bastard half-brother Jon Snow, who encourages her to learn how to fight and gives her the smallsword Needle. The sword is well suited to Arya's slender build and her favored "Water Dance" (fencing) style which emphasizes speed and agility with a thin, light rapier used in quick thrusting attacks. Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness and cunning and also becomes increasingly ruthless. Arya is the only one out of her full-siblings to inherit the Stark features and is said to resemble her late aunt Lyanna in both looks and temperament. At the start of the series, she is generally regarded as messy and plain-looking, and often mistaken for a boy; but there are multiple instances in the books of her (favorable) comparison to the beautiful Lyanna, and catching the eye of men later on in the series. She is also a skinchanger, capable of telepathically possessing her direwolf Nymeria in dreams, as well as psychically bonding with a street tomcat in Braavos. == Storylines == === Novels === ==== ''A Game of Thrones'' ==== Coat of arms of House Stark Arya adopts a direwolf cub, which she names Nymeria after a legendary warrior queen. She travels with her father, Eddard, to King's Landing when he is made Hand of the King. Before she leaves, her half-brother Jon Snow has a smallsword made for her as a parting gift, which she names "Needle" after her least favorite ladylike activity. While taking a walk together, Prince Joffrey and her sister Sansa happen upon Arya and her friend, the low-born butcher apprentice Mycah, sparring in the woods with broomsticks. Arya defends Mycah from Joffrey's torments and her direwolf Nymeria helps Arya fight off Joffrey, wounding his arm in the process. Knowing that Nymeria will likely be killed in retribution, Arya chases her wolf away; but Sansa's direwolf Lady is killed in Nymeria's stead and Mycah is hunted down and killed by Sandor Clegane, Joffrey's bodyguard. In King's Landing, her father discovers Arya's possession of Needle, but instead of confiscating it he arranges for fencing lessons under the Braavosi swordmaster Syrio Forel, who teaches her the style of fighting known as "water dancing". After her father's arrest, Syrio is killed protecting her and Arya narrowly escapes capture. She later witnesses the public execution of her father before falling under the protection of the Night's Watch recruiter Yoren. ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Arya escapes King's Landing with Yoren and his party of recruits; and on the road, she clashes with the other Night's Watch child recruits Lommy, Gendry, and Hot Pie but eventually befriends them. On the way, the party is attacked by Amory Lorch when Yoren refuses to yield Gendry, who is actually a bastard son of the late King Robert, to the Lannisters. The Night's Watch convoy is overrun and massacred, but Arya and the other children escape through a tunnel. Before escaping, she rescues three prisoners locked in a wagon cage, among them a mysterious man named Jaqen H'ghar. Arya and her friends are later captured by Ser Gregor Clegane and taken to Harrenhal as slave laborers. After witnessing the torture death of her fellow prisoners, Arya begins nightly reciting the names of the people upon whom she wishes to exact revenge. At Harrenhal she re-encounters Jaqen, now under the employ of the Lannisters, who offers to kill for her any three people she names; whereupon she names two people who hurt her at Harrenhal. When Jaqen asks her to name the last target, Arya extorts him to help her free northern prisoners by naming Jaqen himself as the third person. In order to get Arya to retract the name, Jaqen stages a massive prison riot that overwhelms the Lannister garrison. Afterwards, Jaqen offers to take Arya with him, but Arya expresses wish to go home, so he gives Arya a strange Braavosi iron coin to ensure her induction into his guild, the Faceless Men, and tells her to remember the passphrase "''Valar Morghulis''" ("All men must die" in High Valyrian) before leaving. The next morning, Roose Bolton captures the castle, and Arya becomes his personal cupbearer. Eventually, Arya escapes Harrenhal with her friends Gendry and Hot Pie after killing a guard. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== While Arya and her companions are making their way north, she begins dreaming of her lost direwolf, Nymeria. Later, she and her companions are discovered by the guerrilla group, the Brotherhood Without Banners, and is recognized as Arya Stark. At the Brotherhood's secret base, Arya encounters Sandor Clegane, where she accuses him of Mycah's murder; but the Hound survives a trial by combat and is released. Arya eventually escapes the Brotherhood alone, but is captured by the Hound, who plans to return her to her family for a ransom. They reach the Twins just as her brother and mother are killed during the Red Wedding, and Sandor knocks her unconscious to prevent her from being killed. That night, Arya skinchanges into Nymeria during sleep and pulls her mother's corpse out of the river for the Brotherhood to find. Later, Sandor plans to ransom her to her aunt Lysa at the Vale, but is unable to proceed due to the weather. Sandor decides to instead take her to her great-uncle Brynden Tully. On their way to Riverrun, they encounter two men on Arya's death list, Tickler and Polliver, who were both Gregor Clegane's men-at-arms at Harrenhal. In the ensuing fight, Arya personally stabs Tickler to death and reclaims her sword Needle from Polliver's corpse, but Sandor is severely injured. When Sandor becomes gravely ill from his wounds, Arya refuses to kill him and abandons him to die under a tree by the Trident river. She travels to the port town Saltpan and gains passage to Braavos on a merchant galleass, ''Titan's Daughter'', by presenting the ship's captain with the iron coin that Jaqen gave her along with the Valyrian phrase "''Valar Morghulis''." ==== ''A Feast for Crows'' ==== Arriving in Braavos, Arya makes her way to the headquarters of the Faceless Men, the House of Black and White, where she is initiated into the guild by a priest in charge, whom she calls "the Kindly Man". The Kindly Man demands her to dispose of all her past possessions, and she complies by throwing in the river but still secretly hides her sword Needle, which is the one thing reminding of her sweet childhood memories. For her training, Arya adopts the identity of "Cat of the Canal", a street child who helps selling seafood, and continues having increased more frequent and vivid wolf-dreams, which further prevents her from discarding her old identity. During her training, she briefly meets Samwell Tarly and later murders the Night's Watch deserter Dareon. After admitting her unauthorized killing to her mentor, she is given a milk potion to drink; the next morning, she wakes up blind. ==== ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== Arya remains blind in the service of the House of Black and White for half a year. She continues to dream through the eyes of her direwolf Nymeria, but speaks of it to no one. While she is blind, Arya wanders the streets of Braavos under the identity of "Beth", a blind beggar girl, and becomes better at sensing without her eyes, as well as lying and detecting the lies of others. After skinchanging into a stray tomcat that followed her back to the temple, Arya is able to identify the Kindly Man as the person who sneak-attacks her with a stick every night and later surprise-hits him. For this achievement, she passes the test and regains her vision, and is given her first assassination assignment. When she successfully poisons a crooked insurance salesman without rousing any suspicion or collateral damage, the Kindly Man gives Arya an acolyte's robe and assigns her to begin her first apprenticeship inserted within a theatrical group. ==== ''The Winds of Winter'' ==== An excerpt chapter from the yet-to-be-published sixth book of the series, named "''Mercy''", was released on George R. R. Martin's official website on March 27, 2014. In the chapter, Arya assumes the identity of an apprentice stage actress under the alias Mercedene (or "Mercy" for short). She performs in a Braavosi theatrical play, ''The Bloody Hand'', a dramatized parody of the recent Westerosi political events in King's Landing, in which she plays a maiden (a whitewashed version of Shae) and rape victim of the titular evil dwarf Hand (a demonized version of Tyrion Lannister). When the Westerosi envoy, treasurer Harys Swyft, arrives in Braavos to negotiate with the Iron Bank for loans, Arya's theatre group is employed to perform the play to entertain the guests. As the play is about to begin Arya recognizes one of the envoy guards as Rafford (also known as Raff the Sweetling), a former subordinate of Gregor Clegane who killed her injured friend Lommy. She seduces him and lures him to her own room, before slicing his femoral artery, rendering him unable to walk. When Rafford begs for a healer, Arya cuts his throat in the same fashion as he had killed Lommy and throws his corpse into a canal. She heads back to perform the play, knowing this murder will most likely ruin her Mercedene identity. === Family tree of House Stark === === Television series === Arya Stark is portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams in the television adaption of the book series, this being Williams' first role as an actress. Williams was chosen from among 300 actresses across England. Maisie Williams plays the role of Arya Stark in the television series. ====Season 1==== Arya accompanies her father Ned and her sister Sansa to King's Landing. Before their departure, Arya's half-brother Jon Snow gifts Arya a sword which she dubs "Needle". On the Kingsroad, Arya is sparring with a butcher's boy, Mycah, when Sansa's betrothed Prince Joffrey Baratheon attacks Mycah, prompting Arya's direwolf Nymeria to bite Joffrey. Arya shoos Nymeria away so she is not killed, but is furious when Sansa later refuses to support her version of events. Mycah is later killed by Joffrey's bodyguard Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, earning him Arya's hatred. Ned arranges for Arya to have sword lessons with the Braavosi Syrio Forel, who later defends her from Ser Meryn Trant after Joffrey ascends to the throne and kills the Stark household. Arya flees the Red Keep, accidentally killing a stable boy in her escape, hiding out as a beggar in the streets of King's Landing. Ned is eventually taken to the Great Sept of Baelor to face judgment; he spots Arya in the crowd, and alerts the Night's Watch recruiter Yoren to her presence. Yoren prevents Arya from witnessing Ned's execution and has her pose as a boy, "Arry", to avoid detection as she joins Yoren's recruits traveling north to Castle Black. ====Season 2==== The recruits are attacked by Lannister soldiers under Ser Amory Lorch, who have been ordered by Cersei Lannister to kill Robert Baratheon's bastard Gendry, who is part of the party. Needle is confiscated by a soldier, Polliver, who uses it to kill Arya's friend Lommy Greenhands (who Arya later claims is Gendry). The recruits are taken to Harrenhal, where Tywin Lannister recognises Arya is a girl instead of a boy and takes her as his cupbearer. Jaqen offers to kill three people for Arya as reward for saving his life and those of his cellmates during the attack; Arya picks Harrenhal's torturer The Tickler and Ser Amory. When Arya is unable to have Tywin killed before his departure, she has Jaqen help her, Gendry and her friend Hot Pie escape. Jaqen offers to take Arya to Braavos to join the Faceless Men assassin guild, and although she declines he gives her an iron coin that will allow her to obtain passage to Braavos. ====Season 3==== Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie encounter Thoros of Myr, a Red Priest who is a member of the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of men sent by Ned to restore order in the Riverlands. As Thoros takes them to the Brotherhood's hideout they encounter the Hound, a captive of other Brotherhood men. The Hound is brought before the Brotherhood's leader, Ser Beric Dondarrion, and after Arya accuses him of Mycah's murder Beric sentences him to trial by combat. The Hound wins, to Arya's fury, and is released by Dondarrion. Arya is further enraged when the Brotherhood sells Gendry to Melisandre and escapes the Brotherhood. She is captured by the Hound, who intends to take her to The Twins to ransom her to her brother Robb. However, as they arrive the Freys betray the Starks and slaughter their forces, with Arya barely escaping the massacre. In the aftermath of their escape, Arya encounters a Frey soldier bragging about his role in desecrating Robb's corpse. Arya stabs the soldier to death, marking the first time she has deliberately killed another person. ====Season 4==== Arya and the Hound encounter Polliver in a tavern; Arya reclaims Needle and uses it to kill Polliver to avenge Lommy. They also encounter Rorge and Biter, Jaqen's fellow prisoners, and Arya kills Rorge after recalling he had threatened to rape her. The Hound takes Arya to the Vale to ransom her to her aunt Lysa Arryn, only to be turned away at the Bloody Gate when they are informed that Lysa has apparently committed suicide. Returning from the Bloody Gate, they are approached by Brienne of Tarth, who had sworn to Catelyn Stark to take Arya to safety. Distrusting Brienne's allegiances, the Hound attempts to kill her but Brienne defeats the Hound and he is seemingly mortally wounded. Arya manages to hide from Brienne in the confusion, and after Brienne leaves, Arya takes the Hound's silver, leaving him to die. She then encounters a Braavosi captain, who offers her passage to Braavos after she gives him the iron coin. ====Season 5==== Arya arrives in Braavos and is accepted into the House of Black and White by a man who wears Jaqen H'ghar's face. After impressing Jaqen with her ability to lie undetected by convincing a terminally ill girl to drink poison, Arya is given the assignment of assassinating a corrupt insurance salesman. However, she is distracted from her mission by the arrival in Braavos of Ser Meryn Trant. Assuming the identity of the girl she had poisoned, Arya disguises herself as a prostitute and infiltrates a brothel, where she kills Meryn. However, when she returns to the House of Black and White she is caught by Jaqen, who chides that Arya has not dissociated from her identity and that as a result wearing another person's face will poison her. Arya is subsequently struck blind. ====Season 6==== A blind Arya is forced to beg on the streets of Braavos. Her fellow acolyte, the Waif, arrives daily to attack her. Eventually, Jaqen brings Arya back to the House of Black and White and restores her vision. She is tasked to assassinate an actress named Lady Crane, but Arya has a change of heart at the last minute and warns Lady Crane of the attempt on her life. The Waif witnesses this disobedience and is given permission by Jaqen to kill Arya. Aware that she is now in danger, Arya retrieves her sword Needle from its hiding place and arranges for passage out of Braavos, but is stabbed by the Waif and barely escapes. Lady Crane nurses her back to health, but the Waif reappears, kills Lady Crane and pursues a recovering Arya. Arya leads the Waif to her quarters underneath Braavos and extinguishes the only candle in the room, her experience fighting blind ultimately giving her the advantage and allowing her to kill the Waif. She removes the Waif's face and adds it to the Hall of Faces before telling an impressed Jaqen that she is Arya Stark, and returns to Westeros. Arya travels to the Twins, assuming the identity of a servant girl. She kills Lord Walder Frey's sons, Black Walder Rivers and Lothar Frey, before cooking them in a pie that she serves to Walder Frey. After revealing her subterfuge and her true identity to Walder, she cuts his throat, avenging Robb and Catelyn. ====Season 7==== Taking the face of Walder Frey, Arya gathers the men of House Frey for a feast before killing them all with poisoned wine. Arya then journeys south, intending to travel to King's Landing to assassinate Cersei (now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms following the extinction of House Baratheon). However, Arya changes her mind after learning from Hot Pie that Jon has ousted House Bolton from Winterfell and has been crowned King in the North, and decides to return to her ancestral home. Along the way she encounters a wolf pack led by her long-lost direwolf Nymeria. Nymeria recognizes Arya, but she has grown feral and ignores Arya when she asks her to come North with her. Arriving at Winterfell, Arya finds that Jon has traveled to Dragonstone but is reunited with Sansa and Bran. Bran reveals his knowledge of Arya's kill list through greenseeing and presents her with a Valyrian steel dagger, which had been given to him by Littlefinger. Arya is also reunited with Brienne, who continues to serve the Starks, and manages to equal the female warrior during sparring despite her smaller size. Littlefinger seeks to increase his influence on Sansa by driving a wedge between the Stark sisters. To this end, he allows Arya to witness him receiving a confidential message obtained from Maester Luwin's records. Arya breaks into Littlefinger's quarters to steal the message, which is a plea sent by Sansa following Ned's imprisonment to Robb imploring him to bend the knee to Joffrey. Outraged, Arya confronts Sansa and is unconvinced by her explanation that she did so to try and save Ned's life. Later, Arya catches Sansa looking at her collection of faces and threatens Sansa before leaving. Some time later, Sansa summons Arya to the great hall and begins an accusation of treason and murder; however, the accusation is directed towards Littlefinger, whose crimes have been discovered by Bran's greenseeing. Despite Littlefinger's pleas for mercy, Sansa sentences Littlefinger to death and Arya cuts his throat with the Valyrian steel dagger. The Stark sisters later resolve their differences, and acknowledge that the Starks must stay together to survive winter. ====Season 8==== Arya reunites with Jon, Gendry, and the Hound, who have all journeyed to Winterfell with Daenerys Targaryen's forces to make a stand against the approaching White Walkers. Arya asks Gendry, who is forging dragonglass into weapons, to make her a special dragonglass staff. When Gendry gives it to Arya, he tells her he is the bastard son of Robert Baratheon. Aware of their chances of dying in the upcoming battle and Arya wanting to experience sex, Arya and Gendry sleep together. Later that night, Arya hears the signal alerting her that the White Walkers' army has arrived. Arya fights in the battle against the dead with Sandor Clegane and Beric Dondarrion. Beric sacrifices himself to allow Arya and the Hound to escape the wights. A battered Arya sprints through the corridors of Winterfell and encounters Melisandre, who suggests to Arya that she is meant to kill the Night King. In the Godswood, just as the Night King is about to kill Bran, Arya sneaks up and stabs the Night King with the Valyrian steel dagger Bran gave her. Upon killing the Night King, the White Walkers and wights are all destroyed. In the aftermath of the battle, Arya is proposed to by Gendry, who had just been legitimised as a Baratheon by Daenerys. Arya declines, as she does not want the life of a lady. Sansa and Arya tell Jon they don't trust Daenerys, but Jon defends her. Arya learns that Jon is the son of her aunt, Lyanna Stark, and Rhaegar Targaryen after Jon swears her and Sansa to secrecy about his true parentage. Arya journeys south to King's Landing with the Hound to kill Cersei. The two infiltrate the Red Keep with the civilians Cersei is using to deter Daenerys' attack. Despite the city's surrender to Daenerys, she begins laying waste to the populace atop of Drogon. In his mission for revenge against his brother, the Mountain, the Hound seeks out the Mountain but urges Arya to leave and give up her quest for revenge to avoid a life consumed by it. Arya thanks the Hound, calling him by his name for the first time. She tries and fails to save the smallfolk, narrowly avoiding being incinerated in Daenerys' attack on the city, but survives. In the aftermath, Arya is reunited with Jon and warns him that he and the Starks are not safe from Daenerys. Jon tries but is unable to dissuade Daenerys from further destruction and ultimately assassinates her. He is imprisoned. Weeks later, Arya joins the other lords and ladies of Westeros in a council to decide who shall lead the Seven Kingdoms. Bran is chosen as king, though Arya abstains from voting as Sansa declares the North's independence. Arya, Sansa, and Bran bid Jon farewell as he is exiled. Arya reveals that she is leaving Westeros to see what lies west of the continent. She embarks on her voyage aboard a Stark ship. === Recognition and awards === Maisie Williams has received several award nominations for her portrayal of Arya. For her performance in the series she received two Portal Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Young Actor in 2012, an EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2014, and a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Series in 2015. Williams was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2016. Other nominations include the Portal Award for Best Young Actor in 2011, the SFX Awards for Best Actress in 2012 and 2015, the Gold Derby TV Awards for Breakthrough Performer of the Year in 2012, the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series by a Supporting Young Actress in 2013, the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Series in 2016. == References ==

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 a continent called Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east known as Essos. Like the novel, the season initially focuses on the family of nobleman Eddard "Ned" Stark, who is asked to become the King's Hand (chief advisor) to his king and longtime friend, Robert Baratheon. Ned must find out who killed his predecessor, Jon Arryn, while trying to protect his family from their rivals, the Lannisters. He uncovers the dark secrets about the Lannisters that his predecessor died trying to expose. Meanwhile, in Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of the former king, seeks assistance alongside his sister Daenerys in his attempts to gain back his perceived rightful claim to the Iron Throne. ''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. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== ====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 ====Also starring==== * Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo ===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: ====At and beyond the Wall==== * James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark * Owen Teale as Alliser Thorne * Francis Magee as Yoren * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly * Josef Altin as Pyp * Mark Stanley as Grenn * Luke McEwan as Rast * Rob Ostlere as Waymar Royce * Bronson Webb as Will * Dermot Keaney as Gared ====In King's Landing==== * Callum Wharry as Tommen Baratheon * Aimee Richardson as Myrcella Baratheon * Gethin Anthony as Renly Baratheon * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle * Conleth Hill as Varys * Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy * Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant * David Michael Scott as Beric Dondarrion * Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister * Wilko Johnson as Ilyn Payne * Conan Stevens as Gregor Clegane * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt * Jefferson Hall as Hugh of the Vale * Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel * Andrew Wilde as Tobho Mott * Joe Dempsie as Gendry * Eros Vlahos as Lommy Greenhands * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie ====In the North==== * Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark * Clive Mantle as Greatjon Umber * Steven Blount as Rickard Karstark * Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin * Ron Donachie as Rodrik Cassel * Jamie Sives as Jory Cassel * Susan Brown as Septa Mordane * Margaret John as Old Nan * Kristian Nairn as Hodor * Esmé Bianco as Ros * Natalia Tena as Osha ====In the Riverlands==== * Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister * David Bradley as Walder Frey * Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister * Jerome Flynn as Bronn * Emun Elliott as Marillion * Sibel Kekilli as Shae * Rhodri Hosking as Mycah ====In the Vale==== * Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn * Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn * Mark Lewis Jones as Shagga ====In Essos==== * Roger Allam as Illyrio Mopatis * Dar Salim as Qotho * Elyes Gabel as Rakharo * Amrita Acharia as Irri * Roxanne McKee as Doreah * Mia Soteriou as Mirri Maz Duur ==Production== HBO originally optioned the rights to ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' in 2007, at which time David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were identified as the project's writers and executive producers. The first and second drafts of the pilot script, written by Benioff and Weiss, were submitted in August 2007, and June 2008, respectively. While HBO found both drafts to their liking, a pilot was not ordered until November 2008, with the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike possibly delaying the process. Benioff and Weiss served as main writers and showrunners for the first season. They contributed eight out of ten episodes, including one co-written with Jane Espenson. The two remaining episodes were written by Bryan Cogman and ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' author George R. R. Martin. Tom McCarthy directed the original pilot, but much of this was later re-shot by Tim Van Patten as the pilot was reworked into the first episode of the complete season. Van Patten also directed the second episode. McCarthy is still credited as a consulting producer for the series' first episode. Brian Kirk and Daniel Minahan directed three episodes each, and Alan Taylor directed the final two. Before ''Game of Thrones'' both Benioff and Weiss worked in film, and were unfamiliar with working on a television show. This resulted in several first-season episodes being about 10 minutes too short for HBO, forcing them to write another 100 pages of scripts in two weeks. Due to lack of budget the new scenes were designed to be inexpensive to film, such as two actors conversing in one room. Benioff and Weiss noted that some of their favorite scenes from the first season were the results of the dilemma, including one between Robert and Cersei Baratheon discussing their marriage. ===Casting=== On May 5, 2009, it was announced that Peter Dinklage had been signed on to star as Tyrion Lannister in the pilot, and that Tom McCarthy was set to direct. On July 19, 2009, a number of further casting decisions were announced, including Sean Bean being given the role of Ned Stark. Other actors signed on for the pilot were Kit Harington in the role of Jon Snow, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen, and Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon. At the beginning of August 2009, it was revealed that Catelyn Stark would be portrayed by Jennifer Ehle. On August 20, more casting announcements were made, including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister and Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys Targaryen, as well as Richard Madden in the role of Robb Stark, Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont, Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. On September 1 Lena Headey was announced as Cersei Lannister. On September 23, Martin confirmed that Rory McCann had been cast as Sandor Clegane. Isaac Hempstead-Wright was confirmed as Bran Stark on October 14, followed by an announcement of Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo three days later. After the pilot was shot and the series picked up, it was announced that the role of Catelyn had been recast, with Michelle Fairley replacing Ehle. Later, it was also confirmed that Emilia Clarke would replace Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys. The rest of the cast was filled out in the second half of the year, and included Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister, Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish, and Conleth Hill as Varys. ===Filming=== Doune Castle was used as the set for Winterfell in the pilot. The pilot episode was initially filmed on location in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Morocco by Tom McCarthy between October 24 and November 19, 2009. However, the pilot was deemed unsatisfactory and much of it had to be reshot together with the other episodes of the season in Northern Ireland and Malta. Most scenes were shot in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland border counties. Principal photography was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010, with the primary studio location being the Paint Hall Studio in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Among various locations for the initial shooting of the pilot in 2009, Doune Castle in central Scotland was used as the location for Winterfell, including scenes at its great hall (the great hall was later recreated in a soundstage in Northern Ireland). Additional filming locations included Cairncastle at Larne, Shane's Castle, and Tollymore Forest Park, all in Northern Ireland. In the 2010 shooting of the series, Castle Ward was used as Winterfell instead of Doune Castle, with Cairncastle for some exterior Winterfell scenes. The set for Castle Black was built at Magheramorne quarry. The show's presence in Northern Ireland and use of Paint Hall created hundreds of jobs for residents, and made the area "a hub for film and television production". The "King's Landing" exterior scenes were shot at various locations in Malta, including the city of Mdina and the island of Gozo. The filming in Malta resulted in controversy when a protected ecosystem was damaged by a subcontractor. ===Music=== The soundtrack to ''Game of Thrones'' was originally to be composed by Stephen Warbeck. On February 2, 2011, only ten weeks prior to the show's premiere, it was reported that Warbeck had left the project and Ramin Djawadi had been commissioned to write the music instead. The music supervisor of ''Game of Thrones'' Evyen Klean first suggested Djawadi to Benioff and Weiss as the replacement for Warbeck, and although Djawadi was reluctant as he had other commitments at that time, they managed to persuade Djawadi to accept the project. To give the series its own distinctive musical identity, according to Djawadi, the producers asked him not to use musical elements such as flutes or solo vocals that had already been successfully used by other major fantasy productions. He mentioned that a challenge in scoring the series was its reliance on dialogue and its sprawling cast: on several occasions already-scored music had to be omitted so as not to get in the way of dialogue. Djawadi said that he was inspired to write the main title music by an early version of the series's computer-animated title sequence. The title music is reprised as a global theme in the rest of the soundtrack, initially infrequently and as part of the theme of individual characters, then in full towards the end of season 1 during particularly important scenes. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== Anticipation for the series was described by various media outlets as very high, with a dedicated fan base closely following the show's development. By April 2011, multiple entertainment news outlets had put it at the top of their lists of television events to look forward to in 2011. The majority of reviews for the first season were very positive, with critics noting the high production values, the well-realized world, compelling characters, and giving particular note to the strength of the child actors. Tim Goodman's review for ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated, "a few minutes into HBO's epic Game of Thrones series, it's clear that the hype was right and the wait was worth it". Mary McNamara from the ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "...a great and thundering series of political and psychological intrigue bristling with vivid characters, cross-hatched with tantalizing plotlines and seasoned with a splash of fantasy". ''New York Post'''s Linda Stasi gave ''Thrones'' 3.5/4 stars stating, "The art direction, acting and incredible sets are as breathtaking as the massive scope of the series". Many critics praised Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, with Ken Tucker from ''Entertainment Weekly'' stating, "...if Dinklage doesn't get an Emmy for his clever, rude Tyrion Lannister, I'll be gobsmacked" and Mary McNamara from the ''Los Angeles Times'' stating, "If the man doesn't win an Emmy, heads should certainly roll.” The first season of ''Game of Thrones'' has a Metacritic average of 80 out of 100 based on 28 critic reviews, categorized as "generally favorable". On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 90% approval rating from 40 critics with an average rating of 8.37 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Its intricate storytelling and dark themes may overwhelm some viewers, but ''Game of Thrones'' is a transportive, well-acted, smartly written drama even non-genre fans can appreciate." ===Ratings=== The first episode attracted 2.2 million viewers its initial airing on April 17 in the U.S., and totaled 5.4 million viewers across multiple Sunday and Monday night airings. It averaged 743,000 and reached a peak 823,000 in UK and Ireland on its April 18 premiere. HBO announced that they would be commissioning a second season on the strength of the reception of the premiere episode. By the final episode of the season, which aired June 20, the ratings had climbed to over 3 million. ===Accolades=== 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. Dinklage, who plays Tyrion, was also named best supporting actor by the Golden Globes, the Scream Awards and the Satellite Awards. Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 AFI Awards AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Pilot Drama Nina Gold Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Portal Award Best Actor Sean Bean Best Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Episode Winter Is Coming Best Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Young Actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright Maisie Williams EWwy Award Best Supporting Actress, Drama Emilia Clarke Best Actor, Drama Sean Bean 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Tim Van Patten for "Winter Is Coming" Outstanding Drama Series Vince Gerardis, Frank Doelger, Ralph Vicinanza, Mark Huffam, David Benioff, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin, Guymon Casady and D. B. Weiss Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Baelor" 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton and Rachael Webb-Crozier for "The Pointy End" Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander and Candice Banks for "A Golden Crown" Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani and Robert Feng Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen for "Winter Is Coming" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen and Conor O'Sullivan for "A Golden Crown" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Robin Quinn, Steve Fanagan, Eoghan McDonnell, Jon Stevenson, Tim Hands, Stefan Henrix, Caoimhe Doyle, Michelle McCormack and Andy Kennedy for "A Golden Crown" Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rafael Morant, Adam McInnes, Graham Hills, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Stuart Brisdon, Damien Macé, Henry Badgett and Angela Barson for "Fire and Blood" Outstanding Stunt Coordination Paul Jennings for "The Wolf and the Lion" Women's Image Network Awards Actress Drama Series Lena Headey International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series Ramin Djawadi 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' 69th Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Peabody Award ''Game of Thrones'' 16th Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Scream Awards Best Ensemble ''Game of Thrones'' Best Fantasy Actor Sean Bean Best Fantasy Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Breakout Performance – Female Emilia Clarke Most Memorable Mutilation "Head covered in molten gold" from "A Golden Crown" The Ultimate Scream ''Game of Thrones'' 27th TCA Awards Individual Achievement in Drama Peter Dinklage Outstanding Achievement in Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding New Program ''Game of Thrones'' Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Gold Derby TV Awards 2011 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage IGN Awards Best TV Hero Sean Bean as Ned Stark Best TV Twist Off with his head! Best TV Episode Baelor Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Actor Peter Dinklage Best TV Actress Emilia Clarke Best TV Hero Kit Harington as Jon Snow Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Hero Sean Bean as Ned Stark Best TV Twist Off with his head! Best TV Episode Baelor Best TV Hero Kit Harington as Jon Snow Best TV Actor Peter Dinklage Best TV Actress Emilia Clarke Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Writers Guild of America Awards New Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss 2012 People's Choice Awards Favorite Cable TV Drama ''Game of Thrones'' ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson for "A Golden Crown" Gracie Allen Awards Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Drama Series or Special Emilia Clarke SFX Awards Best New TV Show David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Best TV Show David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Best Actress Maisie Williams Best Actor Peter Dinklage NewNowNext Awards TV You Betta Watch ''Game of Thrones'' Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" Best Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Winter Is Coming" Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' 64th Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Tim Van Patten for "Winter Is Coming" American Cinema Editors Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Frances Parker for "Baelor" Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Mark Taylor for "Baelor" 9th Irish Film & Television Awards Best Television Drama Mark Huffam Best Director Television Drama Brian Kirk Best Actress – Television Michelle Fairley Best Supporting Actor – Television Aidan Gillen Best Sound (Film/TV Drama) Ronan Hill Best Sound Ronan Hill Astra Awards Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, Tim Van Patten, Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan and Alan Taylor for ''Game of Thrones'' – Season 1 Kerrang! Awards Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Producers Guild Awards "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Mark Huffam, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss Saturn Award Best Television Presentation ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor on Television Sean Bean Best Actress on Television Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series Amrita Acharia, Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Josef Altin, Sean Bean, Susan Brown, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Ron Donachie, Michelle Fairley, Jerome Flynn, Elyes Gabel, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Conleth Hill, Richard Madden, Jason Momoa, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Luke McEwan, Roxanne McKee, Dar Salim, Mark Stanley, Donald Sumpter, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' IGN People's Choice Award Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete first season on Blu-ray Visual Effects Society Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Henry Badgett, Mark Brown, Rafael Morant, James Sutton for "Fire and Blood" Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Markus Kuha, Damien Macé, Dante Harbridge Robinson, Fani Vassiadi for "The Icewall" Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Angela Barson, Ed Bruce, Adam McInnes for "Winter Is Coming" ==Release== ===Broadcast=== ''Game of Thrones'' premiered on HBO in the United States and Canada on April 17, 2011, and on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 18, 2011, with a same-day release on HBO Central Europe. The series premiered in Australia on Showcase on July 17, 2011. ===Home media=== The first season of ''Game of Thrones'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 6, 2012. The set includes extra background and behind-the-scenes material, but no deleted scenes, because almost all footage shot for the first season was used in the show. HBO released a ''Collector's Edition'' DVD/Blu-ray combo pack of the first season, which includes a resin-carved Dragon Egg Paperweight. The set was released in the United States and Canada on November 20, 2012. The first season was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on June 5, 2018. ==References== ==External links== * – official US site * – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

"'''The Kingsroad'''" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', first aired on April 24, 2011. It was written by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Tim Van Patten. Nearly all the action of the episode happens during travel: Eddard Stark and his daughters accompany the king's entourage to King's Landing to occupy the post of Hand of the King, Tyrion Lannister joins Jon in his travel to the Wall, and the newly wed Daenerys goes with her husband's ''khalasar'' to the city of Vaes Dothrak. Meanwhile, in Winterfell a grieving Catelyn Stark watches over her unconscious son Bran. The title of the episode refers to the long road that snakes throughout Westeros, eventually ending at King's Landing. Viewing figures were unchanged from the premiere, despite the second episode airing on Easter Sunday. Critical reception to the episode was favorable. Filming locations included several notable Northern Ireland locations, and the filming itself was complicated by the difficulty of integrating canine actors into several crucial scenes. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.2 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===In the Dothraki Sea=== En route to Vaes Dothrak with Khal Drogo's ''khalasar'', Jorah Mormont reveals to Viserys Targaryen that he was exiled for selling poachers into slavery. Viserys is impatient for control of Drogo's army. Daenerys Targaryen struggles with her new marriage and the nomadic Dothraki lifestyle, taking comfort in her dragon eggs. Distressed by sex with the Khal, she asks her handmaiden Doreah how to please her husband. ===In the North=== Bran Stark has been in a coma for over a month. After slapping his nephew Joffrey Baratheon for refusing to give his condolences to the Starks, Tyrion Lannister informs his siblings that Bran will survive. Ned Stark and his daughters prepare to journey to the capital with King Robert Baratheon, while Jon Snow leaves to join his uncle Benjen in the Night's Watch, accompanied by Tyrion. Jon gives Arya Stark a sword, and Catelyn Stark chastises Ned for leaving her. Ned promises to tell Jon about his mother when they meet again. As they embark for King's Landing, Robert tells Ned of Daenerys Targaryen's marriage to Khal Drogo and the possibility of Viserys raising a Dothraki army to overthrow him. A fire breaks out at Winterfell as an assassin tries to kill Bran, but is held off by Catelyn and killed by Bran's direwolf. A strand of blonde hair in the tower where Bran fell convinces Catelyn that the Lannisters are involved. Confiding with her son Robb, Maester Luwin, Master-at-Arms Ser Rodrik Cassel, and the Starks' ward Theon Greyjoy, Catelyn decides to go to King's Landing to warn Ned. ===At the Wall=== Reaching the Wall, Tyrion disabuses Jon of his romantic notions of the once-noble Night's Watch, now a place for criminals, prisoners, and bastards. ===At the Inn at the Crossroads=== The king's entourage stops at an inn, where Joffrey's cruelty to Arya's commoner friend Mycah results in Joffrey being bitten by Arya's direwolf Nymeria, whom he accuses of attacking him. Sansa, newly betrothed to Joffrey, claims to remember nothing, and King Robert gives in to Cersei Lannister's demand that the direwolf be killed. With Nymeria having fled, Sansa's direwolf Lady is to be killed instead, which Ned takes responsibility for himself. He encounters Joffrey's bodyguard, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who has killed Mycah for the prince. Ned kills Lady, while in the North, Bran suddenly awakens from his coma. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The second episode was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the original book by George R. R. Martin."The Kingsroad" includes chapters 10-11, 13-18 and 24. (Tyrion I, Jon II, Eddard II, Tyrion II, Catelyn III, Sansa I, Eddard III, Bran III, Daenerys III.) While the events in this episode mostly follow the book, differences in the screen adaptation include not introducing the council's delegation with Ser Barristan and Lord Renly and the conversation between Robert and Eddard taking place during breakfast instead of on horseback. Some scenes were also created for the series, most notably a conversation between Catelyn and Cersei at Bran's bedside remembering the Queen's first child by Robert that died early of sickness (in the novel, when Ned confronts Cersei about Jaime fathering her children, she hinted that her first pregnancy, which was by Robert, she had aborted), and a confrontation between Jaime and Jon before Jon leaves for the Wall. ===Casting=== This episode marks the first appearance of regular guest star Roxanne McKee, best known for her role of Louise Summers in the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. McKee was chosen among a great number of candidates to play the part of Doreah, a slave serving as Daenerys Targaryen's handmaiden. Also introduced in this episode is British musician Wilko Johnson as the executioner Ilyn Payne. The mute headsman of ''Game of Thrones'' is Johnson's first acting job. ===Filming locations=== The principal shooting for the episode was done at The Paint Hall studio. The scenes at the Inn at the Crossroads were filmed on location at the Redhall Estate, in Ballycarry, during the first days of September 2010. ===Direwolves=== "The Kingsroad" has a significant number of scenes that include direwolves. To stand in for the extinct species, the production team considered using real wolves, but the UK safety laws and close work with child actors made this impractical. Instead, they chose to use Northern Inuit Dogs due to their resemblance to wolves. During this episode, the dogs had to interact with the main characters, which proved difficult. Actor Sean Bean reported that for the final scene where he has to sacrifice Lady, the animal was too scared to remain still. They had to keep rehearsing the scene until the dog felt comfortable, making a shot that should have taken a few minutes about three hours long. The dog that portrayed Lady, Zanni, was adopted after the season wrapped by the family of Sophie Turner, the actress playing the direwolf's owner, Sansa Stark. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The second episode of ''Game of Thrones'' attracted the same viewing figures as the premiere, with 2.2 million viewers. The second repeat obtained 0.7 million, which was also similar to the previous week's figure. These ratings have been considered positive, especially considering that it was aired on an Easter Sunday. ===Critical response=== Critical reaction was favorable, although some critics felt it was inferior to the first episode. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 10 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'The Kingsroad' brings surprising new developments for characters undergoing change while pushing the various plots forward at an effective pace." ''Entertainment Weekly''s James Hibberd considered the second episode better than the first one, while TV Squad's Maureen Ryan gave "The Kingsroad" the lowest score from the first six episodes of the series. Matt Fowler, who reviewed the episode for IGN, gave it a score of 8/10, and maintained that it was still a solid effort that focused on shifting all the main characters out of their comfort zones. Tod VanDerWerff, from The A.V. Club, gave the episode a "''B''," saying "it was a small step up from the pilot...and is a particularly eventful hour of ''Game Of Thrones'', layering on plot point after plot point in a brisk, fairly economical matter." Alan Sepinwall from HitFix, has described "The Kingsroad" as a transition episode and therefore "not as likely to excite as the premiere or some of the season's later episodes." Maureen Ryan felt that the show lacked a thematic unity, and while it had some effective moments, in some ways "lacked emotional spark." At Cultural Learnings, Myles McNutt admitted that having to move all pieces into place made the episode resemble a travelogue, but he considered the lack of cohesion to be very purposeful since it helped to emphasize the splitting of the Stark family and the different motivations and destinies that awaited the protagonists. == References == == External links == * "The Kingsroad" at HBO * *

"'''Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things'''" is the fourth episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', which first aired on May 8, 2011. It was written by Bryan Cogman and directed by Brian Kirk. In this episode Lord Eddard Stark, the new Hand of the King, investigates the sudden death of his predecessor. Jon Snow, Eddard's bastard son, defends a new recruit who has just joined the rangers at "the Wall". Exiled prince Viserys becomes increasingly frustrated as the Dothraki horde he needs to invade Westeros and win back his crown continues to linger at Vaes Dothrak. The episode ends with Eddard's wife Catelyn arresting Tyrion Lannister on suspicion of attempting to murder her son Bran. The title comes from the original book, spoken by Tyrion after he provides Bran Stark with a saddle design that will allow him to ride despite his paraplegia: "I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things." Critical reaction to the episode was mostly positive, with critics citing the Night's Watch scenes at the Wall as highlights, as well as Michelle Fairley's performance as Catelyn Stark in the final scene of the episode with Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.5 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Ned quietly inquires into the death of Jon Arryn, the previous Hand of the King. He questions Grand Maester Pycelle, who tended to Arryn in his final days, and learns Arryn's last words were "the seed is strong", and that he was researching the houses of the Seven Kingdoms. Helped by Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish and his web of informants, Eddard questions Gendry, a smith's apprentice whom Arryn had visited, and deduces that Gendry is a bastard of king Robert Baratheon. Ned plans to question Arryn's former squire Ser Hugh of the Vale, who is killed by Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane. ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Khal Drogo's khalasar arrives at the city of Vaes Dothrak. Daenerys fights back against her brother Viserys, who grows impatient for control of Drogo's army to reconquer the Seven Kingdoms. Jorah tells Daenerys that the people of the Seven Kingdoms do not care who rules them as long as they are ruled well, and Daenerys agrees that Viserys would be a poor conqueror. ===At the Wall=== The Night's Watch receives Samwell Tarly, a fat, fearful, and clumsy recruit who becomes an easy target for Ser Thorne. Sam explains to Jon that his father forced him to join and forsake his inheritance because he considered Sam unworthy. Jon defends Sam from their fellow recruits, and Thorne warns them to toughen up if they are to survive. ===In the North=== On his way to King's Landing, Tyrion receives a cold welcome at Winterfell from Robb Stark, acting Lord of the castle in his father's absence. Despite Robb's suspicion that the Lannisters are behind the attempts on Bran's life, Tyrion gives Bran designs for a saddle for him to ride despite his paralysis. Before leaving, Tyrion taunts Theon for the Greyjoys’ failed rebellion against King Robert, calling Theon a "hostage" to the Starks. ===At the Inn at the Crossroads=== Further south, Tyrion and his retinue spend the night at the Inn at the Crossroads, where he recognizes Lady Catelyn Stark in disguise. She calls upon her father's bannermen to seize Tyrion to face trial for Bran's attempted murder. ==Production== ===Writing=== "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" is the first episode of the series that was not written by the show's creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The script was authored by writer Bryan Cogman, based on George R. R. Martin's original work. Cogman worked on the ''Game of Thrones'' pilot as a writing assistant and was contracted for the full series as script-editor and the unofficial "keeper of the mythos" for the show, entrusted with the task of writing the series bible outlining character and background information, and making sure that the world-building remained consistent. In this capacity, he was approached by Benioff and Weiss, who asked him to write a treatment for the fourth episode. Believing it was only an exercise that would be completely rewritten by another professional writer, he completed the script that ended up being episode four. The chapters of the book covered in this episode are Bran IV (less the first few pages that were included in the previous episode), Eddard V, Jon IV, Eddard VI, Catelyn V, Sansa II, Daenerys IV (chapters 25–30 and 37). Among the scenes created for the show, there are the conversations between Theon and Tyrion, Sansa and Septa Mordane, Doreah and Viserys, Jory Cassel and Jaime, Jon and Samwell and Eddard Stark and Cersei. The character of Alliser Thorne is given some more depth by justifying his harshness towards the new recruits, and a more subdued version of Bran's dream is included. During the bathtub scene in which Viserys recalls the old Targaryen dragons, he lists names taken from the books (Balerion, Meraxes and Vhagar) and others invented for the show. Among them a dragon called Vermithrax is mentioned, which is an homage to Vermithrax Pejorative from the 1981 film ''Dragonslayer''. Author George R. R. Martin once ranked the film the fifth best fantasy movie of all time, and called ''Vermithrax'' "the best dragon ever put on film," and the one with "the coolest dragon name as well." ===Casting=== This episode introduces the character of Samwell Tarly, a new recruit of the Night's Watch and a self-described coward. John Bradley was cast in the part, the actor's first professional appearance after graduating from the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre. The scene used in the auditions belonged to "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," with Sam explaining to Jon how his father forced him to take the black. According to author and executive producer George R. R. Martin, Bradley delivered "a heartbreaking performance." Australian actor Conan Stevens, whose official website lists his height as 214 cm (7' 1/4"), first appears as the gigantic knight Gregor Clegane, known as "the Mountain." Stevens had sought to join the production since HBO started developing ''Game of Thrones''. Since the character of Gregor Clegane, the role he believed he was most fitted for, did not appear in the pilot, he auditioned for the role of Khal Drogo instead in the hopes of getting noticed by the casting team. Although that role went to Jason Momoa, Stevens was chosen for the part of Gregor. Other recurring roles making their first appearance in the episode include Dominic Carter as commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt, Jerome Flynn as the mercenary ("sellsword") Bronn, and Joe Dempsie as the smith's apprentice Gendry. The character of Gendry was made older for the series than he appears in the books. ===Props=== The book of lineages Ned receives from Pycelle was prepared by Bryan Cogman, who in addition to writing episode four also served as the show's "lore master" and authored the historical background content included in the first season's DVD and Blu-ray release. Cogman wrote two pages worth of text detailing the lineage of four noble houses. The text concerning house Umber was shown in "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," and the Baratheon text appears in episode six, "A Golden Crown." Cogman also wrote text for the houses of Targaryen and Royce, but the corresponding scenes were removed from the final script for episode four. Cogman said that he drew on the novels and the fan-created website ''Wiki of Ice and Fire'' for reference, and invented what could not be sourced, including even some Internet fan message board names as in-jokes. ===Filming locations=== The scenes of the Tourney of the Hand were filmed at the grounds of Shane's Castle. The episode was shot at Belfast's studio The Paint Hall, including interior shots of King's Landing, and on location throughout Northern Ireland: The scenes taking place at the grounds of Castle Black continued to be filmed at the large exterior set built on the abandoned quarry of Magheramorne, the grounds of the ruined Shane's Castle were used as the location of the tournament, and the area known as the Sandy Brae, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, was used for the entrance to Vaes Dothrak. Much of this episode was filmed early in the production; an Eddard and Arya scene from this episode was filmed on the very first day of shooting. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"'s first airing was seen by 2.5 million viewers, a slight increase from the previous episode's 2.4 million. Including the repeat, the night's viewers totalled 3.1 million, which was also in line with the previous week's ratings. In the UK, the viewership increased significantly, rising to 628,000 viewers from 510,000 the previous week. ===Critical response=== "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" was received positively by critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 19 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.7 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Nuanced characters and a gripping plot help 'Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things' set a new first-season benchmark for Game of Thrones." Emily VanDerWerff from ''The A.V. Club'' gave it an A-, and Maureen Ryan from AOL TV rated it with a 70 out of 100. VanDerWerff stated this was his favorite episode of the show so far, "an hour that simultaneously feels more propulsive and more relaxed than the last three." He admitted that the better part of it was given to exposition, with many monologues by the characters to expose their motivations and background. In his opinion, though, it was done skillfully and efficiently. IGN's Matt Fowler wrote that it was another great, exposition-heavy episode and that the best and most natural scene happened between Viserys and Doreah in the bath. Out of the different storylines, many critics singled out the scenes on the Wall as the best. Myles McNutt from Cultural Learnings wrote that "Jon Snow’s time at the Wall is maybe my favorite central location of those introduced early in the series, and it is in large part due to the work done in this episode," and Maureen Ryan stated that "they're exceptionally well acted and written. John Bradley is a great addition as Samwell Tarly, and I continue to be very impressed with Kit Harington's quietly charismatic performance as Jon." Besides the acting and the writing, both agreed that one of the reasons the Night's Watch scenes worked for them is that it was easy to connect with the story of a group of raw recruits bonding under a hard-nosed trainer who tries to prepare them to face great danger. The closing scene was praised by HitFix's Alan Sepinwall, highlighting Michelle Fairley's acting as Catelyn gathers allies to arrest Tyrion. == References == == External links == * "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" at HBO * *

"'''The Wolf and the Lion'''" is the fifth episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', first aired on May 15, 2011. It was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Brian Kirk. The events of the episode primarily deal with Lord Eddard Stark's investigations into the death of the previous Hand. In the city of King's Landing, the Tourney of the Hand comes to an end while the various factions that plot for power are revealed to the viewer. This delicate balance is undone when news arrives that Tyrion Lannister has been arrested by Catelyn Stark. The title of the episode refers to the fact that the Starks, whose sigil is a wolf, may soon be at war with the Lannisters, whose sigil is the lion. With this episode the season hits its halfway mark and the action picks up considerably. Despite being a topic of discussion at King's Landing, Daenerys and Jorah Mormont do not themselves appear in this episode. Jon Snow and all characters on the Wall are also absent, and Robb Stark does not appear in Winterfell scenes. Accordingly, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Harry Lloyd, Richard Madden and Kit Harington all have their names omitted from the opening titles. The Eyrie appears as a new location between King's Landing and Winterfell on the opening's map. The episode was also particularly well-received critically, with multiple critics praising the omission of the Wall and Dothraki plotlines giving this episode a relatively more focused feel. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.58 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===In the Vale=== Lady Catelyn Stark leads her entourage east through the Mountains of the Moon to the Vale, with her prisoner, Tyrion Lannister. They are attacked by barbarians, and Tyrion saves Catelyn. Arriving at the Eyrie, ruled by Lord Jon Arryn's widow Lysa – Catelyn's unstable sister – Catelyn meets her eight-year-old nephew Robin, whom Lysa still breast-feeds. Tyrion is consigned to the Eyrie's "sky cells" while Lysa prepares to pass judgment on him as an accomplice in her husband's murder. ===In the North=== At Winterfell, Theon Greyjoy grows jealous of Tyrion after his favorite prostitute Ros taunts him. To take Bran's mind off his paralysis and his mother's departure, Maester Luwin teaches him the Dothraki art of horseback archery. ===In King's Landing=== After Ned Stark convinces King Robert not to join the tourney, the crowd watches the fearsome Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane joust with Ser Loras Tyrell, the "Knight of Flowers", who wins by riding a mare in heat, distracting Clegane's stallion. Clegane beheads his horse and attempts to kill Loras, but Sandor "The Hound" Clegane intervenes. Varys reveals to Ned that Jon Arryn was killed by a poison called the "Tears of Lys", and suggests that Arryn's slain squire Ser Hugh of the Vale was the poisoner. In training, Arya chases a cat through the Red Keep and overhears a conversation between Varys and Illyrio, who appear to be plotting against the throne. Arya tries to warn her father but is unable to identify the plotters. Yoren, a Night's Watch recruiter, informs Ned of Catelyn's arrest of Tyrion. News of Daenerys' pregnancy reaches the Small Council. Fearing an invasion by the Targaryen-Dothraki alliance, Robert orders that Daenerys and her unborn child, along with Viserys, be assassinated. Ned refuses and resigns the office of Hand of the King. As Robert drinks in sorrow, Cersei visits him and they talk about the serious threat the Dothraki pose, and their failed marriage. Robert's brother Renly is convinced by his lover, Ser Loras, that he should be king instead. Littlefinger reveals to Ned that Arryn was searching for Robert's bastards. Ned is ambushed by Jaime Lannister, and claims responsibility for Tyrion's arrest, leading to a brutal fight; Ned's guards are killed, including captain Jory Cassel, and Ned duels Jaime but is speared through the leg. Jaime lets Ned live, demanding his brother's return. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Wolf and the Lion" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the book by George R. R. Martin. The episode includes chapters 31 to 36 of the book (Eddard VII, Tyrion IV, Arya III, Eddard VIII, Catelyn VI, and Eddard IX). The adaptation to the screen has continued with the trend of including new scenes to flesh out characters that in the book are only superficially seen through the point of view characters. These include the dialectical confrontation between Littlefinger and Varys, and the conversation between King Robert and Queen Cersei, and the young lovers Renly and Loras. The show's writers used this opportunity to make explicit Loras and Renly's ongoing assignations, which were only hinted at in the books. ===Casting=== Finn Jones makes his first appearance as Ser Loras Tyrell, the young jouster known as "The Knight of Flowers". The casting was one of the first to be announced, being confirmed by author George R. R. Martin in June 2010 after it had been leaked before the contract was to be signed. The actor had initially been considered for the role of Jon Snow when the pilot was being filmed. The new location of the court is also introduced: Scottish actress Kate Dickie was cast as the Lady of the Eyrie, Lysa Arryn, also making her first appearance in this episode. Although Dickie does not resemble the physical description of Lysa given in the books, Martin stated that her acting in the auditions was excellent. The role of her son (renamed Robin in the series to avoid confusion with King Robert) went to Lino Facioli, and the knight of the Vale Ser Vardis Egen was played by Brendan McCormack. Lingerie model Emily Diamond has a role as a prostitute who teases Jory Cassel during the visit to the brothel. Diamond was initially hired as a body double to one of the main stars, but the producers liked her so much that they decided to give her a role. Also appearing in this episode is the casting team's Robert Sterne, who reprises his cameo role as a page in King's Landing. ===Filming locations=== Images of Meteora were used for the composite views of the Vale. The interiors for the episode were filmed at The Paint Hall studio. The conclusion of the Tourney of the Hand that had begun in the previous episode continued to be filmed in Shane's Castle. Production moved to Malta to film many King's Landing exteriors: the dungeons of the Red Keep where Arya is lost while chasing cats were the dungeons of Fort St Angelo, in the Maltese town of Vittoriosa. For the CGI compositions of the Vale of Arryn, as seen in the establishing shot of the Eyrie and from the sky cells, the visual effects team used images and textures from the Greek rock formations of Meteora. Initially they had been considering the Zhangjiajie Mountains in China, but because the landscape base plates were being shot in Ireland, using Meteora was a better option. ===Choreography=== In keeping with the transition of the series from exposition to action, each episode shows more fight scenes, and "The Wolf and the Lion" has a large number that had to be choreographed. Fight co-ordinator Buster Reeves designed all the moves and then taught the cast how to make them and give a sense of real aggression. Reeves commented on the ambush by the Hill men as one of the most difficult as he had to show many people fighting on screen at the same time making every one look original and exciting, and also noting how intimidating it could be for the actors to have 20 stuntmen running through their midst with axes and swords. ===Dedication=== The episode is dedicated "to the memory of Caroline Lois Benoist," a 26-year-old animal trainer who had been working on the production for six months, mainly training the dogs that doubled as the series' direwolves. She fell ill at her home on 18 December 2010, a few days after filming had finished, and died on 29 December from swine flu. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The episode's viewership increased to 2.58 million for its first airing, continuing the increasing trend of the last weeks. Combined with its encore, the show was up to 3.3 million viewers for the night. ===Critical response=== "The Wolf and the Lion" was met with highly positive reception by the critics of the show, and many regarded it as the best episode yet. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 95% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With "The Wolf and the Lion," Game of Thrones tightens its grip while ratcheting up the tension through powerful writing, terrific acting, and an evocative, immersive setting." Maureen Ryan of AOL TV gave it a 90 out of 100, noting the exceptional work by the cast and excellent writing. Both Emily VanDerWerff and David Sims, from the A.V. Club, rated the episode an "A." Reviewers agreed that after four episodes presenting the setting and introducing the main characters, the story started to move forward faster and raise the stakes. David Sims considered it "the point at which all of the scheming and conversing and table-setting began to lumber forward and gain some real momentum." James Poniewozik wrote for ''Time'' that the episode "began to let the swords do the talking," and "while there were some very significant scenes of talk, the dialogue went beyond Westeros History 101 to take the story in some very interesting directions." IGN's Matt Fowler wrote that this was "the best episode of the series so far" even though fan-favorite characters like Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen did not appear. Maureen Ryan believed that one of the reasons the episode worked so well was because it left out the storylines with the Night's Watch and the Dothraki and focused in a single location. VanDerWerff agreed, and added that with each episode the writers got bolder in the sense that they added new scenes not included in the book to round out the source material. Other aspects of the show that were highlighted by the critics were the effectiveness of the action scenes and the visuals, especially the views of the Eyrie and its sky cells, and the dragon skulls. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Stunt Coordination Paul Jennings == References == == External links == * "The Wolf and the Lion" at HBO * *

"'''A Golden Crown'''" is the sixth episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', first aired on May 22, 2011. The teleplay was written by Jane Espenson, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from a story by Benioff and Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan, his directorial debut for the series. The episode's plot depicts the deterioration of the political balance of the seven kingdoms, with Eddard Stark having to deal with the Lannister aggressions while King Robert is away on a hunt. At the Eyrie, Tyrion is put on trial, and across the Narrow Sea, Viserys Targaryen is determined to force Khal Drogo to make him king. The episode was well received by critics, who praised aspects of the King's Landing storyline and the culmination of Viserys's storyline. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.4 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===At Winterfell=== Bran awakens from a recurring dream of a three-eyed raven, and tests his new saddle in the forest. He is rescued from wildlings by Robb and Theon, who take the only survivor, Osha, captive. ===In the Eyrie=== Tyrion convinces Lysa Arryn to convene a court, where he mockingly confesses to various misdeeds but not the attempt on Bran's life or Jon Arryn's murder. Tyrion demands a trial by combat, and the sellsword Bronn volunteers to fight for him. Bronn “dishonorably” defeats Lysa’s champion, and Tyrion goes free with Bronn as his escort, to Lysa and Catelyn’s dismay. ===In King's Landing=== Cersei accuses Ned of kidnapping Tyrion, and Robert tells Ned he cannot rule if the Lannisters and Starks are at war, appointing Ned regent while Robert leaves on a hunting trip. Arya continues her sword lessons with Syrio Forel, while her sister Sansa accepts an apology and a necklace from Prince Joffrey, unaware he has been forced by his mother. In Robert’s absence, Ned learns that Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane was seen attacking villages in the Riverlands. Realizing this is revenge for Tyrion's arrest, Eddard orders Lord Beric Dondarrion to arrest Gregor and summons his overlord Tywin Lannister to answer for Gregor's actions. Fearing war with the Lannisters, Ned orders Arya and Sansa return to Winterfell for their safety. Sansa declares her desire to have "golden-haired babies" with Joffrey, which leads Ned to revisit Arryn’s research: Joffrey does not share the dark hair of Robert and his ancestors and bastards; Ned realizes that Joffrey is not truly Robert's son. ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Daenerys is left unscathed after taking one of her dragon eggs from the fire. She undergoes a ritual with the Dosh Khaleen, eating a stallion’s raw heart and proclaiming her unborn son will be the Khal to unite the entire world as one khalasar, and names him Rhaego, for Drogo and her brother Rhaegar, killed by Robert Baratheon. Viserys, angry at his sister's growing popularity among the Dothraki, tries to steal Daenerys' dragon eggs to fund a new army, but is confronted by Jorah. A drunken Viserys threatens his sister at swordpoint, and Drogo agrees to give him the "golden crown" he desires; as his bloodriders restrain Viserys, Drogo pours molten gold on his head. Watching her brother burn to death while he begs for her to not let them kill him, Daenerys coldly remarks, "He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon." ==Production== ===Writing=== Jane Espenson received a co-credit on the teleplay of the episode. The teleplay for "A Golden Crown" was written by Jane Espenson, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss from a story by Benioff and Weiss, based on ''A Game of Thrones'' by George R. R. Martin. The finished teleplay would be Espenson's only credited writing contribution to the series. The episode includes the book's chapters 38-41, 44-45 and 47 (Bran V, Tyrion V, Eddard X, Catelyn VII, Eddard XI, Sansa III, and Daenerys V). Chapter 42 (Jon V), dealing with Jon convincing Maester Aemon to allow Samwell to join the Watch as a steward, was removed from the series (although some of Ser Allister's dialogue from the chapter was used), and chapter 43 (Tyrion VI) was moved to episode 8. ===Casting=== The episode introduces the recurring character of the wildling Osha. The writer of the original books, George R. R. Martin, admitted that this casting was different from his vision of the character. As he explains, he was surprised to see that actress Natalia Tena was being considered for the role since Osha had been conceived as a hard-bitten older woman and the actress was "too young and too hot." However, when he saw the audition tapes he was convinced with the new approach: "she was sensational, and I said, 'It's gotta be her. ===Staging and props=== The scene in which Daenerys has to eat a horse's heart was filmed in The Paint Hall studio in Belfast. There, the production built the Dothraki temple in which the scene is set – a large semicircular structure of wood and woven reeds, inspired by Marsh Arab constructions. The heart actress Emilia Clarke ate was, according to Weiss, "basically a giant, three-pound gummi bear covered in fake sugar blood – which has the added attraction of drawing real flies." Through repeated takes, Clarke did have to eat much of the sugary heart. She said that it tasted of bleach and was made tough and gristly by the addition of valves made from "something like dried pasta." Clarke did not have to act in the shots at the end of the scene in which Daenerys almost throws up the last bit of heart, as she was indeed close to vomiting at that point. The book of lineages that helps Ned realize the truth about Joffrey's father was prepared by Bryan Cogman, who in addition to writing episode four ("Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things") also served as the show's "lore master" and authored the background content concerning the history of Westeros that is to be included in the first season's DVD and Blu-ray release. Cogman wrote two pages' worth of text detailing the lineage of four noble houses. The text concerning house Umber was shown in episode four, and the Baratheon text appears in episode six. Cogman also wrote text for the houses of Targaryen and Royce, but the corresponding scenes were removed from the final script for "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" but the Targaryen page was shown in "A Golden Crown". Cogman said that he drew on the novels and the fan-created website ''Wiki of Ice and Fire'' for reference, and invented what could not be sourced, including even some Internet fan message board names as in-jokes. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== For the first time since the premiere of the show the ratings decreased in relation to the previous weeks. The first airing brought 2.4 million viewers, compared to the 2.6 million gathered by the previous episode. With the second airing the differences shrank, bringing the total of the night to 3.2 million, one hundred thousand viewers below the previous week's 3.3. ===Critical response=== "A Golden Crown" received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 18 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.9 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The character-focused "A Golden Crown" highlights Game of Throne's cast to exhilarating effect, with particularly entertaining comic relief courtesy of Peter Dinklage's Tyrion." Emily VanDerWerff from the ''A.V. Club'' gave it an A-, and Maureen Ryan from AOL TV rated it with a 70 out of 100. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall titled his review "The rules get upended in a terrific episode." Both Elio Garcia from westeros.org and Jace Lacob from Televisionary considered it the best episode of the series so far. In the words of reviewer Jace Lacob, the episode "revolves around changes both great and small, about the way the scales can fall from our eyes and we can see the truth that has been standing in front of us for so long. For Eddard, it's a realization of just why Jon Arryn died, of the terrible secret he had gleaned from the book of royal lineages, and just what this could mean for the throne...and for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. For Dany, it's the brutal truth of her brother's real nature, of his insatiable thirst for power and the twisted quality of his rampant heart." The Dothraki scenes that culminate with the "crowning" of Viserys Targaryen was acclaimed by critics. Writing for ''Time'', James Poniewozik highlighted an acting of "touching self-recognition by Harry Lloyd, who did an outstanding job humanizing a villain," and Maureen Ryan congratulated the actor for his "excellent job of showing the human side of this impetuous, cruel aristocrat" and "keeping Viserys just this side of sane in all his scenes." The acting of Emilia Clarke, closing her arc initiated in the first episode from a frightened girl to an empowered woman was also praised. VanDerWerff commented on the difficulty to adapt such an evolution from page to screen, but concluded that "Clarke and Lloyd more than seal the deal here." IGN's Matt Fowler also praised Clarke and noted that Daenerys's choice to watch Viserys die was "powerful" and an important shift in her character. Another aspect of the show that was widely discussed among commentators was the moral dilemma presented in the episode between a pragmatic approach to ruling or remaining true to the ideals of justice and honor, exemplified in the scene where Eddard summons Tywin Lannister to the court to answer for the crimes of his bannerman Gregor Clegane. Poniewozik states that Eddard "doesn't seem to consider that he has options: he is left to rule in the king's place, an injustice has been committed, the law requires one path to justice and he chooses it. This makes his decision easy, but it may make his life, and others', difficult." According to ''The Atlantic'''s Scott Meslow, "Ned's principles are, as always, admirable, and he's clearly interested in justice. But the sad truth is that the lack of guile that makes him honorable also makes him a pretty poor king. It's a terrible idea to order the arrest of the man who is single-handedly financing your kingdom." Myles McNutt, writing for Cultural Learnings, agreed with Meslow and concluded that "the only thing more dangerous than a reckless man asserting their power in Westeros is an honorable man doing the same, as it threatens the delicate framework which has propped up King Robert for so long." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander and Candice Banks Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour) Robin Quinn, Steve Fanagan, Eoghan McDonnell, Jon Stevenson, Tim Hands, Stefan Henrix, Caoimhe Doyle, Michelle McCormack and Andy Kennedy 2012 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson == References == == External links == * "A Golden Crown" at HBO * *

"'''You Win or You Die'''" is the seventh episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. It was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan. Set to air May 29, 2011, the episode was released in advance immediately following the conclusion of "A Golden Crown" to HBO customers with access to HBO Go. The episode furthers the story line of deterioration of the political balance of the Seven Kingdoms, with Eddard Stark revealing what he has discovered to Cersei Lannister while King Robert is still away on a hunt. The title of the episode is part of a quote from Cersei Lannister during the final confrontation with Eddard: "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." The catchphrase has been frequently used during the promotion of both the books and the television series. The episode was generally well received by critics for its well-acted dramatic tension, but with several criticizing the coupling of exposition and nudity as "sexposition". In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.4 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===In the Westerlands=== Lord Tywin gives half his forces to his son Jaime to attack Riverrun, seat of House Tully and Lady Catelyn's childhood home, believing war with the Starks will allow the Lannisters to rule the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Winterfell=== Osha, now a servant of Winterfell, reveals that she and her fellow wildlings were fleeing the White Walkers. ===At the Wall=== Benjen's horse returns from north of the Wall without him. Sam believes Jon, assigned as a steward to the Lord Commander instead of a ranger, is being groomed for command. As Jon and Sam take their vows near a heart tree, Jon's direwolf Ghost brings him a dismembered hand. ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Daenerys fails to convince Khal Drogo to invade her homeland. Ser Jorah receives a royal pardon and realizes Daenerys’ assassination has been ordered. He saves her from an attempted poisoning, and Drogo vows to lead his people to reclaim the Iron Throne for his unborn son. ===In King's Landing=== Ned confronts Queen Cersei with the knowledge that her children were incestuously fathered by her brother Jaime. Cersei defends her affair and reveals Robert was still in love with Ned's deceased sister, Lyanna. Ned tells Cersei to leave the capital with her children before he tells Robert the truth. Mortally wounded by a boar, Robert dictates his will and testament to Ned, naming him regent until Joffrey comes of age; instead of "Joffrey," Ned writes "my rightful heir." Robert begs Ned to make Joffrey a better man, and tells him to let Daenerys live. Renly tries to convince Ned to launch a coup d'état against the Lannisters, but Ned refuses and dispatches a letter to rightful heir Stannis Baratheon. Ned reveals Joffrey's heritage to Littlefinger, who suggests that if Joffrey proves an unfit ruler, they use the truth to make Renly king instead. Ned refuses, asking Littlefinger to secure the City Watch's support against Cersei's men-at-arms. By the time Robert dies, Renly has fled and Joffrey has ordered his own coronation. Ned and his allies present Robert's will to the court, but Cersei tears it up and orders Ser Barristan Selmy to seize Ned, who orders his men to arrest Cersei and Joffrey. Instead, the City Watch slaughters the Stark men as Littlefinger holds Ned at knifepoint, telling him "I did warn you not to trust me." ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was written by the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the original novel by George R. R. Martin. The chapters included in "You Win or You Die" are 46, 48-50, and 55 (Eddard XII, Eddard XIII, Jon VI, Eddard XIV, and Daenerys VI), making it the episode that includes fewest chapters of the source novel in the entire first season. Among the scenes created specifically for the show were a meeting between Tywin and Jaime Lannister (as Lord Tywin is field dressing a stag) and a "training" session between Littlefinger and two new female recruits for one of his brothels. ===Casting=== "You Win or You Die" marks the first appearance of Charles Dance as Lord Tywin, the patriarch of the Lannister household. Cast in the role shortly after the production began, Dance had been the first choice of the producers and one of the fan favorites for the role. Author George R. R. Martin commented that "his commanding screen presence and steely charisma should make him the perfect Lord Tywin." The deer that is field dressed by Tywin in the opening scene was a real dead stag. Dance had no previous experience with skinning and gutting, and before filming the scene practiced for an hour with a butcher. ===Filming locations=== Most of the episode was shot on set at the Northern Irish studios of The Paint Hall. The exteriors of the entrance of Vaes Dothrak were filmed in the Sandy Brae area, and for the confrontation between Eddard and Cersei taking place in the Red Keep's gardens (identified as a godswood in the novels) the production used the cloister of the St Dominic Monastery in Rabat, in Malta. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "You Win or You Die"'s first airing was seen by 2.4 million viewers, stabilizing the show's ratings. This could be considered positive when taking into account that the episode had been offered in advance during the preceding week in HBO's online service, and that it was aired in a three-day holiday weekend which often results in lower viewership. With the second airing, the total audience for the night was 3.2 million viewers. ===Critical response=== The episode was well received by critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 20 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The cinematic, fast-paced "You Win or You Die" thrusts the plot forward while hinting at painful moments looming for fans." ''Time''s reviewer James Poniewozik called "You Win or You Die" the "most thrilling and thematically rich hour to date," AOL TV's Maureen Ryan found it an excellent outing that "saw the stakes raised in satisfying and suspenseful ways," and HitFix's Alan Sepinwall called it a terrific episode and commended how "it turned the spotlight on the characters who are villains in Ned Stark's version of the story." Poniewozik continued: "We knew this would be a significant episode if for no other reason than that it contains the scene—alluded to in the episode's title—that gives the series its name," a sentiment Sepinwall agreed with. Myles McNutt, writing for Cultural Learnings, also considered "You Win or You Die" a climactic moment in the series. IGN's Matt Fowler noted that this was the episode that saw Ned Stark "unfortunately thwarted by his own honorable intentions," but that his "stubborn nobility is what makes Ned such a great character." The final showdown with the Lannisters seizing control from Eddard was much discussed, with many commentators criticizing Ned's ingenuity and his actions during the episode. In ''The Atlantic'', Scott Meslow wrote that Eddard could never win the "game of thrones" because he is dedicated to playing by the rules. In his opinion, "one can't afford to play fair" when the only outcomes are "win" or "die." McNutt felt that the climax at the episode's end "was really well handled by both the cast and the director (Dan Minahan)." As well as the final confrontation between Eddard and Cersei, other scenes were praised by the critics. The introduction of Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister was considered "a beauty" by Emily VanDerWerff from ''the A.V. Club'', who admired how a single scene depicted not only the relationship between Tywin and Jaime, but also all the dynamics of the Lannister clan. She also praised the work of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the scene, commenting that despite having few lines, he transmitted that Jaime is cowed by his father very well. Maureen Ryan agreed with that sentiment, and also lauded Natalia Tena's short appearance. David Sims (a second reviewer for ''the A.V. Club'') highlighted the work of Mark Addy in his final scene, extending the praise to the rest of his work on the series. Critics agreed that the scenes with the Dothraki were strong, with the storyline having improved significantly since the first episodes. Poniewozik stated that "this was the first week for me that the Dothraki scenes were not just absorbing but felt like the characters were as well-imagined as those in Westeros," and McNutt felt the episode "finally allows Khal Drogo to become an actual character." Drogo's rant vowing to give his unborn son the Iron Throne led to compliments about Jason Momoa's intensity and Emilia Clarke's calm and loving facial expressions. However, the scene where Littlefinger exposes his motivations while hiring two whores for his brothel was largely criticized as an example of the show's perceived abuse of conversations with prostitutes as an expository device, a situation for which Myles McNutt coined the term "sexposition." Aidan Gillen's acting was consistently praised and the comparison between Littlefinger's actions and faking an orgasm was considered apt, but many agreed with Meslow's statement that it was "annoyingly overshadowed by the series' most gratuitous sex scene to date." Among other criticisms were the scene's excessive length, the repetition of the dramatic approach, and the assumption that viewers were not going to pay attention when presented with a long exposition that did not include sex. == References == == External links == * "You Win or You Die" at HBO * *

"'''The Pointy End'''" is the eighth episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. First aired on June 5, 2011, the episode was directed by Daniel Minahan and written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels on which the show is based. The plot covers the aftermath of Eddard Stark's capture. While the Lannisters seek to capture his daughters, his son and heir, Robb, raises an army in the North. Meanwhile, Daenerys witnesses a Dothraki raid on a peaceful village, and Jon Snow faces a new threat at the Wall. The episode's title refers to the sword fighting lesson that Jon gave to Arya before their farewell: "Stick them with the pointy end." The episode was well received by critics, who praised Martin's adaptation of his own work as well as the actors' performances. It was dedicated to Ralph Vicinanza, an executive producer who died of natural causes. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.72 million in its initial broadcast. The episode garnered an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Costumes for a Series, but lost to ''The Borgias''. ==Plot== ===In the Mountains of the Moon=== Ambushed by tribesmen, Tyrion bribes them to escort him and Bronn to Tywin's camp ===In the Eyrie=== Catelyn Stark learns from a message that her son Robb has called the banners of the North to war against the Lannisters and that Ned is imprisoned in the dungeons in King's Landing. Catelyn becomes furious with Lysa for not telling her, but nonetheless implores Lysa to help by sending the Knights of the Vale to join Robb, but Lysa, doubting that Robb can beat Tywin Lannister, refuses. ===In the North=== Receiving a letter from Sansa (see below), Maester Luwin deduces she is being manipulated by Cersei. Robb gains the respect of Lord "Greatjon" Umber and calls the Stark bannermen to war, leaving Bran in charge of Winterfell. ===In the Riverlands=== Tywin agrees to honor Tyrion's promises to the tribesmen if they join the Lannister forces, and they demand Tyrion accompany them as insurance. Catelyn reaches the Stark army. Pondering whether to attack Tywin's or Jaime's forces, Robb sends a captured Lannister scout with a message to Tywin, deceiving the scout that Robb is sending all 20,000 men against Tywin. ===At the Wall=== Jon and Sam return to the Wall with the corpses of Benjen's fellow rangers; although dead for weeks, they show no decay. Mormont informs Jon of events in the south but reminds him of his commitment to the Night's Watch. Jon tries to attack Ser Alliser for mocking Ned and is confined to quarters. That night, Ghost prompts Jon to investigate Mormont's quarters. He is attacked by a dead ranger, returned to life as a wight, and destroys it with fire. In the morning, the Night's Watch burn all the remains. ===In Lhazar=== Khal Drogo's khalasar sacks a Lhazareen village to gather funds for ships. As ''khaleesi'', Daenerys demands the raiders marry their captured women rather than enslave them, infuriating raider Mago. Drogo kills him in a duel but is wounded, and reluctantly accepts village healer Mirri Maz Duur's treatment. ===In King's Landing=== The Lannisters detain Ned and Sansa, but Syrio Forel holds off the Kingsguard, allowing Arya to escape. Arya flees, accidentally killing a stable boy who tries to stop her. Cersei convinces Sansa to write to Robb, imploring him to come to King's Landing and swear fealty to Joffrey. Joffrey and Cersei reward the City Watch Captain with a lordship, naming Tywin the new Hand of the King and Jaime new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Sansa pleads for her father's life, and Joffrey agrees to show mercy if Ned will confess to treason and accept him as the rightful king. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' author George R. R. Martin. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the book ''A Game of Thrones'' on which the series is based. Content from this episode is derived from chapters 43, 51-54, 55-58, and 61(Tyrion VI, Arya IV, Sansa IV, Jon VII, Bran VI, Catelyn VIII, Tyrion VII, Sansa V, the early part of Eddard XV, and Daenerys VII). Martin has extensive experience in television writing, but it had been a decade since he had produced a teleplay. He said that he found writing this episode very easy because of his familiarity with the characters and the story, and that the hardest part was "getting used to the new screenwriting software that he had to use." Martin delivered the first draft of the script to the show's executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss on May 1, 2010, admitting that it was probably "too long and too expensive." In fact, one scene that Martin wrote – Robb Stark calling his father's Northern bannermen, with a montage of eight different castles receiving the summons and riding out – was deemed impossible to film. The first scenes depicting Tyrion descending with Bronn from the Mountains of the Moon and encountering the clansmen were not written by Martin. Since they were originally intended to be part of episode seven, they were written by that episode's authors, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. As often happens in TV production, the scene was moved from one episode to another during editing. The scene where Drogo fights Mago was not in the original script, but Momoa suggested it after realizing that Drogo, supposedly a great warrior, had never had his fighting prowess shown onscreen. ===Casting=== "The Pointy End" includes the first appearance of two significant recurring characters in the book series: Clive Mantle as the Northern bannerman Lord Jon Umber, known as the Greatjon due to his size, and Ian Gelder as Lord Tywin's brother and right-hand man Ser Kevan Lannister. Audley's Castle was used as one of the ruined towers of Moat Cailin that defend the Neck. ===Filming locations=== Interior scenes were filmed at The Paint Hall studio, in Belfast, including all the scenes set in the Red Keep and Winterfell. The exterior of the Stark and Lannister war camps were shot on location in the Castle Ward estate, near the village of Strangford. Audley's Castle in the estate doubled as the ruined remains of one of Moat Cailin's towers, seen when Catelyn and Rodrik join Robb's army. The scenes at the village of the Lamb Men that is sacked by the Dothraki were filmed towards the end of October 2010 in Malta, at the farming town of Manikata. For the exterior of the Red Keep where Arya recovers her sword Needle, San Anton Palace was used. ===Dedication=== The episode was dedicated to the memory of Ralph Vicinanza. He had been one of the co-executive producers attached to ''Game of Thrones'', and died in his sleep from a cerebral aneurysm on September 25, 2010. Vicinanza was the literary agent who handled George R. R. Martin's foreign language rights, and (with Vince Gerardis) one of the co-founders of the management company ''Created By'', which aimed at developing feature films and television shows based on the works of Vicinanza's clients. He was instrumental in bringing Martin's work to the screen, recommending the books to David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and leading the negotiations with HBO. He died a few days after HBO greenlighted the series. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The episode was seen by 2.7 million viewers for the first airing, a season high, and by another additional 900,000 for the repeat. It therefore obtained a total audience of 3.6 million for the night. ===Critical response=== "The Pointy End" was well received by critics. Among the most enthusiastic was Maureen Ryan from AOL TV, who called it "the best episode yet," and wrote that she was "extremely impressed with how many moving parts were deployed smoothly and how the hour just flowed." Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 18 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""The Pointy End" is a fast-paced transitional episode which, though written by source novelist George R.R. Martin, proves the show is now finding its own way as a separate entity from the books." IGN's Matt Fowler remarked that this mostly Ned-less episode was very busy; he enjoyed that Robb got to share the spotlight as viewers witnessed part of his "maturation." The episode's multiple perspectives were commented on: James Hibberd wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' that "for a show that can often seem disjointed due by having so many storylines unfolding in different locations, this was the most cohesive episode we've seen yet, as the entire realm was impacted by Ned Stark being arrested for treason." At HitFix, Alan Sepinwall called it "by far the busiest episode of the series to date," remarking that it not only moved "pieces around the chess board to set things up for the season's final two episodes," but also included "some crackling dialogue, a few good character moments and some of the best action the show has featured to date." David Sims from the ''A.V. Club'' wrote that the episode "masterfully kept us abreast of everything going on, while sticking to the point-of-view style the show has held from the start." On his blog Cultural Learnings, reviewer Myles McNutt found the episode "filled with moments where much is done with very little. We don't really spend a sustained period in any one location, with only brief scenes possible to establish some pretty substantial story developments." Many critics considered that a great part of the episode's merits were due to George R. R. Martin's script. Sepinwall felt that "Martin didn't get the easiest draw when he wound up having to dramatize the events depicted in 'The Pointy End,' " but still loved the results. Mo Ryan concluded that anyone who was doubting whether Martin had forgotten about writing television scripts should now put their doubts to rest. The "expert" review from the ''A.V. Club'' by Emily VanDerWerff noted "a definite sense of Martin's hand at work here. Characters that have never quite worked onscreen—like Sansa—suddenly feel much more alive. Characters that have been working—like Tyrion and Arya—get lots of fun stuff to play that never once feels labored." The scenes with Sansa Stark were also noted. According to Elio Garcia from westeros.org, "Sophie Turner really shines in her scenes. There are a lot of people out there who judge Sansa very harshly, but you would have to have a heart of stone not to sympathize with her plight in this episode." Many reviewers agreed with this sentiment, commenting on the transition from a "spoiled brat" to a young, confused, but courageous teenager were noted by several reviewers positively. ''Time''s reviewer James Poniewozik emphasized the growth of Robb Stark's character, praising both Martin's writing and Richard Madden's acting. Maureen Ryan highlighted the scene where Syrio Forel confronts the Lannister men to allow Arya's escape, which she considered masterfully staged. ==== Awards and nominations ==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton and Rachael Webb-Crozier ==References== ==External links== * "The Pointy End" at HBO * *

'''Daenerys Targaryen''' is a fictional character in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of novels, as well as the television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones'', where she is portrayed by English actress Emilia Clarke. In the novels, she is a prominent point of view character. She is one of the most popular characters in the series, and ''The New York Times'' cites her as one of the author's finest creations. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Daenerys is one of the last two surviving members (along with her older brother, Viserys) of the House Targaryen, who, until fourteen years before the events of the first novel, had ruled Westeros from the Iron Throne for nearly three hundred years. She subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). Daenerys was one of a few prominent characters not included in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows'', but returned in the next novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). In the story, Daenerys is a young woman in her early teens living in Essos. Knowing no other life than one of exile, she remains dependent on her abusive older brother, Viserys. She is forced to marry Dothraki horselord Khal Drogo in exchange for an army for Viserys, who is to return to Westeros and recapture the Iron Throne. Her brother loses the ability to control her as Daenerys finds herself adapting to life with the ''khalasar'' and emerges as strong, confident and courageous. She becomes the heir of the Targaryen dynasty after her brother's murder and plans to reclaim the Iron Throne herself, seeing it as her birthright. A pregnant Daenerys loses her husband and child, but soon helps hatch three dragons from their eggs, which regard her as their mother, providing her with a tactical advantage and prestige. Over time, she struggles to maintain control of her dragons. She also acquires an army with which she conquers the cities of Yunkai, Astapor and Meereen, determined to end slavery and injustice there. Despite her strong moral compass, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies, particularly the slave masters. She establishes herself as a powerful and relentless ruler. Well-received by critics and fans alike, Clarke's portrayal of Daenerys in the HBO series has garnered Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013, 2015, and 2016. She has also earned many other nominations and accolades for her portrayal. ==Character description== Daenerys Targaryen is the daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen (also referred to as "The Mad King") and his sister-wife Queen Rhaella, and is one of the last survivors of House Targaryen. She serves as the third-person narrator of 31 chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Dance with Dragons'', the fourth most in the series behind Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark, respectively. She is the only monarch or claimant to a throne given point of view chapters in the novels, a choice that George R.R. Martin has indicated was deliberate. ===Background=== Thirteen years before the events of the series (16 in the television series), after her father and eldest brother Rhaegar were killed during Robert's Rebellion, Daenerys was born in the midst of a great storm, earning her the nickname "Stormborn". Rhaella died in childbirth, and Daenerys and her older brother Viserys were whisked away to Braavos by the Master of Arms of the Red Keep, Ser Willem Darry. Darry died when Daenerys was five years old, and she and Viserys spent the following years wandering the Free Cities. By the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'', Daenerys and her brother have been a guest of Illyrio Mopatis' in Pentos for half a year. ''Game of Thrones'' creators D. B. Weiss and David Benioff described Daenerys as a combination of Joan of Arc, Lawrence of Arabia, and Napoleon. ===Appearance and personality=== Daenerys is most often described as uncommonly beautiful, with long, pale silver-gold hair and eyes like amethysts. She is slender and pale, although taller than some of her female ancestors. Tales of Daenerys' beauty are numerous, and throughout the novels she encounters countless suitors who seek her hand in marriage, sometimes to gain control of her three dragons. She is fluent in both the Common Tongue of Westeros as well as High Valyrian and bastard Valyrian, which she speaks with a Tyroshi accent. Over the course of the first three novels she becomes fluent in the Dothraki language as well as Ghiscari, spoken by the slave cities in Essos. Daenerys grew up in constant fear of being discovered and killed by agents of the Usurper King, Robert Baratheon, and was frequently abused by her older brother Viserys, which led to her developing a fearful, submissive, and furtive nature. However, over the course of the narrative Daenerys soon comes to find her inner strength and courage and emerges as a natural leader who is adored by her people. She is often described as honorable and compassionate, if somewhat naive, although she can be harsh and vengeful against those who seek to harm her or her followers. Daenerys was first illustrated by Paul Youll on the cover of the July 1996 issue of ''Asimov's Science Fiction'', which contained a Daenerys excerpt from ''A Game of Thrones'' entitled "Blood of the Dragon". ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Targaryen ===''A Game of Thrones''=== In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Daenerys is sold off by her brother Viserys and Illyrio Mopatis to marry Khal Drogo, a Dothraki warlord, in exchange for an army for Viserys. At that time, Daenerys befriends Jorah Mormont, an exiled Westerosi knight, and is given three petrified dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Although initially terrified of Drogo, Daenerys' and his marriage turns out to be a happy one, and Daenerys grows to love him and to take to Dothraki customs, finding strength and determination for the first time. This leads her to stand up to Viserys' attempts to bully her into coercing Drogo. After Drogo kills Viserys by pouring molten gold atop his head for threatening his wife, Daenerys sees herself as the heir to the Targaryen dynasty, and responsible for reclaiming the throne for her family. Shortly thereafter, Drogo is wounded in a fight, and the cut festers. With Drogo ill, his warriors mutiny and abandon him. In desperation, Daenerys recruits an enslaved Lhazareen priestess, Mirri Maz Duur, to save Drogo with blood magic. However, despite being saved by Daenerys from being raped by the tribe's warriors, the priestess betrays her trust, and the magic ritual leads to Daenerys' unborn child being stillborn and leaves Drogo in a catatonic state. Daenerys does not want her husband to suffer any longer and euthanizes him with a pillow. She burns the priestess in Drogo's funeral pyre and climbs into the flame with her three dragon eggs. When the pyre dies out the following morning, Daenerys emerges alive and unburnt from the ashes with three hatched dragons. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== Leading the remnants of Drogo's khalasar through the Red Waste, Daenerys arrives in the city of Qarth. There, she begins appealing to the rulers of the city for aid in reclaiming the Iron Throne and meets little success. She eventually accepts an invitation from a group of warlocks to discover her future. At the warlocks' temple, the House of the Undying, Daenerys drinks a magical potion and enters the temple. Inside, she sees several visions and manages to resist the temptations. When she enters the final hall and meets the real Undyings, she is told prophecies about her destiny as the "child of three" who will experience "three fires must you light", "three mounts must you ride", and "three treasons will you know"; they also tell her she is the "daughter of death", the "slayer of lies", and the "bride of fire". When the Undyings attack Daenerys and intend to hold her prisoner, her dragon Drogon kills them and burns down the whole temple, allowing Daenerys to escape. Before departing Qarth, Daenerys is nearly assassinated with a venomous manticore but is saved by Arstan Whitebeard, who is sent by Illyrio Morpatis, along with the eunuch ex-gladiator called Strong Belwas and three ships to take Daenerys back to Pentos. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Seeking an army, Daenerys sails to Astapor in Slaver's Bay to purchase an army of The Unsullied slave soldiers, in exchange for a dragon, but she betrays the slavers and uses the Unsullied to sack the city. She later conquers the city of Yunkai and gains the service of Daario Naharis, who commands a large mercenary company. As she marches on Meereen, Daenerys learns that one of her companions is actually Barristan Selmy, a knight of Robert the Usurper's Kingsguard, and that Jorah had spied on her earlier. Disgusted, she sends the pair on a suicide mission to capture Meereen. When the mission is successful, Barristan asks to be forgiven for his deception, but Jorah refuses to ask forgiveness, so Daenerys banishes him. Unwilling to abandon the slaves she freed, fearing they would return to bondage, Dany decides to stay in Meereen. ===''A Dance with Dragons''=== Throughout ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Daenerys struggles to maintain order in the city in the face of growing unrest as well as the chaos she left behind in the other cities she conquered. Furthermore, Yunkai has rebelled and is gathering forces to besiege Meereen. When Drogon kills a child, Daenerys feels compelled to chain her dragons Rhaegal and Viserion, but Drogon escapes. Her advisers suggest she marry Hizdahr zo Loraq to bring peace, and she agrees, although she takes Daario as a lover. Hizdahr successfully negotiates an end to the violence, so she marries him. At her wedding feast, the blood and noise of the fighting pits attract Drogon, who is immediately attacked. Daenerys's attempt to control her dragon fails initially, but she eventually flies off with him. After several days in Drogon's lair, she falls ill after eating some berries and begins to hallucinate. She is later found by Khal Jhaqo, formerly a captain of her Khalasar who betrayed her late husband. ===Family tree of House Targaryen=== == TV adaptation == ===Casting and development=== A blue, scale-covered dress worn by Daenerys in the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' Martin said that the character was aged in the television series because of child pornography regulations. Tamzin Merchant played Daenerys in the original pilot, but the first episode was re-shot with Emilia Clarke in the role. Weiss and Benioff said, "Emilia was the only person we saw—and we saw hundreds—who could carry the full range that Daenerys required". Clarke, in reflection of the character's evolution in the television series, stated: "Throughout the season she's had an insane transformation from someone who barely even spoke and timidly did everything her brother said into a mother of dragons and a queen of armies and a killer of slave masters. She's a very Joan of Arc-style character." Clarke said she accepts acting nude if "a nude scene forwards a story or is shot in a way that adds insight into characters". She added that "sometimes explicit scenes are required and make sense for the characters/story, as they do in Westeros" and that she can discuss with a director how to make a gratuitously nude scene more subtle. Clarke, however, has used a body double in past background non-nude appearances, particularly Rosie Mac in season 5. In October 2014, Clarke and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons five, six, and seven. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season five at "close to $300,000 an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of $500,000 per episode" for seasons seven and the potential eight. In 2017, Clarke became one of the highest paid actors on television and earned £2 million per episode for the show. ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== Daenerys Targaryen is introduced as the exiled princess of the Targaryen dynasty. She and her brother Viserys were smuggled to Essos during the end of Robert's Rebellion. For most of her life, she has been under the care of Viserys, whom she fears, as he is abusive to her whenever she displeases him. Viserys marries Daenerys to the powerful Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in exchange for his military support in an invasion of Westeros, making Daenerys a Khaleesi, a queen of the Dothraki. During the wedding, exiled knight Ser Jorah Mormont pledges his loyalty to Daenerys, and her benefactor Illyrio Mopatis gifts her three petrified dragon eggs. Daenerys is at first afraid of her new husband, but after learning the Dothraki language, she begins to understand him and genuinely falls in love with him after learning Drogo is a smart leader and a kind man. After embracing the Dothraki culture, she becomes stronger and rebels against her brother. She later becomes pregnant with Drogo's son, who is prophesied by the Dothraki to be the "Stallion Who Mounts the World". Viserys grows jealous of Daenerys's popularity and becomes infuriated with Drogo's lack of urgency in launching an invasion, prompting him to threaten to cut Daenerys's unborn son from her womb. Drogo responds by killing Viserys with molten gold, to which Daenerys declares that he was no dragon, because fire cannot kill a dragon. After an unsuccessful assassination attempt on behalf of Robert Baratheon, Drogo vows to Daenerys that he will conquer the Seven Kingdoms for her and their unborn son. However, during their journey, Drogo becomes comatose due to an infected wound incurred during a fight with one of his men. Daenerys is forced to seek the help of healer Mirri Maz Duur to save his life using blood magic. Mirri tricks Daenerys by using her unborn son's life as a sacrifice to heal Drogo but leave him in a permanent catatonic state, forcing Daenerys to end her husband's life. Daenerys punishes Mirri by having her tied to Drogo's funeral pyre. She also lays the three dragon eggs onto Drogo's body and steps into the fire herself. At daybreak, after the fire is burned down, Daenerys emerges with three baby dragons, whom she names Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion. ==== Season 2 ==== Daenerys and the remnants of Drogo's khalasar wander the Red Waste before being accepted into the city of Qarth. She is hosted by merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos, a member of Qarth's ruling council the Thirteen. Daenerys tries to appeal to the Thirteen to support her invasion of Westeros, without success. She returns to Xaro's manse to find half of her men and servants killed and her dragons gone. Meeting with the Thirteen again to ask for their help in retrieving her dragons, the warlock Pyat Pree claims responsibility and declares that her dragons are being kept in his temple, the House of the Undying. Daenerys travels to the temple, but Pree's magic separates her from Jorah and leaves her chained with her dragon. Daenerys orders her dragons to immolate Pree. Daenerys then confronts Xaro, who had conspired with Pree and Daenerys's servant Doreah to seize control of Qarth. Daenerys has Xaro and Doreah sealed in Xaro's vault, and has her remaining loyalists raid his manse, using the funds to buy a ship. ====Season 3==== Daenerys travels to Astapor, a city in Slaver's Bay. As she arrives, the warlocks of Qarth attempt to assassinate her, but are thwarted by Ser Barristan Selmy, who was Kingsguard to Aerys Targaryen; Daenerys accepts him into her service. Daenerys negotiates with Astapori slaver Kraznys mo Nakloz to purchase an army of Unsullied, elite eunuch soldiers, in exchange for Drogon, also obtaining the services of Kraznys's translator Missandei. Upon the completion of the transaction, she has Drogon burn Kraznys alive and orders the Unsullied to sack the city, kill Astapor's masters and free its slaves. Daenerys and her army then march on the neighbouring slave city of Yunkai, who hire the sellsword company the Second Sons to defend the city. The commanders of the Second Sons order their lieutenant, Daario Naharis, to kill Daenerys; however, he is smitten by her beauty and instead brings her the heads of his superiors, pledging the Second Sons' allegiance. Daario, Jorah, and the Unsullied commander Grey Worm infiltrate Yunkai, opening the gates for the Targaryen army to conquer the city. Daenerys is received by Yunkai's freed slaves, who hail her as their "mhysa" (mother). ====Season 4==== Daenerys marches on the last city in Slaver's Bay, Meereen, and seizes control of the city by instigating a slave revolt. She decides to execute 163 Meereenese masters as "justice" for 163 slave children crucified on the road to Meereen. After becoming aware that her council in Astapor has been overthrown and that Yunkai has reverted to slavery, Daenerys decides to stay in Meereen to practice ruling. She also begins a sexual relationship with Daario. After discovering that Jorah was previously spying on her on House Baratheon's behalf, she is enraged and orders him exiled from the city. Daenerys is later horrified to discover that Drogon has killed a farmer's child; although Drogon is unable to be captured, she has Rhaegal and Viserion locked up in Meereen's catacombs. ==== Season 5 ==== Daenerys faces a new threat to her rule in the form of the Sons of the Harpy, a resistance movement made of agitated former masters. Her popularity with the freedmen also begins to wane after she publicly executes one of her councillors, Mossador, for killing a captive Son. After the Sons kill Ser Barristan, Daenerys decides that she will attempt to restore peace by reopening Meereen's fighting pits and taking the Meereenese noble Hizdhar zo Loraq as her husband. While attending a gladiator demonstration, she is confronted by Jorah, who has brought her the fugitive Tyrion Lannister to appease her. Daenerys accepts Tyrion onto her council, but orders Jorah exiled again. At the reopening of the fighting pits, Jorah saves Daenerys's life by killing a Son of the Harpy trying to assassinate her. The Sons then launch a massive attack, killing Hizdhar and many other Meereenese noblemen and freedmen. As the Sons corner Daenerys and her councillors, Drogon appears and kills or scares off most of the Sons. As the Unsullied begin to overwhelm the Sons, some begin throwing spears at Drogon, prompting Daenerys to climb onto his back and order him to fly away. Drogon eventually leaves her in the Dothraki Sea, where she is captured by a khalasar. ====Season 6==== Daenerys is taken to Khal Moro, the leader of the Dothraki horde. Learning that she is the widow of Khal Drogo, Moro tells her she must live out her days among the widows of the Dosh Khaleen in Vaes Dothrak. Once there, Daenerys is told that she is to be judged by the khals for defying tradition and going out into the world following Drogo's death. During the meeting with the khals, Daenerys declares that only she has enough ambition to lead the Dothraki; when the outraged khals threaten to gang-rape her, Daenerys sets fire to the temple, killing everyone inside but emerging unscathed. Awed, the Dothraki accept her as their Khaleesi. After discovering that Jorah, who had followed her to Vaes Dothrak with Daario, is infected with the terminal disease greyscale, Daenerys orders him to find a cure and return to her services, before marching on Meereen with Drogon, Daario, and the Dothraki. Daenerys returns to Meereen to find it under siege by the joint fleets of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis, who have reneged on an agreement with Tyrion to free their slaves and are trying to reclaim the city. Daenerys deploys all three of her dragons, burning most of the slaver fleet and seizing the ships that survive. The slavers agree to surrender. Soon after, Theon and Yara Greyjoy arrive to offer the Iron Fleet in exchange for Daenerys giving the Iron Islands their independence and installing Yara as queen of the Iron Islands over their uncle Euron Greyjoy, who had been planning to marry Daenerys. Daenerys agrees to Theon and Yara's alliance. Varys, meanwhile, secures the support of Ellaria Sand and Olenna Tyrell, who have lost family members to the Lannisters and want vengeance. Daenerys leaves Daario and the Second Sons in Meereen to keep the peace, names Tyrion Lannister as Hand of the Queen, and sets sail for Westeros at last. ====Season 7==== Daenerys arrives at the island fortress of Dragonstone, the ancient Targaryen stronghold once held by the late Stannis Baratheon, and finds it abandoned. She sends the Unsullied to take Casterly Rock, and Yara Greyjoy's fleet, along with ships from Dorne, to blockade King's Landing. The Lannister forces, however, have left Casterly Rock and seized Highgarden and its wealth, and Euron overcomes his niece Yara's ships. In an effort to gain allies, Daenerys summons the newly named King in the North, Jon Snow, to pledge his fealty to her. Jon refuses, insisting that the White Walkers and their wight army present a more immediate threat than the Lannisters. Receiving word of Highgarden's fall, Daenerys leads Drogon and the Dothraki to decimate the Lannister caravan. Drogon is injured by a ballista designed specifically to wound dragons, but Daenerys is victorious. The remaining forces submit to her after she commands the dragon to roast a resistant Randyll and Dickon Tarly alive. Jon and a cured Jorah lead an expedition beyond the Wall to capture a wight, which they will use to convince Cersei Lannister, the self-declared Queen of Westeros, that the threat is real. They are saved from the army of the dead by Daenerys and her dragons, but the Night King kills Viserion with an ice spear. A distraught Daenerys vows to Jon that she will help fight the White Walkers, and Jon pledges allegiance to her as his queen. The pair and their retainers bring a wight to King's Landing to convince Cersei of the threat beyond the Wall. Cersei ultimately agrees to a truce, and to aid in the fight against the undead army, while secretly plotting to betray them. Jon and Daenerys finally succumb to their growing feelings for each other and have sex, unaware that they are related by blood. Neither of them are aware that the Night King has revived Viserion as a wight, and the Night King breaches the Wall with dragonfire. ====Season 8==== Daenerys and Jon arrive at Winterfell along with the Unsullied, Dothraki, and Drogon and Rhaegal. Bran Stark reveals to Daenerys that the Night King has resurrected Viserion and that the Wall has fallen. The Northerners show open displeasure that Jon has pledged his allegiance to Daenerys and Sansa Stark questions how they will feed and host her armies and dragons. Daenerys and Jon's bond continues to grow when they later ride her dragons. Jaime Lannister arrives and announces that Cersei has lied about sending her army to aid them against the White Walkers. Daenerys opts to execute Jaime for killing her father, but is overruled by Sansa and Jon after Brienne of Tarth vouches for him. Jon learns the truth of his parentage and reveals to a stunned Daenerys that he is the son of her brother Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Daenerys realizes that this makes Jon the true heir to House Targaryen, but is interrupted by the arrival of the White Walkers. Riding Drogon and Rhaegal, Daenerys and Jon await the Night King's arrival, but the Dothraki are quickly overrun by the dead and Daenerys abandons their position to strafe the onslaught of wights. In the resulting battle, Drogon is attacked by wights and Daenerys is dismounted. Jorah arrives to protect her from the dead and Daenerys uses a discarded dragonglass blade to defend herself until the Night King is destroyed by Arya Stark. However, Jorah is mortally wounded and dies in Daenerys' arms. After the battle, Daenerys fears people may prefer Jon as king over her when he receives praise from the wildlings. She begs Jon to not reveal his true parentage but he insists on telling Sansa and Arya and swears them to secrecy, having renounced his claim for Daenerys'. However, Sansa tells Tyrion, who in turn tells Varys. Daenerys flies to Dragonstone with her naval fleet in tow, while Jon marches south with her armies. She is ambushed by Euron Greyjoy and his Iron Fleet, who use ballistas to kill Rhaegal, destroy Daenerys' fleet, and take Missandei captive. Daenerys and her advisors travel to King's Landing to negotiate Cersei's surrender and Missandei's release, but Cersei has Gregor Clegane behead Missandei in front of Daenerys. Tyrion reveals to Daenerys that Varys is trying to seat Jon on the Iron Throne, and she executes him via dragonfire. Alone with Jon later, Daenerys attempts to kiss him but he pulls away due to their blood relation. Daenerys resigns herself to relying on fear to assert herself. As Daenerys' army makes camp, Jaime is spotted trying to infiltrate King's Landing and imprisoned, but Tyrion defies Daenerys to release him and have him rescue Cersei. Before the battle, Tyrion pleads with Daenerys to spare the inhabitants of King's Landing if they ring the bells to declare surrender. Indeed, when Daenerys burns the Iron Fleet and the city's array of scorpions, the Lannister soldiers surrender, but Daenerys proceeds to burn down much of King's Landing, killing countless civilians, with Cersei and Jaime also killed when the Red Keep collapses on them. Addressing her army in the aftermath, Daenerys declares that she will use her might to "liberate" the entire world. Having heard of Jaime's release, she accuses Tyrion of treason, and has him arrested when he publicly resigns as hand. Arya and Tyrion warn Jon that Daenerys will view his Targaryen heritage as a threat to her rule and Sansa will not obey Daenerys. Tyrion tells Jon that despite Jon's feelings for her, it is his duty to kill Daenerys for being the people's greatest threat. Jon attempts to reason with Daenerys, but when she continues to assert that her actions are necessary to establish a good world, a conflicted Jon fatally stabs her. Drogon arrives shortly after and melts the Iron Throne before departing Westeros with Daenerys' lifeless body. Bran Stark is later elected king; he "exiles" Jon back to the Night's Watch to appease Daenerys' supporters. == Reception == ===General=== Emilia Clarke was relatively unknown before her role as Daenerys in ''Game of Thrones''. Daenerys is one of the most popular characters of the book series, together with Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow. ''The New York Times'' called Daenerys one of Martin's "finest creations". ''Rolling Stone'' ranked her No. 1 on a list of "Top 40 ''Game of Thrones'' Characters", calling her story a "non-stop confrontation with complex ideas about sex, war, gender, race, politics and morality". Matthew Gilbert of ''The Boston Globe'' called her scenes "mesmerizing". ''Salon'''s Andrew Leonard, in his review of ''A Dance with Dragons'', called Daenerys one of the series' three strongest characters and bemoaned her lack of inclusion in ''A Feast for Crows''. The website Mashable recognized her as one of the five most popular characters on the series, while ''The Daily Beast'' referred to her as the "closest thing the series has to a protagonist". Emilia Clarke's acting performance, as she closed Daenerys's arc in the first episode from a frightened girl to an empowered woman, was widely praised. Gilbert said: "Clarke doesn't have a lot of emotional variety to work with as Daenerys, aside from fierce determination, and yet she is riveting." In her review for "A Golden Crown," Emily VanDerWerff of ''The A.V. Club'' commented on the difficulty of adapting such an evolution from page to screen, but concluded that "Clarke ... more than seals the deal here. IGN's Matt Fowler also praised Clarke and noted that Daenerys's choice to watch Viserys die was "powerful" and an important shift in her character. ''Time''s reviewer James Poniewozik complimented Daenerys's storyline, while other reviewers complimented Clarke's acting. Clarke's performance and the character's final scene, in "Baelor", was praised, and the final scene of the season received widespread acclaim. Kate Arthur of the website BuzzFeed criticized the character's story line in the television show's second season, stating that she was too "weak-seeming". However, Arthur praised the character's "purpose coupled with humanity and even some humor" during the third season, opining that Clarke was "eating the screen alive as a result". Nate Hopper of ''Esquire'' magazine, when speaking of the television series, argued that the character did not face enough conflict, characterizing her conquering of cities as "cut and dried", stating, "She needs to be emancipated from her own easy, comfortable, mundane victory." Daenerys's victories over ruthless male characters transformed her into a symbol of feminism. "Khaleesi," one of her many aliases, became shorthand for "a strong, empowered woman," her face was used for political protest signs, and many fans named their daughters after her. Analyzing her feminist appeal, Tanya Ghahremani of ''Bustle'' stated that she evolved from a meek girl, rising "from being an unwilling wife to the leader of a nomadic warrior group, to being the leader of said group and a whole ton of men who gladly laid down their life to serve in her army." Gaby Del Valle of ''Vox'' said that so many people see themselves in Daenerys because her story subverts the hero's journey. "Daenerys was the show's clear underdog," said Del Valle, adding that while the other women on the show began as fairly one-dimensional, "Daenerys was dynamic and her struggle was compelling." Citing an essay by Rikke Schubart, a film scholar and professor from the University of Southern Denmark, Del Valle stated Schubart explained that Daenerys "embarks on an archetypal hero's journey with a twist" because "instead of learning to humble herself, as heroes usually do, Dany has to learn to assert herself in a universe dominated by men." As a result, "she combines emotions and elements that are stereotypically gendered male and female (male pride, a male dragonslayer, a damsel in distress) and then claims agency for herself and others." ===Villain arc=== The decision to turn Daenerys from a hero into a villain, a route that had long been a fan theory, was controversial. Alex Abad-Santos of ''Vox'' stated, "The implication that Daenerys Targaryen is going mad is the greatest fraud ''Game of Thrones'' has ever perpetrated." He argued that it is "essentially a bait-and-switch" because, for seven seasons, the audience has seen Daenerys as a good and moral person determined to abolish slavery and create a more just society, and that the show suddenly characterizing her as unwilling to listen to her advisors contrasts the various times she sought and heeded their counsel, including when she decided against flying to King's Landing to burn down the Red Keep and when she chose to "defend the North against the Army of the Dead." Eliana Dockterman of ''Time'' echoed these sentiments, opining that because Daenerys and Jon "proved the most popular heroes to cheer for — not only because they cheated death but because they spent time with those who weren't like them and learned to understand them," turning Daenerys into the villain in the last few episodes feels like "an unearned turn in the story". Most critics found the villainous turn, which was realized after Daenerys needlessly murdered thousands of innocents by burning down King's Landing, rushed and therefore unearned. Calling Daenerys his favorite character and the arc emotionally draining, Mike Hogan of ''Vanity Fair'' said that although the show had been clear that Daenerys has a temper, "we have seen her balance that violence with mercy, kindness, and above all shrewdness. We have spent years watching her grow from a helpless girl into a seasoned leader who has been through a lot." He added that turning Daenerys into a villain "after a run of bad luck that was admittedly pretty bad" made no sense. Dockterman added that "yes, Daenerys has used fire and her dragons to enact vengeance and punishment before, but up until season 7, everyone she burned was either evil or an enemy" and "there's an additional layer of latent sexism to be analyzed here too: Cersei and Daenerys are two power hungry women, literally evil queens in fairytale parlance" while "men like Theon and Jaime have been redeemed; Jon Snow looks to be the obvious choice for a selfless king." She said that "in just a few episodes, Daenerys quickly transformed from a woman who has prided herself on saving the downtrodden to one who burns the innocent." Critics felt that the villain arc could have worked via a strong message that power corrupts everyone, but that the show needed to lay better groundwork for it. Other reviewers welcomed the villain arc. ''Vox'''s Andrew Prokop said that Daenerys "may well have been the series' ultimate villain all along" and that the show and George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels had foreshadowed this. He said that "Daenerys has long been capable of great compassion — and great violence" and that "the great power her dragons give her" enables the latter. He pointed to Daenerys being "angered by the Meereenese nobles' crucifixion of slave children" and ordering "an equivalent number of captured nobles crucified," and addressed other instances of her cruelty, such as when she burned Samwell Tarly's father and brother to death when they refused to kneel for her. He said that, in one of Martin's books, Daenerys "implies that her only fear is herself. She's afraid of what she might do." Prokop, however, agreed with the complaints that the twist was poorly executed. James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' also pointed to signs that Daenerys was always destined to be a villain, such as her vision in the House of the Undying where she walked through the Red Keep and saw white ash (then thought of as snow) falling into the throne room. He questioned: "Did we already think Dany was capable of burning thousands of innocents? Or were we in denial about her murderous ways? Did we really think somebody who crucified 163 people because she assumed they were all responsible for killing slaves was a good person?" Acknowledging that the show had perhaps been "a bit tricky in playing her murderous moments as heroic" and that the turn was therefore shocking, he said that Daenerys always chose extreme violence when very upset. Hibberd felt that the show tested Daenerys's character, "and in doing so, the thing that the show is actually pushing is a debate about Dany's morality, bringing that question into the foreground of the show after letting it sit quietly in the background for so long." Rose Moore of Screen Rant stated that "having Daenerys turn into the villain fits perfectly" within the series, where Targaryens "have a tendency to madness" and that it creates "a beautiful villain origin story." Moore reasoned that having Daenerys go from an exiled innocent to Queen and savior of her people to a villain shows "how her grand ideas of freedom weren't enough to make her a hero" and that "how an obsession with power, and a determination that she is 'right' in believing that the Throne is hers, is enough to take her from Mother to Dictator." To Moore, there exists a "wonderful symmetry to having the death of the Mad King set the events of ''Game of Thrones'' in motion, only to be wrapped up by the ascension and death of a Mad Queen." Prokop also felt that the series could not end "with a triumphant Daenerys Targaryen heroically taking the Iron Throne" because "it wouldn't be ''Game of Thrones''". Fans generally attributed the change in Daenerys's arc to the writers throwing away her character development, with many criticizing it as character assassination. ''HuffPost'''s Elyse Wanshel said, "It was an upsetting turn for a strong and sympathetic female character whom many believed would emerge as the series' hero." Emily VanDerWerff of ''Vox'' quoted writer Sady Doyle stating, "Women who expected Daenerys to become a benevolent feminist ruler, to break the wheel and end the cycle of oppression, were not stupid; they were following basic story logic." VanDerWerff said that "many people have related to Dany deeply, seeing in her an avatar of feminine power they hadn't seen elsewhere in pop culture when the show debuted in 2011. ... HBO's marketing has more than leaned into this in the past, playing up the aspects of the story that made Dany feel like a 'chosen one' figure." She said that after Daenerys's vicious or vindictive actions, the show "would return to the idea of her fundamental principles, her desire to right wrongs and break wheels. Why wouldn't people come to heavily identify with that character?" === Recognition and awards === From the beginning, Clarke's performance has been acclaimed by critics. She received an EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama in 2011, as well as a Scream Award for Breakout Performance by a Female. She also earned a Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Drama Series or Special in 2012, and a SFX Award for Best Actress in 2013. Clarke received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013, 2015, and 2016. She was also nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2013 and 2016. Other nominations include the Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2012, the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2013, the People's Choice Award for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television in 2015, the Gold Derby TV Award for Best Drama Supporting Actress in 2013 and 2014, and the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Actor In A Show in 2017. IGN also nominated Clarke for Best TV Actress in 2011. ==References== ==External links== * Daenerys Targaryen on IMDb * "Daenerys Targaryen: Bio". HBO.

"'''Baelor'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. First aired on June 12, 2011, it was written by the show's creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor, his directorial debut for the series. The plot depicts Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), imprisoned and accused of high treason, struggling with the decision whether to falsely confess to save his daughters, and he is ultimately beheaded by King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson). Stark's wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) negotiates with Lord Walder Frey (David Bradley) for the use of a strategic river crossing as their son Robb (Richard Madden) fights his first battle in the war against the Lannisters. Meanwhile, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) discovers a secret about Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan), and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) stands up to Dothraki soldier Qotho (Dar Salim) and challenges Dothraki traditions to care for Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). The title refers to the great Sept (church) in King's Landing where Ned meets his fate. The episode received great acclaim among critics, who cited the final scene with Eddard Stark's beheading as a highlight for the series, calling it a "daring, tragic finish." In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.66 million in its initial broadcast. The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. ==Plot== ===In the Riverlands=== The Stark army reaches the Twins, a bridge stronghold controlled by Walder Frey, who agrees to allow the army to cross the river and to commit his troops in return for Robb and Arya Stark marrying two of his children. Tyrion Lannister suspects his father Tywin, who decides Tyrion and his barbarians will fight in the vanguard, wants him killed. As Tyrion, Bronn, and the prostitute Shae swap stories, Tyrion reveals he was married to a woman his father revealed was a prostitute, and made Tyrion watch as his guardsmen raped her. As a Stark force approaches, Tyrion is trampled in the rush and regains consciousness to find the battle over. Tywin discovers the Stark host was only 2,000 men, not the 20,000 he was led to expect. Robb, having divided his forces, defeats Jaime Lannister's army with his remaining 18,000 men and captures Jaime. ===At the Wall=== Jeor Mormont gives Jon Snow his ancestral Valyrian steel sword Longclaw. Jon is upset he cannot join Robb against the Lannisters. Maester Aemon reveals to Jon that he is Aemon Targaryen, the Mad King Aerys's uncle and Daenerys Targaryen's great-uncle, and advises Jon that the choice he must make between the Night's Watch and his family will haunt him the rest of his life. ===In Lhazar=== Khal Drogo is weakened by his infected wound, and Jorah warns that if Drogo dies, his bloodriders will fight to be his successor and kill Daenerys and her unborn child. Daenerys refuses to abandon her husband, and encourages Mirri Maz Duur to use blood magic. She prepares a spell, warning that no one may enter the tent, and Jorah kills Qotho when he tries to intervene. Daenerys goes into premature labor, but the Dothraki midwives refuse to help. Desperate, Jorah carries Daenerys into Drogo's tent to seek Mirri's help. ===In King's Landing=== After Varys tells him that Sansa Stark's life is also at stake, Eddard "Ned" Stark agrees to make a false confession and swear loyalty to King Joffrey Baratheon. Arya Stark finds a crowd gathering to watch her father be judged, and climbs onto the statue of Baelor the Blessed. Ned notices Arya and alerts Night's Watch recruiter Yoren. Before Sansa, Cersei Lannister, Joffrey and the Small Council, Ned confesses to treason and swears fealty to Joffrey. Instead of sparing Ned as promised, Joffrey orders him to be executed. Seeing that Arya has been rescued by Yoren, Ned accepts his fate and is beheaded. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the original book by George R. R. Martin. The title of the episode refers to the Great Sept of Baelor, the main religious building in King's Landing, where the episode's pivotal scene takes place. In the world created by George R. R. Martin, Baelor I Targaryen was a king during a previous century, revered as a patron and supporter of the Faith of the Seven. "Baelor" includes the content of the book's chapters Eddard XV, Catelyn IX, Jon VIII, Tyrion VIII, Catelyn X, Daenerys VIII and Arya V (59–61 and 63–66). The scene with the drinking game between Tyrion, Bronn and Shae was written specifically for the episode, but the story of Tyrion's ill-fated marriage to Tysha was taken from a previous chapter of the books. Shae's background was changed from Westerosi to foreign to accommodate Kekilli's accent. Other notable divergence from the books include the modification of the whole strategy of Robb Stark when dividing his forces, and a change to the Targaryen genealogy as explained by Maester Aemon: in the TV adaptation the Mad King is described as the son, rather than the grandson, of Aegon V (thus eliminating Jaehaerys II from the succession of kings). ===Casting=== Sibel Kekilli plays the role of the prostitute Shae. "Baelor" marks the first appearance of the German actress Sibel Kekilli, in the role of the prostitute Shae. Executive producer George R. R. Martin commented that she was extraordinary in her audition, in which she read the scene where Shae meets Tyrion in a tent the night before the battle of the Green Fork. According to Martin, "a lot of beautiful young women read for Shae. ... But there's another dimension to Shae as well. She's not as practiced and hardened at this as a more seasoned pro. There's still a girl next door quality to her, a sense of vulnerability, playfulness, and, yes, innocence. ... All of our Shaes were hot as hell. But only a handful of them captured that other quality, maybe three out of twenty, and Sibel was the standout. ... Watching those auditions, any red-blooded male would want to take every one of our Shae candidates to bed. But Sibel made you fall in love with her as well." Also introduced in this episode was the English actor David Bradley, playing the role of Walder Frey. The scenes at the Great Sept of Baelor were filmed at Fort Manoel, in Malta. ===Filming locations=== The interiors of the episode were filmed at the Paint Hall studios, close to Belfast. The area of the Castle Ward estate, also in Northern Ireland, was used to film on location the Stark and Lannister camps, the Crossing, and the battlefields of the Green Fork and the Whispering Woods. The climactic scene before the Great Sept of Baelor was shot at Fort Manoel, in the Maltese town of Gżira. The filming took place in the last week of October 2010. ===Execution=== Years later, showrunner D. B. Weiss commented that the explicit style of the execution scene was selected in part to make it clear to the viewers that Eddard Stark, despite being the arguable protagonist of season one, actually was dead: "It’s that rule: 'If you don't see the body then they’re not really dead.' Like when we cut Ned’s head off, we didn’t want a gory Monty Python geyser of blood, but we needed to see the blade enter his neck and cut out on the frame where the blade was mid-neck. ... we needed Ned's death to be totally unambiguous." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Baelor" gathered 2.7 million viewers in its premiere telecast in the United States, equaling the season high reached with the previous week's episode. The total for the night, including the repeat, was slightly lower, with 3.4 million viewers. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.043 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical response=== The episode received great acclaim among the critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 19 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Veering slightly from the source material, "Baelor" sports excellent performances and a bold, unprecedented climax." From the reviewers of ''The A.V. Club'', where it was rated with an A, Emily VanDerWerff called it "unquestionably the finest episode of ''Game Of Thrones'' yet," and David Sims found it "terrific" and with a conclusion that would be "sure to blow the minds (and break the hearts)" of the watchers. Matt Fowler of IGN TV gave the episode a perfect "10" saying that it was a "clean and epic entry with a daring, tragic finish" that had "an admirable undercurrent of audience contempt." The focus of most reviews was in the climactic final scene, whose directing and acting is universally acclaimed by critics. Writing for Cultural Learnings, Myles McNutt stated: "the final shot, with Arya looking to the sky as everything goes to silence and all she sees is the birds flying was just wonderfully haunting. Alan Taylor's direction sold both the chaos and the resignation of that moment." HitFix's Alan Sepinwall felt that "that final scene was so gorgeously shot, and the weariness of Bean's performance and the horror of Maisie Williams' so perfectly conveyed the emotions of it, even as things seemed so chaotic." The emotional charge of the scene hit home for many reviewers: Scott Meslow of ''The Atlantic'' called it "an absolutely nightmarish scene" and labelled Eddard's death "horrific in its indignity." Jace Lacob from Televisionary and Maureen Ryan from AOL TV admitted having shed tears at the episode's dramatic conclusion. The latter found the scene "masterful" and felt that the visual medium and Alan Taylor's excellent work had made it more powerful than the book's original version. Besides the final scene, other aspects were discussed: Garcia noted the acting of Richard Madden and how the Freys had been introduced. Ryan praised the wide range of emotions used by Emilia Clarke while playing Daenerys, and how Peter Dinklage played Tyrion's frustration and confusion during the episode. Both she and McNutt were glad that Tyrion's exposition scene in the tent with Bronn and Shae did not use sex to keep viewers, as was done in past episodes. There was debate about the merits of the producer's decision to avoid depicting the two battles between the Starks and Lannisters. Ryan criticized it and confessed being "a little disappointed that many of the major characters are caught up in a war and we're not seeing it." Sims regretted not seeing the fight, and although he falsely claimed to understand the budget constrictions, he felt that "all this off-screen fighting is just getting my blood rushing for some on-screen fighting." Sepinwall concludes: "Ideally, we'd get a few epic, ''Braveheart''-level battle scenes at some point, but I also respect the demands of time and budget here. Those kinds of sequences cost a fortune, and they eat up a lot of screen time, and I think ultimately I'd have rather had the time, say, that we spent in Tyrion's tent the night before the battle, with the mortifying story of his ex-wife, and then whatever it cost to make the execution sequence look as good as it did, than for the episode to have given us one or two long fight scenes." In 2013, ''TV Guide'' ranked the final scene as the second greatest twist of all time. ==== Awards and nominations ==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss IGN Awards Best TV Episode Best TV Twist IGN People's Choice Awards Best TV Episode Best TV Twist 2012 American Cinema Editors Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television Frances Parker Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Mark Taylor ==References== ==External links== * "Baelor" at HBO * *

"'''Fire and Blood'''" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. First aired on June 19, 2011, it was written by the show's creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. The title of the episode is the motto of House Targaryen, and alludes to the aftermath of the previous episode's climactic events. The episode's action revolves around the Starks' reactions to Eddard Stark's execution: Sansa is taken hostage, Arya flees in disguise, Robb and Catelyn lead an army against the Lannisters, and Jon Snow struggles with his divided loyalty. Across the narrow sea, Daenerys must deal with the blood magic that has robbed her of her husband, her son, and her army. The episode was well received by critics, who singled out the closing scene as a particularly strong way to end the first season. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 3.04 million in its initial broadcast. This episode was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. ==Plot== ===At Winterfell=== Maester Luwin informs Bran and Rickon of Ned's execution. ===In the Riverlands=== At the Stark army camp, Robb vows revenge on the Lannisters after Ned's death, but Catelyn says they must first rescue Arya and Sansa. The Starks followers now support Northern independence, proclaiming Robb the "King in the North", rather than support Stannis or Renly Baratheon, who have both claimed the Iron Throne. Jaime tells Catelyn he pushed Bran out of the tower window, but does not explain why. At the Lannister army camp, Tywin, unable to sue for peace with the Starks after Ned's execution, orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing in his stead as "Hand of the King" to keep Joffrey under control. Against his father's orders, Tyrion brings Shae with him. ===In King's Landing=== Joffrey forces Sansa to look at Ned and his household staff's severed heads on spikes. When Sansa says she wishes to see Joffrey's head mounted there after Joffrey says Robb's head will be, Joffrey has Ser Meryn slap her. The Hound advises Sansa to obey Joffrey for her own safety. Arya, rescued by Night's Watch recruiter Yoren, escapes with him under the alias of "Arry", a boy, to the Wall with his new recruits, including Lommy, Hot Pie, and Gendry, the late Robert's unknowing bastard son. ===At the Wall=== Jon attempts to desert the Night's Watch to join Robb and avenge Ned, but Sam, Pyp, and Grenn convince him to return. The next morning, Jeor, despite knowing Jon attempted to desert, orders him to join him in an expedition beyond the Wall, intended to counter the threats of the wildlings and the White Walkers, and to find Benjen Stark. ===In Lhazar=== Daenerys learns that her unborn son died due to Mirri's spell. Furthermore, although Drogo's life was saved, he has fallen into a catatonic state, causing most of his followers to abandon him. Mirri reveals that she caused this to avenge the destruction of her village and her people. Daenerys mercy kills Drogo. Daenerys has Mirri tied to Drogo's funeral pyre, with her dragons eggs placed on top. Daenerys declares herself queen of a new khalasar and steps into the lit pyre. By daybreak, Jorah and her remaining loyalists find her unharmed in the ashes, carrying three dragon hatchlings, the first born in decades. Amazed, they bow to Daenerys. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Like the rest of the first season, it adapts the plot of ''A Game of Thrones,'' the first novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin. The episode covers the novel's chapters 66 to 73, that is, Arya V, Bran VII, Sansa VI, Daenerys IX, Tyrion IX, Jon IX, Catelyn XI, and Daenerys X. It also covers part of the second novel, ''A Clash of Kings'': Arya I (chapter 2) and part of Catelyn VII (chapter 55). Scenes added for the adaptation include Catelyn and Robb receiving news of Eddard's death, the revelation of Cersei and Lancel Lannister's relationship, as well as interactions between Grand Maester Pycelle, the prostitute Ros, Varys, and Littlefinger. ===Filming=== The dragons featured in the episode's finale were implemented by BlueBolt, the lead VFX agency for the first season. VFX supervisor Angela Barson confirmed that the CGI dragons were among the most stressful effects, prompting sleepless nights. Commenting on the episode's climactic scene where the hatchling dragons are revealed, actress Emilia Clarke told VH1, "You see the relationship that Dany has with her eggs, and you see that grow and grow and grow and kind of the intuitive connection she has with them, you see that develop really beautifully". Clarke also hinted that she expected to "get to play with some more dragons!" in the second season, based on her conversations with book author and executive producer George R.R. Martin. "VFX Data Wrangler" Naill McEvoy later confirmed that dragon presence would be increasing in season two. In the scene where Joffrey forces Sansa to view the heads of Ned and his entourage on spikes, one of the prosthetic heads briefly seen in profile is that of former U.S. president George W. Bush. In their commentary on the DVD release of season 1, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss explained that this was not meant as a political statement, but rather because the production used the prosthetic heads that happened to be at hand. Following media reports in June 2012, HBO apologized for this shot, which their statement described as "unacceptable, disrespectful and in very bad taste". The statement also said that the shot would be edited for any future home video production and TV broadcasts. HBO removed the episode from digital download services until the scene was edited. In the edited scene, the head bears no resemblance to Bush. ==Reception== ===Airings and ratings=== "Fire and Blood" was first aired on HBO in the U.S. and Canada on June 19, 2011. The episode was the most watched episode of the season and was viewed by an estimated 3.041 million viewers and received a 1.4 share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 1.4% of all 18- to 49-year-olds at the time of the broadcast. With repeats, the episode brought in 3.9 million total viewers. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.314 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical response=== "Fire and Blood" received positive reviews, and much critical acclaim for the closing scene. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 32 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Fire and Blood" creatively provides closure after a shocking penultimate episode while strategically setting up arcs for season two." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote that " 'Fire and Blood' wasn't exactly a powerful roar of an episode, but that book fans would definitely appreciate the small parts of the second book, ''A Clash of Kings'', that got included to help set up season two next year". He rated the episode 8.5 out of 10. Emily VanDerWerff of ''The A.V. Club'' gave it an "A-", commenting: David Sims, also writing for ''The A.V. Club'', called it a fitting end to the season, "leaving absolutely everyone salivating for season two". Writing for the ''Star-Ledger'', Jenifer Braun praised the episode for its set dressing ("I have to say, it's a pleasure just to look at all the shiny stuff the HBO set dressers came up with for Tywin Lannister's tent") and the authenticity of the baby dragons ("And wow, HBO, seamless special effects here. Baby Dragon looks every bit as real as the series' dogs"). HitFix said it "Wrapped up its terrific first season...it was damned entertaining along the way--with the finale as possibly the most entertaining so far--and we know that at least one more season is coming. And if the creative team can keep up this level of quality, it's hard to imagine HBO shutting things down anytime soon, even with a budget that only figures to get higher. Dragons aren't cheap, but they're also amazing". ==== Awards and nominations ==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rafael Morant, Adam McInnes, Graham Hills, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Stuart Brisdon, Damien Macé, Henry Badgett, and Angela Barson ===George W. Bush controversy and removal=== The use of an effigy of George W. Bush's head on a spike caused HBO to issue an apology and to edit the scene. The episode contains a scene in which Joffrey forces Sansa to look at her father and family household staff beheaded on spikes. After a scene of the disfigured heads is shot, one decapitated head resembled former president of the United States of America George W. Bush. HBO quickly began removing and editing the scene as it sparked political outrage on social media. The beheaded prop was edited to resemble an ordinary head prop. A small amount of politicians began calling for a boycott of the series, describing the scene as 'despicable'. Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss both apologized for the filming of the prop, stating: == References == == External links == * "Fire and Blood" at HBO * *

'''''Game of Thrones''''' is an action role-playing video game based on ''A Game of Thrones'', the first of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin, and in part also on the novels' TV adaptation by HBO, ''Game of Thrones''. The game was developed by Cyanide and published by Atlus USA in North America and Focus Home Interactive in Europe and Australia. James Cosmo and Conleth Hill reprise their roles from the HBO series as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont and Lord Varys, respectively. George R. R. Martin has a cameo appearance as Maester Martin in Castlewood. The game also uses other assets from the HBO series, such as the music. ==Plot summary== The game takes place concurrently with season 1 of Game of Thrones, and switches between two characters, Alester Sarwyck and Mors Westford. Alester, a knight, was the heir to Sarwyck, a lordly house under Lannister, but had fled to Essos 15 years before, being traumatized by an unspecified event at the end of Robert's Rebellion. During that time, he became a priest of R'hllor. He returns to Riverspring, his home, after hearing of his father's death. Mors Westford is one of the best rangers of the Night's Watch, and prior to that, he was one of the best knights serving House Lannister. Near the end of Robert's Rebellion, he refused a direct order to kill Elia Martell and her two infants, thereby putting his family's lives in danger. He sent his wife and daughter into hiding and was persuaded to join the Night's Watch to avoid execution. Mors is also a skinchanger, and has a dog which he can control at will. Alester, at his father's funeral, learns that his younger brother Gawen was recently disinherited, and has gone missing following his father's death. Gawen is suspected of murdering his father with poison. Meanwhile, Alester's half-brother, Valarr Hill, a bastard and a knight of the queen's guard, is engaged to Alester's sister, Elyana, and is set to become Riverspring's next lord, which Alester is determined to stop. As the funeral ends, a riot occurs among starving peasants. Alester takes command of the city guard and uses either force or negotiation to end the riot. Alester then leaves for King's Landing to search for clues about Gawen's disappearance. While there, he is arrested by the City Watch at Valarr's instigation. Varys helps him escape and meet with Queen Cersei, who decides to hire him for secret missions, and to make him compete against Valarr. The two are sent to kill a bastard named Harry Waters, who is protected by Jon Arryn's knights, led by Godric Donnerly. With Godric dead, they learn that Arryn was protecting another woman and sent her to the Wall. Valarr sends his lieutenant Yohn to impersonate Godric and find this woman. Alester then encounters Lord Arwood Harlton, who offers to help find Gawen. They find a genealogical book which proves that the queen's children are illegitimate. Alester searches the sewers for Gawen but finds bandits sent by Janos Slynt. Alester infiltrates the City Watch and finds a Gawen's corpse, and a letter showing that Slynt was hired by Valarr. At this point, Harlton reveals that he is part of a conspiracy to reinstate the Targaryens, as was Alester's father. Alester joins and goes to Harlton's estate, Castlewood. While all this happens, Mors Westford is tasked with hunting down Night's Watch deserters. On one chase, he takes three new recruits to the castle Icemark, but they are attacked by wildlings. Two men die, one man named Poddy deserts, and Mors survives only when rescued by Qhorin Halfhand. Mors pursues and kills Poddy. Returning to Castle Black, Mors receives a letter from Jon Arryn asking him to protect a girl named Jeyne Greystone. Arryn's knights, led by Godric, appear to help Mors locate her. They find her in Mole's Town but Jeyne insists that Godric is an impostor. Mors and others have several fights against the impostors, as well as members of the Night's Watch who were bribed. As Yohn, the false Godric, dies, he reveals he was sent by Valarr. Jeor Mormont is furious and wants to strike back. He makes Mors a recruiter for the Night's Watch to give him a cover to head south, so that Mors can hide Jeyne and to bring Valarr to justice. Weeks later, Mors and Jeyne arrive at a deserted cabin belonging to House Westford, where Jeyne reveals that she is a bastard daughter of Aerys Targaryen, one of King Robert's mistresses, and pregnant with the king's child. Shortly after, Mors discovers his wife and daughter's graves. They are attacked by Valarr's men, but soldiers from Harlton counterattack and take Mors and Jeyne into custody. Harlton reveals that, as a top advisor, he arranged Jeyne's relationship with the king to produce a half-Targaryen, half-Baratheon to be a puppet ruler. Mors is tortured in the dungeon, but one night, he uses his dog to free another prisoner, Gawen. Gawen meets with his brother Alester, who is staying upstairs, and reveals that Harlton murdered their father and faked Gawen's death. Alester liberates Mors, but Gawen is killed. It is revealed that Mors and Alester are old friends, who fought together in Robert's Rebellion. Alester and Mors are forced to flee Castlewood without Jeyne. At Riverspring, they find that Valarr is holding the entire town hostage, but they successfully break in, derailing Valarr's wedding. Mors duels Valarr, but is killed by Valarr's shadow magic. As he dies, Valarr reveals that he was behind the murder of Mors' family. The wedding guests proclaim the duel invalid because of the shadow magic, and try to support Alester, but Valarr reacts by massacring the town. Alester reveals Jeyne's location to Valarr in an attempt to save Elyana, but Valarr kills her regardless. Alester and his supporters organize a resistance while Valarr takes most of his men to Castlewood. Afterwards, Alester pays respects to Mors by performing the ritual of the Last Kiss, which unwittingly brings Mors back to life. As Valarr attacks Castlewood seeking to capture Jeyne, Alester and Mors sneak into the building, but find that Jeyne is in labor. Harlton is killed by Valarr's shadow-magic, while Jeyne allows Valarr to kill her, hoping that he will not realize that she has already given birth. Back in Riverspring, Alester and Mors learn that King Robert has died. A few days later, as Eddard Stark is being executed, they find and kill Valarr, having stolen a Valyrian sword to fight off Valarr's demons. Valarr, with his dying breath, reveals that he and Alester killed Mors' family together, acting on Tywin Lannister's orders. This is why Alester fled to Essos. Alester and Mors duel to the death. One of them survives and is confronted by Varys, who offers to send Jeyne's baby to Essos to be cared for. The game has four possible endings: * Alester survives, sends the baby to Essos, and confronts the queen, whereupon he is dragged away for a quick execution. * Alester survives, gives the baby to the queen, and inherits Riverspring, but is depressed and contemplates suicide. * Mors survives, sends the baby to Essos, and returns to the wall, regularly executing deserters and becoming highly jaded. * Mors survives and deserts the Night's Watch, hoping to raise the baby in Essos himself, as sworn brothers confront him at the Westford cabin. ==Development== ===Downloadable content=== In November 2012 Cyanide published the downloadable content (DLC) "Beyond the Wall". It is set 10 years before the plot of ''Game of Thrones''. It was released for PC platforms, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Gorold, Mors, and a Sworn Brother named Weasel are forced to go beyond the Wall, after a Night's Watch builder, Maekar, is abducted by wildlings. Weasel betrays Gorold and Mors to a wildling chief named Bael. Bael forces Mors and Gorold to take part in his pit fights. Mors meets his dog here, who is also forced to fight. After Mors and Gorold make an unpopular decision in the pits, a wildling, presumably angry at losing his wager, breaks into Mors' cage to assassinate him, but Mors' dog kills him. This enables Mors to find Gorold and escape the camp. However, Mors insists that they find Maekar first. Maekar is found to have had his arms and legs removed, and reveals that they were taken to provide meat to feed the pit fighters. He also tells Mors that he revealed the Wall's secrets and weaknesses to the Wildlings. Mors sends Gorold back to get reinforcements, and proceeds to massacre the entire Wildling encampment. When the Sworn Brothers return, one comments that it is "like a slaughterhouse," and Gorold, finding Mors, replies, "Aye... And there's the butcher," giving Mors his nickname. ==Reception== ''Game of Thrones'' received "mixed" reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. IGN praised the well-crafted plot, but criticized its poor execution through low-quality graphics, sound design, animations and voice acting, as well as a repetitive combat experience. ''The Guardian'' gave the Xbox 360 version three stars out of five and called it "a decent game that has been horrifically let down by one sub-standard element." However, ''The Digital Fix'' gave the same console version a score of five out of ten and said, "By hook or by crook Cyanide managed to win this licence before it hit the big time with HBO, and it's difficult to believe that they would be given the opportunity to create Westeros now that it is so much more well known. A serviceable game with blood spurts and political machinations would have sufficed as a first step, allowing them time to bed in get to know the nuances of third person combat. Instead, apart from the story, there is a general feeling of detachment from the game and its main gameplay elements giving rise to the notion that most who play it will do so only to find out how the tales of Mors and Alester twist and turn on their way to conclusion." ''Digital Spy'' gave the PC version two stars out of five and said that it "takes a while to get going, but perseverance is rewarded with an engaging story full of tough choices and interesting dilemmas. Unfortunately, the plot is let down by poor storytelling, sloppy visuals and mediocre gameplay, despite a relatively deep combat system." ==References== ==External links== * *

The music for the fantasy TV series ''Game of Thrones'' is composed by Ramin Djawadi. The music is primarily non-diegetic and instrumental with the occasional vocal performances, and is created to support musically the characters and plots of the show. It features various themes, the most prominent being the "main title theme" that accompanies the series' title sequence. In every season, a soundtrack album was released. The music for the show has won a number of awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 2018. A series of concerts which featured ''Game of Thrones'' music, ''Game of Thrones'' Live Concert Experience with composer Ramin Djawadi, took place in 2017–2018. First to be performed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, it then went on to tour across the United States, Canada and Europe. This is followed by a world tour starting May 2018 in Madrid. The music of ''Game of Thrones'' has inspired many cover versions; the main title theme is particularly popular. There are also decidedly non-medieval renditions of songs from the series's source novels by indie bands. These adaptations, according to ''Wired'', create attention for the series in media that wouldn't normally cover it, but are also notable for their musical merits independent of the series. ==Background== Initially a different composer, Stephen Warbeck, was hired for the pilot episode of ''Game of Thrones'' but he left the project. The music consultant for HBO and music supervisor of ''Game of Thrones'' Evyen Klean then suggested Ramin Djawadi to David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Djawadi, although initially interested, declined the offer three days later as the schedule conflicted with a film project he was working on. However, after a few meetings, Djawadi was persuaded to take on the project. The showrunners Benioff and Weiss sent Djawadi the first two episodes of the series, which impressed Djawadi. He arranged a meeting with Benioff and Weiss to discuss the concept of the series, after which he began to compose the music for the series. According to Djawadi, Benioff and Weiss were interested in using music to support the different characters and plots. They wanted the music to express the emotion and mood of each scene in the series, and that distinct themes should be created for the main characters. Benioff and Weiss also wanted a soundscape that is distinct from other productions in the fantasy genre, therefore flutes and solo vocals were initially avoided. Cello became a prominent feature of the music of ''Game of Thrones'', notably in its title theme. ===Composition and recording=== The process of composition is essentially the same throughout the series. Once the filming is nearly completed, episodes are sent to Djawadi either singly or in batches of multiple episodes as they were being edited together but often before any special effects added to the footage. Benioff and Weiss would also inform Djawadi in advance of the need to expand a theme or create new themes for characters. Djawadi wrote all the music in Santa Monica, California. Asked in interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the series, Djawadi said: "I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say." The recordings of most of the soundtracks were conducted in Prague with The Czech Film Orchestra and Choir. Djawadi interacted with the orchestra over the internet and was present during the entire recording session, giving comments on the recordings via the internet. ==Themes== ===Main Title=== According to Djawadi, the series creators wanted the main title theme that accompany the ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence to be about a journey as there are many locations, characters in the series and involves much traveling. After Djawadi had seen the preliminary animated title sequence the visual effect artists were still working on, he was inspired to write the piece. Djawadi said he intended to capture the overall impression of the series with the theme tune. The title theme is unusually long for a television series at nearly two minutes long, and cello was chosen as the main instrument for the music as he thought it has a "darker sound" that suited the series. The main title theme may also be incorporated into other music segments within the show, particularly at climactic moments. ===Houses and characters=== Djawadi composed an individual leitmotif or theme for each of the major houses, as well as for some locations and some characters. These themes are often played in scenes involving them and they can be used to tell a story. Not all characters would have their own themes due to the large number of characters in the series. The theme for House Stark is the first theme to be composed and is played on a cello. Most of the Stark characters only have variations on the same theme on cello. Arya Stark is the first of the house to have her own theme, first heard when she started her lesson on swordplay in episode three of season one, with the music featuring a hammered dulcimer. A new theme for Jon Snow, previously using only the House Stark theme, was created in the sixth season and prominently featured in the episode "Battle of the Bastards". It was first heard at the end of episode three when he said "My watch is ended", signifying a shift in the character after he had been resurrected. Due to the large number of themes, the introductions of different themes are also deliberately spaced over a longer period so as not to confuse the audience, for example, the theme for Theon Greyjoy or House Greyjoy was not introduced until the second season even though he first appeared in the first season. House Lannister has an associated song, "The Rains of Castamere", which became their theme. The song was played at the Red Wedding, but first heard when Tyrion Lannister whistled a small part in the first episode of the second season. When a theme has become established, different versions that are darker or lighter are then introduced, and concepts such as honor and conspiracy are also represented in themes. Djawadi chose distinctive sounds and instruments for different leitmotifs and themes, for example, didgeridoos are used for the wildlings, while the Armenian duduk flute is used for the Dothrakis. The duduk flute has a different sound from other flutes, which were deliberately avoided as they are frequently used in other fantasy films. The themes for the White Walkers and the Night King are more of sound designs rather than regular themes; the White Walker theme initially employed a glass harmonica for a "really high, eerie, icy sound", but became fully orchestral when the army of the dead was revealed in the season two finale. The theme music for the White Walker extended over time into the music of the Army of the Dead, representing the gathering strength of Army of the Dead, which was only introduced in full in the finale of the seventh season when the Wall fell. The themes may evolve over time in the series. The theme for Daenerys Targaryen started small, but became grander as she became more powerful. Her theme was initially played with a single instrument such as a processed cello, but later began incorporating more instruments, including Japanese taiko-inspired drums, Indonesian bedug drums, and an Armenian duduk flute. Syllables and words in Valyrian, a fictional language of ''Game of Thrones'', are also used in her theme music, although not as whole sentences. The instrumentation for her theme are also used for dragon attacks. For the dragons, the theme was first heard when they hatched at the end of season one as a quiet high-pitched melody, but developed into something more powerful by the time they became fully grown, for example it was played with French horns in the loot train attack scene in the seventh season. Different themes may also be combined in some themes and scenes. For example, in Season 5, the music for House of Black and White is an extension from the themes for Arya and Jaqen H'ghar. During the first scene of the fourth season, as Ice, the Stark sword, is reforged by Tywin Lannister, the Starks' and Lannisters' themes are clearly played simultaneously, to finally end with the Lannister theme only. In the finale of Season 6 with the shot of the armada at the end, at least five themes were combined – themes for Daenerys, Theon, the Unsullied, the dragons, and the main title. ===List of themes=== ;Houses *House Baratheon ("The King's Arrival") *House Bolton ("Reek", "Let's Play a Game") *House Greyjoy ("What Is Dead May Never Die", "Ironborn") *House Lannister ("A Lannister Always Pays His Debts", "The Rains of Castamere") *House Martell ("Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", "Jaws of the Viper") *House Stark ("Goodbye Brother", "Home", "The Last of the Starks") *House Targaryen ("Fire and Blood") *House Tyrell ("Service of the Gods") ;Groups *Army of the Dead ("The Army of the Dead") *Children of the Forest ("He Is Lost") *Dothraki ("To Vaes Dothrak") *Dragons ("Breaker of Chains", "Blood of the Dragon") *The Living ("The Night King") *Night's Watch ("The Night's Watch") *Red Priests ("Warrior of Light", "The Red Woman") *Sons of the Harpy ("Sons of the Harpy") *Thenns ("Thenns", "Let's Kill Some Crows") *The Undying ("Pyat Pree") *Unsullied ("Dracarys", "Casterly Rock") *White Walkers ("White Walkers") *Wildlings ("We Are the Watchers on the Wall") ;Characters (with themes different than their House theme) *Arya Stark ("The Pointy End", "Needle", "The Children") *Brienne of Tarth ("The Old Gods and the New", "Feed the Hounds", used as a theme for Catelyn Stark in season 1) *Cersei Lannister ("Light of the Seven") *Daenerys Targaryen ("Finale", "Mhysa") *Euron Greyjoy ("Coronation") *High Sparrow ("High Sparrow") *Jaime Lannister ("Kingslayer") *Jaqen H'ghar ("Valar Morghulis") *Joffrey Baratheon ("You Win or You Die") *Jon Snow ("My Watch Has Ended", "Bastard") *The Mountain ("I Choose Violence") *Three-Eyed Raven ("Three-Eyed Raven") *Samwell Tarly ("Maester") *Stannis Baratheon ("Warrior of Light", "Don't Die With a Clean Sword") *Petyr Baelish ("Chaos is a Ladder") *The Night King ("The Night King") ;Locations * The Citadel ("Maester") * House of Black and White ("Valar Morghulis", "House of Black and White") * Meereen ("Meereen") * Qarth ("Qarth") * The Wall ("The Wall") * Winterfell ("Winterfell") ;Couples *Daenerys and Khal Drogo ("Love in the Eyes") *Daenerys and Jon Snow ("Truth", "The Iron Throne") *Greyworm and Missandei ("I'm Sorry for Today") *Jon Snow and Ygritte ("You Know Nothing", "The Real North") *Robb Stark and Talisa ("I Am Hers, She Is Mine", also used as a love theme in general) *Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth (“The White Book”) ;Other *The Long Night ("The Night King", "Farewell") *Conspiracy ("Chaos Is a Ladder", "The Dagger") ==Other compositions and songs== Various pieces of music are also composed for particular plot lines in the series. A notable piece is the "Light of the Seven", which is played at the beginning of the final episode of season 6, "The Winds of Winter". This piece, which is over nine minutes long, is unusual in its choice of piano as that instrument had not been used before on the series. Additionally, such long pieces are seldom used, although in season 6 soundtracks cover a 10-minute section in the Hodor scenes in "The Door" episode and a 22-minute sequence in the "Battle of the Bastards" episode. Djawadi composed a number of songs for the show using lyrics from the books ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the most prominent of which is "The Rains of Castamere". The National recorded the song in the season 2, and Sigur Rós recorded it in season 4 for a cameo appearance. In season 3, Gary Lightbody appeared in a cameo amongst other captors of Brienne of Tarth and Jamie Lannister in season 3 episode 4 to sing "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", and a recording of the song performed by The Hold Steady was played over that episode's closing credits. The same season Kerry Ingram, who played the character Shireen Baratheon, sang "It's Always Summer Under the Sea". The character Bronn, played by Jerome Flynn, sang "The Dornishman's Wife" in season 5, and Ed Sheeran appeared in a cameo to perform "Hands of Gold" composed by Ramin Djawadi in season 7. However, neither of the latter two songs was used in the soundtrack albums. In season 8, Daniel Portman who played the character Podrick Payne sang"Jenny of Oldstones" a song from the book ''A Storm of Swords'' but with additional lyrics by David Benioff and Dan Weiss and composer Ramin Djawadi providing the music. The full version of the song titled "Jenny of Oldstones" was sung by Florence Welch, and played over the closing credits of the second episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". It was released as a single of Florence + the Machine. ==Releases== In every season, a soundtrack album of the music used in that season was released toward the end of the season. The first two were released by Varèse Sarabande, while all subsequent releases were by WaterTower Music. Mixtapes were also released in 2014 and 2015 before the start of the fourth and fifth season respectively and they were available as free downloads to promote the season. ===Soundtracks=== Year Title Composer 2011 ''Game of Thrones: Season 1'' Ramin Djawadi 2012 ''Game of Thrones: Season 2'' 2013 ''Game of Thrones: Season 3'' 2014 ''Game of Thrones: Season 4'' 2015 ''Game of Thrones: Season 5'' 2016 ''Game of Thrones: Season 6'' 2017 ''Game of Thrones: Season 7'' 2019 ''Game of Thrones: Season 8'' ===Tie-in album=== A companion album, '''For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones'', comprising songs that are inspired by the show but not featured in it. A single, "Power Is Power" by SZA, The Weeknd and Travis Scott, was released as the lead single from the album. The title of the song quotes a line spoken by Cersei. Year Title Artist 2019 ''For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones'' Various ===Mixtapes=== Year Title Artist 2014 ''Catch the Throne: Volume I'' Various 2015 ''Catch the Throne: Volume II'' Various ==Tours== A concert tour featuring the music of ''Game of Thrones'' was produced in 2017. The tour involved an 80-piece orchestra, a choir, and seven custom 360-degree stages. Instruments were specially created for the tour, such as a 12-foot Wildling horn played during the Wildling attack on the Wall section. A world tour was also arranged for cities in Europe and North America in 2018, with new music from season 7 added. ==Awards== === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series 2012 ASCAP Awards Top Television Series 2013 ASCAP Awards Top Television Series International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series 2014 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Episode: "The Mountain and the Viper" Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score – TV Show/Digital Streaming Series 2016 World Soundtrack Awards Television Composer of the Year International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series Film Music Composition of the Year Song: "Light of the Seven" 2018 60th Annual Grammy Awards Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Series Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf" ==See also== * ''For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones'' (2019) * For other music based on the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, see Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire. ==References==

The following is a list of works based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. ==Novellas== ===''Dunk and Egg''=== Martin wrote three separate novellas set ninety years before the events of the novels. These novellas are known as the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' after the main protagonists, Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire "Egg", the later King Aegon V Targaryen. The stories have no direct connection to the plot of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', although both characters are mentioned in ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast For Crows'', respectively. The novellas were published in short story anthologies: *''The Hedge Knight'' in ''Legends'' (1998) *''The Sworn Sword'' in ''Legends II'' (2003) *''The Mystery Knight'' in ''Warriors'' (2010) The unfinished series of novellas is to continue to be published in a series of collections entitled ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''. The first of these, comprising the first three novellas, was published – with illustrations by Gary Gianni – in October 2015, and in unillustrated translations earlier. Film or TV adaptations of the novellas are being discussed, according to Martin in 2014. He wrote that because HBO owns the TV rights to the setting of Westeros (if not to the characters of the novellas), it would be preferable to have HBO adopt the novellas also. The first and second novellas were, in addition, adapted as graphic novels: * * ===Other novellas=== Martin has written three additional novellas that are written as historical accounts of events that took place long before the events of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels or the ''Dunk and Egg'' novellas. ''The Princess and the Queen'', published in ''Dangerous Women'' (2013), details the civil war called the "Dance of the Dragons" between Aegon and Rhaenyra Targaryen about the succession to the Iron Throne. A fifth novella, ''The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother'', was published in the 2014 anthology ''Rogues''. It is a prequel to ''The Princess and the Queen'' and concerns the life of Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenyra's second husband. Most recently, ''The Sons of the Dragon'' was published in the 2017 anthology ''The Book of Swords'', and chronicles the lives of Aenys I and Maegor I Targaryen (later known as "Maegor the Cruel"), who were the second and third kings to sit the Iron Throne, respectively. ==Television series== ===''Game of Thrones''=== In March 2010, HBO greenlit a television series based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', written and executive produced by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Called ''Game of Thrones'', it stars an ensemble cast including Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage. The series premiered on 17 April 2011. A critical and commercial success, it ran for eight seasons, concluding in 2019. The series has itself given rise to several derived works, including soundtrack albums and a wide range of merchandise. ===Untitled ''Game of Thrones'' spin-offs=== In May 2017, after years of speculation about possible successor series, HBO commissioned Max Borenstein, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, Carly Wray and Bryan Cogman to develop individual ''Game of Thrones'' successor series; all of the writers were to be working individually with George R. R. Martin, who also co-wrote two of the scripts. On June 8, 2018, HBO commissioned a pilot to a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel series from Goldman as showrunner and Martin as co-creator. S. J. Clarkson will direct and executive produce the pilot, which is scheduled to begin filming in mid-2019 in Northern Ireland and other locations. ==Comic book series== The first issue of the comic book adaptation of the first novel, ''A Game of Thrones'', by fantasy author Daniel Abraham and artist Tommy Patterson, was published by Dynamite Entertainment in September 2011. The series is set to run for 24 issues and is intended to follow the story of the novel closely. The first six issues were published as a trade paperback in March 2012: * ==Parodies== Thomas Dunne Books announced in August 2011 that it had acquired the rights to ''Game of Groans'', a parody of ''Game of Thrones'' in the vein of ''Bored of the Rings'', by the pseudonymous "George R.R. Costanza". The book was eventually published on March 27, 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin and credited to "George R.R. Washington" and Alan Goldsher: * In 2012, Colin Munch adapted the novels as a four-hour improv comedy show in Toronto, titled ''Throne of Games'', for The Bad Dog Theatre Company. The fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection by the fashion brand Helmut Lang was inspired by ''Game of Thrones''. In March 2012, Wiley-Blackwell published ''Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper than the Sword'' (). This entry in Blackwell's ''Pop Culture and Philosophy'' series, edited by Henry Jacoby and William Irwin, aims to highlight and discuss philosophical issues raised by the show and its source material. In 2013, ''Game of Thrones'' was notably parodied on the cover of ''Mad'' on April 30, as well as by a web series, ''School of Thrones'', which set the story in a high school whose students vie for the title of prom king and queen. Two pornographic parodies of the series were also announced in 2013. The "One World Symphony" company announced, in 2014, a musical production based on television series including ''Game of Thrones''. In 2015, the Under the Gun Theater of Chicago premiered ''Swarm of Spoilers'', a parody show recapitulating the first four seasons of the TV series. In 2013, a web series, ''School of Thrones'', parodized the television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones'', by setting it in a high school whose students vie for the title of prom king and queen. In the same year, the animated comedy series ''South Park'' aired a three-part episode ("Black Friday", "A Song of Ass and Fire" and "Titties and Dragons") satirizing the U.S. custom of Black Friday in the form of a parody of ''Game of Thrones''. Two pornographic parodies of the series were also announced in 2013. One of these, ''This Ain't Game of Thrones XXX'', was released in 2014, produced by Hustler Video and directed by Axel Braun. The movie incorporates many of the main characters such as Jaime Lannister (Richie Calhoun), Jon Snow (Ryan Driller), Cersei Lannister (Brandi Love), Sansa Stark (Marie McCray), Daenerys Targaryen (Spencer Scott), Tyrion Lannister (Evan Stone), and Brienne of Tarth (Amanda Tate). As of 2015, Sony Entertainment and Sony Max India were reported to develop a series inspired by ''Game of Thrones''. Titled ''Rani Mahal'' (Queen's Paradise), it is to be set in the real-world British India of 1857 and will focus on the story of Daenerys Targaryen, played by Sakshi Tanwar. In 2016 the parody recap series of ''Game of Thrones'', called ''Gay of Thrones'' was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-Form Variety Series. In 2015, the inaugural American edition of Red Nose Day featured the comedy sketch ''Coldplay's Game of Thrones: The Musical'', a mockumentary regarding a failed musical theatre adaptation of the television show by the British band Coldplay, featuring many castmembers of ''Game of Thrones'' such as Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen and Iwan Rheon. A parody titled ''Game of Thrones: The Musical'', written by Basil Considine and developed by Really Spicy Opera, appeared at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in August 2016 and the 2017 Oahu and Maui Fringe Festivals and was rated a must-see by the ''St. Paul Pioneer Press''. ==Companion publications== ===Reader guides=== ====''The World of Ice & Fire''==== ''The World of Ice & Fire'', an illustrated companion book for ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' written by Martin, Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, was published by Bantam on October 28, 2014 (). ====''The Lands of Ice and Fire''==== A set of twelve maps of the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', drawn by Martin and Jonathan Roberts, was published in October 2012 as ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' (). ====''A Game of Thrones Guide''==== In November 2012, Random House published ''George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire – A Game of Thrones Guide'', an iOS application that provides the biographies of 540 characters, descriptions of 380 places, and interactive maps. The app's "anti-spoiler functionality" hides information not yet revealed at the point up to which the user has read the novels. ====Applications for mobile devices==== Several other reader's companion apps for mobile electronic devices have been published, generally without the endorsement of Martin or his publisher. They include ''Game of Thrones Companion'', similar in approach to the above-mentioned ''Guide'', and ''Westeros Map for Game of Thrones'', which contains maps of Essos and its cities. Other ''A Song of Ice and Fire''- or ''Game of Thrones''-themed apps include a trivia game, a study guide, and a weather app from HBO. ===Compilation=== The popularity of the Tyrion Lannister character led Martin and Bantam Books to publish ''The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister'' (), an illustrated collection of Tyrion quotes from the novels, in October 2013. ===Commentary=== Several publications discuss the themes addressed in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series: * Edited by James Lowder, this collection of essays by fantasy authors and science fiction experts, including R.A. Salvatore, Brent Hartinger, Ned Vizzini, Gary Westfahl and Daniel Abraham, addresses themes such as the nature of magic or the role of the prequels in Martin's work. * This entry in Blackwell's ''Pop Culture and Philosophy'' series, edited by Henry Jacoby and William Irwin, aims to highlight and discuss philosophical issues raised by the novels and its TV adaptation. ===Artbooks=== The two volumes of ''The Art of Ice and Fire'' contain artworks inspired by the series from a variety of different artists and illustrators. * * ===Recipes=== Two blogs, ''Inn at the Crossroads'' and ''Cooking Ice and Fire'', are dedicated to recreating the dishes described in the novels. ''Cooking Ice and Fire'' went defunct in early 2012. There are also two cookbooks with recipes based on the novels: * Based on the blog ''Inn at the Crossroads''. * ==Games== ===Board games=== There are multiple board games set in the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. In 2003, Fantasy Flight Games released the ''A Game of Thrones'' strategy board game ''A Game of Thrones'', created by Christian T. Petersen. The Origins Award-winning game allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the Iron Throne. Two expansions for the game, ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Storm of Swords'' have been released. In 2011, a second edition has been released appropriately titled "A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition)". This version has since released three expansions, ''A Feast for Crows'', ''A Dance with Dragons'', and ''Mother of Dragons''". ''Battles of Westeros'', was released by Fantasy Flight Games in 2010. It is based on the system created by Richard Borg and used in such games as Memoir 44 or Commands & Colors: Ancients. The two player-game's base set includes two factions: House Stark and House Lannister. Later expansions cover additional factions and scenarios. In 2015, USAopoly released ''Game of Thrones Risk''. It is a variant of the board game Risk with changes to incorporate the theme such as Maestar cards, Character cards and new maps of Westeros and Essos. In 2018, CMON Limited, Dark Swords Miniatures, Inc., and Edge Entertainment released "A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game". The starter set for the game featured two factions: House Stark and House Lannister. Later expansions cover additional factions and scenarios. ===Card game=== A living card game (LCG) has been produced by Fantasy Flight Games. It was a continuation of an earlier collectible card game (CCG). A number of base sets have been released for the game, each with a number of expansions. The game's primary designer is Eric Lang and the lead developer is Nate French. The ''A Game of Thrones: Westeros Edition'' won the Origins Award for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The ''Game of Thrones: Ice and Fire Edition'' won the Origins Award for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''. ===Role-playing games=== A role-playing game titled ''A Game of Thrones'' was produced by Guardians of Order. The game is designed to be usable with two RPG systems: the d20 System and the Tri-Stat dX system. Two editions were made: a serial-numbered edition limited to 2500 copies, ; and a standard edition, . The limited edition is faux-leather bound with silver gilt pages and includes rules for both systems, and includes an interview with Martin. The standard edition contains only the d20 system rules. The book was created by Guardians of Order and released by Sword & Sorcery, a subsidiary of White Wolf Games. A later role-playing game titled ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' was published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2009. ===Video games=== The success of the HBO TV series motivated the development of several video games. While the 2007 fan-made MUSH and the 2011 strategy game were based on the novels only, the later games also incorporate elements such as designs or music from the TV series, based on a license from HBO. *'''''Blood of Dragons''''' (2007): :''Blood of Dragons'' is an online, text-based roleplaying MUSH. It opened in 2007 and is set about 140 years prior to the events in the novels, during the reign of Daeron I and his conquest of Dorne. The game is maintained by the administrators of the fan site ''Westeros.org'', who are collaborating with Martin on ''The World of Ice and Fire''. *'''''A Game of Thrones: Genesis''''' (2011): :In 2011, Cyanide developed a real-time strategy video game, ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'', which allows players to partake in the conquest of Westeros beginning generations before the time in which the novels are set. *'''''Game of Thrones: The Role-Playing Game''''' (2012): :A second video game based on the series, called simply ''Game of Thrones'', was developed by Cyanide in May 2012. It is a role-playing game set in the town of Riverspring, during the time of the events of the novel ''A Game of Thrones'', but not principally involving the novels' main characters. *'''''Game of Thrones Ascent''''' (2013): :''Game of Thrones Ascent'', a freemium social network game, was made available by Disruptor Beam in 2013 on Facebook and Kongregate. It was made in collaboration with HBO and George R.R. Martin. The game combines storytelling and strategy elements, allowing players to lead the life of a nobleman during the time of upheaval portrayed in the novels and the TV series. *'''''Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series''''' (2014): :Since 2014, Telltale Games is in the process of releasing an episodic adventure game, titled ''Game of Thrones''. *'''''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms''''' (in development): :In February 2012, Bigpoint announced the development of a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) ''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms''. The game is being developed by Artplant, who also created ''Battlestar Galactica Online''. *'''''Game of Thrones: Conquest''''' (2017): :''Game of Thrones: Conquest'', a freemium multiplayer strategy mobile game, was made available by Warner Bros. Games in 2018 on iOS and Android platforms. The game was developed by Turbine. *'''Modifications of commercial games''' :There are several fan-made modifications ("mods") to commercial video games that allow playing in the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. These include a total conversion for the strategy game ''Crusader Kings II'' as well as the mods "War of the Usurper" for its predecessor ''Crusader Kings'', "Westeros: Total War The Age of Petty Kings", placed before Aegon's Conquest, for ''Medieval II: Total War'' and "A Clash Of Kings" for ''Mount & Blade: Warband''. ==Merchandise== ===Miniatures=== Testor Corporation announced that in late 2006 it would begin releasing model figures based on the series, to be followed by a tactical wargame. Only one product shipped, a Ruby Ford diorama. In April 2007, Martin announced that the licensing agreement with Testor had expired, and Testor's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' product lines had been canceled. In December 2006, Haute Productions signed a deal to release a range of resin mini-busts featuring characters from ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' under the name Valyrian Resin. The company plans to expand the line to include resin statues and pewter chess sets. In 2007, Dark Sword Miniatures announced a line of pewter miniatures based on the world of George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and sculpted by Tom Meier. In 2018, Dark Sword Miniatures in collaboration with CMON Limited released a line of pewter miniatures for use in the A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game. ===Display weapons=== On 20 March 2007, George R. R. Martin announced on his blog that he had "signed a deal with Jalic, Inc. of East Lansing, Michigan, granting them a license to manufacture and sell full-sized high-quality replicas of the arms and armor from ''A Song of Ice and Fire''", under the name Valyrian Steel, starting with the bastard sword ''Longclaw'' wielded by Jon Snow (two versions). Since then Valyrian has produced replicas of the Stark family greatsword ''Ice'' (in two versions), ''Arya Stark''s ''Needle'', and ''Robert Baratheon''s mighty warhammer. ''Dragonglass'' arrowheads and a single dagger have also been produced in a collectible ''First Men'' wooden box. Valyrian also announced that it will be producing HBO's show versions of ''Game of Thrones'' weapons, which differ in appearance from those described in the Ice and Fire novel series. ==Music== Greek black metal band ''Nocternity'''s guitarist's pseudonym is Khal Drogo and they recorded a song on 2003's ''Onyx'' CD called "Valyrian Steel (Blood Of The Dragon)" with lyrics directly referencing Daenerys' storyline and events. Swedish power metal band HammerFall released an album in 2005 titled ''Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken'', the family motto of House Martell. Tracks on the album such as "Take the Black", "Fury of the Wild", and "Hammer of Justice" directly reference events and characters. The following album Threshold also features a song inspired by ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', titled "Dark Wings, Dark Words". Their 2014 album ''(r)Evolution'' also features two songs inspired by the series, titled "Winter Is Coming", the family motto of House Stark, and "Wildfire", a highly flammable liquid in the ASoIaF world, which burns with a green fire. The German symphonic metal band Blind Guardian have written two songs dedicated to the world of George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. The songs are called "War of the Thrones" and "A Voice in the Dark" and are part of their 2010 ''At the Edge of Time'' album. British alternative rock band Dark Stares based their name on Ser Gerold Dayne, known as Darkstar. Their song "Blackfyre" from EP ''Octopon'' is a homage to House Blackfyre and the Blackfyre Rebellion. In 2012, the Canadian band Irish Moutarde adapted the song ''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'', sung at various times in the novels, as a celtic punk rock song. The metal band, The Sword, has a song on the album Gods of the Earth called "To Take the Black" referencing the Night's Watch. American power metal band Last Alliance recorded an album called the Westeros Trilogy in 2013. ==References==

"'''Battle of the Bastards'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' and its 59th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton face off in a battle for control of Winterfell. Jon's force, mostly composed of Wildlings, is nearly defeated by the Bolton army, but the latter is overcome when Sansa Stark and Petyr Baelish arrive with the Knights of the Vale. The battle culminates in Ramsay's defeat and capture. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen defeats the Masters in Meereen and begins making new alliances. "Battle of the Bastards" received immense critical acclaim, with several reviewers calling it a "masterpiece". and being praised as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the greatest television episodes of all time. Critics described the battle in the North as "terrifying, gripping and exhilarating", Harington's performance received high praise, and Daenerys' reunion with her dragons at the beginning of the episode was deemed "thrilling". The eponymous battle took 25 days to film and required 500 extras, 600 crew members, and 70 horses. In the United States, the episode had a viewership of 7.66 million in its initial broadcast. It earned ''Game of Thrones'' six Primetime Emmy Awards, making it the most Emmy Award-winning episode ever. It notably won for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing; the episode was Kit Harington's choice to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Sapochnik also won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the episode. This episode marks the final appearances of Art Parkinson (Rickon Stark) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton). ==Plot== ===In Meereen=== Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei and Grey Worm meet with the Masters, who offer to let Daenerys return to Westeros in return for the Masters keeping Missandei and the Unsullied and killing the dragons. Daenerys counters that the meeting was called to discuss the Masters' surrender, and proceeds to ride Drogon into Slaver's Bay with Rhaegal and Viserion to burn their fleet. Missandei tells the Masters that Daenerys has ordered one of them to die as punishment for their crimes. Although they offer the lowborn Yezzan, Grey Worm kills the other two masters instead and Tyrion tells Yezzan to warn the other masters of Daenerys' power. Meanwhile, Daario leads the Dothraki to slaughter the Sons of the Harpy, who are massacring freedmen outside the city. Theon and Yara arrive in Meereen and offer Daenerys their fleet in exchange for help in overthrowing Euron and recognizing Yara's claim to the Iron Islands. Daenerys agrees to assist them if the Ironborn will stop reaving the mainland, and Yara reluctantly agrees. ===At Winterfell=== Jon, Sansa, Tormund and Davos meet with Ramsay and his bannermen. Ramsay offers to pardon Jon for breaking his vows to the Night's Watch if he hands Sansa over. Jon counters by offering to settle their dispute with single combat; Ramsay refuses, saying that he is more certain that the Bolton army can beat the Stark loyalists than he is of beating Jon one-on-one. When Smalljon Umber proves Rickon's captivity by presenting Shaggydog's head, Sansa tells Ramsay that he will die the next day and rides off. Ramsay gloats that he has been starving his hounds in anticipation of feeding them Jon and his advisors. After Jon discusses the battle plan with Tormund and Davos, Sansa criticizes him for attacking without gathering more men and predicts that Ramsay will defeat them. Jon insists that their army is the largest one possible. When Jon asks Melisandre not to resurrect him if he dies in battle, she says that it is up to the Lord of Light. Davos and Tormund discuss their time serving Stannis and Mance and acknowledge that they may have served the wrong king all along. Davos discovers the pyre where Shireen and the wooden stag he carved for her were burned. The armies gather outside Winterfell the next morning. Ramsay brings Rickon out and has him run to Jon while shooting arrows at him. Jon rushes to intercept Rickon, but just before reaching Jon, Rickon is killed by an arrow. Jon charges at Ramsay, who orders the Bolton archers to fire and his cavalry to charge, and Davos orders the Stark force out of position to shield Jon. The ensuing battle leaves hundreds of Bolton and Stark soldiers dead, creating a wall of corpses and allowing the Bolton infantry to encircle the Stark forces. Tormund panics and sends the Wildlings towards the wall of bodies and Smalljon's forces, who easily cut them down. Jon is trampled by the Wildlings, but eventually struggles to his feet. The Stark forces appear doomed when a horn sounds in the distance and Littlefinger and Sansa arrive with the Knights of the Vale, whose cavalry sideswipe and easily smash the remainder of the Bolton army; Tormund kills Smalljon in the chaos. Ramsay retreats to Winterfell, followed by Jon, Wun Wun and Tormund. Wun Wun breaks down Winterfell's gates and the Stark loyalists overwhelm the remnants of the Bolton garrison. A mortally wounded Wun Wun is finished off by Ramsay, who tells Jon that he has reconsidered the offer of single combat. Jon blocks Ramsay's arrows with a shield, overpowers him and begins to beat him to death, but stops when he sees Sansa and orders him imprisoned instead, leaving Winterfell once more in the hands of House Stark. At night, Sansa visits Ramsay, who has been imprisoned in the kennels with his hounds. Ramsay insists that his hounds will not turn on him, but Sansa reminds him that they have been purposefully starved and, having correctly predicted they would turn on him, walks away smiling as they devour him alive. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Battle of the Bastards" was written by the series' creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Elements of the episode are based on the sixth novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''The Winds of Winter'', which author George R. R. Martin hoped to complete before the sixth season aired. In an "Inside the Episode" segment published by HBO shortly after the episode aired, Benioff and Weiss said that the final battle was primarily inspired by the Battle of Cannae and the American Civil War. According to Weiss, "We went back to the Roman fight against the Carthaginians in the Battle of Cannae where the Romans got caught in an encirclement by Hannibal and just slaughtered to the man. We used that as our model". Benioff said, "The 'Battle of the Bastards' becomes incredibly compact. All these men, all these combatants, crammed into this incredibly tight space on the battlefield. You read accounts of the battles in the Civil War where the bodies were piled so thick it was actually an obstruction on the battlefield". Episode director Miguel Sapochnik said in an interview that the Battle of Agincourt was the original inspiration but the concept was adapted to fit budgetary constraints. Weiss said that they wanted to depict a full-fledged battle, "From the beginning we knew that one thing we'd never had on the show was a true medieval pitched battle where two sides bring all the forces they can into play in some battlefield that's somehow negotiated or agreed upon and they go at each other until one of them wins and the other one loses. This is a staple of human history, and we started to look through film samples of it. There really wasn't one that both made you feel what it was like to be there on the ground and gave you a sense of the geography of the battle." According to Benioff, they also wanted to demonstrate the role luck plays in battle, "Just to feel the kind of randomness of it where there's arrows falling from everywhere, people are getting killed, people are getting trampled by horses, and so much of it is just luck. Jon Snow is a very skilled combatant, but part of the reason he survives this battle is just he gets lucky". In the "Inside the Episode" featurette Benioff said about Daenerys Targaryen's transformation during the series, "I think Dany's been becoming a Targaryen ever since the beginning of Season 1". According to Weiss, "She's not her father and she's not insane and she's not a sadist, but there's a Targaryen ruthlessness that comes with even the good Targaryens". Benioff concluded, "If you're one of the lords of Westeros or one of her potential opponents in the wars to come and you get word of what happened here in Meereen, you have to be pretty nervous because this is an unprecedented threat. You've got a woman who has somehow formed an alliance where she has a Dothraki horde, a legion of Unsullied, she's got the mercenary army of the Second Sons, and she has three dragons who are now pretty close to full grown. So if she can make it all the way across the Narrow Sea and get to Westeros, who's going to stand in her way?" ===Casting=== "Battle of the Bastards" was the final episode for actor Iwan Rheon, who had played Ramsay Bolton since ''Game of Thrones'' third season. His first appearance was in "Dark Wings, Dark Words", as a then-unnamed "boy" who helps a captured Theon Greyjoy. Before he was cast as Ramsay, Rheon auditioned for the role of Jon Snow. In an interview, he described learning about his character's fate: "I had received half the scripts, five episodes, then I got the call. They joked, 'Isn't it great Ramsay ends up on the Iron Throne?' As soon as they said that I said, 'He's dead, isn't he?' It's cool. I've had four lovely seasons here. It's been great to be involved with such an amazing show. I think it's kind of right he goes down. Because what else is he going to do after this? He's done so many things. It's justified and it's the right thing to do. It's the right path. He's reached his peak. It's nice for the audience that he goes out on this high, if you will." In that interview, Kit Harington talked about Rheon: "I love Iwan's work. He's an incredibly detailed actor who's created a character who's remarkable and despicable." "Battle of the Bastards" was also the last episode for recurring character Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson), who had appeared since the series premiere episode "Winter Is Coming". In an IGN interview, Parkinson said that he was tipped off about his character's death: "Whenever I was told that I was coming back for Season 6, before they sent me through the scripts and stuff, they sent me through a ring just to say, 'Listen, so that you don't get a shock whenever you read the scripts, just know that you die this season. He continued, "Whenever I came back, I was excited to come back, and the scenes all seemed pretty amazing. I was so happy to re-embrace the character." According to Parkinson, he was sorry that Rickon would die but his manner of death was a compensation: "It was a cool death, and it was always going to be a good death, so at the same time, I was pretty happy." Another character departure was Smalljon Umber, played by Dean S. Jagger. In an interview, Jagger talked about his casting: "I prayed for it. When I heard I got the part my knees buckled. It was a life-changing moment." Before becoming a professional actor, Jagger dug trenches and worked at a mattress factory to pay his way through acting school and was a professional rollerblader. Ian Whyte also made his last appearance in "Battle of the Bastards" as the giant, Wun Wun; he had played Gregor Clegane during the show's second season. Special-effects supervisor Joe Bauer said about Whyte's casting as Wun Wun, "We wanted a large performer because somebody who would be 14, 15 feet tall would have more weight and mass to move around, and a person who's a normal size would have a very difficult time pulling that off". ===Filming=== ====Battle of Winterfell==== Miguel Sapochnik directed the episode, his third of the series. "Battle of the Bastards" was directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who had directed the fifth-season episodes "The Gift" and "Hardhome". In an ''Entertainment Weekly'' interview before the episode aired, Sapochnik said he was brought on board by Benioff and Weiss after his previous-season success; "Hardhome" won several awards, including Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. About how the episode should be shot, he said: "Every battle on ''Thrones'' is unique. I think that's why Benioff and Weiss keep doing them. In the case of 'Battle of the Bastards' – or 'BOB' as we affectionately called it in production – David and Dan wanted to do a thing of spectacle, a strategic pitchfield battle they hadn't had the resources to do back in season 1 or 2. I was particularly interested in depicting both the horror of war and the role of luck in battle." Benioff called Sapochnik's work on the episode some of the best in the series' history. It took 25 days to film, requiring 500 extras, 600 crew members and 70 horses. Benioff described the difficulty of coordinating horses in battle scenes, which is why they are rarely used except in "big budget war films". Weiss added, "Miguel's really outdone himself. Fully fleshed out medieval battles require a tremendous amount of resources and choreography to get them right. It feels like we're doing something fresh that you don't see on TV and movies very often." Four camera crews were used for the battle scene. The 500 extras were largely the Snow and Bolton armies as Wildlings, archers, swordsmen and spearmen. Each army was trained separately to create off-screen rivalry between the two groups, and visual effects were used to expand the army to thousands. Kristofer Hivju, who plays Tormund Giantsbane, said about the intensity of filming the scenes: "It was pretty intense, actually. When you have 20 people running around getting squeezed together, and you're trying to chop at another bearded guy with a sword, you are not out of danger. You're laying down in the mud, and one wrong step, you won't have a face anymore. It was very intense, and Miguel insisted on making it that muddy and messy. War is not beautiful. Sometimes you see action sequences where battles seem organized. I know that from how the Vikings fought. It's not beautiful. It's hard. It's hard work. We had to shoot moment-to-moment, chronologically. We would shoot one sequence 80 times per day." The Battle of Cannae, in the Second Punic War, was an inspiration for "Battle of the Bastards". In an interview after the episode aired, Sapochnik detailed the process of filming the battle and called Akira Kurosawa's ''Ran'' an inspiration in shooting the scenes: "I watched every pitch field battle I could find (footage of real ones too), looking for patterns — for what works, what doesn't, what takes you out of the moment, what keeps you locked in. Interestingly one of the things I noticed is that staging of these battles through the years has changed dramatically. Back in the day you'd see these huge aerial shots of horse charges and there were two big differences. First, it was all real — no CGI or digital replication. And second, often when the horses would go down, you can kind of tell they got really hurt. Nowadays you'd never get away with that, and nor would you want to." Asked about the greatest challenge in filming the battle, Sapochnik said: "Every time we charge the horses it takes 25 minutes to reset all the fake snow on the field and rub out the horseshoe prints. So how many times can we afford to charge the horses each day knowing we need to give time for a reset that's 10 times longer than the actual shot? Another thing was how to make 500 extras look like 8,000 when you are shooting in a field where there's just nowhere to hide your shortfall. It becomes a bit like a bonkers math equation. And finally: How do you get these guys riled up enough to run at each other and get covered in mud and stand in the rain and then run at each other again and again for 25 days, 10 hours a day, without them just telling you to piss off?" In an interview, he said that the single most difficult thing he was asked to depict was "having 3,000 horses running at each other, especially after we discovered that horses cannot touch each other. It’s illegal — it’s a very valid rule about protecting the horses. So the very thing we were trying to do was not allowed. And we only had 70 horses ... The solution was you would have one guy run into the frame, and then the horse rider would pull the horse, which means make the horse fall and lie down on its side. Later we would digitally superimpose another C.G.I. horse and make it seem like it had impacted the live one." According to the director, the scene was filmed on privately owned land in Saintfield, Northern Ireland, and they had only 12 days to shoot. After reading the script Sapochnik came up with a 48-day shooting schedule, which was whittled down to 25 days. The CGI of Ghost, Jon Snow's direwolf, in the episode presented difficulties; he was "in there in spades originally, but it's also an incredibly time consuming and expensive character to bring to life. Ultimately we had to choose between Wun Wun and the direwolf, so the dog bit the dust." Sapochnik said that a crucial scene was filmed off-script. After three days of rain, unable to finish filming as scripted, he suggested a scene in which Jon Snow was trampled and nearly buried alive by bodies; the director described the character pushing his way out as "rebirthing." Kit Harington compared the "rebirthing" scene to the conclusion of the third-season episode, "Mhysa", with Daenerys Targaryen. In an interview about the "rebirthing" scene, Kit Harington said that it intended to mirror the Daenerys Targaryen scene at the end of the third-season episode "Mhysa" when Daenerys is held up by freed Yunkai slaves; in "Battle of the Bastards", Jon Snow emerges from the crushing crowd of the battle: "When the crush starts happening, he slows down, and there's that thing of peace where he thinks: 'I could just stay here and let it all end.' And then something drives him to fight up, and that moment when he comes up and grasps for breath, he is reborn again, which I found weirdly reflective of the scene where Dany is held aloft at the end of season three." "Battle of the Bastards" was the first episode in which Kit Harington and Iwan Rheon filmed scenes together and met on-screen. Rheon said that he had always wanted to film scenes with Jon Snow: "Anyone who has asked me, 'Who would you like Ramsay to meet?' My answer has always been, 'Jon Snow.' He's the antithesis of Ramsay. They're almost a yin and a yang. They both come from such a similar place yet they're so different. And even though they're enemies, they've both risen so far as bastards, which is almost incomprehensible, and now they're both here facing each other. They couldn't be any more different, yet more similar." In an interview, Harington talked about the fight scene with Rheon: "I actually did punch Iwan in the face twice by accident, which he took really well. He was really nice about it." According to Rheon, "The way I see it, if you don't get hit a couple of times doing that, you're not doing it properly." A notable goof occurred during the scene where Jon Snow mounts his horse in an attempt to rescue Rickon before Ramsay's arrows can reach him. As he's climbing into the saddle, Snow's Valyrian sword Longclaw and its scabbard can be seen bending wildly, betraying its status as a rubber stand-in. ====Battle of Meereen==== For the Daenerys scene at the beginning of the episode where the three dragons burn part of the Masters' fleet, Sapochnik credited VFX supervisor Joe Bauer and producer Steve Kullback for post-production work: "For this sequence David and Dan said that what they wanted to see was a 'demonstration' of what's to come. So I tried to approach it in the most elegant, epic, big-movie way I could." The director tried to design the shots with relative realism, inspired by footage of World War II Supermarine Spitfires in action. He based the dragon shots on wildlife footage, allowing them to break the frame: "These things should be so big and fast it's hard to keep up with them." To insert Emilia Clarke (as Daenerys Targaryen) into the scene, she rode a "multi-directional, computer-controlled hydraulic gimbal device shaped like the upper shoulders of the dragon"; Clarke was filmed separately in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "Battle of the Bastards" featured the first meeting of Daenerys Targaryen and Yara and Theon Greyjoy, and Yara's first meeting with Tyrion Lannister. Gemma Whelan, who plays Yara, talked about filming the scene: "Oh my goodness – I was so excited when I saw that I had a scene with those two Daenerys and Tyrion." About the dynamic between the two women, Whelan said: "It's clear as the scene plays out that Yara quite likes Dany. We share a lot of little looks and there's some playful language in how we talk to one another – Dany asks if the Iron Islands ever had a queen, and Yara says, 'No more than Westeros.' They recognize the girl-power undertow between the two of them." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Battle of the Bastards" was watched by 7.66 million American households in its initial telecast on HBO, slightly more than the previous week's rating (7.60 million viewers) for "No One". The episode competed with game seven of the 2016 NBA Finals. It had a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, the highest-rated show on cable television that night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 2.450 million viewers on Sky Atlantic (the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week) and had 0.118 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Battle of the Bastards" received immense critical acclaim, with many calling it one of the best television episodes of all time. Matt Fowler of IGN calling it a "masterpiece." Critics cited the size and scope of the battle in the North and Daenerys's scene with her dragons at the beginning of the episode. It has a 98% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 50 reviews, with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. According to the site consensus, "'Battle of the Bastards' delivered one of the greatest battle sequences in the show's history, and some savagely satisfying vengeance as well." IGN's Matt Fowler wrote in his review, "At this point, it seems like the pattern when it comes to the ninth episode of a given season of ''Game of Thrones'' is tragic death, amazing battle, tragic death, amazing battle, and so on. And this being Season 6, it was time to land on a phenomenal clash of swords and shields — and 'Battle of the Bastards' certainly delivered." He continued, "''Game of Thrones'' did not disappoint when it came to this season's great northern battle, as Jon and Sansa's differences were spectacularly highlighted in a savagely strong war chapter that saw House Stark overcome huge odds to reclaim their home. Plus, Daenerys got to soar, as her dragons quickly stopped a violent siege with fury and fire." Fowler gave the episode a top score of 10. Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the episode: "As directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who also oversaw last season's terrific 'Hardhome' episode, the lengthy sequence was terrifying, gripping and exhilarating, sometimes all at once, a sweeping display of all the different ways one can die on the battlefield." Egner called Ramsay's death an episode highlight ("Ramsay Bolton's demise was arguably the most eagerly anticipated death ever on ''Game of Thrones'' and the show handled it with flair, dispatching him in a poetic, canine-fueled fashion that was no less satisfying for being telegraphed early on"), and concluded about Daenerys's scene: "Daenerys Stormborn had a few words for the slave masters who launched their attack last week. Those words included 'surrender or die' and 'thanks for the ships', as we saw another thrilling action sequence that I believe reunited the dragon triplets for the first time since they were quite young." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote in his review, "This battle works as a climactic moment for ''Game of Thrones'' as a cultural event, selling us on the scale and ambition of the producers and their production teams, all who should be commended for the accomplishments from a technical perspective." According to James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'', "Was this the show's best episode? It's hard to immediately process that question. Maybe? Probably. It's almost certainly the most exciting hour and had the most jaw-dropping battle sequence we've seen yet on TV." Ed Power of ''The Daily Telegraph'' discussed the episode's refreshing strong-women theme: "''Game of Thrones'' has been justly criticised for employing young actresses as wobbly-wobbly window dressing and, though the toplessness has been dialed back this season, it's still very much a calling card. However there are reasons for suspecting that the series is attempting to make amends — by arguing that Westeros would be far better off with women in charge. Even as Sansa was turning the tide at Winterfell, in Meereen, Daenerys and Yara Greyjoy were striking up a lady bromance — and seemingly rock-solid alliance — for the ages." Laura Prudom of ''Variety'' agreed: "After seasons of criticism over the show's misogyny (sometimes earned, sometimes not), it's thrilling to see an episode like 'Battle of the Bastards', where women like Dany, Sansa and Yara — and emasculated men (either figuratively or literally) like Tyrion and Theon — break the gears of war and the familiar patterns of violence by attempting to 'leave the world better than we found it', despite the examples set by the evil men who came before them." According to Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'', "Sansa watches calmly, then smiles. You've come a long way, baby. Or she's become a monster, and so have I. The women of Westeros are on the warpath." ===Accolades=== The episode received a record six Primetime Emmy Awards, including awards for writing and direction. "Battle of the Bastards" has been nominated for 32 awards and has won 19. Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Kit Harington as Jon Snow Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Miguel Sapochnik Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series Tim Porter Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Sam Conway, Matthew Rouleau, Michelle Blok, Glenn Melenhorst Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Episode Australian Production Design Guild 3D Award for Visual Effects Design Iloura British Society of Cinematographers ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award Sean Savage, David Morgan & John Ferguson Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch Outstanding Editing Tim Porter Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner 2017 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Nicholas Tripodi, Dean Elliott, James Hollingworth, Matt Weaver American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau, Sam Conway Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Matt Derksen, Joseph Hoback – Drogon Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, François Croteau, Alexandru Banuta – Meereen City Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, Michelle Blok, Christopher Baird, Drew Wood-Davies Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Kevin Blom, Sasmit Ranadive, Wanghua Huang, Ben Andersen Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, James Dong, Xavier Fourmond – Meereen City Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Thomas Montminy-Brodeur, Patrick David, Michael Crane, Joe Salazar - Meereen City Dominic Hellier, Morgan Jones, Thijs Noij, Caleb Thompson – Retaking Winterfell Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Brett Voss Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Miguel Sapochnik Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel, Brett Voss, John Matter, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Wilhoit, Paula Fairfield and Bradley Katona Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel and Tim Hands Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Miguel Sapochnik (director) Webby Award Unscripted (Branded) Episode Featurette British Academy Television Awards Must-See Moment == Notes == ==References== ==External links== * "Battle of the Bastards" at HBO.com * * * The Real-Life Military Strategy Behind ‘Game Of Thrones: Battle Of The Bastards’ at The Huffington Post

"'''The Winds of Winter'''" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. "The Winds of Winter" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot== ===At the Twins=== Walder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing=== On the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown=== As Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell=== Davos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it for the Lord of Light. Davos rebuts by saying that Stannis was defeated anyway and that Melisandre's actions were all for naught, forcing her to admit that she was wrong. Davos requests permission from Jon to execute Melisandre, but she counters that she will be useful in the coming war against the White Walkers. Jon exiles Melisandre from the North and he and Davos threaten to execute her if she ever returns. Later, Jon and Sansa discuss who will lead the united Stark forces, with each deferring to the other. Littlefinger privately meets with Sansa in the godswood. He reveals that his ultimate goal is to sit on the Iron Throne with Sansa at his side. Sansa rejects his offer and leaves. Later, Jon gathers the various Northern lords, the Knights of the Vale, and the Free Folk to plan for the fight against the White Walkers. Lyanna Mormont shames the Northern lords that did not come to Jon's aid. All lords present (except, to Sansa's concern, Littlefinger) declare a reluctant Jon the new King in the North. ===In Dorne=== A grieving Olenna meets with Ellaria and the Sand Snakes concerning the possibility of an alliance against Cersei. To Olenna's surprise, Ellaria presents Varys, who offers Olenna vengeance by allying with Daenerys. ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran, Meera, and Benjen arrive near the Wall. Benjen takes his leave, as the Wall's magical protection also prevents him from being able to pass. Meera assists Bran to a weirwood tree and he re-enters the vision of Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy. Ned finds his sister Lyanna covered in blood from childbirth. With her dying breath, Lyanna pleads with Ned to protect her son, particularly from Robert Baratheon, whom she insists will kill her son if he were to know his true parentage. Ned is given the infant, who is revealed to be Jon Snow. ===In Meereen=== Daenerys informs Daario that he will not accompany her to Westeros, as she needs him to keep order in Meereen while she invades Westeros. Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Winds of Winter" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the "Inside the Episode" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying "Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch." Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting "We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes." Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, "Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here." Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying "I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power." In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying "I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his parents. In regards to Arya Stark's transformation following her time as a disciple of the Many-Faced God, Weiss noted in the "Inside the Episode" featurette, "We all see where she's coming from, she's seen so many atrocities. It's a worrisome narrative; she started as this tough and plucky girl and turned into someone who's capable of slitting a man's throat and smiling as she watches him as he bleeds out." For the final shot of the season, Benioff felt that the shot of Daenerys making her way to Westeros was a monumental part in the series's history, saying "That shot of Dany's fleet making its way out of the Slaver's Bay towards the Narrow Sea and home is probably the biggest thing to happen on the show thus far, that's the thing we've been waiting for since the pilot episode of the first season." He continued, "It hasn't been a smooth road. That's the shot we're going to leave everyone with; it was a real thrill to see her, with Tyrion by her side, heading west." ===Casting=== "The Winds of Winter" saw the departure of several cast members and recurring guest actors from the series. Notables included Dean-Charles Chapman, whose character, King Tommen Baratheon, committed suicide in the episode. Before appearing in the role of Tommen, which was originally portrayed by actor Callum Wharry, Chapman appeared in the third season of the series as Martyn Lannister, a minor character who was also killed off. Chapman stated that he found out about his character's death the night before the initial table read for the season, saying "I was in my hotel, minding my own business, and I got a phone call. I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried." Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying "I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me — and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news — no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon." Dormer also stated about her departure, "It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit." After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because "If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation." Pryce added, "Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show." Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, "I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment," referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a "huge scene" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, "for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you." For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming=== Miguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. "The Winds of Winter" was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. He previously directed the fifth season episodes "The Gift" and "Hardhome", and the sixth season episode "Battle of the Bastards". In an interview, Sapochnik spoke about the scenes at the beginning of the episode, which mostly lacked any dialogue, saying "Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of smart and witty dialogue. This is something that ''Game of Thrones'' is probably quite famous for and rightly so, but I love non-verbal film making more than anything probably." He continued by drawing a comparison to the film ''Heat'' starring Robert DeNiro, noting "To me, this is truly wonderful filmmaking. And so any opportunity I can get to try my hand at that I welcome. From that perspective, I really hit the jackpot this year and I'm very grateful." In another interview, Sapochnik revealed that the wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor was originally going to only be seen from the outside, but after storyboarding the sequence with shots of the High Sparrow also being engulfed, Sapochnik was able to convince Benioff and Weiss to make the change for the sequence. Sapochnik also stated about the sequence, "The main chunk of the sequence was essentially a courtroom drama and then lots of little scenes surrounding it shot in many different sets and locations and even countries so it took a long time to get all the pieces into the editing system and start actually editing." He also said that the main goal of the scene was to "bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them," and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying "I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit." Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, "the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost." Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, "we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them." He continued, "We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day." In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated "I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'" He continued "The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image." In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying "It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew." Sapochnik was asked in an interview what the most difficult shot was to direct, responding "The final sequence of seeing the armada on its way to Westeros was complicated because it involved so many different ships, and we only had one that we had to redress and shoot again and again. It was also raining and freezing when we shot it, and it was meant to be a Mediterranean climate. Emilia Clarke got so cold, her jaw started shaking uncontrollably and she totally lost her thread as far as what she was meant to be thinking in that moment, the cold will do that. She asked me to help, so I suggested that she just hum the theme to ''Game of Thrones'' in her head while we were rolling the cameras, and apparently that worked because it's the take we used in the final cut!" ===Costuming=== Costume designer Michele Clapton returned to the series to design Cersei Lannister's gown and crown, among other costumes. Costume designer Michele Clapton designed most of the newly introduced costumes and jewelry in "The Winds of Winter". Clapton had initially left the series, but returned for the final two episodes of the season to design four different costumes. In an interview, Michele Clapton spoke about the process and meaning behind Cersei Lannister's gown and crown in the season finale. Clapton stated that she had four to five weeks to create the gown, but once she received the script for the episode, she was "immediately sure" of how the dress should look. She stated in the interview, "I knew it had to be leather and I knew it had to be linked to Tywin. I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet—again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand—the one person that she still has something with." Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, "There is no 'decoration' to Cersei." She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a "deadness inside her." Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying "I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted — its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own — she is reborn." Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying "He was a nice boy. Too nice for this." ===Musical score=== Composer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for "The Winds of Winter" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled "Light of the Seven", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, "The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score." He continued, "It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction." Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, "The Rains of Castamere", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying "The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately — the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well." Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed "I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say." "Light of the Seven" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the "King in the North" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the "real winner" of the season finale. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Winds of Winter" was viewed by 8.89 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, significantly higher than the previous week's rating of 7.66 million viewers for the season's penultimate episode "Battle of the Bastards", making it the most watched episode in the series' history, until surpassed by the seventh-season premiere, "Dragonstone". The episode also acquired a 4.35 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night, and topping its previous best of 4.0, set twice earlier in the season. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.498 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.153 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "The Winds of Winter" received acclaim from both critics and viewers, praising it as one of the series' best episodes. It has received a 99% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 58 reviews with an average score of 9.7 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "'The Winds of Winter' makes the most of its extended run time, and is potentially the best season finale in the series' history." The episode had received a perfect 10 out of 10 score on IMDb for several weeks after its release. It now holds a rating of 9.9/10, being one of the few episodes ever to get a 9.9 or higher on the website. Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode "The stories in the North and Meereen stayed a bit quiet as all their action got taken care of last week, leaving Cersei's big plot to destroy the Sept and everyone in it as this finale's big suspenseful and explosive set piece. Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale." He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing "The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score." He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing "It's a good thing ... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best." He also wrote, "Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on." Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review "Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots — those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept — that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought." James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying "Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7." Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, "It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen." James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, "What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last." Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, "the best episode ever." Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, "At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages." Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, "Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. " ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 68th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie Chloe Aubry Michele Clapton Sheena Wichary Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 Best Drama Episode British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner International Film Music Critics Association Film Music Composition Of The Year Ramin Djawadi for "Light of the Seven" 2017 IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Episode 69th Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama David Benioff D. B. Weiss Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Edmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik – Citadel USC Scripter Award Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff D. B. Weiss ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' media franchise: '''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' – series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine, in the first novel, to thirty-one by the fifth. The works and their setting have inspired a large media franchise. Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas, a TV series, a comic book adaptation, and several card, board, and video games. == What ''type'' of thing is ''A Song of Ice and Fire''? == ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is an example of all of the following: * Fiction – form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, and musical work. ** A series of novels – set or series of novels which share common themes, characters, or settings, but where each novel has its own title and free-standing storyline, and can thus be read independently or out of sequence. Novels are a form of fiction. ** Fantasy fiction – fiction genre that uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting. *** High fantasy fiction – subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting in an imaginary world or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot. *** a fantasy world – fictional setting comprising an entire planet, used in fantasy fiction, for example in novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme. Some worlds may be an entirely independent world set in another universe. See World of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. ** a fictional setting – place that exists only in fiction and not in reality. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as the backdrop for their fictional works. *** a fictional universe – **** a constructed world – Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction and fantasy writers. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and people for the world. Constructed worlds can enrich the backstory and history of fictional works, and can be created for personal amusement or for specific creative endeavors such as novels, video games, or role-playing games. * Intellectual property – creations of the mind, protected by copyright. Intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works. The first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', was published (and copyrighted) in 1996. ** a media franchise – collection of media whereby intellectual property (IP) is licensed from an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game, to other parties or partners for commercial exploitation. A property can be exploited across a range of mediums and by a variety of industries for merchandising purposes. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' has been marketed in the form of books, a television series, a comic book, games, etc. ''See franchises originating in literary works.'' == ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' media franchise == === Original works === * Author: George R. R. Martin ** Novels *** ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) *** ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) *** ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) *** ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) *** ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011) *** ''The Winds of Winter'' (TBA) *** ''A Dream of Spring'' (TBA) ** Prequels *** ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' (1998–2015) / ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'' (2015) **** ''The Hedge Knight'' (1998) **** ''The Sworn Sword'' (2003) **** ''The Mystery Knight'' (2010) *** ''The Princess and the Queen'' (2013) *** ''The Rogue Prince'' (2014) *** ''The Sons of the Dragon'' (2017) *** ''Fire & Blood'' (2018) === Works based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' === Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire * Companion books ** ''The World of Ice & Fire'' (2014) ==== ''Game of Thrones'' television series ==== ''Game of Thrones'' * ''Game of Thrones'' episodes ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 1 *** "Winter Is Coming" *** "The Kingsroad" *** "Lord Snow" *** "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" *** "The Wolf and the Lion" *** "A Golden Crown" *** "You Win or You Die" *** "The Pointy End" *** "Baelor" *** "Fire and Blood" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 2 *** "The North Remembers" *** "The Night Lands" *** "What Is Dead May Never Die" *** "Garden of Bones" *** "The Ghost of Harrenhal" *** "The Old Gods and the New" *** "A Man Without Honor" *** "The Prince of Winterfell" *** "Blackwater" *** "Valar Morghulis" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 3 *** "Valar Dohaeris" *** "Dark Wings, Dark Words" *** "Walk of Punishment" *** "And Now His Watch Is Ended" *** "Kissed by Fire" *** "The Climb" *** "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" *** "Second Sons" *** "The Rains of Castamere" *** "Mhysa" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 4 *** "Two Swords" *** "The Lion and the Rose" *** "Breaker of Chains" *** "Oathkeeper" *** "First of His Name" *** "The Laws of Gods and Men" *** "Mockingbird" *** "The Mountain and the Viper" *** "The Watchers on the Wall" *** "The Children" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 5 *** "The Wars to Come" *** "The House of Black and White" *** "High Sparrow" *** "Sons of the Harpy" *** "Kill the Boy" *** "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" *** "The Gift" *** "Hardhome" *** "The Dance of Dragons" *** "Mother's Mercy" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 6 *** "The Red Woman" *** "Home" *** "Oathbreaker" *** "Book of the Stranger" *** "The Door" *** "Blood of My Blood" *** "The Broken Man" *** "No One" *** "Battle of the Bastards" *** "The Winds of Winter" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 7 *** "Dragonstone" *** "Stormborn" *** "The Queen's Justice" *** "The Spoils of War" *** "Eastwatch" *** "Beyond the Wall" *** "The Dragon and the Wolf" ** ''Game of Thrones'' Season 8 *** "Winterfell" *** "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" *** "The Long Night" *** "The Last of the Starks" *** "The Bells" *** "The Iron Throne" ** Companion series *** ''After the Thrones'' *** ''Thronecast'' * Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' * ''Game of Thrones'' characters * ''Game of Thrones'' directors * Music of ''Game of Thrones'' * ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence ==== Games ==== * Board game **First expansion ** Second expansion **Second Edition ***First expansion ***Second Expanion ***Third Expansion * Card game ** Second edition ===== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' video games ===== * ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' video games ** ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' ** ''Game of Thrones'' (2012) ** ''Game of Thrones: Ascent'' ** ''Game of Thrones'' (2014) ** ''Game of Thrones: Conquest'' ** ''Reigns: Game of Thrones'' ** ''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms'' ===== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' role-playing games ===== * ''A Game of Thrones'' * ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' ==== Other media ==== * Comic book series ** Second series == World of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' == World of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' === Geography of The Known World === ==== Westeros ==== Westeros * Regions of Westeros ** The Crownlands ** Dorne ** The Iron Islands ** The North *** Beyond the Wall ** The Reach ** The Riverlands ** The Stormlands ** The Vale of Arryn ** The Westerlands * Strongholds of Westeros ** Casterly Rock ** Harrenhal ** Highgarden ** King's Landing ** Old Town ** Pyke ** Riverrun ** Storm's End ** Sunspear ** The Eyrie ** The Twins ** The Wall ** Winterfell ==== Essos ==== Essos === People in The Known World === * ''Game of Thrones'' characters * ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' characters ** Petyr Baelish ** Joffrey Baratheon ** Renly Baratheon ** Robert Baratheon ** Stannis Baratheon ** Tommen Baratheon ** Ramsay Bolton ** Roose Bolton ** Bronn ** Sandor Clegane ** Khal Drogo ** Tormund Giantsbane ** Theon Greyjoy ** Cersei Lannister ** Jaime Lannister ** Tyrion Lannister ** Tywin Lannister ** Oberyn Martell ** Melisandre ** Jorah Mormont ** Daario Naharis ** Davos Seaworth ** Jon Snow ** Arya Stark ** Bran Stark ** Catelyn Stark ** Ned Stark ** Robb Stark ** Sansa Stark ** Daenerys Targaryen ** Viserys Targaryen ** Samwell Tarly ** Brienne of Tarth ** Margaery Tyrell ** Varys ** Ygritte ==== Noble families ==== * House Stark * House Lannister * House Arryn * House Baratheon * House Bolton * House Greyjoy * House Martell * House Targaryen * House Tarly * House Tully * House Tyrell === Beings of The Known World === * Children of the Forest * Direwolfs * Dragons * White Walkers ** Night King * Wights === Languages of The Known World === Languages of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' * Dothraki * Valyrian === Themes in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' === Themes in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' * Iron Throne * White Walker == ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fandom == * ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fandom == See also == * Sexposition * Outline of fantasy ** Outline of Narnia ** Outline of Middle Earth == References == == External links == * George R. R. Martin's Official Website * So Spake Martin, Collection of statements, correspondences and interviews by George R. R. Martin. * * *

'''Bronn''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Bronn is a low-born sellsword of great skill and cunning who comes into the service of Tyrion Lannister as his personal bodyguard, assassin, and enforcer. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). Through his relationship with Tyrion, Bronn is able to quickly attain great wealth, position, and influence in the royal court of King's Landing. Bronn is portrayed by Jerome Flynn in the HBO television adaptation. His role was significantly expanded from that in the novels. == Character description == Bronn is sarcastic, with a black sense of humor and a pragmatic, amoral philosophy for life. However, he is neither completely heartless nor sadistic. He openly expresses sympathy to Tyrion Lannister after making the pragmatic decision not to champion him during Lannister's second trial by combat. After Tyrion asks him if he would murder an innocent baby in front of her mother without question, Bronn denies it and claims that he would ask for a price, implying that he may do the deed, but not for free and not just because he was ordered to. Despite Bronn's avaricious nature, which is sneered at by more honorable knights, he is a skilled and dangerous fighter. Bronn is mostly a background character in the novels. Since he is not a point of view character in the novels, his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Catelyn Stark and Tyrion Lannister. == Storylines == Bronn is a skilled sellsword of low birth. Debuting in ''A Game of Thrones'', he helps Catelyn Stark escort her prisoner, Tyrion Lannister, to the Eyrie, presumably in the hope of a reward. During the journey, he befriends Tyrion and also demonstrates his skill with a sword when they are attacked by wildlings. Bronn later accepts Tyrion's offer to champion for him in a trial by combat, recognizing there is more gain in helping Tyrion. He wins the duel against Lysa Arryn's champion, Ser Vardis Egen. Bronn wears minimal armor and uses his superior skill and speed to easily beat him. He becomes Tyrion's personal bodyguard and accompanies him to the camp of Tywin Lannister's army, and later King's Landing, serving as his captain of the guard and right-hand man. When Stannis Baratheon attacks the capital, Bronn is knighted for his defense of the city, taking up the name "Ser Bronn of the Blackwater" and taking a green burning chain as his personal sigil in commemoration of his role in the battle. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Tyrion is accused of murdering King Joffrey Baratheon and asks Bronn to champion him in a second trial by combat, this time against the monstrous Gregor Clegane. Bronn recognizes that although he can conceivably win, the benefits aren't worth the risks, and declines. Instead he takes up Cersei's offer to marry Lollys of the wealthy House Stokeworth, an unmarried woman who is pregnant from being raped during a riot. When his wife gives birth, Bronn names his stepson Tyrion in dubious honor of his former employer. Cersei tells Lollys' brother-in-law Balman Byrch to kill Bronn, fearing he is in league with Tyrion. However, Bronn wins a duel against Balman and kills him instead. After all members of House Stokeworth ahead of his wife die under mysterious circumstances, Bronn takes control of the house and styles himself as Lord Protector of Stokeworth. ===TV adaptation=== Jerome Flynn plays the role of Bronn in the television series. Bronn is played by the English actor and singer Jerome Flynn in the television adaption of the series of books. ====Season 1==== Bronn initially serves under Catelyn Stark. He aids her in arresting Tyrion Lannister and taking him to the Vale to stand trial for the murder of Jon Arryn and attempted murder of Bran Stark. During the trial, he volunteers to fight for Tyrion when he demands a trial by combat. Bronn defeats Lysa Arryn's champion and becomes Tyrion's companion and protector, accompanying him back to King's Landing. ====Season 2==== Bronn's service to Tyrion earns him a position as Commander of the City Watch after his predecessor is revealed to be accepting bribes. When Stannis Baratheon attacks the city by sailing up the Blackwater Bay, he shoots a fire arrow to a ship containing wild fire which destroys half of Stannis' fleet, and kills several of the attackers in defence of the city. ====Season 3==== Bronn is stripped of his position after Tywin Lannister takes his seat as Hand of The King, but is knighted for his service during the defense of King's Landing, taking the name Ser Bronn of Blackwater. He subsequently demands more gold for protecting Lord Tyrion and remains his confidante, though discord is increasing between the two. When Tyrion is forced to marry Sansa Stark, Bronn claims he desires her sexually, which Tyrion takes as a grave insult. ====Season 4==== Tyrion pays Bronn to train Jaime Lannister in fencing with his left hand, as well as get Shae out of King's Landing, which he assures was completed. Bronn later implores Jaime to visit and help Tyrion after he is accused of murdering Joffrey, telling Jaime that Tyrion originally named him as his defender while on trial in the Vale before Bronn volunteered. Bronn is later offered betrothal to the wealthy House Stokeworth by Cersei, if he does not champion Tyrion in trial by battle again. Bronn visits Tyrion in his cell to inform him, and tells him that he most likely would not have been prepared to fight Ser Gregor Clegane, Cersei's champion, anyway. He bids Tyrion farewell and they part ways as friends. ====Season 5==== Jaime is sent to retrieve Myrcella Baratheon from Dorne and travels to Stokeworth to enlist Bronn, who is with his betrothed, Lollys Stokeworth. Bronn reluctantly agrees to help Jaime after he is promised a prettier bride and a larger castle. Arriving at Dorne's Water Gardens, Jaime and Bronn rescue Myrcella before being confronted by Oberyn Martell's bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, who had intended to kill Myrcella. A fight ensues which is eventually broken up by Doran Martell's bodyguard Areo Hotah and the other palace guards, and Bronn is placed in a cell next to the Sand Snakes. In the cells, Tyene Sand taunts Bronn by exposing her breasts before revealing that she had given him a poison that activates when his heart rate increases, only giving him the antidote when he calls her the "most beautiful woman in the world". Bronn is eventually allowed to return to King's Landing with Jaime and Myrcella, though Trystane Martell insists that Bronn first be struck by Areo as punishment for knocking him out during Myrcella's rescue. ====Season 6==== After Brynden "Blackfish" Tully captures Riverrun from House Frey, Jaime has Bronn to accompany him to Riverrun to assist in directing the siege. During this time, Bronn is briefly reunited with Podrick Payne, Tyrion's former squire who now serves under Brienne. When the siege is lifted, Bronn joins the Lannister army at a feast at House Frey's home The Twins. He is noticeably disgruntled when several female servants appear smitten with Jaime, unaware one is secretly a disguised Arya Stark. He returns to King's Landing with Jaime, and, like Jaime, is shocked to discover that Cersei's machinations have destroyed the Sept of Baelor in their absence. ====Season 7==== Along with Randyll and Dickon Tarly, Bronn assists Jaime Lannister in the capture of Highgarden, but is disgruntled when Jaime refuses to let him keep the ransacked castle. As the Lannister caravan returns to King's Landing, they are attacked by Daenerys Targaryen with her dragon Drogon and her horde of Dothraki. Bronn manages to wound Drogon with a scorpion, which forces Daenerys to dismount, and saves Jaime from being burned alive by Drogon when Jaime charges at Daenerys. Both Bronn and Jaime escape the battle and return to King's Landing, where Bronn arranges a meeting in the cellars of the Red Keep between Jaime and Tyrion (at the request of the latter) to negotiate a truce between Daenerys and Cersei. ====Season 8==== Bronn remains in King's Landing after Jaime rides North alone to stand with the Starks against the White Walkers. He is approached by Qyburn, who gifts him Joffrey's crossbow and several chests of gold from Cersei, with the order to assassinate Jaime and Tyrion. Bronn travels to Winterfell to confront Jaime and Tyrion, but admits that he believes Daenerys had the advantage with her dragons and agrees to spare the two in exchange for being named Lord of Highgarden. After Bran Stark is crowned king, Bronn is raised to Lord of Highgarden and Lord Paramount of the Reach, and named as Bran's Master of Coin. == References ==

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is a role-playing game produced by Guardians of Order based on the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy series by George R. R. Martin. ==Description== The game is designed to be usable with two RPG systems: the d20 System and the Tri-Stat dX system. Two editions were made: a serial-numbered edition limited to 2500 copies, ; and a standard edition, . The limited edition is faux-leather bound with silver gilt pages and includes rules for both systems, and includes an interview with Martin. The standard edition contains only the d20 system rules. The book was created by Guardians of Order and released by Sword & Sorcery, a subsidiary of White Wolf Games. ==Reception== The ''A Game of Thrones'' RPG (AGOT RPG) was nominated for several ENnie Awards and won 2006 awards for: Best Production (Silver), Best Game (Silver), and Best d20/OGL Product (Silver). ==History== On 28 July 2006, Martin announced that he had received word from the head of Guardians of Order that the company was folding and that no further releases for the setting would take place. Martin expressed hope that the game may be salvaged by another company, though he also said that he was experiencing difficulty in trying to recover his intellectual property rights. On 7 March 2007 Martin wrote that he had regained control of his intellectual property rights and was "all square" with Guardians of Order. As part of their settlement, Mr. Martin received all remaining stock of the limited edition version of the RPG. No further information regarding the settlement was revealed, nor the status of other creditors' claims on the property. On 24 April 2007, it was on Martin's website that Green Ronin was producing a new line of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' RPG products, unrelated to the earlier Guardians of Order effort. The Green Ronin game, titled ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' (''SIFRP''), went on sale on 10 March 2009: it uses a custom game system and does not contain rules from either the d20 or Tri-Stat dX systems. Issue 307 of ''Dragon'' magazine featured D20 content related to ''ASOIAF'', including stats for Tyrion Lannister, Sandor Clegane and other prominent characters; adventure hooks; and a brother of the Night's Watch prestige class. ==See also== *A Game of Thrones (board game) *A Game of Thrones collectible card game ==References== ==External links== * RPG.net review

'''''A Dance with Dragons''''' is the fifth novel, of seven planned, in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. In some areas, the paperback edition was published in two parts, titled ''Dreams and Dust'' and ''After the Feast''. It was the only novel in the series to be published during the eight-season run of the HBO adaptation of the series, ''Game of Thrones'', and runs to 1,040 pages with a word count of almost 415,000. The US hardcover was officially published on July 12, 2011, and a few weeks later went to No. 1 on both ''Publishers Weekly'' and ''USA Today'' bestsellers lists. The novel has been adapted for television as the fifth season of ''Game of Thrones'', although elements of the book have also appeared in the series' third, fourth and sixth seasons. ==Plot summary== ===The Wall and beyond=== Stannis Baratheon, a claimant to the Iron Throne of Westeros, occupies the Wall at the realm's northern border, having helped to repel an invasion of wildlings from the northern wilderness. Stannis apparently executes Mance Rayder, the leader of the wildlings, for refusing to submit to him, and marches south with his army to seek support in his bid for the throne. Jon Snow, the newly elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the order that defends the Wall, brokers a truce with the wildlings, allowing them through the Wall in exchange for their assistance in defending the Wall against the hostile otherworldly creatures known as the Others. This creates unrest among the Night's Watch, who have considered the wildlings their enemies for centuries. Stannis's advisor, the sorceress Melisandre, warns Jon that a Northern girl is in trouble, who Jon assumes is his half-sister, Arya Stark. Mance is revealed to be alive thanks to Melisandre's magical trickery, and he is sent to the Starks' ancestral castle Winterfell, now occupied by the enemy Boltons, to rescue Arya. However, the girl in Melisandre's visions turns out to be Alys Karstark, a young noblewoman fleeing to the Wall to escape her treacherous uncle. To protect Alys and aid the wildlings' integration into Westerosi society, Jon arranges for Alys to marry Sigorn of Thenn, a wildling leader. Jon receives a taunting letter from Ramsay Bolton, who claims to have crushed Stannis's army at Winterfell. Ramsay demands that Jon hand over to him Stannis' wife and daughter or be killed, and also insists that Jon deliver Arya and his foster-brother Theon Greyjoy, neither of whom Jon has seen in years. Jon instead decides that he will seek out and kill Ramsay himself, asking for volunteers from the Watch to accompany him. For this perceived betrayal of the Watch's principle of neutrality, Jon is betrayed and stabbed by several of his own men. Meanwhile, Jon's crippled half-brother Bran Stark, traveling north of the Wall, is led to the last surviving Children of the Forest, the non-human natives of Westeros. They introduce Bran and his companions to the "last greenseer", an ancient man intertwined with the roots of a weirwood tree. He helps Bran learn clairvoyant "greensight", enabling Bran to witness the past and present through the eyes of the weirwood trees that grow throughout the North. ===Across the Narrow Sea=== ====In the Free Cities==== Having killed his father Tywin, the Hand of the King, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister is smuggled out of Westeros to the city of Pentos by the spymaster Varys, where he is sheltered by the aristocrat Illyrio Mopatis. Tyrion is sent south with a party ostensibly to aid the exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen, who controls the only living dragons, in claiming the Iron Throne; on the journey, he learns that Varys and Illyrio have hidden the presumed-dead Aegon Targaryen, son of Daenerys's late brother Prince Rhaegar, intending to eventually install him as king of Westeros with Daenerys's aid. Tyrion persuades Aegon to invade Westeros immediately, without waiting for Daenerys. Soon afterward, Tyrion is kidnapped by Daenerys's disgraced advisor Jorah Mormont, who intends to deliver him to Daenerys in order to regain her favor. In the Free City of Braavos, Arya is an acolyte of the guild of assassins known as the Faceless Men. Temporarily afflicted with blindness at their hands, she develops her sense of hearing, and realizes that she can "see" through cats the same way she could with her pet direwolf, Nymeria. After her sight is restored, she is tasked with assassinating a corrupt merchant while magically disguised with another girl's face. After doing so, Arya is declared an apprentice of the Faceless Men, to be sent to another assassin to continue her training. ====Slaver's Bay==== Daenerys has conquered the city of Meereen and banned slavery, but struggles to maintain peace within the city while also trying to prevent military defeat at the hands of the neighboring city of Yunkai. A plague known as the "pale mare" (dysentery) ravages the city. Daenerys' dragons have become increasingly dangerous, and she reluctantly confines them in a dungeon for the safety of her people. Drogon, the largest, evades capture and flies off. Despite her sexual relationship with the mercenary Daario Naharis, Daenerys marries the Meereenese nobleman Hizdahr zo Loraq to secure an alliance that will hopefully appease the Sons of the Harpy, a violent Meereenese resistance group. Quentyn Martell, the son of the Prince of Dorne in southern Westeros, arrives in Meereen to seek to reestablish the allegiance between Daenerys's family and his, but is unable to maintain her attention. Jorah and Tyrion are shipwrecked, kidnapped, and sold to a Yunkish slave trader; at Meereen, Tyrion escapes in the mass confusion of the plague ravaging the Yunkish army, joins the Second Sons mercenary group, and secures their support for Daenerys. Meanwhile, another Westerosi, Victarion Greyjoy, the brother of the king of the Ironborn, sails for Meereen, intending to marry Daenerys and use her dragons to overthrow his brother. At Hizdahr's insistence, Daenerys reopens the city's "fighting pits" for gladiatorial combat, but the noise and carnage attract Drogon. Two hundred people are killed in the resulting panic, at which point Daenerys climbs on Drogon to calm him. He flies off with Daenerys on his back. Hizdahr is soon implicated in an attempt to poison Daenerys, and her advisor Barristan Selmy removes Hizdahr from power and prepares for battle with the armies outside Meereen. Quentyn attempts to prove his worth by riding one of the remaining dragons, but is killed, releasing both dragons in the process. Drogon flies Daenerys to the Dothraki Sea, the grassland controlled by the nomadic Dothraki people. After several days, Daenerys encounters a Dothraki horde led by Khal Jhaqo. ===In the Seven Kingdoms=== ====The North==== In the North, Roose Bolton has assumed authority after conspiring with House Frey to overthrow the Stark family, the North's longtime overlords; meanwhile, much of the region is occupied by the Ironborn. Stannis wins the support of the northern lords and hill clans by pledging support for the Starks and fighting off the Ironborn; while doing so, he captures Asha Greyjoy, Victarion's niece. He marches his forces toward Winterfell to attack the Boltons, but his army becomes snowbound and cannot advance. Stannis's advisor Davos Seaworth is sent to win the support of the wealthy lord Wyman Manderly, who pretends to execute Davos to curry favor with the Lannister regime that controls the Iron Throne. In a secret meeting, Davos is told the Manderlys and other Northern vassals intend to feign submission to the Boltons and Lannisters while plotting revenge for Robb Stark's death. Revealing to Davos that young Rickon Stark is in hiding on the remote island of Skagos, Manderly pledges to support Stannis if Davos can retrieve Rickon and unite the Starks' supporters around him. Theon Greyjoy is a prisoner of the Boltons, mutilated and driven nearly insane by torture at the hands of Roose's sadistic son Ramsay, who renames him "Reek". To cement his rule over the North, Roose Bolton has Ramsay apparently married to Arya Stark; his bride is actually Jeyne Poole, a friend of Arya's sister Sansa forced to impersonate Arya. Ramsay abuses Jeyne physically and sexually. Mance Rayder arrives at Winterfell in disguise and enlists Theon to help him free the false Arya. Mance and his spearwives are left behind while Theon and Jeyne escape, leaping from the castle wall into the snow to be captured by Stannis's forces. ====The South==== Jaime Lannister, the uncle (and, secretly, father) of the young king Tommen Baratheon, negotiates the surrender of the last of the late Robb Stark's allies, nominally putting an end to the Stark–Lannister war in the Riverlands. Brienne of Tarth, whom Jaime had sent to search for Sansa Stark (and who unbeknownst to Jaime was captured by Sansa's undead, vengeful mother Catelyn), finds Jaime and tells him Sansa is in danger; he follows after her. After Tyrion convinces Aegon to attack Westeros, Aegon and his forces capture several castles in the Stormlands with little resistance. Meanwhile, Aegon's foster father Jon Connington is secretly succumbing to greyscale, a deadly and infectious disease. Doran Martell, the prince of Dorne, sends three of his nieces north to the capital city of King's Landing to infiltrate the Faith and the government and work in Dorne's interests. Cersei Lannister, Tommen's mother and queen regent, has been arrested by the Faith on charges of fornication and conspiracy. In order to gain release from her imprisonment, she confesses to several of the lesser charges against her, but does not confess to having murdered her husband King Robert Baratheon, nor that her children are the product of incest. As a condition of her release, she is forced to walk naked across the city as the smallfolk pelt her with rotten vegetables and insults. Meanwhile, Cersei's ally, the ex-maester Qyburn, has created "Ser Robert Strong", an eight-foot-tall figure encased in armor, to be an unbeatable champion in Cersei's upcoming trial by combat. Having taken control of the government, Cersei's uncle Kevan Lannister and the Grand Maester Pycelle attempt to undo the damage caused by Cersei's misrule. However, Varys returns to King's Landing and murders both Kevan and Pycelle, revealing that he has been plotting for years for the Lannisters to destroy themselves so that Aegon Targaryen can take the throne, having been raised to be an ideal ruler. The book ends with Varys sending his "little birds" (child spies) to finish Kevan off. ===Extras=== In addition to the maps published in previous books, the book includes a new map of the previously-unmapped area of the Free Cities on the eastern continent. Like the previous four volumes in the ''Ice and Fire'' series, the book includes an appendix with a complete list of characters. ==Characters== The story is narrated from the point of view of 18 different characters, including two minor one-off point-of-view (POV) characters featured in the prologue and epilogue. All but two POV characters were identified before the book's release. In the North: * Prologue: Varamyr Sixskins, a skinchanger and one of the surviving wildlings north of the Wall. * Jon Snow, the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and bastard son of Eddard Stark. * Bran Stark, rightful heir to his brother, the late Robb Stark. Seeking an old power beyond the Wall, believed dead by his own family. * Davos Seaworth, former smuggler and Hand of the King to Stannis Baratheon. Has recently learned to read, sent to negotiate with northern houses. * Reek, the Prince of Winterfell, the Turncloak, a Ghost in Winterfell: Theon Greyjoy, presumed-dead son of recently deceased King Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, a captive of Ramsay Bolton and now tortured, starved and barely sane. * The Wayward Bride, the King's Prize, the Sacrifice: Asha Greyjoy, niece of King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, fled the Iron Islands after her uncle's coronation. * Lady Melisandre, a shadow-binder from Asshai and a devoted priestess to the red god R'hllor, advisor to Stannis. In the eastern continent of Essos: * Daenerys Targaryen, heir to the Targaryen dynasty which ruled Westeros for 300 years until their deposition 15 years before the first novel. Self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros, she now rules the city of Meereen. * Tyrion Lannister, dwarf and uncle to the King Tommen of Westeros, a fugitive wanted for kinslaying and regicide. Recently fled the Seven Kingdoms. * The Merchant's Man, the Windblown, the Spurned Suitor, the Dragontamer: Quentyn Martell, eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, traveling into the East on a mission for his father. * The Lost Lord, the Griffin Reborn: Jon Connington, one of the former Hands of the King to Aerys Targaryen and one of Prince Rhaegar's closest friends. Exiled, and falsely believed dead. His identity as a narrator was kept secret throughout the book's pre-release process. * The Queensguard, the Discarded Knight, the Kingbreaker, the Queen's Hand: Ser Barristan Selmy, the former Lord Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard, and the first of Daenerys's Queensguard. * The Iron Suitor: Victarion Greyjoy, Captain of the Iron fleet, recently gone on a quest to find Daenerys and use her for the Ironborn's own ends. * The Blind Girl, the Ugly Little Girl: Arya Stark, hiding in the Free City of Braavos, where she has taken on the identity of the "Cat of the Canals" and continues her training as an assassin by the House of Black and White (The Faceless Men). In the South: * The Watcher: Areo Hotah, Captain of Doran Martell's guard. * Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard; currently occupying the lands around Riverrun. * Cersei Lannister, the Queen Regent, currently imprisoned in a tower cell, awaiting trial. * Epilogue: Ser Kevan Lannister, head of House Lannister in light of his brother's death, and current regent to King Tommen. His identity as a narrator was kept secret throughout the book's pre-release process. Chapters for several POVs, which may include Sansa Stark, Samwell Tarly, Aeron Damphair, Arianne Martell, and Brienne of Tarth were written for the book, but they will instead tentatively appear in the next book, ''The Winds of Winter''. ==Writing== ===Early development=== ''A Dance with Dragons'' was originally intended to be the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisioned the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) list ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the forthcoming second volume in the series. The 1998 anthology ''Legends'', which features the novella ''The Hedge Knight'' from the same universe, listed ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the third installment of a four-book series. In May 2005 Martin announced that the "sheer size" of his still-unfinished manuscript for ''A Feast for Crows'' had led him and his publishers to split the narrative into two books. Rather than divide the text in half chronologically, Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location, resulting in "two novels taking place simultaneously" with different casts of characters. Published in 2005, ''A Feast for Crows'' is narrated primarily by characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms and in the new locations of the Iron Islands and Dorne. ''A Dance with Dragons'' features characters in the North and across the narrow sea, although Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister, Arya Stark, Areo Hotah and Victarion and Asha Greyjoy appear in both volumes. Approximately one-third of the published ''A Dance with Dragons'' consists of material that had been written for the pre-split ''A Feast for Crows'', although much of this has been rewritten by Martin. In 2009, Martin confirmed that, contrary to earlier statements, Sansa Stark would not appear in ''A Dance with Dragons''; Sansa chapters initially slated for the novel have instead been pushed back to ''The Winds of Winter'', which is planned to be the sixth book in the series. In early 2010, Martin noted that his intent for ''A Dance with Dragons'' was for the first 800 manuscript pages to cover the alternate characters in the same time span as ''A Feast for Crows'', and that "Everything that follows is post-''Feast'', so that's where some of the cast from the last book start popping up again." Stating that "I wanted to resolve at least a few of the cliffhangers from ''Feast''," Martin also mentioned the possibility that some of his finished chapters might get pushed to the next novel, ''The Winds of Winter,'' depending on the length of the finished manuscript for ''A Dance with Dragons''. ===Road to publication=== Despite original, optimistic predictions of possible completion in late 2006, Martin completed the novel in April 2011, nearly five years later. During this period, Martin's blog featured sporadic updates on his progress, and in January 2008 he posted an update affirming his vigilant commitment to finishing the novel. In early 2008, publisher Spectra Books (a division of Random House) announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would be released on September 30, 2008, but Martin stated this would only be possible if he finished writing by the end of June, before his trip to Spain and Portugal; he did not meet his goal. On February 19, 2009, Martin posted on his website: "I am trying to finish the book by June. I think I can do that. If I do, ''A Dance with Dragons'' will likely be published in September or October." On June 22, 2009, the author expressed "guarded optimism" with respect to his progress on the novel, while still not confirming a publication date. When asked in a July 2009 interview with ''FREE! Magazine'' how the book was going, Martin stated, "It is going pretty well, actually. I am hoping to finish it by September or October; that is my goal." On October 6, 2009, Martin said that his working manuscript for ''A Dance With Dragons'' had just exceeded 1,100 pages of completed chapters, plus "considerably more in partials, fragments, and roughs." He noted that this made the upcoming novel longer than his earlier books ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Feast for Crows'', and nearly as long as ''A Clash of Kings''. On March 2, 2010, Martin remarked that he had reached 1,311 manuscript pages, making ''Dance'' the second-longest novel in the series at that point, behind only the 1,521-page manuscript of ''A Storm of Swords''. On July 8, 2010, Martin spoke at a conference and confirmed the current length of the book to be 1,400 manuscript pages. He expressed his disappointment that he was unable to completely finish the novel by the conference, although he would not speculate how soon the book would be completed after his return home on July 11. At the same conference, Martin also confirmed that he has written one Sansa, one Arya, and two Arianne chapters for the planned sixth novel, ''Winds of Winter'', and had transferred two Cersei chapters from that book into ''A Dance with Dragons''. On August 7, 2010, Martin confirmed that he had completed eight POVs, excluding the prologue and epilogue. At the New York Comic Con on October 10, 2010, Spectra senior editor Anne Groell announced that Martin had only five chapters remaining to finish, with sections of the chapters already completed. She stated her desire to have the manuscript completed by December. In a December 2010 interview with Bear Swarm, Martin stated that he almost had ''A Dance With Dragons'' completed. On March 3, 2011, the publisher announced that the novel, though at that point still not completed, would be officially published on July 12, 2011. Martin claimed this July 2011 publication date was different from the previous publication dates mentioned, in that this was "real", as opposed to earlier "wishful thinking, boundless optimism, cockeyed dreams, and honest mistakes". On March 12, he revealed that the unfinished manuscript had exceeded ''A Storm of Swords'' in length, making it the longest volume in the entire series. On March 27, he announced that the manuscript had exceeded 1,600 pages. On April 27, 2011, it was announced that Martin had completed ''A Dance with Dragons''. After incorporating requested changes made by his book editor and her staff copy-editors, suggested final draft notes from trusted friends, and his own final "sweat" (a line-by-line reread done to tighten and eliminate any unnecessary "fat" remaining in the manuscript), the final draft had been reduced to 1,510 pages; this made ''Dragons'' the second-longest novel, by a narrow margin, to volume three, ''A Storm of Swords''. The novel was now ready to meet its July 12, 2011 release date. On June 29, 2011, Amazon Germany had mistakenly released 180 copies of the novel early. Martin requested that those who held copies not spoil the book for fans who had to wait. Several ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' websites put an embargo in place on their forums with the same intent. ==Editions== '''Foreign-language editions''' * Bulgarian: Бард: "Танц с Дракони" ("Dance with Dragons") * Catalan: Alfaguara: "Dansa amb dracs" ("Dance with Dragons") * Chinese (traditional): Three volumes, "與龍共舞" 上, 中 and 下 * Croatian: Two volumes, Algoritam: "Ples zmajeva" ("A Dance of Dragons") * Czech: Talpress: "Tanec s draky" ("A Dance with Dragons") * Danish: "En dans med drager" ("A Dance with Dragons") * Dutch: Two volumes, Luitingh-Sijthoff: "Oude vetes, Nieuwe strijd", "Zwaarden tegen draken" ("Old Feuds, New Battle", "Swords Against Dragons") * Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover : Varrak "Tants Lohedega" ("A Dance with Dragons") book 1 (09/23/2016) & book 2 (05/18/2017) * Finnish: Two volumes: "Lohikäärmetanssi" ("Dragondance") 1 and 2 * French: Three volumes, Pygmalion: "Le Bûcher d'un roi", "Les dragons de Meereen", "Une danse avec les dragons" ("The Stake/Pyre of a King", "The Dragons of Meereen", "A Dance with Dragons") * German: FanPro (2012): "Drachenreigen" ("Dragons' Round"). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2012): "Der Sohn des Greifen", "Ein Tanz mit Drachen" ("The Son of the Griffin", "A Dance with Dragons") * Greek: Two volumes, Anubis: "Το Κάλεσμα της Φλόγας", "Το Σπαθί στο Σκοτάδι" ("Call of the Flame", "The Sword in the Darkness") * Hebrew: "ריקוד עם דרקונים חלק א – חלומות ואבק, ריקוד עם דרקונים חלק ב – לאחר המשתה" ("Dance with Dragons Part I – Dreams and Dust, Dancing with Dragons Part II – After the Feast") * Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó: "Sárkányok tánca" ("Dance of Dragons") * Italian: Three volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (2011, 2012): "I guerrieri del ghiaccio", "I fuochi di Valyria", "La danza dei draghi" ("The Warriors of Ice", "The Fires of Valyria", "The Dance of Dragons") * Japanese: Hardcover : Three volumes, Hayakawa (2013): "竜との舞踏" ("Dance with Dragons") I, II and III, paperback : Hayakawa (2016), I, II and III * Latvian: "Deja ar Pūķiem" ("A Dance with Dragons") * Lithuanian: Two volumes: "Šokis su Drakonais: Sapnai ir Dulkės", "Šokis su Drakonais: Po Puotos" ("Dance with Dragons: Dreams and the Dust", "Dance with Dragons: After the Feast") * Norwegian: Two volumes, Vendetta: "Drømmer og støv", "Dragenes dans" ("Dreams and Dust", "Dance of the Dragons") * Polish: "Taniec ze smokami" ("A Dance with Dragons") * Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "A Dança dos Dragões" ("The Dance of Dragons") * European Portuguese: Two volumes, Saída de Emergência: "A Dança dos Dragões", "Os Reinos do Caos" ("A Dance of Dragons", "The Kingdom of Chaos") * Romanian: Nemira: "Dansul dragonilor" ("The Dance of the Dragons") * Russian: AST: "Танец с драконами" ("Dance with Dragons") * Serbian: Two volumes, Лагуна: "Плес са змајевима Део први: Снови и прах", "Плес са змајевима Део други: После гозбе" ("A Dance with Dragons Part I: Dreams and Dust", "A Dance with Dragons Part II: After the Feast") * Slovenian: "Ples z zmaji" ("A Dance with Dragons") * Spanish: Ediciones Gigamesh: "Danza de dragones" ("Dance of Dragons") * Swedish: "Drakarnas dans" ("Dance of the Dragons") * Turkish: "Ejderhaların Dansı" ("Dance of Dragons") * Ukrainian: One volume, KM Publishing (2018): "Танок драконів" ("A Dance of Dragons") * Vietnamese: Three volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 5A: Đánh thức Rồng Thiêng", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 5B: Trấn thủ thành Mereen", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 5C: Vũ điệu Rồng Thiêng". ("Game of Thrones 5A: Awake Dragon", "Game of Thrones 5B: Defense on Mereen", "Game of Thrones 5C: Dance of Dragons") ==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''The Atlantic'' Rachael Brown found ''A Dance with Dragons'' "infinitely more satisfying than its predecessor, 2005's bleak and plodding ''A Feast for Crows''. The aspects of Martin's work that have endeared him to fans are abundant here – rich world building, narrative twists and turns, and gritty depictions of the human struggle for power. Characters who were sorely missed in ''Feast'' – Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and Jon Snow – make up more than a third of the novel, and Martin is wise enough to give us at least a chapter from (almost) everyone else. Weaknesses that have plagued Martin's previous books are also present: too much repetition, unexceptional prose, and characters who use the same idioms (and have sex in exactly the same manner) no matter their ethnicity, social class, or continent. But while ''A Dance with Dragons'' cries out for better editing, it remains entirely engrossing. Martin has hidden so many clues and red herrings throughout his previous volumes that it is a thrill to see certain pieces fall into place." Remy Verhoeve of ''The Huffington Post'' said, "''A Dance with Dragons'' is just a book, of course. It is not the Second Coming or anything. And I understand that the author must feel a lot of pressure concerning this one (he should). It's late and it has to repair some of the damage done by ''A Feast for Crows'', which frankly felt as if it was written by a ghost writer at times. Finally it is here, and some of the things we've been wondering about for more than a decade are actually revealed (not everything, but at least some things). It has the same structural problems as the previous book; it is sprawling and incoherent at times, but at least the characters are more interesting than in the previous installment. It does feel like I'm reading a bunch of separate stories within the same setting–the chapters are told through the eyes of various characters–but that doesn't really bother me as I love the setting and like to see it through various points of view. Theories that have been bandied about online for the last ten years mostly come true in this book, so in that respect the novel isn't shocking but neither is it disappointing. Martin also manages to put in a few twists, but ends the book much like he did the previous one with cliffhangers instead of wrapping things up a little better so the next long wait won't hurt so much." David Orr of ''The New York Times'' said, "''A Dance With Dragons'' comes in at roughly 9,574,622,012 pages, and smart money says the final two books in the series will make this one look like 'The Old Man and the Sea'. Such length isn't necessary, and it hurts Martin's prose and his plot mechanics. Tyrion 'waddles' at least 12 times here, and even if we suppose the unflattering word reflects Tyrion's contempt for his own awkward gait, it seems unlikely he would indulge this contempt when he's, say, fighting for his life. Similarly, when your novel's terrain stretches across hundreds of miles and your world lacks jet propulsion, as an author you face some basic problems of transportation that can result in conveyance via Rube Goldberg." ''Time'' James Poniewozik found a possible "weakness to the early Meereen sections by marking time (and making Dany uncharacteristically indecisive) to allow time for all the pieces to fall into place" and said, "All this makes for a thousand-page book that feels half as long, that moves dextrously, answers key questions and gobsmacks you with convincing feints and change-ups. As in ''AFFC'', there are sections that feel like they could have used an editor. In some chapters you suddenly find yourself in a strange land with a character you have little attachment to, wondering where this thread is going, as if you had stayed too long at a party after the friends you came with have left. ''The Washington Post'' Bill Sheehan said, "Filled with vividly rendered set pieces, unexpected turnings, assorted cliffhangers and moments of appalling cruelty, ''A Dance With Dragons'' is epic fantasy as it should be written: passionate, compelling, convincingly detailed and thoroughly imagined. Despite a number of overtly fantastic elements (dragons, seers, shape shifters and sorcerers), the book — and the series as a whole — feels grounded in the brutal reality of medieval times and has more in common with the Wars of the Roses than it does with ''The Lord of the Rings''. The result is a complex summer blockbuster with brains and heart, a book with rare — and potentially enormous — appeal. Megan Wasson of ''The Christian Science Monitor'' said, "''A Dance with Dragons'' may well be one of the best books in the five-book series so far. Martin's prose is concise but pithy, begging to be devoured over and over again. All the fans' favorite characters make an appearance, unlike in the last book. But what truly sets this book above some of the others in the series is Martin's ability to keep his readers on their toes and the edges of their seats. No character, no matter how likeable and seemingly important, is ever safe from Martin's pen (remember Ned Stark?), and on the other hand, no one can ever be truly pronounced dead. What you thought was going to happen after reading Books No. 1, 2, and even 3 and 4, now clearly will not happen, and that's where Martin's strength lies." ===Awards=== In April 2012, ''A Dance with Dragons'' was nominated for the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel. In May 2012, it was nominated for the 2012 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and won it in June 2012. In August 2012, the novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. ==References== ==External links== * of author George R. R. Martin * * * *

'''Varys''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Varys is a former slave eunuch from the fictional city of Lys and the master of whisperers in King's Landing. He subsequently appeared in Martin's books ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). He proves to be a key ally to Ned Stark and Tyrion Lannister at court, but his true motives remain shrouded in mystery to those who employ his services. Varys is portrayed by Conleth Hill in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character overview== Varys is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Ned Stark, Tyrion and Cersei Lannister. ===Background=== Varys was born as a slave in the Free City of Lys and joined a travelling acting troupe. While the troupe was performing in Myr, a sorcerer bought the young Varys from the troupe's leader, drugged Varys before removing his genitals and burning them in a brazier in a blood magic ritual, and afterwards cast him into the streets. Varys turned to begging, prostitution, and ultimately theft to survive, but soon became known in Myr and fled to Pentos. There he befriended a poor sellsword, Illyrio Mopatis, with whom he teamed up to steal valuables from other thieves and return them to their owners for a fee. Varys eventually realised that there was more to gain from stealing secrets instead of valuables and trained his spies to copy information from the wealthy and powerful. Varys and Illyrio became rich, and Varys' reputation reached the ears of the King of Westeros, Aerys II Targaryen, who appointed Varys as his Master of Whisperers. Jaime claims that Aerys saw traitors everywhere, and Varys was quick to point out any he missed. Apparently, when Rhaegar Targaryen intended to use a Tourney at Harrenhal to call a Great Council to deal with his father's instability, and possibly dethrone him, Varys warned Aerys, and they attended the tourney. Sometime prior to the Sack of King's Landing, Varys had Rhaegar's infant son Aegon swapped with a lowborn baby and smuggled to Essos to be raised in hiding by Rhaegar's friend Jon Connington, who was exiled by the Mad King for failing to defeat Robert. Varys remains Master of Whisperers after Robert Baratheon seizes the Iron Throne but secretly remains loyal to House Targaryen. ===Description=== Varys, also called the Spider, is a eunuch and courtier who serves as Master of Whisperers, the spymaster for the king of the Seven Kingdoms at the royal court in King's Landing. As Master of Whisperers he is on the privy council. He is feared by nobles and common people alike. He knows all of the secret passages in the royal castle, and his spies are found everywhere. He is a skilled manipulator and commands a network of informants across two continents. He often puts on the public persona of being nothing more than a bald, pudgy man well suited to the pleasantries of court life; humble, obsequious, fawning, and a little effeminate. This is simply a facade that Varys has developed, which often leads those who do not know him well to underestimate him as a cheerful and vapid flatterer. In reality he is a cunning and ruthless manipulator of court politics, on par with Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish ("Littlefinger"), with whom he frequently spars. Unlike Littlefinger, Varys insists that his goals are to achieve what he honestly feels is best for the realm. ==Storylines== ===In the books=== ====''A Game of Thrones''==== Soon after Eddard Stark's arrival in King's Landing, Varys warns him that Robert's wife Cersei Lannister intends to kill Robert and offers his help to Eddard in investigating the Lannisters. He later meets in secret with Illyrio to discuss stalling a war between Houses Stark and Lannister until the right moment; this is overheard by Arya Stark, but she is unable to identify the men. When Robert is ultimately killed, Varys remains spymaster for his heir Joffrey and suggests that Ser Barristan Selmy be blamed for Robert's death. Selmy is removed from the Kingsguard and ultimately defects to Daenerys Targaryen, which may have been Varys' plan all along. Varys visits Eddard in captivity and convinces him to plead guilty to treason and join the Night's Watch in order to save the life of his daughters Sansa and Arya, which would also avert war between the Starks and Lannisters, and Ned eventually agrees. Varys is horrified, however, when Joffrey has Ned executed anyway and tries in vain to dissuade the King whilst Littlefinger smugly looks on. In the aftermath, Varys arranges for Robert's bastard Gendry to join the Night's Watch, to avoid being killed by Cersei. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Varys is the first to learn that Tyrion Lannister has brought his mistress Shae with him to King's Landing, and tells Tyrion of a route that he can use to visit her. He forms an uneasy alliance with Tyrion to share the information gathered by his spy network. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Varys continues to facilitate Tyrion and Shae's trysts, but testifies against Tyrion when Tyrion is tried for Joffrey's murder. After Tyrion is sentenced to death, Jaime Lannister forces Varys to help Tyrion escape. As Varys and Tyrion escape through the secret passages of the Red Keep, Tyrion decides to seek out his father Tywin's chambers. Varys protests but gives Tyrion the exact directions to Tywin's room. It is likely Varys took advantage of the situation to have Tywin killed, weakening a chief rival of House Targaryen's. ====''A Feast for Crows''==== After helping Tyrion escape, Varys disappears. A Red Keep turnkey, Rugen, disappears at the same time, and a Tyrell coin is found in his chambers. This cements Cersei's distrust of House Tyrell, although she is unaware Rugen is merely a disguise of Varys'. ====''A Dance with Dragons''==== Varys sneaks into the Red Keep to kill Grand Maester Pycelle. He also lures Lord Regent Kevan Lannister into Pycelle's chambers and mortally wounds him. As Kevan dies, Varys explains that his death was necessary to destabilise the Seven Kingdoms in preparation for Aegon Targaryen's invasion, before ordering his little birds to finish Kevan off. ===In the show=== Conleth Hill plays the role of Varys in the television series Coat of arms of House Targaryen ==== Season 1 & 2 ==== Varys' storyline remains, for the most part, identical between the first two seasons of the show and the books. ====Season 3==== After Littlefinger's confidante Ros is severely beaten by Joffrey's guards and Littlefinger fails to intervene, Varys takes Ros into his service as a spy. Littlefinger finds out and sells her to the sadist Joffrey, taunting the eunuch that Varys could not protect her. Varys affirms his course as a means to prevent chaos befalling the realm, claiming that Littlefinger "would see the Seven Kingdoms burn, if he could be king over the ashes." ====Season 4==== Varys informs Tyrion that Cersei has discovered his relationship with Shae. Although Varys claims he will not lie for him, he implores Tyrion to send Shae away for her own safety. Varys later testifies against Tyrion at his trial for murdering Joffrey, but when Tyrion is convicted, Jaime enlists Varys' help in smuggling Tyrion out of King's Landing to Essos. As Varys prepares to return to the Red Keep, he hears the tolling bells, making him realise that Tyrion's escape has been discovered (along with his murder of Tywin), and he joins Tyrion on the voyage to Essos ====Season 5==== Varys and Tyrion arrive in Pentos, where Varys reveals his allegiance to House Targaryen and convinces Tyrion to travel with him to Meereen and aid Daenerys Targaryen in retaking the Iron Throne. While in Volantis, Tyrion is kidnapped by Daenerys' former advisor Jorah Mormont. Varys journeys on to Meereen, where he arrives to discover Tyrion in control of the city in Daenerys' absence. He offers Tyrion the use of his spy network to maintain order in the city. ====Season 6==== Varys discovers that the Meereenese insurgency, the Sons of the Harpy, are funded by the masters of Yunkai and Astapor and the slavers of Volantis, and brokers a meeting between Tyrion and representatives of those cities. The slavers agree to a truce with Tyrion, and Meereen begins to prosper. Varys departs for the Seven Kingdoms, telling Tyrion that he will seek out allies for Daenerys. His ultimate destination is Dorne, where Ellaria Sand has killed Doran Martell in anger at his inaction against the Lannisters and seized power. There he meets and forms alliances with Ellaria and Olenna Tyrell, who also seeks vengeance against Cersei, as Cersei's machinations have caused the death of all the other Tyrells. Varys returns to Meereen with ships from Dorne and the Reach, and sets sail for Westeros with Daenerys and her army. ====Season 7==== Varys, along with Daenerys and her entire army, reaches Dragonstone. While in Dragonstone, Varys helps in planning the attack against Cersei. Daenerys thanks him for getting the support of The Reach and Dorne, but confronts Varys for his past allegiances. Varys defends himself by saying that he doesn't serve any King/Queen but serves the people. Daenerys forgives him but warns Varys not to betray her, or else she would burn him alive. Varys then tells Daenerys of Euron Greyjoy's attack as well as defeat of Highgarden against the Lannister army. While talking with Tyrion, Varys criticizes Daenerys for burning Randyll and Dickon Tarly alive. He also reads the raven sent from Winterfell before informing Jon Snow. Varys accompanies Daenerys, Jon, and others to King's Landing to discuss a truce with Cersei. ====Season 8==== During the White Walkers' attack on Winterfell, Varys shelters in the crypts with the other non-combatants, and survives the Night King's reanimation of those buried in the crypts. In the aftermath of the battle, Varys observes Daenerys' dismay at not being lauded by the Northerners. He accompanies her court back to Dragonstone to prepare to attack King's Landing, and is told by Tyrion that Jon Snow is secretly Rhaegar's son and thus the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. The fleet is ambushed by Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet and Missandei is captured and executed. After failing to convince Tyrion to help him install Jon as king, or (it is implied) to poison Daenerys, Varys openly approaches Jon and suggests that he become king. Jon rebuffs him, and Tyrion reveals Varys' betrayal to Daenerys. Daenerys has Varys brought before her and has Drogon burn him alive. ==TV adaptation== Varys is played by the Northern Irish actor Conleth Hill in the television adaption of the series of books. Author George R. R. Martin wrote about the casting of Hill as Varys, "Hill, like Varys, is quite a chameleon, an actor who truly disappears inside the characters he portrays, more than capable not only of bringing the slimy, simpering eunuch to life." ===Recognition and awards=== Year Award Category Result 2011 Scream Awards Best Ensemble 2012 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Empire Award Empire Hero Award (Ensemble) 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ==References==

'''Sandor Clegane''', nicknamed '''the Hound''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Sandor is the estranged younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane, from the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Sandor serves as King Joffrey Baratheon's personal bodyguard. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). Like his brother, Sandor is regarded as one of the fiercest and strongest fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. His face is marked by gruesome facial burns he received when his brother shoved his face into a brazier as children; ever since he has retained a crippling fear of fire. While initially appearing brutal and fatalistic, he later proves to be more sympathetic and compassionate, particularly through his relationships with Sansa and Arya Stark. Sandor is portrayed by Scottish actor Rory McCann in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Sandor Clegane, known as The Hound, was the younger brother of Gregor Clegane, and was a retainer to House Lannister. He was regarded as one of the most dangerous and skilled fighters in Westeros. His size (in the novels he is 6'8", or 2 m and over 300 lbs, or 140 kg) and strength make him an imposing figure, though he is not quite as large as his brother. His face was distinguished by gruesome burn scars, which he received as a child when his brother pushed his head into a brazier. Consequently, Clegane feared fire and hated his brother. He was also scornful of knight's vows, as his brother was a knight, who nonetheless indulged in rape and murder. Clegane was described as a tormented man driven by anger and hate, aspiring only to kill his brother. Sandor is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed mainly through the eyes of Sansa Stark and Arya Stark, with some narrations from other characters such as Ned Stark, Tyrion Lannister, and Brienne of Tarth. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Clegane ====''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings''==== In ''A Game of Thrones'', he acts as bodyguard and servant to Prince Joffrey Baratheon, who calls him Dog. While escorting Sansa home, he reveals to her how his face was scarred and expresses much resentment of his brutish older brother and towards the concept of knighthood in general. Clegane leads the attack on the Stark forces in the Tower of the Hand. He is named a knight of Joffrey's Kingsguard towards the end of ''A Game of Thrones''. Clegane advises Sansa to do whatever Joffrey tells her to do as the best way of staying alive. He is often assigned to guard Sansa, trying to protect her from Joffrey's abuse in ''A Clash of Kings''. He flees King's Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater, due to the widespread use of wildfire, a fictional substance similar to Greek fire. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== In ''A Storm of Swords'', he is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners which sentences him to trial by combat. Sandor prevails and is set free. He later kidnaps Arya to ransom her to her brother Robb Stark and hopes to earn a place in Robb's service. He takes her to the Twins, where Robb is attending a wedding. However, just as they arrive, the Freys begin slaughtering the Starks. Sandor and Arya escape. They encounter three of Gregor's men at an inn, and Sandor is seriously injured in the ensuing fight. Arya abandons him to his apparent death. ====''A Feast for Crows''==== He is mentioned a few times in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), where the Elder Brother mentions to Brienne of Tarth that he found Sandor, who is now "at rest". However, the appearance of a mute gravedigger who matches Sandor physically and the Elder Brother's refusal to confirm if Sandor is dead imply that he may still be alive. ===TV adaptation=== Scottish actor Rory McCann has received acclaim for his portrayal of Sandor Clegane in the television adaptation of the series of books. ====Season 1==== Clegane is first introduced in the pilot episode when he accompanies the royal court on Robert Baratheon's visit to Winterfell. On the way back to King's Landing, Joffrey falsely accuses a butcher's boy, Mycah, of having attacked him, and Clegane kills the boy, attracting the hatred of Mycah's friend Arya Stark. During the Tourney of the Hand, Sandor's sadistic elder brother Gregor tries to kill Ser Loras Tyrell after Tyrell has unhorsed him, but Sandor defends Loras from Gregor until Robert orders the men to stop fighting. When Ned Stark accuses Joffrey of being a bastard born of incest and orders his arrest, Clegane assists the Lannister soldiers in the subsequent purge of the Stark household and Sansa Stark's capture, although he later comforts Sansa when Joffrey orders her face slapped and advises how to avoid future pain. With Joffrey's ascension to the throne, Clegane is named to the Kingsguard to replace the ousted Ser Barristan Selmy, although Clegane refuses to take his knight's vows. ====Season 2==== Sandor Clegane continues to defend Sansa, including by covering her after Joffrey orders her stripped in front of the assembled court and rescuing her from being gang-raped during the King's Landing riots. He participates in the Battle of the Blackwater against Stannis Baratheon's forces but is visibly horrified when Tyrion Lannister uses wildfire to incinerate much of Stannis' fleet; he ultimately deserts after witnessing a man burning alive in the battle. Before he leaves King's Landing, he offers to take Sansa north to Winterfell, which she refuses. It is during this season that Sandor Clegane admits to Sansa that he loves killing, saying that there is nothing more pleasing than bringing death upon others. ====Season 3==== Arya and her companion Sandor Clegane in the TV series Game of Thrones. In the Riverlands, Clegane is arrested by the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of knights and soldiers sent by Eddard Stark to kill Gregor and restore order to the Riverlands. While being transported to their stronghold, he meets other members of the Brotherhood who are traveling with Arya Stark and tells them her true identity. At the Brotherhood's hideout, their leader Lord Beric Dondarrion accuses Clegane of being a murderer; although Clegane asserts that the murders were committed in order to protect Joffrey, Arya testifies that Clegane had killed Mycah despite the boy's not having harmed Joffrey. Lord Beric sentences Clegane to a trial by combat, which Clegane wins to secure his freedom. Although Clegane slays him, Lord Beric is immediately resurrected by the Red Priest Thoros of Myr. Clegane later captures Arya, intending to ransom her to King Robb Stark at the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey at The Twins. However, as they arrive at the Twins, the Freys turn on and attack the Starks, and Clegane and Arya barely escape the massacre. ====Season 4==== With the rest of House Stark believed dead and the Riverlands now under the rule of House Frey, Clegane decides to ransom Arya to her aunt Lysa Arryn in the Vale. During their journey, Arya reveals to Clegane that she has not forgiven him for killing Mycah and has vowed to kill him. The duo arrive in the Vale to find that Lysa has ostensibly committed suicide. Returning from the Bloody Gate, they encounter the sworn sword to Arya's mother Catelyn, Brienne of Tarth, who had promised to take the Stark children to safety. When Arya refuses to go with Brienne, Brienne and Clegane engage in a brawl that culminates in Brienne's throwing Clegane off a cliff, gravely wounding him. Although Clegane begs Arya to kill him, she leaves him to die. ====Season 6==== It is revealed that Clegane survived; he had been discovered by Ray, a warrior turned septon. Clegane assists Ray and his followers in building a sept, but one day, after a brief journey into nearby woods to chop wood, Clegane returns to the community to find everyone slaughtered by rogue members of the Brotherhood Without Banners. Clegane takes up an ax to hunt down those responsible and kills four of them before discovering the remaining three about to be hanged by Lord Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, who inform him that the group were acting independently of the Brotherhood. Lord Beric allows Clegane to help hang two of the outlaws, followed by an offer to join the Brotherhood in their journey north to fight the White Walkers. ====Season 7==== During their journey north, the Brotherhood stops at a farm owned by a farmer Clegane had previously robbed. Inside, they find the bodies of the farmer and his daughter. Remorseful, Clegane digs them a grave with Thoros's help. Thoros has Clegane look into the flames of the Brotherhood's campfire, and in them the skeptical Clegane sees the White Walkers and their forces marching towards the Wall. The Brotherhood attempts to cross the Wall via Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, but are intercepted by wildling scouts manning the castle and are locked in the ice cells. Soon afterward, Jon Snow, Davos Seaworth, Jorah Mormont, and Gendry arrive at Eastwatch, intending to capture a wight to present to Cersei (now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms) as evidence the White Walkers exist. Clegane, Beric, and Thoros are released to accompany Jon, Jorah, Gendry, and the wilding Tormund Giantsbane beyond the Wall. The group soon captures a wight but is surrounded by the White Walkers and their army of wights, although not before Gendry flees to Eastwatch to request Daenerys Targaryen's aid. Daenerys arrives with her dragons before the group can be overrun. One dragon is killed and reanimated by the Night King, but Daenerys' group, less Jon - who stays behind to fight back the White Walkers - is able to flee. Clegane joins Jon, Daenerys, and Davos as they sail to King's Landing. At King's Landing, Clegane meets Brienne of Tarth. Despite their previous brutal fight, they converse on civil terms. Clegane learns that Arya is alive and with her family, prompting a rare smile. During the summit in the Dragon Pit outside King's Landing, Clegane confronts his brother and asks what they did to him then cuts off the answer and tells him he always knew who would come for him. Clegane brings out the trunk containing the wight, revealing to Cersei and Jaime Lannister the threat that lies beyond the wall. In the aftermath, Clegane sails to White Harbor with Daenerys' forces with the intention of travelling to Winterfell to aid Jon and Daenerys against the Night King. ====Season 8==== The Hound joins Daenerys, Jon, and their retinues as they march to Winterfell, where he is reunited with Arya and Sansa. The Hound and Arya make peace with one another before the dreaded Battle of Winterfell against the White Walkers. During the battle, the Hound is triggered by the use of fire to destroy the wights and is close to giving up, but is convinced by Beric to keep fighting, indicating towards Arya who is relentlessly fighting beside them. The Hound then travels to King's Landing to kill his brother along with Arya, who intends to kill Cersei. The two infiltrate the Red Keep amongst a crowd of civilians Cersei is using as human shields, but Daenerys begins burning the city down and the Red Keep begins to crumble. The Hound urges Arya to leave as he goes to find his brother. Arya thanks him, calling him by his true name for the first and only time, and bids him farewell. A fight ensues between the Clegane brothers, and Sandor struggles to even injure his inhuman brother. Gregor is momentarily disarmed after the Hound stabs him through the head, and the Hound tackles him off a stairway into the inferno below, resulting in both of their deaths. == References ==

'''Petyr Baelish''', nicknamed '''Littlefinger''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Littlefinger is the master of coin on King Robert's small council. He is a childhood friend of Catelyn Stark, having grown up with her and her two siblings at Riverrun. He subsequently appeared in Martin's books ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). He is set to appear in the forthcoming novel ''The Winds of Winter''. Littlefinger's primary character attributes are his cunning and boundless ambition. Originally hailing from a minor family with little wealth or influence, Baelish used manipulation, bribery, and the connections he secured at Riverrun to gain power and prestige in King's Landing. Since then, his various intrigues have directly caused several major events that have impacted Westeros, including the framing of Tyrion Lannister for the attempt on Bran Stark's life, the downfall of Lord Eddard Stark, the deaths of Lord Jon Arryn and King Joffrey Baratheon, and the War of the Five Kings. Littlefinger is portrayed by Irish actor Aidan Gillen in the HBO television adaptation, for which he has received positive critical reception. ==Character== Littlefinger is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Ned Stark, Catelyn Stark, Sansa Stark, Tyrion and Cersei Lannister. == Background == Petyr descends from a Braavosi sellsword who served House Corbray. His father befriended Lord Hoster Tully during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, and Tully took the young Petyr as a ward. Petyr grew up at House Tully's castle Riverrun with Hoster's daughters Catelyn and Lysa, and son Edmure; Edmure nicknamed Petyr "Littlefinger" in reference to his short stature and his family's lands on the smallest of the Fingers. Petyr was a sly, mischievous child with the ability to always look contrite after his mischief. He became infatuated with Catelyn and claims to have lost his virginity to her while drunk; in reality, he lost it to Lysa, who was obsessed with him. When Catelyn was betrothed to Brandon Stark (Eddard Stark's elder brother), Petyr brazenly challenged him to a duel for her hand in marriage but lost easily to Brandon. Petyr's life was spared at Catelyn's behest. During his convalescence Petyr impregnated Lysa, but the pregnancy ended in a forced abortion, and Petyr was banished from Riverrun. Even after her marriage to Jon Arryn, Lysa remained in love with Petyr. Her patronage saw Baelish appointed as customs officer at Gulltown, a position he excelled at. In the books it was around this time that Petyr's unnamed father died and passed the unnamed "Baelish Tower" in the Fingers to his son, making him a lord. However, in the show it is implied that both of Baelish's parents died when Petyr was much younger. Jon Arryn, who was Hand to King Robert Baratheon, eventually brought Baelish to King's Landing as Master of Coin. When Arryn tries to have his and Lysa's son Robert sent to Dragonstone to be fostered by Stannis Baratheon, Baelish gives Lysa poison to kill Jon and convinces her to tell Catelyn that House Lannister was responsible. This subterfuge sets in motion the main events of the series. === Appearance and personality === Petyr Baelish is a small man, shorter than Catelyn Stark. He is slender and quick, with sharp features and laughing green eyes. He has a pointed chin beard and threads of silver in his hair. He often wears a silver mockingbird to fasten his cloak. He clearly enjoys the intrigues of court life at King's Landing. He is dangerously intelligent, utterly Machiavellian, and cunning enough to hide his machinations. Since Petyr is not a POV character his motivations are somewhat of a mystery. However he has stated his motivations were his lingering love towards Catelyn Stark and (in the show) Sansa Stark. Many are skeptical of this, with Sansa Stark stating 'the only person Littlefinger serves is Littlefinger.' His methods are totally unscrupulous, including the use of lies, treachery, and murder to achieve his goals. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Arryn ===''A Game of Thrones''=== Baelish, the "Master of Coin" in charge of the realm's finances on King Robert's Small Council, is disliked by the Hand, Ned Stark, who initially considers him as flippant as he is untrustworthy. Baelish hides Catelyn at one of his brothels, when she brings Ned the news of the attempt on Bran's life, and tells her the dagger used was won from him by Tyrion Lannister. This leads to Catelyn's capture of Tyrion; but this information is later identified as a lie. Tyrion mentions during his captivity at the Eyerie that Baelish has frequently claimed to had a sexual relationship with Lady Catelyn during their youth together at Riverrun, a claim she indignantly rejects. Petyr helps Eddard expose the secret parentage of the royal children, but advises him to abet Joffrey's rise to power in order to consolidate their own. Ned insists that Stannis must be king and asks Baelish to secure the help of the City Watch when he moves against the Lannisters, but Petyr betrays Lord Stark and aids his arrest. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== After the death of Renly Baratheon, Petyr arranges an alliance between the Lannisters and the powerful House Tyrell, which leads to Stannis Baratheon's defeat. When Joffrey is convinced to marry Renly's widow, Margaery Tyrell, in ''A Storm of Swords'', Petyr is named Lord of Harrenhal and Lord Paramount of the Trident in place of Edmure Tully. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Baelish is given charge to marry Lysa Arryn and bring the Vale under the control of the Lannisters; before departing he reveals Olenna Tyrell's plan to marry Sansa Stark to Willas Tyrell, leading to Sansa's forced marriage to Tyrion. When Joffrey is poisoned at his wedding feast, Petyr has Sansa whisked away from King's Landing in the confusion and takes her to his holdings on The Fingers, disguised as his illegitimate daughter. During the voyage, Petyr reveals that he had conspired with Olenna Tyrell to poison Joffrey and blame Tyrion for the murder. Lysa arrives at Petyr's keep and promptly marries him at Lysa's insistence, although Petyr would have preferred a court wedding. After the wedding, Baelish and Sansa travel to the Eyrie, where he spends much of the time asserting his new authority over the lords of the Vale. While alone with Sansa, he notes her physical similarity to Catelyn and kisses Sansa. Witnessing the encounter, Lysa tries to kill Sansa a short time later. Petyr rushes to comfort Lysa, but reveals that he had only ever loved Catelyn and pushes Lysa to her death. He immediately implicates the only other witness, the minstrel Marillion. ===''A Feast for Crows''=== Petyr names himself Lord Protector and claims Lysa's son Robert as his ward. The Lords of the Vale also try to claim Robert, but Petyr bribes Lyn Corbray to help Petyr obtain leverage to keep Robert. Petyr later reveals to Sansa that he plans to either eliminate the lords or win them to his side, and to help Sansa regain the North. He also tells her that he has arranged for her to marry Robert Arryn's cousin and heir, Harrold Hardyng, and that on Robert's death she will reveal herself and use the Knights of the Vale to recover the North. ===''The Winds of Winter''=== Petyr is set to appear in the sixth volume, still in the Vale with Sansa and Robert Arryn. He will hold a tournament, the winners of which will be inducted into the Brotherhood of Winged Nights, a order similar to the Kingsguard that will protect young Robert Arryn. However, knowing that the sickly child will soon die, he plans for Sansa to wed Harrold Hardyng, Robert's heir, so that the knights of the Vale will rally behind her to retake the North from House Bolton. ==TV adaptation== ==== Seasons 1 & 2 ==== Baelish's storyline remains much the same as in the books for the first few seasons of the television series, with only minor details changed. In later seasons, however, his story is significantly different. ==== Season 3 ==== Having become Lord of Harrenhal, Petyr plans to sail to the Eyrie to propose marriage to Lysa Arryn, taking Sansa with him. One of his prostitutes, Ros, learns of his plan and warns Varys, who arranges with Olenna Tyrell to have Sansa wed Loras Tyrell. Baelish's spy Olyvar, who is posing as Loras' squire and lover, tips Baelish off to the plot. Baelish, in turn, gives this information to Tywin Lannister, who has Sansa wed Tyrion instead. Realising that Ros has betrayed him, Baelish hands her over to Joffrey to kill for his entertainment. ==== Season 4 ==== In the aftermath of Lysa Arryn's death, Baelish is questioned by several lords of the Vale. Baelish maintains that Lysa committed suicide, and Sansa corroborates this assertion. Baelish decides to take Robin Arryn on a tour of his domain, with Sansa accompanying them. ==== Season 5 ==== Baelish brokers a marriage alliance between Sansa and Ramsay Bolton, the sadistic son of the new Warden of the North Roose Bolton. Baelish mentions to Roose how the alliance of the North and the Vale brought down the Targaryens, the "mightiest dynasty" in Westerosi history, with the implication that a new alliance might have similar effects. Although Baelish assures Roose that the marriage alliance will strengthen their respective positions, Baelish privately tells Sansa that Stannis Baratheon is marching on Winterfell and will likely defeat the Boltons in battle. However, before Sansa and Ramsay's wedding, Cersei summons Baelish to King's Landing to ascertain his loyalties. Baelish reassures Cersei of the Vale's allegiance to the Lannisters and tells her of Sansa's marriage to Ramsay, neglecting to reveal his role in arranging the marriage. Cersei is outraged, and Baelish offers to use the Vale's forces to defeat whomever is left of the Bolton and Baratheon armies following the battle, revealing that his true plan all along was to be named Warden of the North, a request Cersei grants. Before his departure Baelish meets with Olenna Tyrell, who is furious that testimony from Olyvar has led to the arrests of Margaery and Loras Tyrell. When Olenna threatens to reveal Baelish's role in Joffrey's murder, Baelish arranges for Lancel Lannister to tell the religious leader, the High Sparrow, of Cersei's crimes, leading to her arrest. ==== Season 6 ==== Baelish reunites with Robin Arryn at Runestone and claims that Sansa was abducted by the Boltons, before manipulating him into sending the Vale's forces to defend her. Baelish later meets Sansa in Mole's Town, insisting that he was unaware of Ramsay's cruelty. He offers the support of the knights of the Vale in retaking Winterfell and mentions that Sansa's great-uncle Brynden "Blackfish" Tully has seized Riverrun from the Freys. Sansa refuses Baelish's offer and declares that she never wants to see him again. However, after Sansa and Jon Snow are unable to gather enough men to match the Boltons, Sansa sends a raven to Baelish asking for his aid. Baelish leads the men on Winterfell, and they arrive in time to destroy the unsuspecting Bolton army before they can slaughter the Starks. After the battle, Baelish reveals to Sansa that his ambition is to take the Iron Throne with her at his side, but she rebuffs his advances. Baelish is present when the Northmen and Valemen declare Jon King in the North, but instead of cheering for Jon, he glares at Sansa. ==== Season 7 ==== Throughout the season, after Jon Snow threatens him to stay away from Sansa, Baelish attempts to turn Sansa and her sister Arya against each other following the latter's return to Winterfell. To add further incentive, Baelish arranges for Arya to find the letter Sansa wrote Robb, asking him to surrender, while she was held by the Lannisters. Baelish continues his manipulation of Sansa, seemingly convincing her that Arya intends to murder her and take her role as Lady of Winterfell. Sansa brings Arya into the hall with everyone present, including a smug Baelish. However, she reveals that Baelish is actually the one on trial. Caught off-guard, Baelish sputters with confusion but eventually recovers and questions Sansa about what's happening. Sansa reveals his numerous crimes, including his murder of Lysa Arryn, his orchestration of both Jon Arryn's and Eddard Stark's murders, and his manipulation of the Starks and Lannisters into war. Though concerned by her knowledge, Baelish quickly denies the accusations, citing lack of evidence, until Bran Stark reveals that he has seen Baelish's betrayal of Eddard Stark himself due to his ability to see events in the past and around him. Panicking, Baelish then tries to convince Sansa to speak with him alone and listen to his side of the story, but Sansa refuses, citing his earlier advice to figure out her true enemies' intentions. This causes Baelish to desperately command his banner man Yohn Royce to escort him back to the Vale, which Royce refuses. With nowhere left to run, Baelish gets down on his knees and emotionally begs Sansa to spare him, telling her how much he loved her mother and her. Sansa reminds him that he betrayed them nonetheless and orders Arya to kill him. After Sansa thanks Baelish for his lessons, Arya executes him by slitting his throat with his own Valyrian dagger. ===Critical reception=== Aidan Gillen plays the role of Petyr Baelish in the television series Gillen's performance has received significant praise. Huw Fullerton of ''Radio Times'' praised his performance on the show. Writing for ''The Huffington Post'', Gil Kidron described the character as "gross...creepy...evil" and stated, "you should root for him to win." Kidron claims, "in Westeros he's a 99 percenter." Kidron writes Petyr is "doing it for himself", but "he's working tirelessly to destroy an old and decaying world that none of us would want to live in." In an article published in the ''National Review'', Grant Starrett claimed that every red-blooded American should root for Littlefinger. Starrett praised Baelish's rags-to-riches story, saying, "He epitomizes what could soon be called the Westerosi Dream." Meritocracy, social mobility, and an end to a failing system are all reasons to support Petyr Baelish for the Iron Throne, according to Starrett. ===Recognition and awards=== Aidan Gillen has received award nominations for his portrayal. His nominations include Portal Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2012, and Irish Film & Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012 and 2014. ==References==

"'''Oathkeeper'''" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 34th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Michelle MacLaren. It aired on April 27, 2014. The title refers to the new sword gifted to Brienne of Tarth by Jaime Lannister and the themes of duty that propel the episode. The episode focuses on the aftermath of Joffrey's wedding, the Night's Watch's attempt to deal with the mutineers, and Daenerys's continued conquest of Meereen. "Oathkeeper" also featured the debut appearance of the Night King, the leader of the White Walkers, though he was not identified as such until the following year. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Jaime visits Tyrion in his cell and tells him that Cersei is searching for Sansa. Olenna prepares to return to Highgarden and implies to Margaery that she had a hand in Joffrey's death to protect Margaery from his cruelty. Margaery talks with Tommen about their marriage. Jaime sends Brienne to find and protect Sansa and gives her his Valyrian steel sword, which she names Oathkeeper and service of Podrick as a squire. ===In the Narrow Sea=== On the way to the Eyrie, Petyr tells Sansa that he plans to marry Lysa. Petyr tells her that Joffrey's death will help him and his new powerful allies grow strong, referring to the House Tyrell and that the missing stone in her necklace was the poison used for Joffrey's murder. ===At the Wall=== Jon trains Locke and Olly. Thorne sends Jon to kill the group at Craster's Keep and Edd, Grenn and Locke volunteer to help him. ===In Meereen=== Missandei teaches Grey Worm the Common Tongue, the language of Westeros. Grey Worm and other Unsullied infiltrate the city, arm the slaves and incite a slave uprising that leaves Daenerys in control of the city. Daenerys orders 163 masters crucified, as justice for the slave children crucified along the road to Meereen. ===Beyond the Wall=== Karl orders Rast to dispose Craster's last son to the White Walkers. Bran's group is captured by Karl's group. White Walker retrieves Craster's son, travels to the White Walkers' fortress in the Lands of Always Winter and the leader of the White Walkers, the Night King transforms the boy into a White Walker. == Production == Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote this episode. "Oathkeeper" was written by Bryan Cogman based on ''A Storm of Swords''. Reviewer Walt Hickey of FiveThirtyEight notes that the episode "contained the final scene of Jaime Lannister’s ninth ''"Storm of Swords"'' chapter. But lots of material from that chapter hasn't been on the show yet, so I reasoned that he has completed only eight." In addition to chapter 72 (Jaime IX), some of the content from this episode is also found in ''A Storm of Swords'' chapters 61, 68, and 71 (Sansa V, Sansa VI, Daenerys VI). Theresa DeLucci, a reviewer for ''Tor.com'', notes that the episode "didn't even take liberties with the books; it completely made up whole new stories" that do not appear in ''A Storm of Swords'', including conversations between Missandei and Grey Worm, Bran's appearance at Craster's keep, and the final White Walker scene. Reviewers from IGN applauded the new material, noting that the scenes at Craster's keep "give Bran something to do" and hint at the nature of the White Walkers. Erik Kain, of ''Forbes'' magazine, notes these departures from the books as well, stating that the episode departed as much from the books as any episode thus far in the HBO adaptation of Martin's book series. These deviations, notes Kain, "leave both readers and newcomers to the story of Westeros and its motley band of heroes and villains entirely uncertain as to what's coming next." == Reception == === Ratings === "Oathkeeper" established a new series high in ratings, with 6.95 million people watching the premiere. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.598 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.112 million timeshift viewers. === Critical reception === Like the season's other episodes, "Oathkeeper" received acclaim from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes counting 97% positive reviews from among 36. The site's consensus is that "If it's a bit more subdued than its predecessors, 'Oathkeeper' is nonetheless a rock-solid installment of Game of Thrones – one that features assured direction, strong action scenes, and intriguing plot developments." Eric Goldman and Roth Cornet of IGN commented on the episode being a "game changer" because it diverges from the book series more than any other ''Game of Thrones'' episode; a few of the changes include Jon's and Bran's storylines, how Daenerys conquered Meereen, and new information with regard to how White Walkers multiply their army. Goldman and Cornet stated that much of the episode feels like a spoiler for readers of the series because of the changes, including the show creators, who know how the ongoing book series will end, possibly having incorporated aspects that happen later in the books. Though Goldman and Cornet indicated that significantly diverging from the books could be detrimental to the show, they credited "Oathkeeper" with adding an element of surprise and intrigue for all viewers. Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', Emily VanDerWerff (writing for viewers who have read the books) and Erik Adams (writing for viewers who have not) both gave the episode a B. VanDerWerff commented that the scenes between Jamie and Cersei "seems to truly want us to think that what happened last week wasn't, in any way, rape" and wondered "whether the show is going to acknowledge it at all." Adams notes how the episode serves as a "bridge" between episodes and plotlines well under way, but that there are "thematic riches" to be found; namely, the multiple searches for justice. === Accolades === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Ann McEwan 2015 Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan == References == == External links == * at HBO.com * *

'''Ramsay Bolton''', previously known as '''Ramsay Snow''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', Ramsay is the bastard son of Roose Bolton, the lord of the Dreadfort, an ancient fortress in the North of the kingdom of Westeros. He is subsequently mentioned in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). He later appears in Martin's ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Ramsay is an amoral and vicious sadist who strives to be legitimized as a true Bolton by his father. He is directly responsible for several atrocities in both the novels and television show, including the brutal torture of Theon Greyjoy; however, his role as a primary antagonist is greatly expanded in the television adaptation. Ramsay is portrayed by Welsh actor Iwan Rheon in the HBO television adaptation. Rheon has received critical acclaim for his performance, although his character's reception has been more polarized; he is widely considered to be one of the show's most brutal and hated villains. In 2016, ''The New York Times'' referred to the character as "arguably the most hated man on television" and "the signature ''Game of Thrones'' villain". In 2019, the Red Cross conducted a study using international human rights laws, and determined Ramsay to be the ''Game of Thrones'' character who committed the most war crimes, with seventeen violations. ==Character== Ramsay Bolton is not a point of view character in the novels, and remains mostly in the background. His actions are witnessed and interpreted directly through the eyes of Theon Greyjoy, and indirectly from stories heard by Bran Stark and Davos Seaworth. ===Background=== Ramsay is the product of rape. While hunting along the Weeping Water, Roose Bolton saw a miller's wife and decided to illicitly practice the banned tradition of 'the first night', wherein a lord had the right to bed a commoner's bride. He hanged the miller under a tree for not informing his lord of his marriage to the woman and raped her beneath his swaying body. A year later the woman arrived at the Dreadfort with the newborn Ramsay. Roose nearly killed her and the babe, but when he saw the child had his signature pale, cold eyes, the taboo of kinslaying stayed his hand. The woman claimed her husband's brother had stolen the mill and cast her out. Angered by this, Roose had the man's tongue removed so he would not tell the truth to Roose's liege lord, Rickard Stark. Roose then gave the woman the mill along with a pig, several chicks and a bag of coin every year on the condition that she never reveal to Ramsay the truth about who his father was. Ramsay's mother arrived at the castle years later claiming she needed help in raising Ramsay, who had grown up wild and unruly. Roose sent Ramsay a servant known as Reek. Reek, despite taking constant washes, always smelled bad due to some "unknown birth condition" that caused his skin to reek, thus his nickname. Giving him to Ramsay and his mother was actually a cruel jest by Roose, but Ramsay and Reek soon grew inseparable. Roose would later reflect on whether Ramsay had corrupted Reek or whether Reek had corrupted Ramsay, even though Reek would follow Ramsay's orders quite faithfully; Ramsay mentioned once that Reek knew better than to deny him. Despite Roose's instruction to Ramsay's mother, either she or Reek eventually informed him of his true parentage. Roose believes that both Reek and Ramsay's mother were urging Ramsay on, and constantly reminding the increasingly violent bastard of his "rights". Roose's elder, trueborn son Domeric attempted to forge a sibling connection with his half-brother. Domeric would soon die of a mysterious sickness, and Roose believes that Ramsay poisoned him in order to rob his father of his trueborn heir. Ramsay earned the enmity of House Dustin in the process, as Lady Barbrey Dustin was fond of her nephew, Domeric. Two years prior to the beginning of the War of the Five Kings, Roose brought Ramsay to the Dreadfort as he had no other sons, trueborn or otherwise. It is there Ramsay learned to read and write. Ramsay is accompanied by Dreadfort men called the Bastard's Boys, who are just as cruel and depraved as he is but who ultimately serve his father. ===Appearance and personality=== Ramsay is described as ugly and fleshy, with the sloping and big-boned body of one who will be fat later in life. His skin is blotchy and pink, with long, brittle black hair. His two most distinctive features are his eyes - small and close-set, pale and icy like his father's - and his mouth, consisting of two fleshy, wide lips that form a 'wormy' smile. The armor he wears in battle is red and black and resembles a flayed man opening his mouth to scream. He carries a flaying knife wrought of yellow bone. Ramsay is a vicious, savage sadist that enjoys rape and torture. He practices the Bolton custom of flaying his enemies alive and keeps a pack of female hunting dogs that he uses to hunt young women down before raping and killing them; he names his dogs after women he has killed and brings back their flayed skin as a gruesome trophy. Despite this brutality, Ramsay is not unintelligent; he is a cunning and capable manipulator who is good at thinking on his feet and being charming when he needs to be, a brutal form of a tactician. He is nonetheless described by his father as at times rash and foolish, whose 'amusements' would make him a poor ruler in the North. Ramsay is a capable fighter but was never properly trained and thus uses a wild and aggressive fighting style, wielding his sword 'as if it were a butcher's cleaver'. == Storylines == ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== While his father is at war in ''A Clash of Kings'', Ramsay is named castellan of the Dreadfort. After Lord Hornwood and his heir are killed fighting for Robb Stark, Ramsay forcibly marries Lady Hornwood to claim her lands, before starving her to death. He escapes justice by switching places with his servant Reek, who is killed instead; Rodrik Cassel brings Ramsay, in the guise of Reek, back to Winterfell, intending to have him testify to Ramsay's crimes before being executed. However, Theon Greyjoy and the Ironborn capture Winterfell and release Ramsay in exchange for a vow of service to Theon. When Theon's hostages escape, Ramsay murders two peasant boys and convinces Theon to present the corpses as those of Bran and Rickon Stark. As the Northerners move to take back Winterfell, Ramsay persuades Theon to let him ride to the Dreadfort to gather reinforcements. He returns with an army of Bolton soldiers and massacres the Northern relief force, but then proceeds to kill the Ironborn, burn Winterfell, and take Theon prisoner. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast for Crows'' ==== Prior to the Red Wedding, Roose Bolton presents Robb Stark with a piece of Theon's skin, revealing that Ramsay has been flaying him; though disgusted, Robb acquiesces to Theon's further captivity, as Theon's father Balon has recently died and Theon's absence presents a succession crisis for the Ironborn. Following Robb Stark's death, King Tommen Baratheon legitimizes Ramsay as a Bolton. The Lannisters pass off Jeyne Poole as Arya Stark and send her north to be betrothed to Ramsay, with only the Lannisters and Boltons aware she is not the real Arya Stark. ==== ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== In the dungeons of the Dreadfort, Ramsay has savagely tortured and mutilated Theon until he is so broken and in fear of Ramsay that he has adopted the identity of Reek. Ramsay coerces him to assist in lifting the Ironborn siege of Moat Cailin, subsequently reneging on his promise of safe passage to the Ironborn by having the garrison flayed. After Stannis Baratheon's capture of Deepwood Motte, Ramsay's wedding to "Arya" is moved from Barrowton to a rebuilt Winterfell. Following the wedding, Ramsay repeatedly abuses Jeyne. Shortly after the wedding, Jeyne and Theon escape with the help of Mance Rayder. Jon Snow later receives a letter from Ramsay claiming that he has captured Mance and killed Stannis Baratheon (who was besieging Winterfell), threatening to destroy the Night's Watch if Jon does not deliver Theon, Jeyne, and several other members of Stannis' court to Ramsay as captives. It is not revealed how much of the letter is true or if Ramsay was its actual author, but the contents are enough to enrage Jon enough to decide to seek out and kill Ramsay instead, though he is stabbed by his own men before he can leave Castle Black. ==== ''The Winds of Winter'' ==== In a released sample chapter, Stannis is revealed to be alive and preparing for battle against Roose and Ramsay, contradicting Ramsay's letter. Theon, who is now Stannis' prisoner, warns Stannis not to underestimate Ramsay or even call him "Ramsay Snow", but Stannis, who does not fear Ramsay, brushes Theon's warnings aside. ==== Family tree of House Bolton ==== ;Notes == TV adaptation == Iwan Rheon played the role of Ramsay Bolton in the television series. Ramsay Bolton was played by Welsh actor Iwan Rheon in the HBO television adaption of the series of books, who received critical acclaim for his performance. Rheon had previously auditioned for the role of Jon Snow, which he lost to Kit Harington. Ramsay is first mentioned in the show's second season and first appears onscreen in the third, though Rheon is credited as "Boy" until his true identity is revealed in the third-season finale "Mhysa". The circumstances of Ramsay's conception and acknowledgement do not change in the show, although in the show Ramsay's childhood is never examined. His mother died when he was young, but she did raise him initially, just like in the books. When he is torturing Theon Greyjoy, Ramsay recounts “My mother taught me not to throw stones at cripples. But my father taught me to aim for their head!” He also recounts how At the age of eleven, he first encounters the Dreadfort kennelmaster's daughter, Myranda, and is drawn to her fearlessness, eventually taking her as his mistress. He tells her that he plans on wedding her but after his legitimization, he dismisses such promises. Ramsay's dog appears to be a Cane Corso. ====Season 2==== After Theon Greyjoy and his forces capture Winterfell, Roose Bolton offers to Robb Stark to have Ramsay and the men left at the Dreadfort lift the occupation. Robb agrees, with orders to spare the Ironborn if they surrender, but to bring Theon to Robb alive. The Ironborn subdue Theon and present him to Ramsay, who takes Theon prisoner, but Ramsay then proceeds to sack Winterfell and flay the Ironborn garrison for his own amusement. ====Season 3==== Ramsay sends word to the Stark forces at Harrenhal claiming that the Ironborn sacked Winterfell and fled before the Bolton forces arrived. In the Dreadfort dungeons, Ramsay's men gruesomly torture Theon while Ramsay watches on in the guise of a cleaning boy. Claiming to be a servant of Theon's sister Yara, he sets Theon free before sending his men after Theon, only to follow and kill them when they recapture Theon. Theon confesses that during his conquest of Winterfell he used two farmer's boys to fake the murders of Bran and Rickon Stark, as Ramsay pretends to lead Theon to Deepwood Motte, the castle Yara holds. In reality, Ramsay leads Theon in a circle back to the dungeon and reimprisons him, tormenting Theon with the revelation that he was the architect of his suffering all along. After severing Theon's pinky, he has Myranda and another servant seduce him; however, this is only intended to taunt Theon before Ramsay severs his genitals. He sends Theon's penis to his father Balon, threatening to further mutilate him and to flay the other Ironborn invaders unless they flee the North; Balon refuses, as he now has no use for Theon. Theon begs Ramsay to kill him, but Ramsay states that Theon is more useful alive. Noting Theon's stench, he dubs him "Reek" and beats him until he responds to his new name. ====Season 4==== When Roose Bolton returns to the Dreadfort, he reprimands Ramsay for having overstepped his boundaries as castellan by mutilating a valuable hostage and sending terms of surrender to the Greyjoys. Infuriated, Ramsay demonstrates his brainwashing of Reek by having him reveal that Bran and Rickon Stark are still alive, and having Reek shave him without harming him, even after revealing Roose's murder of Robb Stark. Impressed, Roose orders Ramsay and Reek to lift the Ironborn occupation of Moat Cailin. Yara and her men infiltrate the Dreadfort and try to rescue Theon, but he refuses to go with her, fearing another of Ramsay's tricks, and Ramsay chases the Greyjoy soldiers away with his hounds. Pleased with Reek's loyalty, Ramsay has him pose as Theon to convince the Ironborn holding Moat Cailin to surrender, with promise of safe passage, though Ramsay reneges on his word and flays the entire garrison. As reward for his success, Ramsay is legitimised as a Bolton. He then accompanies the rest of House Bolton in moving to Winterfell. ====Season 5==== Ramsay draws the ire of Roose after flaying the family of a Northern lord who refuses to pledge fealty. In order to placate the other Northern houses and to solidify the Boltons' hold on the North, Ramsay is betrothed to Sansa Stark, publicly believed to be the last living Stark. Though he initially feigns kindness to Sansa, after Myranda shows her Reek in the kennels, Ramsay uses Sansa's contempt for Reek as psychological torment, by having him apologise for "killing" Bran and Rickon, having him give Sansa away at the wedding, and ultimately forcing Reek to watch as he rapes Sansa on their wedding night. When Sansa begs Reek to signal for help, Reek instead warns Ramsay, who flays a maid who had tried to help Sansa. With Stannis Baratheon's forces camped and ready to march on Winterfell, Ramsay persuades Roose to let him and twenty men infiltrate his camp and destroy his supplies. The plan succeeds, ultimately causing most of Stannis' army to desert him. The remnants of the Baratheon army march on Winterfell, but the Bolton cavalry, led by Ramsay, defeat them with ease. In the chaos of the battle, Theon kills Myranda and flees with Sansa. ====Season 6==== After mourning Myranda, Ramsay is warned by Roose that he faces being disinherited if Sansa is not recovered and Roose's unborn child is a son. Ramsay sends his best hunters after Sansa and Theon, though they are all killed by Brienne of Tarth. After Roose's wife Walda gives birth to a boy, Ramsay promptly murders his father and has his hounds maul Walda and his newborn half-brother to death, securing his position as Lord Bolton and the official ruler of Winterfell. Ramsay is approached by Smalljon Umber, who asks for his help in defending the North against the wildlings Jon Snow has offered refuge to at the Wall. To secure their alliance, Smalljon presents Ramsay with Osha and Rickon Stark, who were previously under the protection of Smalljon's now-deceased father, the Greatjon. Ramsay kills Osha when she tries to assassinate him, and throws Rickon in Winterfell's dungeons. He then sends a letter to Jon Snow at Castle Black, threatening to exterminate the wildlings and have Rickon and Jon killed if Sansa is not returned to him. Jon Snow responds by leading an army of Wildlings and assorted Stark loyalists on a march towards Winterfell. As the Stark and Bolton armies prepare for battle, Jon and Ramsay parley, during which Jon offers to settle their differences with one-on-one combat and Ramsay offers Jon surrender terms, but both refuse. On the day of the battle, Ramsay releases Rickon and tells him to run to his half-brother before killing him with an arrow. With Jon having charged out in a futile attempt to save Rickon, his forces follow behind and are drawn out of their position. The Bolton phalanx quickly surrounds the Starks, but the Knights of the Vale arrive and overwhelm the Boltons. Ramsay flees to Winterfell, and kills the giant Wun Wun when he breaches Winterfell's gate. With his men slain, Ramsay finally accepts Jon's offer of one-on-one combat, but is quickly overpowered by Jon, who brutally beats him and orders him locked in the kennels as a prisoner. That night, Ramsay is visited by Sansa, who watches as his hungry hounds eat Ramsay alive. Ramsay's death marks the end of House Bolton and its rule in the North. ===Recognition and awards=== Year Award Category Result 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2015 IGN Awards Best TV Villain IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Villain 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series == References == * 50px Content in this article was copied from Ramsay Snow at A Wiki of Ice and Fire, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.

'''Brienne of Tarth''' is a fictional character in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. She is a prominent point of view character in the novels. Brienne is introduced in the second novel of the series, 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', as a warrior fighting for the honor of serving in the Kingsguard of Renly Baratheon. She later swears her loyalty to Catelyn Stark and vows to return the captive Jaime Lannister to King's Landing in exchange for Sansa and Arya Stark, whom Catelyn believes are being held by the Lannisters. She additionally appears in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Because she is a woman, Brienne is barred from serving as a knight, even though she is one of the most honorable and skilled warriors in all of Westeros. Her personal struggle towards honor, justice, and recognition has received significant critical attention, as has her complex relationship with Jaime, and she is one of the most popular characters in both the novels and television show. In the television series, Brienne is portrayed by English actress Gwendoline Christie and is introduced in Season 2. After appearing as a recurring cast member for two seasons, Christie was promoted to the main cast from Season four onwards. Christie has received significant critical praise for her portrayal. For her performance in the Season 3, she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television and for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, alongside the rest of the cast, for the third and fourth seasons. In 2019, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in the series's final season. ==Character== ===Background=== Brienne is the daughter and only surviving child of Lord Selwyn Tarth, Lord of Evenfall Hall on the island of Tarth. House Tarth is a bannerman to House Baratheon, the lord paramount of the Stormlands. Brienne's mother died when she was a child, and she had a single older brother, Galladon, who drowned when she was 8, and two younger sisters, both of whom died in infancy. Brienne as a child was under the tutelage of Septa Roelle, who found fault in everything about Brienne and destroyed her self-esteem. She told Brienne that although a man would marry her, as she is heir to her father's land, he could never desire her. Brienne's father tried to find her a suitor to wed. This proved to be difficult, however, due to both Brienne's resistance and her ungainly appearance. Nonetheless, three successive but ultimately unsuccessful betrothals were attempted. The first was when she was 7 and her fiance was 10, but he died of an illness. Next, a betrothal was brokered by the lord of the land-poor house Connington, to his young newly knighted heir Ronnet, but young Ser Ronnet broke the betrothal the first time he met Brienne. Brienne's father's last attempt was to betroth her at 16 to Ser Humfrey Wagstaff, a middle aged friend of his, who was castellan of another house. Humfrey informed Brienne that she was expected to give up her training and become more feminine after their wedding. Brienne rejoined that she would acquiesce, but only if Wagstaff could beat her in combat. Their fight resulted in three broken bones and a broken betrothal. Brienne had begged Tarth's master-at-arms Ser Goodwin to teach her skill at arms. As her skills grew, so did her confidence. He made her get over her inability to inflict pain by slaughtering pigs. At one point in her history, Brienne met Renly Baratheon when he visited her island on a coming of age tour. He treated Brienne with courtesy and respect, and danced with her; as a result, she fell in unrequited love with him. When the War of Five Kings begins, with Stannis and Renly Baratheon both claiming the crown, Tarth remains neutral, but Brienne gets her father's permission to go independently and declare for Renly. ===Appearance=== Brienne is described as unfeminine in appearance, and is considered unattractive. She is very tall, muscular, flat-chested, and ungainly, with straw-colored hair and broad, coarse features that are covered in freckles. Her teeth are prominent and crooked, her mouth is wide, her lips are swollen, and her nose has been broken more than once. However, her large blue eyes are described as beautiful. ===Personality and development=== ====In the books==== In the novel ''A Feast for Crows'', Brienne describes herself as "the only child the gods let my father keep. The freakish one, one not fit to be son or daughter." In "Beyond The Wall", a collection of essays, Caroline Spector describes Brienne as a "study in heartbreaking contradictions. She embraces the romantic ideals of her culture, both emotionally and through her actions, but is continually betrayed by the real world simply because she cannot turn herself into the woman the Westerosi legends tell her she should be." ====In the TV adaptation==== Charlie Harwood of HBOwatch describes Brienne as "loyal, stubborn, headstrong, and judgmental. Despite the repeated insults from knights, who mockingly call her "Brienne the Beauty", she holds a simple idea of knighthood, believing that knights should be chivalrous and always honor their vows." In an interview for ''SFX'' magazine, Gwendoline Christie described Brienne as an outsider who has had to develop "outer strength that often matches or supersedes that of any man in order to be treated with equality. She doesn't want to get married...yet she's internally romantic...she has an overriding sense of honour and what is right, and that's what makes her such a brilliant character to play: that her outer is so stable and masculine, but inside she's so fragile." ==Storylines== ===In the books=== ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Brienne joins Renly Baratheon's army when he marches on King's Landing. She wins the Melee at Bitterbridge, held by Renly, and is permitted to join Renly's Rainbow Guard as her prize. When it becomes apparent that Renly will be forced to battle his brother Stannis, Brienne is assigned as his standard bearer. However, before the battle, in which Renly intends his brother's death, Renly is assassinated by a shadow. Brienne is accused of the murder before Catelyn Stark is able to convince those present of her innocence, and Brienne accompanies Catelyn back to Riverrun. Although Brienne wishes to have revenge on Stannis for Renly's death, Catelyn persuades Brienne to serve her instead. Catelyn later goes to visit the captive Jaime Lannister in the dungeons; when Jaime begins to mock Catelyn's husband Ned's infidelity, Catelyn calls for Brienne's sword. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Catelyn has Jaime sent to King's Landing to exchange him for her captive daughters Sansa and Arya, escorted by Brienne and Jaime's cousin Ser Cleos Frey. They are attacked by outlaws who kill Cleos, and Jaime tries to escape in the commotion. Brienne restrains Jaime, but they are captured by the mercenary company the Brave Companions, allied to House Bolton. When their leader, Vargo Hoat, cuts off Jaime's hand, Brienne convinces Jaime to live to have revenge on Hoat. In return, Jaime stops the Brave Companions from raping Brienne. The two prisoners are taken to Harrenhal, where Jaime reveals that he killed the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen to stop him from burning King's Landing. Roose Bolton allows Jaime to return to King's Landing but allows Hoat to keep Brienne as his prize. Hoat attempts to rape Brienne, but she bites off his ear, and Hoat throws her into a bear pit before Jaime returns to have her released. Brienne and Jaime arrive in King's Landing to find that King Joffrey Baratheon has been poisoned, Catelyn Stark has been murdered by the Freys, and both Arya and Sansa have fled the city. Renly's lover Ser Loras Tyrell accuses Brienne of Renly's murder, and Jaime has Brienne imprisoned for her own safety. Jaime allows Loras to speak to Brienne, and she convinces him of her innocence. Jaime releases Brienne and gives her a sword forged from Ned Stark's Valyrian steel sword "Ice"; Jaime asks her to name the sword "Oathkeeper". Jaime asks Brienne to find Sansa and fulfill her oath to Catelyn. ====''A Feast for Crows''==== At Duskendale, Brienne encounters Tyrion Lannister's squire Podrick Payne and allows him to join her. During her journey through the Riverlands she finds Ser Hyle Hunt, whom she knew from Renly's camp, and hires Nimble Dick Crabb as a guide (he is killed when Brienne encounters some of the Brave Companions). Brienne eventually arrives at the inn at the crossroads, where she meets Arya's former traveling companion Gendry, now helping shelter a group of orphans. The inn is attacked by another group of Brave Companions, and Brienne is forced to intervene to protect the children. She is grievously wounded by the outlaw Biter before the Brotherhood Without Banners arrives to kill the Companions. The Brotherhood takes Brienne, Podrick, and Ser Hyle Hunt (who had been following them) captive and presents them to their leader Lady Stoneheart, whom Brienne is horrified to realise is a reanimated Catelyn Stark. Stoneheart accuses Brienne of serving the Lannisters, and forces her to choose between killing Jaime or being hanged. When Brienne refuses to choose, Stoneheart orders her and her group hanged. Seeing Podrick dying, Brienne agrees to kill Jaime in order to spare their lives. ====''A Dance with Dragons''==== Brienne confronts Jaime at the Lannister camp at Pennytree, and entreats him to come with her and save Sansa from whom she thinks is Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. ===In the show=== Gwendoline Christie plays the role of Brienne of Tarth in the television series ====Season 2==== Brienne is first introduced when she defeats Ser Loras Tyrell to win the sword tournament held by Renly Baratheon, who has declared himself King, and is rewarded with a place in his kingsguard. Catelyn Stark arrives at Renly's camp soon afterward, and successfully negotiates an alliance between Robb Stark and Renly, but Renly is promptly killed by a shadow demon with the face of Renly's brother and rival Stannis, who has discovered he is the rightful heir to House Baratheon, but whom Renly intended to kill the next day. Brienne kills two of Renly's kingsguard in self-defense, when they attack her thinking she murdered Renly, and Catelyn counsels her to flee with her back to Robb's camp in the Westerlands. Brienne swears allegiance to Catelyn. At Robb's camp, Catelyn releases the captive Ser Jaime Lannister and tasks Brienne with taking him to King's Landing, forcing Jaime to vow to return Sansa and Arya Stark to Catelyn in exchange. ====Season 3==== In the Riverlands, Brienne and Jaime are captured by a squad of Bolton's soldiers. Jaime dissuades the soldiers from raping Brienne by claiming that her father will reward them with sapphires for returning Brienne unharmed, but their leader Locke cuts off Jaime's sword hand when he tries to bargain to be untied. Brienne and Jaime are taken to Harrenhal, where Jaime reveals to Brienne that he killed the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen to stop him from burning King's Landing. Roose Bolton has Jaime released but keeps Brienne prisoner for abetting treason. Locke tries to ransom Brienne but is offended by what he perceives to be Selwyn Tarth's paltry ransom (compared to the sapphires Jaime had led him to expect) and instead throws Brienne into a pit with a bear and only a wooden sword with which to defend herself. When Jaime learns that Brienne has been left at Locke's mercy, he returns to Harrenhal, finds Brienne in trouble, and jumps in to save her by coming in between her and the bear. Jaime then forces Locke's men to pull up both Brienne and himself. They then complete their journey to King's Landing. ====Season 4==== Brienne cannot return Sansa to Catelyn Stark, as Catelyn has been murdered by the Freys, and Jaime argues that Sansa (now married to Tyrion) is safer staying in King's Landing. Brienne speaks with Margaery Tyrell and explains that she did not kill Renly, then attends King Joffrey Baratheon's wedding to Margaery Tyrell. At the wedding, Cersei confronts Brienne and implies that Brienne loves Jaime, and Brienne witnesses Joffrey's death by poisoning. After Tyrion is accused of the murder, his brother Jaime gives Brienne a Valyrian steel sword (which Brienne names "Oathkeeper") and a coat of armor in support of her mission to find Sansa and take her to safety. He also gives her Tyrion's former squire, Podrick Payne, whose life is in danger after he refuses to offer false testimony against Tyrion. On their way through the Riverlands, Briene and Podrick meet Arya Stark's former travelling companion Hot Pie; after learning from him that Arya is alive, they decide to travel to the Vale, as they suspect she is being sheltered by her aunt Lysa Arryn. There, Brienne encounters Arya and her escort, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. When Arya refuses to go with Brienne, Brienne and the Hound fight, culminating in Brienne's forcing him off a cliff and dealing him an apparently deadly wound, although Arya escapes in the confusion. ====Season 5==== After searching fruitlessly for Arya, the dispirited Brienne and Podrick spot Sansa Stark in a tavern in the company of Lord Petyr Baelish, and Brienne offers Sansa her services. Sansa refuses, and Brienne, realizing that she is in danger from Baelish, flees with his guards in pursuit, but undeterred, she follows Sansa to the ancestral Stark stronghold of Winterfell, where she has been wed to Roose's sadistic son Ramsay. Staying in the nearby town, Brienne manages to have a message smuggled into Winterfell instructing Sansa how to signal if she is in need of help. Although the woman who relays this message is tortured, she dies before revealing who sent it. Sansa eventually manages to escape the room where Ramsay has kept her captive, while the Boltons are preparing to battle Stannis' approaching forces. However, Brienne has left to find and kill Stannis (having sworn to avenge his brother Renly's death) before she can see Sansa's signal. Brienne finds Stannis gravely wounded in the aftermath of the battle and, after he confesses to his role in Renly's death, she executes him, telling him she is doing so in the name of the rightful king Renly. ====Season 6==== Brienne follows a group of Bolton soldiers sent to recapture Sansa, who had fled Winterfell along with Ramsay's slave Theon Greyjoy, and kills the soldiers before offering her services again to Sansa, who accepts. Brienne reveals to Sansa that Arya is still alive, although her whereabouts are unknown. Brienne, Podrick, and Sansa journey on to Castle Black (Theon having returned to the Iron Islands), where Sansa's half-brother Jon Snow, has just resigned as Lord Commander. At Castle Black she encounters Stannis' former advisors Davos Seaworth and Melisandre, and mockingly informs them that she killed Stannis and still blames them for their part in Renly's death. Also, a wilding, Tormund Giantsbane, takes a liking to Brienne, which she finds bothersome. Brienne escorts Sansa to meet with Littlefinger, who reveals that Sansa's great-uncle Brynden "Blackfish" Tully has captured House Tully's home Riverrun from the Freys. When Jon and Sansa leave Castle Black to gather men to overthrow Ramsay Bolton, Sansa sends Brienne to Riverrun to seek the Blackfish's support. Brienne claims Davos can't be trusted due to his former support for Stannis and then abandoning him, even though Davos only left on Stannis' orders. Brienne arrives at Riverrun to find it besieged by the Frey and Lannister armies, led by Jaime. Jaime permits Brienne to enter Riverrun to talk to the Blackfish, who is sympathetic to Sansa's cause but refuses to abandon his home. Soon afterward, the Blackfish's nephew Lord Edmure Tully is coerced into ordering the Tully troops to stand down. As the Lannisters begin pouring into the castle, the Blackfish helps Brienne and Podrick escape. Jaime sees them sailing away, and he and Brienne exchange a mournful farewell. ====Season 7==== Despite Brienne's failure to secure House Tully's support, the Stark loyalists are successful in ousting House Bolton, albeit only with the intervention of the Knights of the Vale and Littlefinger. Bran and Arya Stark, having heard of the Starks' victory, return to Winterfell. Arya spars with Brienne and takes Brienne aback when she is able to fight Brienne to a draw. Sansa receives a letter inviting her to King's Landing, where Jon intends to present evidence of the White Walkers to Queen Cersei. Refusing to return to King's Landing, Sansa sends Brienne as her representative, despite Brienne's reluctance to leave Sansa unprotected from Littlefinger. In King's Landing she is reunited with the Hound, who survived his injuries, and tells him Arya is safe. When Cersei refuses to aid in fighting the dead, she entreats Jaime to change her mind. ====Season 8==== Brienne returns to Winterfell after the parley with the Lannisters, and is present to greet Jon and Daenerys Targaryen as they arrive with Daenerys' forces. Jaime arrives at Winterfell soon after, revealing that Cersei has no intention of sending her forces to Winterfell. Daenerys, the daughter of the Mad King, wishes to execute Jaime, but Brienne vouches for him and Sansa overrules Daenerys. Jaime tells Brienne that he has come to fight under her command, and knights her with Podrick, Tormund, Davos, and Tyrion bearing witness. With this, she becomes the first woman in Westeros history to be knighted. Brienne commands the forces of the Vale during the battle against the dead with Jaime and Podrick by her side, and survives the battle. After the battle, Jaime and Brienne become lovers. However, Jaime leaves Winterfell after learning of Cersei's forces attack on Daenerys' fleet, leaving Brienne distraught. Jaime is ultimately killed during Daenerys' destruction of the Red Keep. When Jon kills Daenerys, Brienne travels to King's Landing with the Starks to determine the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Bran Stark is chosen as king, and Brienne is named commander of his Kingsguard, with Podrick also serving after being knighted. Brienne completes Jaime's entry in the White Book, commemorating the Kingsguard. ==Reception== Functional weapons and armor, like Brienne of Tarth's (left), were manufactured for the series. ===''A Song of Ice and Fire''=== Brienne has proved to be a popular character with fans of the ''Ice and Fire'' series. Her popularity has led to merchandising, and HBO has released a T-shirt with Brienne's house sigil on it. Brent Hartinger writes in his essay, "A Different Kind of Other: The Role of Freaks and Outcasts in A Song of Ice and Fire", that Brienne is a disappointment, even a freak, to her family and culture. He believes her character is a well-written departure from fantasy novels where the main characters are commonly "the slender, the heterosexual, the average-heighted, the conventionally abled and traditionally gendered." Writing for witandfancy.com, Samantha Mann describes Brienne as an "awesome" character who "sticks to her belief that a knight is an honorable person who always keeps their oaths," even in a story where "good people do bad things (and vice versa)." Arthur McCulloch, writing for chamberfour.com, states that "Brienne, who while unique as a character, is never really developed. Brienne's issues and struggles remain constant. The reader merely follows her on her quest, which is an unsatisfying one at best." ===Feminist critique=== In her essay "Power and Feminism in Westeros," Caroline Spector describes Brienne as a woman who does not conform and who defies cultural expectations. Her character highlights the perception of women in Westeros in that her fellow warriors assume that her sexuality is "something to be coerced or taken, not something over which she has control... So, too, the consistent rejection Brienne endures for failing to offer the men around her a pleasing countenance." Spector also observes Brienne as a woman who has "taken for herself most of the attributes of male power," and thus provides a "stark lesson how women who dare to take male power for their own are judged and treated not only in Westeros but in all conventionally patriarchal societies." ===Recognition and awards=== Year Award Category Result 2014 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress on Television Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2015 Empire Award Empire Hero Award (Ensemble) 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ==References==

'''Hodor''' is a fictional character, born '''Walder''' in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and '''Wylis''' in its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Hodor is a simple-minded servant for House Stark, the ruling house in Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Hodor was not included in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) but returned in the next novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Hodor is portrayed by Northern Irish actor Kristian Nairn in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == ===Novels=== Hodor is a simple-minded stable-boy at Winterfell. He is popularly known as Hodor because that is the only word he is capable of saying. His height is described as over seven feet tall, and it is hinted that he may have giant ancestry. He has a friendly, childlike disposition and possesses great strength, although he is reluctant to use it against others. After Bran Stark is crippled in ''A Game of Thrones'', Hodor is employed to carry him in a sling on his back. Old Nan (Hodor's great-grandmother) reveals to Bran that Hodor's real name is Walder. When Winterfell is destroyed, Hodor escapes to the north with Bran, Jojen, Meera, Rickon, and Osha. ===Television=== Hodor is portrayed by Kristian Nairn in the television adaptation; it was his first acting role. Hodor is a huge, physically strong and intellectually disabled stablehand at Winterfell who can only say the word "Hodor". Nairn developed 70 ways of saying the word, also using body language to distinguish them. ===Season 2=== Hodor hides in the crypts with Osha, Bran, and Rickon, who all fake their escape out of the castle. They eventually leave the crypts only to find the castle destroyed. After speaking to the dying Maester Luwin, the group decides they must go to the Wall. ===Season 3=== Bran decides to go beyond the Wall to find the Three-eyed-raven, and Hodor, Meera, and Jojen Reed help him after Rickon and Osha depart. ===Season 4=== Bran, Hodor, Meera, and Jojen stumble across Craster's Keep, where they are captured by the Night's Watch mutineers led by Karl. Hodor is chained to a post and is abused by some mutineers, who poke him with spears and eventually stab him in the leg to stop him from intervening on Bran's behalf. Hodor is later chained in a hut with the other prisoners, and when Bran is abducted by Locke, Bran skinchanges into (possesses) Hodor and uses him to kill Locke by snapping his neck. Hodor frees the others, and they escape and eventually reach the three-eyed raven in his cave. ===Season 6=== Bran learns through visions of the past that, as a boy, Hodor was named Wylis and possessed normal abilities of speech. When the cave is overrun by White Walkers and wights while Bran is viewing the past, Bran wargs into Hodor to induce him to carry Bran to safety. Once they exit through a passageway, Meera orders Hodor to "hold the door" against the wights; in the past, before Bran was born, Wyllis is shown to have collapsed and repeated this phrase until it slurred into "Hodor." In the present, Hodor holds the door until he is killed as the wights eventually tear through the door, but he buys sufficient time for Meera to escape with Bran. ==Legacy== Hodor rarely ever says any word other than "Hodor". However, according to Kristian Nairn's interview with ''Vulture'', he has developed 70 ways to say it. ==References==

'''Khal Drogo''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and in the first two seasons of its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Drogo is a ''khal'', a leader of the Dothraki, a tribe of warriors who roam the continent of Essos. He is regarded to be the strongest and most feared of all of the ''khals''. Daenerys Targaryen is sold into marriage to him by her older brother Viserys in order to secure an alliance with the ''khal''. Her ensuing relationship with him, and her introduction to the brutal world of the Dothraki, prove to be fundamental to her growth as both a ruler and a conqueror. Drogo is portrayed by Jason Momoa in the HBO television adaptation. ==Overview== Drogo is a powerful ''khal'', or warlord, of the Dothraki people, a tribal nation of horse riders in the steppes beyond the Free Cities. He is an accomplished warrior and has never been defeated in battle. Drogo is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of his wife Daenerys Targaryen. ==Storylines== ===A Game of Thrones=== In ''A Game of Thrones'', Viserys Targaryen and Illyrio Mopatis marry Daenerys Targaryen to ''Khal'' Drogo to get his support and warriors for the invasion of Westeros. He proves a kind, sensitive, and loving husband. After there is a failed attempt on Daenerys's life, he vows to invade Westeros, but is wounded in a subsequent battle. He begins developing a severe case of sepsis. Daenerys unwittingly sacrifices their unborn son to save him with blood magic. While this saves his life, he is left in a catatonic state. Daenerys smothers him with a pillow. At his funeral pyre, she walks with her dragon eggs into the flames and emerges unscathed with three baby dragons. He is the namesake of her favorite dragon, Drogon. ''Khal'' Drogo is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Daenerys Targaryen. ==Television adaptation== Jason Momoa plays the role of Drogo in the television series. Khal Drogo is played by Jason Momoa in the television adaptation of the series of books. At his audition for the part of Drogo he performed the ''Ka Mate'' haka. Momoa related his experience in reading for the role: When I read that ''Khal'' Drogo role, I was blown away. I couldn't believe it was happening, I had to have that role. I was like, "Nobody is going to take that role from me." ... People say it's easy to play the role—"You're just sitting there!" But it's extremely hard to be extremely intimidating, and say everything but not say anything. Momoa contributed his own ideas to his portrayal. For example, in one scene, Drogo cements his position as the lead ''khal'' by ripping out the tongue of a dissenter, Mago. The scene was not in the script, but was suggested by Momoa after he made the observation that Drogo, who is said to be a great warrior, had never been shown demonstrating his prowess as a warrior onscreen. Remarking on the character's early exit: I was reading it and I was like: "Holy shit! Fuck, I'm dead!" ... It's amazing what George R. R. Martin sets up. Here's your lead characters, you're supposed to think about them one way, and you hate them, then you love them, and then they're killed and it's a whirlwind of emotion. All the little kids and even the smallest of characters just grow and grow and grow. He built a beautiful world. I'm bummed I'm not going back. To play ''Khal'' Drogo was phenomenal and I wished there was more stuff he could have done, I'm going to miss that character. ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== Khal Drogo is a warlord of the Dothraki people. He is to marry Daenerys Targaryen, as arranged by her brother Viserys. He is undefeated in battle. Viserys Targaryen conspired with Magister Illyrio to marry Daenerys to Drogo in order to get his support in an invasion of Westeros. Though Daenerys was initially unhappy with the arrangement, Drogo proves to be a sensitive husband and lover despite his fearsome behavior with his men. After a failed poisoning attempt on a pregnant Daenerys' life, he promises to invade Westeros to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms as a gift to his unborn son, but is wounded by one of his men, Mago, before he could begin the invasion. The wound festers, owing to ‘treatment’ from a resentful witch enlisted as healer by Daenerys, and Drogo becomes so sick that he is unable to ride his horse, a sign of weakness to the Dothraki. Most of his khalasar abandons him, but Daenerys unknowingly sacrifices their unborn child for a spell to revive him. The spell works, but leaves him in a catatonic state. Daenerys smothers him out of pity, and the flames of his funeral pyre ultimately hatch her dragon eggs. ====Season 2==== As Daenerys walks through a stronghold in Qarth, she is struck with visions of places such as a ruined and snowbound Red Keep, and the Haunted Forest. She encounters her deceased husband, Khal Drogo, and their stillborn son Rhaego, both apparently alive and well. Although unsure whether she is dreaming, Daenerys leaves when she hears her dragons. ===Reception=== Momoa received positive reviews for his portrayal of the character. ==References==

''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. The novels were later on adapted to the hit HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' in 2011. ==Video games== , seven video games based on the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels and ''Game of Thrones'' series have been released, with two more forthcoming. A sequel to a previously released game has been canceled. The following table showcases the correspondent title, release date, publisher, developer and the platforms on which each game was released along with any other relevant information. +Key Blank cell indicates title was not released on any platform(s) by the specified manufacturers Cell with games console(s) indicates title was released on platform(s) by the specified manufacturers + List of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' video games Title Release details Platform(s) Microsoft Sony Other '' Blood of Dragons'' * Released: 2007 * Publishers: Westeros.org * Developer: Westeros.org Browser ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' * Released: 2011 * Publisher: Focus Home Interactive * Developer: Cyanide Windows ''Game of Thrones'' * Released: 2012 * Publishers: Atlus, Focus Home Interactive * Developer: Cyanide Xbox 360 Windows PS3 ''Game of Thrones Ascent'' * Released: 2013-2019 * Publishers: Disruptor Beam * Developer: Disruptor Beam Facebook Platform iOS Android ''Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series'' * Released: 2014–2015 * Publishers: Telltale Games * Developer: Telltale Games Xbox 360 Xbox One Windows PS3 PS4 iOS Android macOS ''Game of Thrones: Conquest'' * Released: October 19, 2017 * Publishers: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment * Developer: Turbine iOS Android ''Reigns: Game of Thrones' * Released: October 18, 2018 * Publishers: Nerial * Developer: Devolver Digital Microsoft Windows AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSNintendo Switch ''Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming'' * Released: March 26, 2019 * Publishers: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment * Developer: Yoozoo Games Browser ''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms'' * Released: TBA * Publishers: Bigpoint, Artplant * Developer: Bigpoint Browser ''Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall'' * Released: September 23, 2019 * Publishers: Behaviour Interactive * Developer: GAEA Mobile iOS Android ''Game of Thrones: Season Two'' * Released: Canceled * Publishers: Telltale Games * Developer: Telltale Games Xbox 360 Xbox One Windows PS3 PS4 iOS Android macOS ==See also== * List of video game franchises ==References==

"'''''Game of Thrones'' Theme'''", also referred to as "'''''Game of Thrones'' Main Title Theme'''", is the theme music of HBO's award-winning fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and plays during the title sequence. It was composed by Ramin Djawadi in 2011, after series creator David Benioff and D. B. Weiss approached him requesting a theme. Asked to avoid flutes and violins, which the producers felt were overused in fantasy themes, Djawadi used the cello as the lead instrument. The piece begins in a minor key, then switches between corresponding major and minor keys repeatedly. Djawadi was shown a preliminary rendering of the title sequence before composing this music to accompany it. Several artists have covered or parodied the music, sometimes adding lyrics to the originally instrumental work. ==Composition== Ramin Djawadi is the composer of the ''Game of Thrones'' score. Ramin Djawadi began composing the music for the show after he had watched the first two episodes of the series that the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss sent him, and discussed the concepts of the show with them. According to Djawadi, the show creators wanted the main title theme to be about a journey as there are many locations and characters in the show and the narrative involves much traveling. After Djawadi was shown a preliminary animated ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence that the visual effect artists were still working on, he was inspired to write the piece. He said that he started humming what would become the theme tune in the car after seeing the visuals for the title sequence, and conceived of the idea for the theme on the drive back to his studio. The finished theme music was presented to the producer three days later. Djawadi said he intended to capture the overall impression of the show with the theme tune. Cello is featured strongly as Benioff and Weiss wanted to avoid the flutes or solo vocals found in many other productions in the fantasy genre so as to give the show a distinctive sound, and Djawadi chose cello as the main instrument for the music as he thought it has a "darker sound" that suited the show. Djawadi started with a riff and he built the title theme around the riff. The tune begins with the riff played on strings in a minor key, then changed to a major key after 2 bars, and back to minor again. Djawadi said that he wanted to reflect the "backstabbing and conspiracy" and the unpredictability of the show: "... I thought it would be cool to kinda do the same play with the music. So even though the majority of the piece is in minor, there's that little hint of major in there where it kinda switches and then it changes back again." The main melody is then introduced with the cello, joined later by a solo violin that may suggest an interplay between different characters. The melody is then repeated with the entire orchestra. The next section introduces a change in melody, described by Djawadi as giving "a sense of adventure", and continues with a repeat that involves a choir of twenty female voices - recorded in Prague, like the instrumental parts. The title theme ends with a combination of dulcimer and kantele, producing a "shimmery quality" in its sound that Djawadi thought would give a sense of mystery and anticipation for the episode. The title music is reprised as a global theme in the soundtracks for the series. It may be played occasionally on its own in fragments, sometimes as part of the theme of individual characters or in combination with other pieces of music, and may also be played in large section during particularly important scenes. ==Chart positions== ===Weekly charts=== Chart (2014) Peakposition Belgium (Ultratop Back Catalogue Singles Wallonia) 22 Chart (2015) Peakposition French Singles Sales Chart (Pure Charts) 131 Chart (2019) Peakposition French Singles Sales Chart (Pure Charts) 65 French Downloads (SNEP) 65 ==Cover versions and parodies== The main theme of ''Game of Thrones'' has inspired many tributes and cover versions, including a rendition by the electropop band Chvrches. Lyrics were added for the first time in 2014, when "Weird Al" Yankovic performed a parody version during the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. In March 2015, FORTE added lyrics based on High Valyrian text for an operatic performance and music video. Some of the cover and parody versions mentioned by news media include: * an electric and acoustic cello version by Grammy nominated cellist Tina Guo *a violin version by Jason Yang, * a metal version by Roger Lima, * an electric harp duet version by the "Harp Twins", Camille and Kennerly Kitt, * a bleeping "8-bit" remix in the style of early video game music, * a rendition in the noise of floppy disk drives, * a violin and voice duet by Lindsey Stirling and Peter Hollens, * a cello version by ''Break of Reality'', * a cello version by 2Cellos * a violin version by Ben Shapiro * a ska interpretation by Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra, * a chamber music version by Aston, * a Ragtime Piano Rendition by Jonny May, * a choral parody used in two episodes of ''South Park'', with lyrics solely about "wieners", * an elaborate parody of the opening at the beginning of a 2012 episode of ''The Simpsons'', "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart", *a vocal version performed by French musician and singer Luc Arbogast. The song peaked at number 125 on French Singles Sales Chart in 2014 and stayed one week there. * a parody performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic at the 2014 Emmy awards, * an orchestra version performed at Illich Steel and Iron Works by Mariupol orchestra "Renaissance", * a remix by Armin van Buuren, KSHMR and The Golden Army. * a bluegrass cover version performed by the Tennessee-based band Flat Lonesome for SirusXM radio station. * In 2017, Canadian band Barenaked Ladies opened and closed their end-of-show popular music medley/parody with the Game of Thrones Theme with lead singer Ed Robertson adding the lyrics "''Horses - tits and horses'' repeated ''and some dong!''", poking fun at the content of the series. * In 2019, American band Our Last Night covered the song with a post-hardcore theme. ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * David Benioff – liner notes * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==See also== * ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence * Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References== ==External links== *

'''''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Second Edition''''' (or '''''AGoT''''', for short) is a Living Card Game (LCG) produced by Fantasy Flight Games. It is based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of novels written by George R. R. Martin. The second edition of this LCG, it is not backwards compatible with the first edition that preceded it. In the game, players assume the leadership of one of the great houses of Westeros vying for control of King's Landing and the Iron Throne. To accomplish this, players launch military attacks against their opponents, undermine their opponents’ plans with intrigues of their own, and make power plays to win the support of the realm. ==Sets and expansions== + '''A Game of Thrones LCG Core Set and Deluxe Expansions''' Set Release Date Note A Game of Thrones : Second Edition (Core Set) October 2015 Wolves of the North April 2016 Lions of Casterly Rock November 2016 Watchers on the Wall April 2017 House of Thorns October 2017 Sands of Dorne March 2018 Kings of the Isles December 2018 Fury of the Storm May 2019 + '''A Game of Thrones LCG chapter packs''' Cycle Chapter Pack Release Date Notes Westeros Cycle Taking the Black December 2015 Road to Winterfell January 2016 The King's Peace February 2016 No Middle Ground March 2016 Calm Over Westeros April 2016 True Steel May 2016 War of the Five Kings Cycle Across the Seven Kingdoms July 2016 Called to Arms August 2016 For Family Honor October 2016 There is My Claim November 2016 Ghosts of Harrenhal January 2017 Tyrion's Chain February 2017 Blood and Gold Cycle All Men are Fools March 2017 Guarding the Realm May 2017 The Fall of Astapor June 2017 The Red Wedding July 2017 Oberyn's Revenge August 2017 The Brotherhood Without Banners September 2017 Flight of Crows Cycle The Archmaester's Key November 2017 Journey to Oldtown December 2017 Kingsmoot January 2018 Favor of the Old Gods February 2018 The Faith Militant April 2018 Someone Always Tells May 2018 Dance of Shadows Cycle The Shadow City June 2018 The March on Winterfell July 2018 Streets of King's Landing August 2018 Music of Dragons September 2018 In Daznak's Pit October 2018 Daggers in the Dark November 2018 King's Landing Cycle At the Gates April 2019 City of Secrets June 2019 Pit of Snakes July 2019 ==External links== * A Game of Thrones: Second Edition - Official website

'''''After the Thrones''''' is an American live television aftershow that premiered on April 25, 2016, and ended on June 28, 2016. It was hosted by Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan who discussed episodes of the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones''. The talk show is executive produced by Bill Simmons and Eric Weinberger. Greenwald and Ryan previously hosted a podcast version of the show titled ''Watch the Thrones'' on Simmons' Grantland website. A similar talk show called ''Thronecast'' airs on British channel Sky Atlantic, which also discusses episodes of ''Game of Thrones''. The talk show was made available to HBO and HBO Now subscribers, and airs on the Monday following each episode of ''Game of Thrones''. After the show's cancellation, Greenwald and Ryan, along with Simmons, made a similar live stream video podcast for distribution on Twitter called ''Talk the Thrones''. Although it covers the same subject matter, it is a different production. ==Broadcast and format== The series features hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan from the upcoming sports and pop culture website, ''The Ringer'' created by Bill Simmons, discussing episodes of the HBO fantasy drama ''Game of Thrones''. Following the success of similar shows such as ''Talking Dead'', which serves as a network sanctioned discussion of the show, HBO decided to introduce its own version of the format in which the hosts provide a "lively, humorous and sophisticated look" at the previous night's episode. The show airs on the stand-alone streaming service HBO Now on the Monday following each episode of the show's sixth season, which itself airs on Sundays. Greenwald and Ryan previously hosted a similar version of the show for Simmons' now-defunct sports and pop culture website Grantland, titled "Watch the Thrones", in a podcast format. Previous "Watch the Thrones" guests Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion are also part of the show. The series began on Monday, April 25, 2016, on HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO On Demand and HBO. The stated purpose of the show is to "recap the latest episode, explaining the who, what, when and where, exploring the complicated politics and history of ''Thrones'', and offering absurd and not-so-absurd theories about future episodes." For the seventh season of ''Game of Thrones'', the after show changed its name to '''''Talk the Thrones''''' and moved from HBO to the social media site Twitter, where it will stream live every week after an episode airs. Simmons said that "We love Game of Thrones and we love the way Twitter is thinking about content right now, so we jumped at the chance to blow out our Thrones show into an interactive multimedia experience — something that reacts immediately to what just happened, almost like a postgame show in sports - Nobody is equipped to do that better than Twitter. It's the natural evolution of what we had already established with Chris, Andy, Mallory and Jason." ==Episodes== ===Season 1 (2016)=== These episodes discuss season six of ''Game of Thrones''. Starting from the first episode, "The Red Woman". ==See also== * List of ''Game of Thrones'' episodes ==References== ==External links== * * *

"'''Home'''" is the second episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 52nd overall. The episode was written by Dave Hill and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. The Wildlings arrive at Castle Black and force Alliser Thorne and his allies to surrender, allowing Melisandre to resurrect Jon Snow. Ramsay Bolton seizes Winterfell and the North for himself; Tyrion Lannister unchains the dragons being held in the catacombs of Meereen; Arya Stark proceeds to the next step in her training; and Bran Stark sees the past. "Home" received high praise from critics, citing the return of Jon Snow, the reintroduction of Bran Stark with the Three-eyed Raven, and the unexpected death of Roose Bolton, as high points in the episode. Filming of the episode's closing scene, the director took inspiration from ''The Anatomy Lesson''. In the United States, the episode premiere achieved a viewership of 7.29 million in its initial broadcast. The episode earned a nomination at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series. ==Plot== ===In the North=== Lord Harald Karstark arrives at Winterfell, bearing news of the death of the hunters sent after Sansa and Theon. Ramsay deduces that Sansa would have gone to Castle Black, where Jon, as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and her brother, would offer her and Theon his protection. Ramsay proposes that they storm the castle, but Roose warns Ramsay that these actions would turn the entire North against them and threatens him. Maester Wolkan enters and announces that Roose's wife Walda has given birth to a son, prompting Ramsay to kill Roose. He then lures Walda and his baby half-brother into the kennels, where he has them mauled to death by his hounds. Sansa, Theon, Brienne, and Podrick continue north. Sansa learns from Brienne that Arya is alive. Theon tells Sansa that he cannot accompany her to Castle Black, as he still fears retribution from Jon and does not deserve her or Jon's forgiveness. Confident that Brienne and Podrick can better protect Sansa, Theon states that he plans to return "home". ===In King's Landing=== The resurrected Ser Gregor Clegane patrols the streets killing people speaking ill of Cersei. Myrcella's body lies in state in the Great Sept of Baelor, Jaime is approached by the High Sparrow. Jaime threatens the High Sparrow over Cersei's treatment at their hands. The High Sparrow, undaunted, responds that the Faith Militant has the power to "overthrow an empire", which unnerves Jaime. Meanwhile, Cersei is forbidden to leave the Red Keep for Myrcella's funeral by Tommen in an effort to protect her from the Sparrows. Tommen later apologizes to her and asks her to teach him how to be strong so he can protect the people he loves. ===In Meereen=== Tyrion converses with Varys, Missandei, and Grey Worm, and learns that Astapor and Yunkai have been retaken by the Masters, leaving Meereen the only free city in Slaver's Bay. Knowing that they need the power of the dragons, Tyrion heads to the dungeons to free them. While wary at first, the dragons do not attack Tyrion and allow him to undo their shackles before retreating deeper into the dungeon. ===In Braavos=== Arya continues to train blind with The Waif, but still performs poorly in her duels. After one particular defeat, Arya is surprised when Jaqen H'ghar, whom she has not encountered for a while, appears and attempts to tempt her with food, bedding, and the return of her vision. Arya refuses all of Jaqen's offers, and Jaqen tells Arya to follow him, telling her she no longer needs to live as a beggar on the streets. ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran Stark continues his training with the Three-eyed Raven. He witnesses a vision of a young Eddard, Benjen, and Lyanna Stark training together in Winterfell, and also learns Hodor's real name, Wylis. However, the Three-eyed Raven pulls Bran out of the memory, warning him that he risks "drowning" in old memories. Outside the cave, Meera Reed stands watch aimlessly, though Leaf, the Child of the Forest assisting them, remarks that Bran will soon need Meera's help when he is able to better use his visions. ===On the Iron Islands=== Yara Greyjoy brings Balon Greyjoy news that the armies of the North have retaken all of the strongholds occupied by the Ironborn on the mainland and pleads with him to end the war. Balon refuses and vows to send more troops to stage another invasion of the North. As Balon heads outside, he encounters his brother, Euron Greyjoy, who has come to overthrow him. Balon attempts to stab Euron, who throws him off a bridge to his death. At Balon's funeral, Yara swears revenge against Balon's killer, but is reminded by her uncle Aeron, a Drowned Priest, that her position as successor depends on the results of the Kingsmoot, a ceremony where the Ironborn elect their new leader. ===At the Wall=== Davos and the Night's Watch loyalists guarding Jon's body prepare themselves for battle when Thorne and his allies begin to break down the door. As they are about to break through, however, the outer gates of the Castle are breached by the giant Wun Wun, followed by Tormund Giantsbane, Edd, and an army of Wildlings. Outnumbered, the mutineers surrender and are locked in the cells on Edd's orders. Davos pleads with Melisandre to attempt to resurrect Jon, reminding her of her previous miracles. Though Melisandre's faith has been shattered by Stannis Baratheon's defeat, she is reminded of her encounter with Thoros of Myr, and attempts a ritual, but seemingly to no avail. Defeated, Tormund, Melisandre, Edd and Davos leave the room. Shortly afterwards Jon awakens on the table. ==Production== ===Writing=== "Home" was written by Dave Hill. Some elements in the episode are based on the sixth novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''The Winds of Winter'', which author George R. R. Martin had hoped to have completed before the sixth season began airing. It also contains elements from the chapters "The Blind Girl", "The Dragontamer", and "Bran III" from ''A Dance with Dragons'', as well as the death of Balon Greyjoy, an event referenced in "Catelyn V" in ''A Storm of Swords'' but unseen by the reader. In the "Inside the Episode" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, the creators of the series and showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss spoke about the Winterfell scene involving Bran, stating that they had an aversion from the start of the series towards doing any sort of flashback. As such, they decided to keep it to a minimum, with only one flashback, in the fifth-season premiere "The Wars to Come", in the entire series prior to the sixth season. However, Benioff and Weiss decided that the re-introduction of Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven would provide the narrative ability to show a flashback, by that providing a better understanding for both the characters and the viewers. ===Casting=== Jon Snow in the series. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark), Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed), Kristian Nairn (Hodor), Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy) and Patrick Malahide (Balon Greyjoy) make return appearances after an absence of several years (Malahide since the third season, the others since the fourth season). The episode has the introduction of new recurring cast members Max von Sydow, replacing Struan Rodger, who briefly portrayed the character in Season 4, as the Three-Eyed Raven, Kae Alexander as Leaf, Pilou Asbaek as Euron Greyjoy, and Michael Feast as Aeron Greyjoy. Additionally, several child actors were cast in order to portray young versions of well known characters within the show for Bran's vision of Winterfell in the past. These included Sebastian Croft as young Ned Stark, Cordelia Hill as young Lyanna Stark, Matteo Elezi as young Benjen Stark and Sam Coleman as young Hodor, or Wyllis as he is referred to in the scene. "Home" was the last episode for Michael McElhatton, who had played Roose Bolton since the second season. Jon Snow was killed in the fifth-season finale, "Mother's Mercy", and in the lead up to the sixth season, actor Kit Harington, who portrays the character, stated that he would not be returning to the series except to play a corpse, and would not be resurrected despite rampant speculation. Following the airing of "Home", Harington issued a public apology to fans of the show, stating that he would "like to say sorry for lying to everyone. I'm glad that people were upset that he died. I think my biggest fear was that people were not going to care. Or it would just be, 'Fine, Jon Snow's dead.' But it seems like people had a, similar to the Red Wedding episode, kind of grief about it. Which means something I'm doing—or the show is doing—is right." Harington was simply referred to as "LC", for Lord Commander, in all scripts, call sheets, props or wardrobe materials, in order to maintain the secrecy involved with his eventual resurrection in the episode. It was also revealed that during production of the season, even verbal communication of the name 'Jon Snow' was disallowed, except in on-camera dialogue during actual taping of the series. ===Filming=== Director Jeremy Podeswa stated that he took inspiration from ''The Anatomy Lesson'' by Rembrandt for Jon Snow's resurrection scene. "Home" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He had previously directed the fifth season episodes "Kill the Boy" and "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken". In an interview following the airing of the episode, Podeswa stated about the scene in which Jon Snow is resurrected; "I think just establishing the right amount of tension through the scene, so you really didn't know up until the last second which way it was going to go. That was the biggest thing, creating a sense of mystery and magic around the whole thing. We really wanted that scene to be very beautiful, but also fraught with tension. That's the main thing we were looking for." Podeswa also compared how he shot the scene to ''The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp'' by Rembrandt, continuing, "It had a very rich, textual, moody, atmospheric quality. I think we were all in that space for a long time for this scene — while we were shooting all the scenes involving Jon Snow's body, really, but particularly the one where he's resurrected." In another interview Podeswa described how the resurrection would play out on screen, noting "There was much discussion about what that actually was: There's this sense of rebirth and whether it should be a big moment or a small moment. We tried a lot of different things, but it really felt to me, and I think we all agreed, this first gasp of life, like what a baby has when it's born, is kind of what it needed to be. And I just thought he did that so great." Carice van Houten, who portrays Melisandre, spoke about the resurrection, and how it was directed, mentioning "It was such an important scene, we shot it from so many angles. I think I washed his body 50 times." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Home" was viewed by 7.29 million American households on its initial screening on HBO, which was slightly lower than the 7.94 million viewers for the sixth-season premiere, but which still made it the fourth highest rated episode of the series to that point. The episode also acquired a 3.67 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.482 million viewers on Sky Atlantic; it also received 0.079 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Home" received highly positive reactions from critics, with many focusing on the resurrection of Jon Snow by Melisandre, which had been predicted by many, as well as new developments related to Bran Stark and the surprising death of Roose Bolton at the hands of his son, Ramsay. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 50 reviews of the episode and judged 87% of them to be positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus for the episode stated "Full of new revelation and one very anticipated resurrection, "Home" is a slow burn that finally sets the last pieces in play for a thrilling season six." Matt Fowler of IGN stated "'Home' was a super busy episode, but also one that didn't feel rushed. Two big lords of the realm fell while a new Iron Island character was introduced and a character we all worried about got brought back to life by an unsure-but-well-meaning priestess. Story flowed here like wine in a very satisfying chapter filled with death and resurrection." Fowler gave the episode a 9.3 out of 10. Reviewing for ''The A.V. Club'', from the perspective of book readers, Myles McNutt gave the episode an A-. McNutt also wrote about the showrunners going back to yet to be used story lines from the books, and transposing them into later seasons, such as the Kingsmoot plot, noting "It's a great example of the show's ability to adapt the books in a non-linear fashion, here wholesale moving a storyline where it serves a clearer purpose." With respect to Jon Snow's resurrection, Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' wrote that it was "a mostly perfunctory resolution." He said "Jon Snow's assassination was astonishing immediately when it happened but, upon further consideration, seemed destined to be overturned on magical appeal. There were too many questions (his parentage) and teased confrontations (the White Walkers) that would be left unresolved, and the show's entire Wall story line would be left with a bastard-sized hole in the middle." Egner also referred to the previous plot in the show involving Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, and speculated what it could mean in regards to Jon Snow's personality being changed, or becoming less of his former self, as with Dondarrion. Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' also reviewed the episode positively, saying, "Last night's episode, still catching us up on all the characters while continuing to move its armies of plot lines forward, was full of fratricide, patricide, head-crushing, infanticide, trompe-l'oeil eyeballs, eunuch jokes, and glorious returns." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Gregory Middleton MTV Fandom Awards Fan Freak Out of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' - Resurrection of Jon Snow 2017 Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project Sebastian Lauer, Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Anthony Sieben – Dragon Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton ==References== ==External links== * "Home" at HBO.com * *

"'''Oathbreaker'''" is the third episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 53rd overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Sackheim, his directorial debut for the series. Jon Snow is found alive by Ser Davos Seaworth; Ramsay Bolton is presented with the gift of Rickon Stark; Bran Stark, accompanied by the Three-eyed Raven witnesses the confrontation at the Tower of Joy, where his father attempts to rescue his sister, Lyanna; but Bran is ultimately prevented from entering the tower; Daenerys Targaryen arrives at Vaes Dothrak where her consequences for leaving the khalasar will be determined, and in Braavos, a blind Arya Stark gives up her old life and sees anew as "no one". "Oathbreaker" received high praise from critics who found the episode to have strong, forward-moving storytelling, although not presenting as many shocking moments, while also listing the Tower of Joy flashback as the highlight of the episode. In the United States, the episode premiere achieved a viewership of 7.28 million in its initial broadcast. Filming of the first exterior scene at Castle Black took place over the course of several months, as a result of a rock slide that occurred on the set. The episode earned a nomination at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series. ==Plot== ===In the Narrow Sea=== Samwell Tarly begins to feel seasick as he travels by boat to Oldtown with Gilly and her baby, Little Sam. Sam explains to Gilly that women are not welcomed at the Citadel and that he intends to leave her with his family at Horn Hill while he trains to be a maester. He tells Gilly that she and Little Sam are all that matter to him. ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran and the Three-eyed Raven observe a vision of a young Eddard Stark, Lord Howland Reed, and four other northern soldiers arriving at the Tower of Joy in Dorne's Red Mountains at the climax of Robert's Rebellion. Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower greet Eddard as he arrives. Eddard announces that Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and the Mad King have been killed and asks why Ser Arthur was not present at the Battle of the Trident. Ser Arthur replies that he has been ordered to stay at the tower. After Eddard demands to know where his sister Lyanna is, the battle begins. Eddard kills Ser Gerold, but Ser Arthur defeats most of Eddard's men by himself, and is about to kill Eddard when a wounded Howland rises and stabs Ser Arthur through the neck before Eddard delivers the fatal blow. When a woman's scream emerges from the tower, Ned and Howland begin to run inside. The Three-Eyed Raven explains that the rest of the vision is intended for another time, but Bran demands to stay and calls out to Ned. Ned turns for a second, seemingly having heard Bran's voice, but continues inside, before the Three-Eyed Raven pulls Bran out of the vision. Back in the cave, Bran demands to know what was in the tower. The Three-Eyed Raven does not attend Bran's demands, saying he will eventually have to leave the cave but first must learn "everything". ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Daenerys arrives with Khal Moro's khalasar at Vaes Dothrak, and is escorted to meet with the Dosh Khaleen. The elder of the Dosh Khaleen tries to sympathize with Daenerys, saying she was once married to a great khal with whom she thought she would rule the world but met the same fate. She explains that the various khalasars have gathered at Vaes Dothrak to discuss which cities and towns to conquer. They have also met to discuss what to do with Daenerys; the elder hopes, for Daenerys' safety, that they decide to let her remain with the Dosh Khaleen. ===In Meereen=== Varys summons Vala, a woman allied with the Sons of the Harpy, to the throne room in the Great Pyramid. He accuses her of conspiring to kill the Unsullied and Second Sons, whom she denounces as foreign invaders. After Varys mentions Vala's son, Dom, Vala confesses that if she gives him information on the Sons of the Harpy they will likely kill her. Varys offers her and Dom safe passage to Pentos in exchange for information. Later, Varys explains to Tyrion, Grey Worm, and Missandei that he has discovered that the slave masters of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis have been financing the Sons of the Harpy. Grey Worm notes that the Unsullied have taken Astapor and Yunkai once before, but Tyrion warns him that marching on the cities will leave Meereen defenseless. They come to the conclusion that the only way to defeat the Sons of the Harpy is to hunt them down. Tyrion asks Varys to send his "little birds" to deliver a message to the leaders of Astapor, Yunkai, and Volantis. ===In King's Landing=== Qyburn gives orders to the "little birds" that he has inherited from Varys as Cersei, Jaime, and the re-animated Ser Gregor Clegane arrive. Cersei orders Qyburn to put spies in the North, the Reach, and Dorne. Later, Cersei and Jaime interrupt a Small Council meeting at which Lord Kevan Lannister, Lady Olenna Tyrell, Lord Mace Tyrell, and Grand Maester Pycelle are present. Cersei and Jaime mention that Ellaria and the Sand Snakes have taken control of Dorne, and demand to sit in on the Small Council; when they refuse to leave, Kevan instead orders the council to leave the room. Tommen marches into the Sept of the Faith Militant with his Kingsguard, demanding to let Cersei see Myrcella's tomb. The High Sparrow explains she will be able to once her sins have been atoned for and she has faced trial. After telling their respective soldiers to stand down, the High Sparrow explains the importance of the Mother in the Faith of the Seven, showing Tommen his resemblance to his mother. ===In Braavos=== Arya trains using sticks with the Waif in the House of Black and White. In between sessions, the Waif questions Arya about who she used to be. Arya reveals all of her family members and reveals that she had taken the Hound off her kill list before she left him to die. The Waif questions who the other names were on the list, which Arya reveals as Cersei, Gregor Clegane, and Walder Frey. After she is finally able to parry the Waif's hits, Jaqen H'ghar takes Arya into the main chamber and offers Arya her sight back if she says her name. When she replies "a girl has no name", Jaqen offers her a drink from the poisonous well in the temple's entrance chamber. Arya drinks and closes her eyes, reopening them to reveal that her sight has been restored. ===At Winterfell=== Smalljon Umber meets with Ramsay and Harald Karstark. Despite his dislike of Roose Bolton and his refusal to pledge fealty to Ramsay, Smalljon wishes to ally with the Boltons to destroy the Wildlings Jon has let settle south of the Wall. To demonstrate his loyalty, Smalljon presents Rickon Stark and Osha as his prisoners, proving Rickon's identity by also presenting the severed head of Rickon's direwolf Shaggydog. ===At the Wall=== After awakening, Jon is greeted by Davos and Melisandre. Melisandre tells Jon that her religion prophesies the return of a heroic prince and suggests that this prince may not be Stannis, as she first thought, but Jon. Jon enters the courtyard to meet with the wildlings. He meets with and embraces Tormund and Edd. Jon presides over the hanging of Thorne, Olly, Othell Yarwyck, and Bowen Marsh. Thorne is unrepentant, declaring that he only did what was right for the Night's Watch, and gloats that Jon will still be fighting the wildlings' battles forever. After hanging the mutineers, Jon gives his cloak to Edd, declaring "My watch is ended." ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Oathbreaker" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Some elements in the episode were based on the sixth novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''The Winds of Winter'', which author George R. R. Martin had hoped to have completed before the sixth season began airing. It also contains elements from the chapter "The Blind Girl" from ''A Dance with Dragons'' and several chapters of Samwell Tarly's voyage to the Citadel from ''A Feast for Crows''. The raid on the Tower of Joy was an event portrayed in a dream of Ned Stark in the chapter "Eddard X" of ''A Game of Thrones''. In the "Inside the Episode" feature for "Oathbreaker", showrunner Weiss stated of the Tower of Joy flashback that "One of the best things about being able to go back with Bran and look at the past is to be able to see the discrepancy between the received history, the things that everybody knows about the things that happened, and what actually happened." Benioff continued, "Every kid that grows up in Westeros, they all hear about this legendary sword fight that took place twenty years ago, and as far as Bran knew, it was just his father beat this legendary guy." Weiss also stated "Honor was so important to Ned Stark that it was worth losing his own life for, but he was completely ready to let go of that honor and excellence to do something that he really felt was more important. It could make a very, very strong defense for Ned doing what he did, and it certainly does puncture the mythology of Ned Stark that's running through this world, especially after his death." For the first scene of the episode, when Jon Snow arises from the table, Weiss stated that "Jon coming back to life was something in the first, first version we wrote originally had more talking. And as we saw it on the page written out, we realized it was just too much dialogue, we decided to just give the kind of awe of that moment its due." ===Casting=== Actress Natalia Tena returned to the series as Osha the Wildling. Actors Natalia Tena (Osha) and Art Parkinson (Rickon Stark), both of whom had recurring roles in the series until the third season, make their first return appearance in the episode. The episode was also the final appearance for a recurring character since the first season episode "Lord Snow", Ser Alliser Thorne, portrayed by Owen Teale. For the flashback scene at the Tower of Joy, actor Robert Aramayo was cast to play a young Eddard Stark. In an interview with ''Access Hollywood'', Aramayo stated that he was a big fan of the series, and that "it was an honor and a gift to be able to be a part of it." In regards to portraying the character similar to Sean Bean, who played Eddard Stark in the first season, Aramayo noted, "I didn't want to get too hung up on sounding like Sean because I think that would've sort of got in my way if I'd have just situated all my work in that place. I watched a lot of footage of him playing Ned in the first season again, repeatedly, especially one particular fight scene that he was in and I think that was the biggest help for me when creating this version of Ned – was watching what Sean did with Ned in the first season and trying to work out what a younger man's version of that is." In a separate interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' Aramayo spoke about auditioning for the role, stating, "The chance to audition to be on the show was a dream, even to audition. It was an absolute dream to me. I was very excited to audition, and landing the role was beyond my wildest dreams. Then when I found out the role was Ned, it was overwhelming." ===Filming=== Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain stood in for the Tower of Joy in the episode. "Oathbreaker" was directed by Daniel Sackheim. Sackheim is a first time director for ''Game of Thrones''; he also directed the subsequent episode, "Book of the Stranger". Filming of the first exterior scene at Castle Black and the final scene with Jon Snow executing the traitors of the Night's Watch took place over the course of several months, with the execution scene being filmed first out of the two. As a result of a rock slide that occurred on the set of where Castle Black is staged at Magheramorne Quarry, scheduling for the filming of the scenes had to be re-worked by executive producer Bernie Caulfield and producer Chris Newman, with showrunner D. B. Weiss saying, "It actually worked out for the best – some of the stuff we were shooting in that location benefited from the additional prep time the rock slide gave us." The Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain stood in for the Tower of Joy in the flashback scene involving a young Ned Stark and Ser Arthur Dayne, as witnessed by Bran Stark and the Three-eyed Raven. During filming of the scene, it was reported widely among media sources after a fan of the series had snuck their way onto a nearby mountain and filmed a small portion of the fighting scenes that occurred. Robert Aramayo (young Eddard Stark) spoke about the filming of the scene in an interview following the airing of the episode and stated, "We all went through a bunch of training, which continued through our three- or four-day shoot in Spain. It was intense. It was not easy. I did not find it easy to shoot that fight sequence. It's not an easy routine at all. And Luke Roberts, who plays Arthur Dayne, he's incredible, man." He continued, "If your move's getting blocked, you obviously can't know that, just like when you're playing a scene through dialogue. You can't know the response your scene partner gives you is going to be the response you'll get. You hope it is. Likewise, in a fight, if you're going to chop somebody's arm off or stab them in the gut — the intention is to chop that arm off or stab someone in the gut, and you have to play that intention fully. I didn't expect it, but it takes a lot of skill in terms of acting to play." == Reception == === Ratings === "Oathbreaker" was viewed by 7.28 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, which was nearly identical to the previous week's rating of 7.29 million viewers for the episode "Home". The episode also acquired a 3.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.797 million viewers on Sky Atlantic; it also received 0.132 million timeshift viewers. === Critical reception === "Oathbreaker" was very positively received by critics, citing the Tower of Joy flashback, the final scene with Jon Snow executing his assassins, and the storytelling as strong points for the episode. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, who surveyed 48 reviews of the episode and judged 87% of them to be positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The most solid episode of season six so far, 'Oathbreaker' boasts no shocking reveals or breathless cliffhangers, just strong forward-moving storytelling." In a review for IGN, Matt Fowler wrote, "With Jon's final choice in "Oathbreaker," the show seemed to make a huge step forward into the endgame. One where we might see things that have been set up for a long time start to pay off. Not everyone's story is firing on all cylinders at the moment, Tyrion was actively bored while waiting for news this week, but enough is going on in the North and at King's Landing to carry the series right now." Likewise, Emily VanDerWerff of ''Vox'' wrote, ""Oathbreaker" is a crisp, lean, nicely paced episode of ''Game of Thrones''. It's one of those episodes where the characters are mostly being positioned for future episodes, but it's a solidly executed version of that basic template." Alyssa Rosenberg of the ''Washington Post'' wrote that she believed this was "The strongest episode of the sixth season of ''Game of Thrones'' to date." While Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' noted "The season has been full of revelations, but things are still building. That's okay. I love the tension and not knowing exactly what's coming." James Hunt of ''What Culture'' wrote, "Another week of table setting, and a very entertaining one at that ... It didn't quite reach the high watermark of last week's instalment, but there was still a lot of great stuff here." Steve Johnson of ''The Baltimore Sun'' noted, "Instead of the heavy action of the season's first two hours, Sunday's Game of Thrones, called "Oathbreaker," was more about putting pieces on the chess board into place." Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, "Last week, we saw Jon Snow re-enter life; this week, we may have been in proximity to him entering it, the first time, in the usual way." Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, "Exhilarating". ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland ==References== ==External links== * "Oathbreaker" at HBO.com * *

"'''Book of the Stranger'''" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 54th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Sackheim. Sansa Stark arrives at the Wall and reunites with Jon Snow, and later receives a message from Ramsay Bolton challenging Jon to come take back Winterfell and rescue Rickon Stark; Margaery Tyrell is reunited with her brother, Loras; Cersei and Jaime Lannister plot with their uncle Kevan and Olenna Tyrell to have them released; and Daenerys Targaryen faces the khals. "Book of the Stranger" received widespread acclaim from critics, who noted the reunion of Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen taking charge of all the khalasars as high points of the episode, one calling them "huge, forward moving story elements that harkened back to season 1." Filming of the episode's closing scene was shot at two different locations. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 7.82 million in its initial broadcast. The episode was Emilia Clarke's selection for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards to support her nomination. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalia Tena (Osha). ==Plot== ===At the Wall=== Jon, having just resigned from the Night's Watch, states his desires to head south, as he is disillusioned by the betrayal of his fellow Night's Watchmen and tired of all of the endless fighting. Edd is unhappy with Jon's decision after seeing what had happened at Hardhome. They are interrupted by the lookout's horn as Sansa, Brienne, and Podrick arrive at Castle Black and Sansa is reunited with Jon. After telling each other their stories, Sansa tries to convince Jon to help her retake Winterfell. However, Jon is still reluctant to fight. Frustrated, Sansa declares to Jon that she will take back Winterfell whether he helps her or not. Meanwhile, Brienne confronts Davos and Melisandre, and informs them that she killed Stannis after he admitted to using dark magic to assassinate Renly Baratheon. She warns Davos and Melisandre that even though that was in the past, she does not forget or forgive. Some time later, a letter from Ramsay to Jon arrives. Ramsay boasts that he has Rickon in his custody and demands Sansa's return, threatening to have the Bolton army exterminate the wildlings, kill Rickon and gang-rape Sansa while forcing Jon to watch before they kill him. Angered, Sansa decides to fight to take back Winterfell from the Boltons, and Jon agrees. When Tormund warns him that the wildlings don't have the numbers to battle Ramsay's army, Sansa points out that Jon can use his status as the son of Eddard Stark to unite the various Northern houses and defeat Ramsay. ===At Runestone=== Littlefinger arrives at Runestone in the Vale. When Lord Yohn Royce asks how Sansa became married to Ramsay instead of travelling to the Fingers, Littlefinger claims Roose Bolton's men attacked them and kidnapped her on the way. When Royce is dubious, Littlefinger adds that he was the only person who knew of their destination, implying his guilt. He manipulates Robin Arryn into considering executing Royce, then into giving him a second chance after he pledges his absolute loyalty. Littlefinger then tells Robin that Sansa, his cousin, has escaped the Boltons and is taking refuge at Castle Black, but that she is still not safe. Robin agrees to command Royce to lead the knights of the Vale to protect her. ===In Meereen=== Despite Grey Worm and Missandei's objections, Tyrion arranges a diplomatic meeting with the masters of Astapor, Yunkai and Volantis. He proposes a deal allowing the cities seven years to transition away from slavery, while compensating the masters for any losses. In return, the masters will cease their support of the Sons of the Harpy. As the masters deliberate, Tyrion is confronted by the former slaves of Meereen, who oppose any kind of negotiation with the masters. Grey Worm and Missandei reluctantly support Tyrion, but in private they warn him that the masters, with whom they are both familiar, will use him if he tries to use them. ===In King's Landing=== Margaery is brought to meet the High Sparrow, who warns her to stay away from her life of riches and sin, and recounts his past of how, as a proud cobbler, he learned his wealth-guided pursuits were lies and that the shoeless poor were closer to the truth than anyone. He then takes Margaery to see Loras, who is breaking under the Sparrows' torture and is willing to do anything to make it stop. Margaery realises that the High Sparrow is trying to use Loras to break her, and tells him to remain strong. Cersei meets with Tommen, who brings up the High Sparrow. Tommen is reluctant to provoke him, but Cersei says he is dangerous because he has no respect for the Crown. Tommen tells Cersei that Margaery's walk of atonement will happen soon. Cersei relays the information to Kevan and Olenna in the Small Council chamber. Olenna is horrified and pledges her army to defeat the Sparrows. Kevan is bound by an order from Tommen to not attack the Sparrows but is reasoned to by Cersei, that there is also no order to defend the Sparrows from Olenna's army and that he can have his son Lancel back once the Sparrows are defeated. Assuring him that Tommen will forgive Kevan when he has Margaery back. ===At Pyke=== Theon returns to the Iron Islands and reunites with Yara. Yara has not forgiven Theon for not coming with her after her costly assault on the Dreadfort, and accuses Theon of returning to the Iron Islands to take advantage of Balon's death to seize the throne. Theon insists he only heard the news after landing and promises that he will instead support Yara's claim at the Kingsmoot. ===In Winterfell=== Osha is brought before Ramsay, who asks her why she was helping Rickon. Osha claims that she intended to betray Rickon and attempts to seduce Ramsay while reaching for a nearby knife. However, Ramsay tells her that he is aware Osha used a similar ruse to escape Theon. Realizing this, she tries to stab him, but he quickly stabs her in the neck with another knife, killing her. ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Jorah and Daario arrive at Vaes Dothrak and hide their weapons, as they are forbidden in the city. In the process, Jorah accidentally reveals his greyscale infection to Daario. They infiltrate the city and are forced to kill two of Khal Moro's bloodriders when discovered. At the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, Daenerys befriends one of the younger Dosh Khaleen, and when they go outside, they encounter Jorah and Daario. The two men want to try to sneak Daenerys out of Vaes Dothrak, but Daenerys knows that is impossible due to the 100,000 Dothraki present in the city. Instead, she tells them she has a different plan. Later that night, Daenerys stands before the gathered khals in the temple to hear her fate. There, she recalls her pregnancy ritual in this temple and her husband's vow to conquer Westeros. She accuses the khals of being unsuited to leading the Dothraki due to their lack of ambition, and says she will lead them. When Khal Moro and the other khals threaten to gang-rape her, she tells them they will die instead. She tips two braziers onto the straw floor, quickly setting the entire temple on fire and killing the khals, who have been barred inside by the younger Dosh Khaleen. A Dothraki crowd of thousands witnesses Daenerys emerge from the burning temple, naked but unburned. Amazed, they, along with Jorah and Daario, bow down to her. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss wrote the episode "Book of the Stranger" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Some material in this episode is taken from the Jon XIII chapter in ''A Dance With Dragons''. Some elements in the episode are also based on the sixth novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''The Winds of Winter'', which author George R. R. Martin had hoped to have completed before the sixth season began airing. ===Filming=== Actress Emilia Clarke portrays Daenerys Targaryen in the series "Book of the Stranger" was directed by Daniel Sackheim. He joined the series as a director in the sixth season. He also directed the previous episode, "Oathbreaker". In an interview Sackheim commented on the Jon and Sansa reunion stating "Sometimes as a director, you're just looking at what's in front of you, and not taking into account the bigger picture and the epic nature of two siblings who have been separated for six seasons — and have never had scenes together, and were both really looking forward to it — reuniting. The only note I gave them during the scene was, "Hold yourself back. As much as it's joyous to see each other, you're equally as scared. You don't know what to expect." The operative word was fear. Fear of the unknown. In a way, it added to the emotional resonance of the scene." For the final scene with Daenerys Targaryen emerging from the great fire of the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, the filming took place in two different locations, with the close ups of Emilia Clarke taking place on a closed set in Belfast, and the large-scale set shots taking place in Spain. In an interview, Clarke had previously indicated she had become reluctant to do nude scenes unless it served the plot. After the episode aired, Clarke made a point to indicate that it was not a body double in the final scene of the episode, stating, "I'd like to remind people the last time I took my clothes off was season 3. That was awhile ago. It's now season 6. But this is all me, all proud, all strong. I'm just feeling genuinely happy I said 'Yes.' That ain't no body double!" She continued, "Taking off my clothes is not the easiest thing, but with the magic of the effects, I don't have to do a season 1 and go on a cliff and do it, I'm in control of it." Series co-creator and executive producer Weiss praised Clarke's portrayal in the scene saying "Emilia absolutely crushed it. It's one of those weird scenes because it was half shot in Spain, half in Belfast. But largely due to her performance, it works brilliantly." Sackheim, the director of the episode, noted in an interview, "With the interior, there was only one way for her to play it, which is, bemused. She's the keeper of the secret. She knows how to extricate herself from this. I thought the ease with which she delivered the lines was necessary for the audience to feel jeopardy for her and for them to think she was crazy. The sequence outside was all about claiming the throne — or reclaiming the throne." Sackheim also stated, "We wanted to clearly distinguish everything we've seen from the end of the last season and the beginning of this one." ==Reception== === Ratings === "Book of the Stranger" was viewed by 7.82 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, which was slightly more than the previous week's rating of 7.28 million viewers for the episode "Oathbreaker". The episode also acquired a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.775 million viewers on Sky Atlantic; it also received 0.116 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Book of the Stranger" received universal praise from critics, with many citing the reunion of Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, the final scene involving Daenerys Targaryen killing the leaders of the khalasar, and the forward moving storytelling as strong points for the episode. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 100% based on 63 reviews, with an average rating of 8.79/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Book of the Stranger"'s warm reunions, new alliances, and exquisitely fiery finale is ''Game of Thrones'' at its best." It is the highest-rated ''Game of Thrones'' episode on the website. In a review for IGN, Matt Fowler wrote of the episode, ""Book of the Stranger" handed us two very lovely, satisfying moments with the Stark/Snow reunion at Castle Black (and the subsequent vow to defeat Ramsay and rescue Rickon) and Daenerys's conquering of Vaes Dothrak. Both were huge, forward-moving story elements that harkened back to Season 1 and gave viewers something to root for and grab onto as the show itself heads into its final arcs." Fowler also noted, "As a reader of the books with no more books to read, Season 6 has been a very interesting experience," giving the episode a 9.2 out of 10. Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the scenes at Castle Black and in Vaes Dothrak, writing "''Game of Thrones'' lived up to its billing as ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' on Sunday, as there was plenty of action in both of the signature halves of the story." Brandon Nowalk of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote, "Now that is how you set the table. "Book Of The Stranger" doesn't just check off plot points. In fact, there aren't a lot of plot points to check off. It's an episode of introductions, reunions, and wall-to-wall scheming," giving the episode an A. Eliana Dockterman of ''Time'' wrote about the strong female storylines in the episode, stating "The creators of ''Game of Thrones'' have been touting the sixth season of the show as the year when women finally wreak vengeance. The fourth episode, "Book of the Stranger," suggests that they will hold true to their word." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Anette Haellmigk ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== * "Book of the Stranger" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Door'''" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 55th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jack Bender. Bran Stark learns the origin of the White Walkers, Jon Snow plans to unite the north against the Boltons, Euron Greyjoy reveals his return to the Iron Islands at the Kingsmoot, Tyrion Lannister meets with the Red Priestess Kinvara, and Daenerys Targaryen sees the depths of Jorah Mormont's devotion to her. "The Door" received universal acclaim from critics, who found the episode to be emotional with effective action sequences involving the White Walkers and Hodor, in addition to providing "important answers regarding the show's mythos." The adaptation of the Kingsmoot as well as Daenerys's farewell to Jorah were also listed as high points of the episode. It required between 9 and 10 hours to get the full body prosthetic ready for the Children of the Forest. Hodor's origin story was presented to the series co-creators by George R. R. Martin. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 7.89 million in its initial broadcast. For the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jack Bender was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. This episode marks the final appearance for Kristian Nairn (Hodor) and Max von Sydow (the Three Eyed Raven). ==Plot== ===At the Wall=== Sansa confronts Littlefinger about his decision to marry her to Ramsay. He explains that he was ignorant of Ramsay's cruelty and begs for forgiveness. In exchange, he offers her the support of the Vale in her attempt to retake Winterfell from the Boltons, but Sansa declines. Littlefinger reveals that her great-uncle, the Blackfish, has retaken Riverrun with the Tully army; after he leaves, Sansa orders Brienne to go and recruit the Blackfish for their cause. ===In Vaes Dothrak=== Jorah reveals his greyscale to Daenerys. He admits his love for her, and Daenerys orders him to find a cure and return to her so he can be by her side when she conquers Westeros. ===On the Iron Islands=== At the Kingsmoot, Yara makes her claim to the Salt Throne, with Theon supporting her claim. Their uncle Euron arrives to stake his own claim. Yara accuses him of killing their father; to her surprise, Euron freely admits to it, declaring that Balon was leading the Ironborn to ruin. He promises to conquer Westeros by marrying Daenerys and offering her the Iron Fleet. He is subsequently chosen as King. Theon and Yara, realising Euron will have them put to death, flee with the best ships of the Iron Fleet. Undaunted, Euron orders the Ironborn to begin construction of a new fleet. ===In Braavos=== Jaqen offers Arya the assignment of killing an actress named Lady Crane, who is playing Cersei in a play recounting the deaths of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark. While observing the play, Arya is noticeably distressed by the play's portrayal of Ned. ===In Meereen=== Tyrion and Varys note that peace has fallen over Meereen since they forged their pact with the Masters. In order to preserve this, Tyrion summons the red priestess Kinvara, who agrees to preach to the people that Daenerys is the chosen one of the Lord of Light. She also claims to know what originally happened to Varys and why, unnerving the eunuch. ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran and the Three-eyed Raven observe a vision of the Children of the Forest creating the Night King by impaling one of the First Men with a dragonglass dagger. Bran subsequently confronts Leaf about creating the White Walkers. She explains that they were at war with the First Men, and had no choice. Bran decides to observe a vision without the Three-Eyed Raven. He witnesses a massive army of wights led by the Night King, who touches him whilst in the vision. Bran awakens to find a mark where he was touched, and the Three-Eyed Raven warns that he must leave, as the Night King is now able to find them. The Three-Eyed Raven begins transferring knowledge to Bran as the army of wights arrives. While in a vision of Winterfell, Bran hears the cries of Meera, who is trying to save Bran's body while the Children hold back the wights. The Three-Eyed Raven advises Bran to listen to her, and Bran splits his consciousness by remaining in the vision of the past while simultaneously controlling Hodor in the present. The Night King enters the cave and kills the Three-Eyed Raven. As Bran, Meera and Hodor make their escape, Leaf and Bran's direwolf, Summer, sacrifice themselves to hold back the wights. Hodor closes the hideout's door behind them, keeping the wights inside while Meera escapes with Bran. Meera repeatedly orders Hodor to "hold the door" shut while they flee, which results in the wights tearing him apart. In the vision, Bran becomes overwhelmed by the split consciousness and unintentionally enters the mind of a younger version of Hodor in the vision, then known as Wylis, forging a connection between the past and present. With Bran's consciousness inside his head, Wylis suffers a seizure while hearing the echoes of Meera's orders and he begins to yell the words "hold the door" over and over, until they slur together and "Hodor" is all that he can say. ==Production== ===Writing=== "The Door" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. After the episode aired, in the "Inside the Episode" featurette released by HBO for "The Door", David Benioff and D. B. Weiss revealed that the closing scene involving Hodor's name origin and subsequent death was an idea that was presented to them directly from George R. R. Martin. Benioff stated, "We had this meeting with George Martin where we're trying to get as much information as possible out of him, and probably the most shocking revelation he had for us was when he told us the origin of Hodor and how that name came about. I just remember Dan and I looking at each other when he said that and just being like, 'Holy shit.'" Weiss continued, "It was just one of the saddest and most affecting things. Even sitting in a hotel room having someone tell you this was going to happen in the abstract in some way and that 'hold the door' was the origin of the name Hodor, we just thought that was a really, really heart-breaking idea." In regards to the White Walkers' origin, David Benioff stated "No one's innocent really in this world, and there was just something really beautifully right about the idea that the great nemesis of mankind were created to protect the Children of the Forest from mankind." D. B. Weiss noted, "The Night King, who's sort of the embodiment of absolute evil, what you're watching is the creation of that absolute evil, so the absolute evil isn't absolute after all." Benioff also alluded to the many references and foreshadowing throughout the series that preceded the reveal of the Children creating the White Walkers, saying, "There are certain symbols and patterns that recur throughout the show. The first time we saw that was one of the very first scenes in the pilot, when Will the ranger sees the Wildling body parts in an odd pattern displayed by the White Walkers. We see it again north of the Wall with the dead horses displayed in a spiral pattern, and then you see it again here and see where these patterns come from, that they're ancient symbols of the Children of the Forest used in their rituals, and the Children of the Forest created the White Walkers." Ellie Kendrick, who portrays Meera Reed, spoke about the writing of the episode following its airing, and revealed that she was surprised by the scene, saying "When I was reading the episode, I completely forgot that I was a character in the show. I was reading it with such excitement, because this is a real story unfolding, with so many mysteries and quantum leaps and ''Inception''-style traveling between the past and the present. I found it very exciting. So the first time I read it, I was just reading it for enjoyment, really, because it was so well-written and exciting. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I was really keen to get started working on it, because it's such an epic sequence." ===Casting=== Kristian Nairn has portrayed Hodor since the beginning of the series. "The Door" marks the final appearance of Kristian Nairn as Hodor, a role Nairn has played since the series pilot. Nairn, who was cast to play Hodor from previously knowing ''Game of Thrones''' casting director from an audition he did for the film ''Hot Fuzz'', admitted in an interview that he was at first unaware of his impending death in the show. He stated, "First I heard from friends, people who had read the script, some other cast members. I think I said laughingly, "So did I survive?" They just gave me a look, and I was like, "Whaat?" Then I had the call from David and Dan, the fateful call everyone gets when your number's up. Then I read the script – which I loved. I loved the scene. I can't think of a better way to go, really. He doesn't give up. He never lets go of that door. For all costs, he's going to stop them from getting to Bran." Reflecting on playing the role, Nairn also went on to note, "People always joke, "Oh you've got the easiest role, you don't have any lines to learn." Anyone who knows anything about acting has been like, "You actually have one of the hardest roles." Because you have to articulate so much without words." In the Braavos scene, several actors were cast to portray actors participating in a play titled "The Bloody Hand" that re-created the history of the beginning of the series, from an altered point of view. One of the actors that was cast included Richard E. Grant, who portrayed the leader of the theatre troupe, Izembaro. Kevin Eldon, who played the role of Eddard Stark, was also cast, and Essie Davis as the lead actress Lady Crane, among others. The Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men appeared in this episode in a cameo as stage musicians for the stage play. Israeli actress Ania Bukstein was also introduced in the series as the High Priestess Kinvara, who is brought to Meereen to spread propaganda about Daenerys Targaryen's supposed success at eliminating the problem with the Sons of the Harpy. In an interview with Bukstein she said, "Yes, it's very exciting, but let's calm down. It's not like I'm the new Khaleesi. ''Game of Thrones'' came after a ton of hard work. I filmed a lot of audition tapes in front of a white wall at home. I've paid my dues for years." Bukstein also stated that she had previously sent in an audition tape to the series when it was first casting its first season, saying, "A few years ago, when they had only begun to cast the first season of ''Game of Thrones'', I sent an audition tape. I didn't really know for which role, and I mainly didn't know—and neither did the world—what a hit the series was about to become. But I remember that even then, the scenes excited me and I completely went with the style." ===Filming=== "The Door" was directed by Jack Bender, a first time director for ''Game of Thrones''. Bender had been previously approached to direct for the series, but declined due to the extensive time commitment involved in shooting, which Bender noted in an interview as having to commit to "four-and-a-half to six months because of the enormity of the episodes." Jack Bender directed "The Door", his first episode in the series. Shortly after the airing of "The Door", HBO released a featurette titled "Anatomy of a Scene" which went into greater detail about the creation of the final scene at the weirwood cave. Bender was interviewed for the segment, and stated "I knew it was going to be a lot of stunts, a lot of CGI, how were we going to do it? My goal was to make it realistic, make it terrifying, and make Hodor's sacrifice incredibly moving." Most of the exterior shots with the White Walkers and their army took place at Magheramorne, a small hamlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland near where Castle Black is also filmed. With input from David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, Bender, as well as visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer, also incorporated a transposing of scenes with Wights also crawling on the ceiling and the walls, which Bender hoped would result in the scene being even more "creepy." In the conclusion of the segment Bender stated, "The big climactic cave sequence was hugely complex, and although it's very scary that this really terrifying thing is happening to our characters, at the end of the day I think the emotion from what we are experiencing is hopefully going to be the shock that people will stay with," referring to Hodor's implied death. In an interview with Kristian Nairn (Hodor), he described filming the scene, "It was a really heavy day — you’ve got these 100-mile-per-hour winds being blown into your face with false snow. I was really holding the door — there were like eight people pushing from the other side and I was really holding them back. It’s definitely Method acting. It was a very intense day but one of the nice things was they let Isaac wrap me. He got to come over and say "Mr. Nairn, that’s a wrap." It was very emotional. It's always been a little group of us together and it felt like our little group was breaking up." Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed) spoke about the filming of her part of the sequence, saying "A lot of what's happening in that scene, in Meera's head, comes down to adrenaline. There's just no way she can stop and consider logically what's happening. If you have an army of the undead chasing after you, you're only going to be thinking one thing: "Run!" It was interesting, having the challenge of creating that adrenaline and fear and sadness of Hodor, but not being able to process it at all. Having to recreate that feeling of immediacy, in a stuffy studio at 4 p.m. on a Thursday when you've been filming the same scene for a couple of days, it was difficult. But it was an exciting challenge, to constantly inject the energy those characters must be feeling in that moment." '''Top:''' The Night King with only practical effects and prosthetics.'''Bottom:''' Added VFX in post-production, with altered eyes and an icy layer. Prosthetic designer Barrie Gower was also interviewed for the "Anatomy of a Scene" segment and noted "At any one time during the cave, we had so many characters which were going to be in prosthetics. We had the Night King, three White Walkers, six Children of the Forest including the hero, Leaf, and countless Wights." Gower went on to describe the process involved with creating the Children, "The Children of the Forest are fully covered from head to toe, they're glued completely into these prosthetics all over their body." Kae Alexander, the actress who played Leaf stated that it took between 9 and 10 hours to get the full body prosthetic ready for filming, a process which Bender described as challenging. In order to create the Night King, according to Barrie Gower, it is primarily practical prosthetic, but also incorporates some VFX to create a more icy look and feel, saying about the eyes, "The effects department alters the eyes in post-production. They give them that blue-glowy hue to them, which we can't really achieve with contact lenses." In regards to the overall prosthetic, "they've added this sort of icy layer over the top of him to create this — it's something incredibly difficult to achieve practically, prosthetics are cast in a translucent rubber, which can only give you so much of that icy quality, so visual effects help augment it a little bit further to give it more dimension." Prior to the sixth season, the Night King was portrayed by Richard Brake, with a head mold of Brake being created in order to accurately mold the prosthetic to his face. In the sixth season he was portrayed by Vladimir Furdik. The White Walker army was first shot in front of a green screen in Magheramorne quarry, and according to a piece in ''The Hollywood Reporter'' "A scan was taken from a drone and used as the basis for a CG model of the location, which was augmented with VFX and joined with volcanic hills that were photographed in Iceland." Crowd replication was used to create the 1,000-man army, with special effects supervisor Joe Bauer saying "It's scans of those actors in the makeup and costumes, with variations we used to make a digital army that extends up onto the hills." Bauer also noted that VFX were used to create the weather conditions in the scene, noting "It's wind, mist, fog and heavy atmosphere that you'd get in a marine layer. The dramatic value is to say something's wrong; it's a mystery what they are facing. The temperature drops, and our characters can see their breath. The weather obscures their vision." Spain-based El Ranchito, one of several special effects companies used by ''Game of Thrones'', was responsible for the White Walker army shots. Pilou Asbæk, who was cast to play Euron Greyjoy, spoke in an interview about the filming of the Kingsmoot saying "We spent two days on the Kingsmoot itself, and then two days on the montage. We shot it chronologically, which helped. The water was freezing cold. We shot the drowning many, many times. I remember looking down the shore, after I had been there for five or six hours, and I saw two smiling faces, in the form of Gemma Whelan and Alfie Allen. They were just smiling their asses off, because they weren't cold! They just had to run to the boat." In regards to stunts, Asbæk continued, "I got a little bit of help, but not much. I think 95 percent of it was me. I like to do all of it when I can, because then I can feel it with the character." Iain Glen, who has portrayed Jorah Mormont since the beginning of the series, also spoke about his participation in the episode, with his farewell to Daenerys Targaryen, noting "They've got a worried actor on their hands. For any actor on the show, most of the time we're just thinking, "Please keep me alive!" I've been very lucky to be a part of the show, right back to the pilot. If I go out in the madness of greyscale, then I'll have thought I've done very well. It's been a complete treat to be a part of the show. They're a lovely group of people. But the greyscale has definitely got this actor worried, I'll be honest about that." ==Reception== === Ratings === "The Door" was viewed by 7.89 million American households on its initial viewing, on May 22, which was slightly more than the previous week's rating of 7.82 million viewers for the episode "Book of the Stranger". The episode also acquired a 4.0 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. ===Critical reception=== "The Door" received universal praise from critics, with many citing the emotional revelation involving Hodor, the action scenes with the White Walkers, as well as the Kingsmoot and Daenerys Targaryen's farewell to Jorah Mormont as high points for the episode. It has received a 98% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 46 reviews with an average score of 9/10. The site's consensus reads "An exquisitely crafted episode, "The Door" culminates in a gut-wrenching revelation that makes the loss of a beloved character all the more poignant." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review of the episode, ""The Door," directed by Lost's main director, Jack Bender, gave us one of the most emotional deaths on the show to date. Mostly because the scene itself was paired with a big origin-style reveal and a newly opened avenue of time travel mysticism. And it came at the end of a very effective action sequence involving zombies, White Walkers, and the Night King." He gave the episode a 9 out of 10. Emily VanDerWerff of ''Vox'' noted, ""The Door", continues last week's trend of feeling as if it's offering up some major, important answers regarding the show's mythos. And many of those revelations impact some of the show's most major characters." Michael Calia of ''Wall Street Journal'' wrote in his review of the episode; "The show delivers one of its most heartbreaking, spectacular and mind-blowing episodes." Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' wrote in his review of the episode; "As with many epic sagas, the story and action in “Game of Thrones” are driven largely by characters moving toward and eventually becoming the people they are supposed to be. While we tend to focus on the big-ticket destinies, whether it's Daenerys Targaryen emerging triumphantly from the flames last week or Jon Snow rising from the dead to fight again, the smaller figures have their own slots to fill." James Hunt of ''What Culture'' noted, "The Door ... delivered not only the best episode of the season to date, but one that is likely to go down as an all-time favourite." Tim Surette of ''TV.com'' wrote in his review, "The Door was BRUTAL in its final minutes, and you're still crying over it, admit it." Lauren O'Callaghan of ''SFX Magazine'' wrote in her review, "The Door, was the midseason episode. No way we were getting through that without taking some serious damage to our delicate hope-filled hearts." She gave the episode a 4.5 out of 5. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jack Bender Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Max von Sydow as The Three-Eyed Raven Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Laura Pollock, Gary Machin, Rosalia Culora Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Sarah Gower, Emma Sheffield, Tristan Versluis, Barrie Gower Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Michael Wabro, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit 2017 Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Eduardo Díaz, Aníbal Del Busto, Angel Rico, Sonsoles López-Aranguren – Land of Always Winter Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Jack Bender (director) MTV Movie & TV Awards Tearjerker Hodor's (Kristian Nairn) Death ==Leak== The episode was accidentally released 24 hours early by HBO Nordic. The episode was eventually taken down, but the pirated copy was released to torrent websites. Reacting to the leak, an official HBO spokesperson said, "This past Sunday's episode was made available early on the HBO Nordic platform temporarily due to a technical issue, at which time it seems to have been copied. Upon learning of the incident, we used the available means to limit further access to the episode." ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

The '''Iron Throne''' is a metonym for the fictional monarchy of Westeros as well as the physical throne of its monarch in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. The success of the HBO television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'' has made the show's version of the royal seat an icon of the entire media franchise. Martin said in 2013, "Say ''Game of Thrones'', and people think of the HBO Iron Throne." Martin called the depiction of the throne in his 2014 ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' "absolutely right". He has noted repeatedly that none of the previous media representations of the throne—including books, games and the TV series—closely resemble what he had in mind when writing his novels. ==''A Song of Ice and Fire''== In the series, the Iron Throne is both a physical seat of office as well as a metonym for the monarchy of Westeros. Martin establishes in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) that after seizing control of six of the Seven Kingdoms, Targaryen ruler Aegon the Conqueror had made a throne for himself from the swords of his vanquished enemies, fused by dragonfire. Aegon had established King's Landing as the royal capital, and the Iron Throne itself sits in the Red Keep. Martin writes that according to legend, Aegon kept the blades sharp so that no ruler should ever sit comfortably. Centuries later, kings still cut themselves on the throne; it is a common belief that such rulers are therefore unfit to rule. ===Description=== Purportedly made from a thousand swords and knives, the Iron Throne is a massive and asymmetrical tangle of jagged and twisted blades, in which reclining is impossible. Martin commented in 2014: ===Depictions=== The Iron Throne has been depicted in comic books, in games, and on book covers, but Martin has noted repeatedly that none of these representations coincided with what he imagined: To Martin, the attempt closest to his vision was by French artist Marc Simonetti, for a Mexican edition of ''A Game of Thrones''. The author subsequently worked with Simonetti to get an image the author calls "absolutely right". This depiction appears in Martin's 2014 companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire''. He noted, "From now on, THIS will be the reference I give to every other artist tackling a throne room scene." Martin said of the image: The various depictions of the throne include: * ''The Art of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire'' (2005); Title page by Michael Komarck (Jaime Lannister on the Iron Throne) * ''A Game of Thrones'' (2014); Cover by Marc Simonetti (Random House México, ) * ''The World of Ice & Fire'' (2014); "The Targaryen Kings", art by Marc Simonetti * ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' video game (2011); Box cover by Marc Simonetti * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "The Price of Nobility" card (2009), art by Alex Aparin (''Return of the Others'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Aegon's Legacy" card (2009), art by Veronica V. Jones (''Secrets and Spies'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Robert Baratheon" card (2009), art by Chris Dien (''Kings of the Sea'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Robert Baratheon" card (2010), art by Tiziano Baracchi (''Kings of the Storm'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Oath of Fealty" card (2011), art by Magali Villeneuve (''Where Loyalty Lies'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Cersei Lannister" card (2011), art by Magali Villeneuve (''Lions of the Rock'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Varys" card (2011), art by Mike Capprotti (''The Grand Melee'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Sitting the Iron Throne" card (2012), art by Alexandre Dainche (''A Turn of the Tide'' set) * ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''; "Robert Baratheon" card (2014), art by Niten (''A Dire Message'' set) ==Television adaptation== The HBO television adaptation of the series, ''Game of Thrones'', premiered in 2011. The design of the Iron Throne for the show was conceived by its production designer Gemma Jackson, and the prop maker Gavin Jones constructed the piece. The show's popularity has made its version of the throne an icon of the entire media franchise. It has been parodied in magazines and used in merchandising. Several "promotional thrones" travel the world with show-sponsored exhibits and for fan events. In June 2014, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Belfast set of ''Game of Thrones'' and was photographed examining the Iron Throne set piece from the series, though she declined to sit on it. Though Martin had previously stated that the HBO version of the Iron Throne did not match his idea of how it should appear ideally, in 2013 he called its design "terrific" and claimed to own all of the merchandised replicas. He added: Of the feasibility of recreating the throne as depicted in ''The World of Ice & Fire'', Martin said in October 2014: ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Blonde Ale from Brewery Ommegang The image of Sean Bean as Ned Stark sitting in the Iron Throne is featured on the covers of the 2011 Season 1 DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets, released in March 2012. ==Merchandising== HBO has licensed the likeness of its Iron Throne for merchandising since the show's premiere, including T-shirts and small replicas of varying sizes. In June 2012 the network began selling custom made, life size replicas of its Iron Throne for $30,000. HBO even partnered with Brewery Ommegang to produce Iron Throne Blonde Ale, released in March 2013. The officially licensed merchandise includes: * ''Game of Thrones'' 7' 2" Iron Throne Replica * ''Game of Thrones'' 14" Iron Throne Replica by ThinkGeek * ''Game of Thrones'' 7" Iron Throne Replica by Dark Horse/Gentle Giant Studios * ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Room Construction Set by McFarlane Toys * ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Bookend (7.5") * ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Ornament (4.25") * ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Stocking Holder (5.5") * ''Game of Thrones'' Iron Throne Blonde Ale from Brewery Ommegang * Various T-shirts ==References==

'''''Catch the Throne''''' is a two-volume mixtape. The first volume was released digitally on June 10, 2014, and on CD on July 1, 2014 as a free mix tape that features various rap artists to help promote the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. The albums feature hip hop artists including Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla $ign, Common, Wale, Daddy Yankee, as well as music by Ramin Djawadi from the show and some voices from the show. ==Reception== The album received mostly mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. ==Track listing== === ''Volume I'' === To help promote the series to a broader audience including multicultural urban youth, HBO commissioned an album of rap songs dedicated to ''Game of Thrones''. Entitled ''Catch the Throne'', it was published for free on SoundCloud on March 7, 2014. === ''Volume II'' === A second volume of songs was released in March 2015, prior to the beginning of the fifth season of ''Game of Thrones''. This volume again consisted of songs from hip-hop artists, but this time also included contributions from several heavy metal bands. It was released as a free download on iTunes and SoundCloud. ==References==

"'''The Lion and the Rose'''" is the second episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 32nd overall. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels of which the series is an adaptation, and directed by Alex Graves. It aired on April 13, 2014. The episode focuses principally on the long-awaited royal wedding between Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell, which ends tragically as Joffrey dies after drinking poisoned wine at the reception, a plot development that despite being in the books came as a shock to viewers since it abruptly killed the show's principal villain just a few episodes after the Red Wedding had violently killed off several of the show's protagonists. Other storylines include House Bolton's quest to retake the North, and Bran's continued journey north of The Wall. The title refers to the sigils of the wedding couple's respective houses – a lion for Joffrey Baratheon, who is in truth an illegitimate bastard, and a rose for Margaery Tyrell. Off-camera, "The Lion and the Rose" is notable as the last episode Martin wrote for the series. Unlike his previous three episodes, his draft of the screenplay has some major differences from the episode as produced, with more minor characters and detail at the wedding feast. Most significantly, it sets up some plotlines from the books that the series would ultimately not use, such as Ramsay marrying an impostor woman posing as Arya instead of Sansa. It would have also resolved the unanswered question from the show's first season of who had been behind the attempted assassination of Bran Stark by implying more strongly than the books did that it was Joffrey, rather than Littlefinger as the series would suggest several seasons later. ==Plot== ===At the Dreadfort=== Ramsay hunts a woman with the assistance of his servant, Reek (formerly Theon) and his bedwarmer Myranda. Roose and his wife Walda arrive at the Dreadfort. Roose intended to trade Theon to the Ironborn for Moat Cailin, but now is unable to do so because Ramsay castrated Theon. After being informed of what really happened at Winterfell, Roose orders Locke to kill Bran and Rickon, who pose a threat to his new position as Warden of the North. Ramsay suggests that they also kill Jon. Roose orders Ramsay to occupy Moat Cailin. ===Beyond the Wall=== After stopping at wierwood, Bran has strange visions and reveals that he knows where they must go. ===At Dragonstone=== Melisandre orders several men burned at the stake, including Selyse's brother Ser Axell Florent, as a tribute to the Lord of Light. ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion encourages Jaime to train his left hand with Bronn. Varys tells Tyrion that Cersei knows about Shae. Lord Mace Tyrell gives Joffrey a large gold goblet and Tywin gives him second Valyrian steel sword that Tywin had forged. Tyrion orders Bronn to escort Shae to the boat to sail for Essos. After Joffrey and Margaery's wedding ceremony, Jaime tells Loras that if he weds Cersei she would kill him in his sleep. Loras tells him that he knows about their incest. Cersei accuses Brienne of being in love with Jaime. Oberyn and his paramour Ellaria Sand tell Cersei and Tywin that Myrcella is in Dorne. After Joffrey presents a crude play with dwarves depicting the War of the Five Kings, he orders Tyrion to be his cupbearer. Joffrey eats cake that Margaery gives him, drinks wine that Tyrion gives him and begins choking. Dontos tells Sansa to flee with him. Joffrey, before dying, points at Tyrion and Cersei orders Tyrion arrested on charges of poisoning the king. ==Production== ===Writing=== "The Lion and the Rose" was the series' final episode scripted by the author of the original saga, George R. R. Martin. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. This episode was his last contribution to the series. Chapters adapted from ''A Storm of Swords'' to the episode were part of chapter 9 (Bran I), and chapters 59 and 60 (Sansa IV and Tyrion VIII). ====Original draft==== In 2018, ''Vanity Fair'' writer Joanna Robinson compared the episode as aired with an early draft by Martin archived at the Writers Guild of America library in Los Angeles. Unlike the two previous episodes he had written, this draft had significant differences from the produced version. Martin considers it the moment the show began to diverge considerably from the books, whose plotlines it had begun to outpace, and believes this may be why Martin wrote no more for the series. The most significant difference was an earlier, and different, resolution of the Catspaw plot arc, involving who had masterminded the attempted assassination of Bran Stark in season 1, precipitating the War of the Five Kings that dominated the next two seasons, than that ultimately filmed. In Martin's script, after Joffrey is presented with the Valyrian steel sword, reforged from that of the executed Ned Stark's Ice, as a wedding gift by his father, he says "I am no stranger to Valyrian steel." This remark prompts Tyrion Lannister, who was framed for the assassination attempt, to realize that Joffrey was actually behind it (as the books heavily imply); Tyrion then makes remarks to Joffrey, and later Sansa, insinuating that he knows this. Scenes that built on this disclosure remained in the final script. "Had this made it to the screen, Robinson explains, "it would have helped explain why Joffrey is so publicly monstrous to his uncle at his wedding, and also set up Tyrion as a more credible suspect in the Joffrey poisoning plot—he threatened the boy just that morning." Tyrion in Martin's draft is also more violent to Shae when he warns her (honestly, as opposed to the series) that since his father knows why she is in King's Landing, he will have her killed. In Martin's draft, Bran's first vision is more extensive. While it does not include the Night King's first appearance onscreen as it does in the series, it would have been an extensive montage of scenes from the past, present and possible future in the series. Flashbacks would have included scenes of Ned cleaning Ice beneath a weirwood tree from the show's original pilot, Bran's uncle Benjen and Lyanna Stark as children (later shown in a more extensive flashback in season 6), King Aerys watching and laughing as Ned's father and brother are burned and Jaime and Cersei embracing in the old keep at Winterfell just before Bran discovered them. Scenes reflecting the show's present included Jon with Ghost, a bloodied Robb surrounded by the Red Wedding dead, and Arya holding her sword Needle as her face blurs and changes. Possible future images include a dragon's shadow passing over King's Landing, "hints of strange small children with very dark eyes" and a group of four distinctive northern hills behind a very large weirwood. The episode would also have set up some of the plotlines from the books that were not used in the later seasons of the series. Roose Bolton tells Ramsay that he has arranged for him to marry Arya as a way of consolidating the family's hold on the North; a role assigned to Sansa instead in the next season. Several lines were also intended to set up Jaime's trip to the Riverlands, which in the books immediately follows Joffrey's wedding but in the series was largely replaced by Jamie and Bronn's expedition to Dorne to bring Myrcella back to King's Landing. The two characters who take that trip instead in the books, along with many other minor characters from the wedding scenes, were in Martin's draft but eliminated from the produced version as showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were beginning to focus on the more established characters in the later seasons. Robinson believes a note by Martin in the script suggests a different resolution to Ramsay's plot arc in the books, where he is still alive and in power at Winterfell at the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'', in contrast to his death at the end of the sixth season of ''Game of Thrones''. Martin's note told the showrunners that Ramsay's dogs would eventually battle the Stark children's direwolves, so the show should emphasize the former as much as possible to build audience anticipation. However, that never happened onscreen, where all but two of the wolves are dead as of the end of season 7, and seems unlikely in the books. Robinson believes this indicates that Ramsay will have a very different plot arc in the series' two final books. Lesser differences include a more protracted, bloodier death scene for Joffrey as the poison drives him to slash his own face, a more lavish feast, and Theon's appearance as Reek following Ramsay's extensive torture more closely resembling that described in the books, complete with whitened hair and missing fingers, something that would have required more extensive special effects for the remainder of the series, as well as speaking in rhyme. Similarly, the burning of the heretics on the beach at Dragonstone would have demonstrated the power of the Lord of Light, with the bonfires suddenly changing to different colors and apparitions of the now-forgiven dead seen briefly above; the scene would have also foreshadowed Shireen's sacrifice by the same method the next season. The scene where Varys warns Tyrion that Cersei has told Tywin about Shae, a short conversation on a garden path in the finished episode, instead takes place at more length in the Red Keep's dungeons, with Varys dressed as "a denizen of the dungeons" in armor, carrying a whip and wearing a false beard. Martin also wrote that some of the scenes should be shot from an individual character's point of view, much as most of his book chapters are written from the point of view of the character they take their name from. While he admitted that it had been difficult to bring that aspect of his story to the screen, he nevertheless attempted it here, calling for the scene where Ramsay and Myranda chase the woman to her death at the hands of his hounds to be seen from the woman's point of view as she runs and then falls to the ground, then from Theon's as he looks on defeated. The producers did, however, shoot scenes from the point of view of Bran's direwolf Summer, which Robinson notes saved them money since the animals have been expensive to shoot scenes with. ===Casting=== Members of Sigur Rós appeared in the episode. The episode has the introduction of new recurring cast members Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden, and Elisabeth Webster as Walda Frey, Roose Bolton's new bride. Young actor Dean-Charles Chapman takes over the role of Tommen Baratheon as of this episode. In a cameo appearance, the Icelandic band Sigur Rós performed their rendition of "The Rains of Castamere" at King Joffrey's wedding, and again during the credits. With this episode, Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow) is promoted to series regular. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Lion and the Rose" was watched by an estimated 6.31 million people during its first hour. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.651 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.095 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode received unanimous critical acclaim; according to Rotten Tomatoes all 35 reviews aggregated by the website were positive, with an average score of 9.5 out of 10. James Poniewozik at ''Time'' called it "perhaps the best episode" of the series, singling out the protracted wedding sequence for particular praise. Writing for The A.V. Club, Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an "A" grade, calling it "one of the best episodes of this show, and Joffrey’s wedding is one of the best sequences in the whole series." VanDerWerff praised Martin's script as well as the directing by Alex Graves, which she said "smartly creates a real sense of tension throughout the sequence, even when nothing particularly dramatic is going on." In his review for IGN, Matt Fowler gave the episode a 9.4/10 and noted that it "featured a shocking death that was actually an immense crowd-pleaser." TVLine named Jack Gleeson the "Performer of the Week" for his performance in this episode. James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' named it the third best television episode of 2014. ====Awards and nominations==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Alexander Fordham, and Nina Ayres Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Anette Haellmigk Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, and Nicola Mount Gold Derby TV Awards 2014 Best Drama Episode 1st MTV Fandom Awards OMG Moment of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' – The Purple Wedding 2015 Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama George R. R. Martin ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''Two Swords'''" is the fourth season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 31st overall. The episode was written by series co-creators and showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Weiss. It premiered on April 6, 2014. The title of the episode refers to the two swords Tywin Lannister forges from Ice, Ned Stark's large Valyrian steel sword, in the opening sequence. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tywin melts down Stark's greatsword Ice and forges it into two new swords. One is given to Jaime as the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Tywin wants to send Jaime to rule Casterly Rock, but he refuses. Tyrion waits for the arrival of Prince Doran Martell, but his brother Oberyn comes in his stead. Oberyn tells Tyrion that he seeks vengeance for his sister Elia, who was married to Rhaeger and killed by Gregor. Dontos gives Sansa his mother's necklace for saving his life. Shae tries to rebuff her romance with Tyrion, but is overheard by another Sansa's handmaiden. Qyburn gives Jaime a gilded steel hand. Brienne tries to convince Jaime to follow through on his vow to return the Stark girls to safety, but he argues the matter is now complicated following Catelyn's death. Brienne tells Margaery that she didn't kill Renly and vows to kill his killer, Stannis. ===In the North=== Tormund and Ygritte meet with a group of Thenns, led by Styr. ===At Castle Black=== Thorne, now Lord Commander and Janos Slynt, call for Jon to be executed for killing Qhorin, but Aemon releases him. ===In Slaver's Bay=== Daenerys leads her army on the march to Meereen. They discover a dead slave girl pointing the route to Meereen. Jorah tells there is one dead slave child on every mile to Meereen and Daenerys declares that she will see every dead child's face, before burying them. ===In the Riverlands=== Sandor tells Arya that he will ransom her to Lysa. They stop at an inn, where they come across Gregor's men, including Polliver. Sandor kills others, while Arya reclaims Needle from Polliver and kills him. ==Production== "Two Swords" was written and directed by producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. The episode was directed by the writing team itself, although to comply with the rules of the Directors Guild of America only Weiss is credited for directing. They previously co-directed the season three episode "Walk of Punishment", in which Benioff received sole directing credit. ===Writing=== "Two Swords" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George R. R. Martin's original work from his novel ''A Clash of Kings'', chapters Sansa II and Sansa VIII, and ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters Jaime VII, Tyrion V, Tyrion IV, Jon VI, Jon IX, Daenerys V, and Arya XIII. Arya's revenge against Lommy's murderer using the same method of killing was depicted in ''The Winds of Winter'' chapter Mercy. ===Casting=== With this episode, Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) and Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) are promoted to series regulars. The episode has the introduction of new recurring cast members Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell) and Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), while Michiel Huisman replaces Ed Skrein as the recurring character Daario Naharis. Owen Teale (Alliser Thorne), Dominic Carter (Janos Slynt) and Tony Way (Ser Dontos Hollard) make return appearances after an absence of several years (Teale in the first season, Carter and Way in the second). ==Reception== ===Television ratings=== "Two Swords" broke the viewership record for ''Game of Thrones'', which was set by episode six the previous season. 6.64 million people watched the premiere airing, and when coupled with encore airings, that number rose to 8.2 million total viewers. This was at the time HBO's highest ratings for any show since the finale episode of ''The Sopranos'', though it was shortly exceeded. In the UK on Sky Atlantic, "Two Swords" was top in the week with a viewership of 1.21 million. ===Critical reception=== The season premiere obtained a 97% rating from 25 reviews with an average score of 9 out of 10 according to Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewing it for IGN, Matt Fowler gave the episode a mark of 8.5 out of 10, and wrote that "'Two Swords' was a solid GoT premiere, though it certainly didn't hide the fact that the show, post-Red Wedding, is going to possibly meander more than people might enjoy or expect." Two reviews from ''The A.V. Club'' were written, with one intended for those who have read the novels and one for those who have not. Reviewing for the novel readers, Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an "A-", while Erik Adams, who reviewed for the non-readers, rated the episode a "B+". Myles McNutt at ''Cultural Learnings'' also gave the episode a positive review, singling out the final scene with Arya and Sandor as the episode's best sequence. ===Accolades=== The episode was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''Breaker of Chains'''" is the third episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 33rd overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alex Graves. It aired on April 20, 2014. The episode received critical praise overall, but triggered a public controversy as many interpreted the sexual encounter between Jaime and Cersei Lannister as rape. It marks the final appearance of Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon). ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Sansa flees with Dontos while Cersei and Tywin order a search for Sansa. Dontos leads Sansa to a ship, led by Petyr, who kills Dontos and tells Sansa that necklace Dontos gave her was fake and part of the plan. In the Sept, Tywin speaks to Tommen about becoming the king. Cersei grieves for Joffrey. Jaime arrives and Cersei asks him to kill Tyrion, but he refuses. Tywin suspects that Oberyn had a hand in Joffrey's murder and Oberyn accuses Tywin of ordering the Mountain to murder Elia. Tywin offers to have the Mountain speak with Oberyn in exchange for Oberyn serving as one of the three judges in Tyrion's trial. Podrick visits Tyrion in his cell. Tyrion asks Podrick to bring Jaime. ===In the North=== Sam takes Gilly to Mole's Town for her safety. Tormund's wildling group raids a village and Styr forces a young boy, Olly, to run to Castle Black and tell the Night's Watch what they have done. Edd Tollett and Grenn return to Castle Black and inform them that Karl's group is living at Craster's Keep. Jon remembers his lie to Tormund about having 1,000 men guarding the Wall and says they must kill Karl's group before Tormund finds out the truth about the Night's Watch forces. ===At Dragonstone=== Stannis informs Davos that Joffrey is dead and chastises him for releasing Gendry. Davos has Shireen write a message to the Iron Bank of Braavos in Stannis' name. ===In the Riverlands=== Sandor and Arya continue their journey to the Vale. ===Outside Meereen=== Daenerys’ army arrive at Meereen. Jorah informs Daenerys that she must send a champion to fight the Champion of Meereen. Daario is selected and he kills the Champion. Daenerys tells slaves from Meereen that she intends to bring them freedom. ==Production== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Breaker of Chains" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based upon the source material, Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. The controversial Jaime-Cersei scene was adapted from chapter 62 of ''A Storm of Swords'' (Jaime VII). Other content came from chapters Sansa V, Tyrion IX and Daenerys V. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Breaker of Chains" was watched by an estimated 6.6 million people during the first hour. Another 1.6 million watched it on rerun. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.665 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.099 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode was well received by critics, with a 95% rating from 37 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Matt Fowler of IGN wrote that the episode deals "with the direct aftermath of King Joffrey's violent demise, though it also feels like the most bereft of the first three episodes" and that it "ended with a big, grandiose Daenerys moment – though if one were to compare her launching canisters filled with broken shackles over the walls of Meereen to last year's flambéing of Astapor and stealing off with an entire army (which came at the end of episode 4), this moment lacked 'oomph.'" ====Rape scene==== The episode attracted controversy for a scene where Jaime Lannister forces himself upon Cersei Lannister in the Great Sept of Baelor. In the episode, Cersei repeatedly tells Jaime "no", "stop", and "it's not right" while attempting to push him away. In the source novel, however, Cersei initially rejects Jaime's advances but changes her mind, saying "yes", though some readers interpret it as implying rape. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix stated that viewers interpreted the scene as a rape: "Though there aren't comments on these reviews at the moment, the reaction I've seen on Twitter, in emails and on other blogs suggests nobody is agreeing with director Alex Graves' interpretation of the scene and are viewing it as rape, plain and simple." Sandy Hingston of ''Philadelphia'' wrote that the scene had outraged many viewers, but had led others to make "tentative attempts in comments sections to explain why maybe actually this wasn't rape." Critics, including Erik Kain of ''Forbes'', Sonia Saraiya of ''The A.V. Club'', Megan Gibson of ''Time'', Amanda Marcotte of ''Slate'', and Alyssa Rosenberg of the ''Washington Post'', also viewed the scene as rape. The episode's director, Alex Graves, described the scene in an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' as "and then Jaime comes in and he rapes her". In another interview with HitFix, Graves said "it becomes consensual by the end, because anything for Jaime and Cersei ultimately results in a turn-on, especially a power struggle." In an interview with Vulture, Graves further elaborated: "The consensual part of it was that she wraps her legs around him, and she's holding on to the table, clearly not to escape but to get some grounding in what's going on. And also, the other thing that I think is clear before they hit the ground is she starts to make out with him. ... before he rips her undergarment, she's way into kissing him back." Graves stated that it was important for him and others involved with filming the scene to indicate to viewers that the sexual encounter was not completely one-sided, and that he hoped this aspect would not be overlooked. Noting that during filming, "nobody really wanted to talk about what was going on between the two characters", he described the scene as "one of my favorite scenes I've ever done". Others involved with the series also commented on the scene. David Benioff, who co-wrote the episode and serves as showrunner with D. B. Weiss, described the interaction of the two siblings as "a really kind of horrifying scene, because you see, obviously, Joffrey's body right there, and you see that Cersei is resisting this. She's saying no, and he's forcing himself on her. So it was a really uncomfortable scene, and a tricky scene to shoot." George R.R. Martin, author of the novels from which the series is adapted, stated that the dynamic is different between Jaime and Cersei in the show because, as opposed to the books, "Jaime has been back for weeks at the least, maybe longer." He stated that while the setting is the same, "neither character is in the same place as in the books" and that he surmises this "may be why Dan Weiss & David Benioff played the sept out differently." Martin added that he never discussed the scene with them, and that the scene "was always intended to be disturbing... but I regret if it has disturbed people for the wrong reasons." Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who portrays Jaime, said in an interview that while many saw the scene as a brutal rape, "that was obviously never intended. I understand that one can see it as that, but for us it was much more complex." Lena Headey, who portrays Cersei, declined to comment about whether she interpreted the sex as consensual, but said that "it's a very complicated moment for many reasons ... There was this need and it wasn't right and yet it felt great and yet it wasn't right and it played out the way it did. And I was really happy with the scene." To Saraiya, the series' choice to portray this scene as rape appeared to be an act of "exploitation for shock value". Marcotte and Josh Wigler of MTV commented that the rape scene may have damaged Jaime's character's arc of redemption from his earlier crimes, and Marcotte wrote that it might never recover from the rape. Dustin Rowles of ''Salon'' noted that viewers who were previously able to sympathize with Jaime despite his earlier crimes of murder and incest now became angry at the series' creators "for allowing a terrible person to do something more terrible than our minds will allow us to forgive." Andrew Romano of ''The Daily Beast'' opined that the scene "wasn't supposed to be a rape. It was supposed to look consensual. The filmmakers messed up." He cited the fact that "neither the director of the scene nor the two actors who played it seem to think that Jaime raped Cersei—and the story itself is continuing to chug along as if the rape never happened and Jaime is still a character we're supposed to root for." He suggested that viewers "ignore the rape—at least from a narrative perspective" because Benioff and Weiss had "botched" it. In a broader context, Hingston credited the episode with furthering "the furious debate over consent going on in our culture". Laura Hudson of ''Wired'' described the scene and its appraisal by its director as "one that encourages the most dangerous thinking about rape imaginable: that when a woman is held down on the ground, screaming for the man to stop, that deep down inside her she might still really want it." She considered Graves' lack of realization that he was filming a rape scene disturbing because, according to Hudson, his comments encouraged the thinking that a man's persistence might "'turn' a rape into something consensual", and that it is a "dysfunctional, dangerous way of looking at sex and consent, one that is based on the idea of forcing women to give it". ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''First of His Name'''" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 35th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Michelle MacLaren. It aired on May 4, 2014. The title of the episode refers to a phrase used during Tommen Baratheon's coronation as king. A similar style is used by Daenerys Targaryen styling herself Queen in Meereen. Both are the first of their respective names to lay claim to the Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tommen is crowned as king. Cersei decides that Tommen will marry Margaery in fortnight. Tywin tells Cersei that the gold mines in the Westerlands have run dry and that the crown is deeply indebted to the Iron Bank of Braavos, but the union of the houses of Lannister and Tyrell will help rectify this problem. Cersei asks Oberyn to send a ship back to Sunspear as a gift for Myrcella. ===In the Vale=== Petyr and Sansa arrive in the Vale. At the Bloody Gate, Petyr tells Ser Donnel Waynwood that Sansa's name is Alayne, hiding her true identity as she is still wanted in King's Landing for Joffrey's murder. Lysa reveals that she poisoned Jon Arryn and accused the Lannisters in her letter to Catelyn for Petyr. Lysa tells Sansa that once Tyrion is executed, she will marry Robin. ===In Meereen=== Daario tells Daenerys that his forces have taken the Meereenese navy. Jorah tells her that Astapor and Yunkai have fallen back into old habits. Daenerys tells Jorah that instead of sailing to Westeros, she intends to stay for now and rule Slaver's Bay. ===On the Kingsroad=== Brienne and Podrick ride toward the Wall, believing that Sansa is there with Jon. ===In the Riverlands=== Arya reveals that Syrio was killed by Meryn. ===Beyond the Wall=== Jon's group attack Karl's group at Craster's Keep. Locke tries to kidnap Bran, but Bran enters Hodor's mind and kills Locke. Hodor frees Jojen and Meera. Bran wishes to reunite with Jon, but Jojen tells him that Jon will stop their journey. Jon kills Karl. Counting the dead, Edd notices Rast is missing. Rast, having fled to the woods, is killed by Ghost. Jon burns Craster's Keep, at the suggestion of Craster's wives. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "First of His Name" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based upon the source material, Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. Chapters adapted from ''A Storm of Swords'' to the episode were chapters 68 and 71 (Sansa VI and Daenerys VI). It also covers part of the fourth novel, ''A Feast of Crows'': namely chapter 14 (Brienne III). ===Casting=== Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn) and Lino Facioli (Robin Arryn) make return appearances after an absence of several years (since the first season). ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "First of His Name" established a new series high in ratings, with 7.16 million people watching it during its first airing. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.643 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.082 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode received universal acclaim from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of the episode's 40 reviews on the site were positive with an average score of 8.25 out of 10. Its consensus reads: "Only slow by ''Game of Thrones'' standards, "First of His Name" demonstrates how carefully constructed this show has been since season one." Matt Fowler of ''IGN'' gave the episode a 9/10 writing that the episode "gave us a much-needed look back at some past events on the series." He highlighted the revelation that Littlefinger's actions "put the story of the entire series into motion." Erik Adams of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A and praised the writers for their focus on the female characters. ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''The Laws of Gods and Men'''" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 36th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Alik Sakharov. It aired on May 11, 2014. The episode's title refers to Tyrion Lannister's trial for Joffrey Baratheon's murder, as well as the laws of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. ==Plot== ===In Braavos=== Stannis and Davos arrive in Braavos and meet Tycho Nestoris at the Iron Bank. Nestoris agrees to Stannis’ request and grants him funds he needs. Davos tells Salladhor Saan that he has the money Saan was promised and that they will set sail the next day. ===In Meereen=== Daenery's dragon Drogon attacks a group of goats led by a farmer. The farmer presents a bag of charred goat bones to Daenerys and she promises to pay him three times their worth. Hizdahr zo Loraq requests to bury his father, who was one of the Meereenese masters crucified on Daenerys's orders and was against crucifixion of the slave children. Daenerys agrees. ===At the Dreadfort=== Yara and Ironborn soldiers attack the Dreadfort. Yara finds Theon, but he refuses her help and says that his name is Reek, not Theon. Ramsay and his men corner the Ironborn, who return to their boats. ===In King's Landing=== Varys tells Tywin of Daenerys' conquest of Meereen and Tywin decides to take measures to prevent her from launching an invasion. Tyrion's trial begins with Tywin, Mace and Oberyn as judges. Several witnesses are called including Meryn, Pycelle, Cersei and Varys, who all testify against Tyrion. At recess, Jaime tells Tywin that he will go to Casterly Rock and be his heir if Tywin spares Tyrion. He agrees and tells that Tyrion will be sent to Night's Watch after being found guilty of Joffrey's murder. Returning to trial, Shae is called as next witness. She falsely testifies that Tyrion and Sansa planned Joffrey's murder. Tyrion has an outburst against the people of King's Landing and his father and demands a trial by combat.    ==Production== ===Writing=== Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote this episode. "The Laws of Gods and Men" was written by Bryan Cogman, based upon the source material, Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. Chapters adapted from ''A Storm of Swords'' to the episode were chapters 66 and 70 (Tyrion IX and Tyrion X). ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Laws of Gods and Men" was watched by an estimated 6.4 million people during its original broadcast. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.657 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.1 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode received universal acclaim reviews from critics, with most reviewers singling out Tyrion's trial as the highlight of the episode, particularly praising Peter Dinklage's performance. It has received a 95% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 38 reviews with an average score of 9 out of 10. Matt Fowler of IGN called the final scene "one of the best things I’ve seen Tyrion do in a long while. He let a lifetime of hate ooze out of him like never before." ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Fantasy Series Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron 2015 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken'''" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 46th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. The episode polarized critics and viewers for its ending, depicting a violent sexual assault. It received a rating of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was the lowest-rated ''Game of Thrones'' episode until "The Bells" in season 8. Nonetheless, director Jeremy Podeswa received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for this episode. The name of the episode comes from the House Martell motto ''Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken'', words about strength that are put in contrast with the fates of several main characters, especially women, as these take a turn for the worse. ==Plot== ===In Braavos=== The Waif tells Arya that to pass the Game of Faces she must be able to convincingly lie. When a man brings her sick daughter to the temple, so that she can die in peace, Arya lies to her that she was ill like her in the past and gives her the temple's poisoned water to end her suffering. Jaqen takes Arya to a chamber where the Faceless Men store the faces of all the people that have died in the temple and tells her that she is not yet ready to become no one, but she is ready to become someone else. ===In Dorne=== Bronn and Jaime disguise as Dornish guards and infiltrate the Water Gardens to take Myrcella, but are attacked by Sand Snakes. Dornish guards, led by Areo Hotah, arrive and arrest both groups and Ellaria Sand ===On the Valyrian peninsula=== Tyrion tells Jorah that his father Jeor is dead. They are captured by slavers, led by Malko. After hearing that Daenerys reopened the fighting pits, Tyrion convinces the slavers to take them to Meereen, saying that Jorah is an accomplished warrior. ===In King's Landing=== Petyr Baelish arrives in King's Landing and tells Cersei that Sansa will marry Ramsay at Winterfell. He asks her to lead the Knights of the Vale to destroy the victor, after Stannis’ attack on the Boltons and be named Warden of the North. She agrees. Olenna arrives and tells Cersei that her actions have put the Lannister-Tyrell alliance in peril, but Cersei tells her that she had nothing to do with Loras’ arrest. At Loras' holy inquest, the High Sparrow interrogates Loras and Margaery, who both deny that Loras is homosexual. Olyvar testifies against Loras and the Faith Militant arrests Loras and Margaery. ===In Winterfell=== Theon takes Sansa to the Godswood, where she is married to Ramsay. At his chambers, Ramsay orders Sansa to undress and rapes her, to Theon's horror. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series producer Bryan Cogman. This episode was written by the series producer Bryan Cogman, who has written at least one episode in every season of the show. It contains some content from George Martin's novel ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters Arya II, The Queenmaker, Cat of the Canals, and Cersei X and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters the Ugly Little Girl, Tyrion X, and the Prince of Winterfell, though series consultant Elio Garcia describes the portrayal of some of these events as "vastly different" from the original. Like other episodes this season, it also included content and storylines written specifically for the television adaptation. Myles McNutt of ''A.V. Club'' points out that this changes the way the viewers interpret the showrunner's decisions. When describing his opinion of the decision to show Sansa raped by Ramsay on their wedding night (a storyline given to a different character, Jeyne Poole, in the books), he compares the scene to a similar one between Daenerys and Drogo in season one (which was consensual in the novels): "While we could frame the shifted events of Dany and Khal Drogo’s wedding night in light of where we knew Dany’s story was going, here we have no idea what this does to Sansa’s storyline." Most critics questioned the decision to show Sansa raped on her wedding night, but, as ''Business Insider'' pointed out, "The book version of this scene was much, much worse," with Theon ordered, graphically, to participate in Jeyne's mistreatment. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', show writer Bryan Cogman was asked about the decision to decrease the level of violence, responding, "Lord no. ''No-no-no-no-no.'' No. It’s still a shared form of abuse that they have to endure, Sansa and Theon. But it’s not the extreme torture and humiliation that scene in the book is." However, in other ways, the episode veers back to book canon: "Whereas Loras’ arrest suggested the show was replacing Margaery's alleged dalliances with his homosexuality, here the show gradually builds to Margaery's arrest for lying on her brother's behalf." ===Filming=== "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He also directed the previous episode, "Kill the Boy". ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" was watched by 6.24 million American viewers during its first airing. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 8.79 million viewers, and a 4.5 in the 18-49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.285 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.126 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reviews and controversy=== The episode received polarized reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received a 54% approval rating from 50 critics with a rating average of 7.55 out of 10, the lowest of any episode in the series at that time. The critical consensus states: "Unbalanced storytelling and unnecessary, excessive brutality add up to disturbing viewing, although 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' still includes enough plot revelations to offer hope for future episodes." The majority of professional criticism concerned the decision to have Ramsay rape Sansa on their wedding night, with most critics describing the scene as gratuitous and artistically unnecessary. "This grim scene was difficult for the show to justify," said Charlotte Runcie of ''The Daily Telegraph''. Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' added, "this rape scene undercuts all the agency that’s been growing in Sansa since the end of last season. ... I’d never advocate that ''Game of Thrones'' (or any work of fiction) shy away from edgy plots out of fear of pushback or controversy. But edgy plots should always accomplish something above pure titillation or shock value and what, ''exactly'', was accomplished here?" Christopher Orr wrote in ''The Atlantic'', "I continue to be astonished that showrunners Benioff and Weiss still apparently believe that their tendency to ramp up the sex, violence, and—especially—sexual violence of George R.R. Martin’s source material is a strength rather than the defining weakness of their adaptation." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote, "The issue with the show returning to rape as a trope is not simply because there have been thinkpieces speaking out against it, and is not solely driven by the rational concerns lying at the heart of those thinkpieces. It’s also that the show has lost my faith as a viewer." Writers from ''Vanity Fair'', ''The Mary Sue'' and ''The Daily Beast'' all disapproved of the decision to use Sansa's victimization as a motivating agent for Theon, saying that the scene undermined Sansa's character development: "Was it really important to make that scene about Theon's pain?" wrote Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair''. Other critics responded positively to the scene. Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "By involving a multidimensional main character instead of one introduced primarily to suffer, the series has a chance to grant this story the gravity and seriousness it deserves. Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' wrote: "I have repeatedly made clear that I’m not a fan of rape as a plot device – but the story of Ramsay and Sansa’s wedding was more than that. ... The writers are walking a very fine line here. They handled it well tonight, telling a gothic tale of innocence sacrificed". Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote that the scene "managed to maintain a fine balance, employing a dignity and care for the experiences of victims that ''Game of Thrones'' has not always demonstrated." Some critics questioned why this scene in particular should generate outrage when similar scenes have not. Sara Stewart of the ''New York Post'' pointed out that the rape and sexual abuse of both female and male characters is typical for ''Game of Thrones'': "Why are we suddenly so outraged about the rape of Sansa Stark, when this show has served up a steady diet of sexual assault and violence against women since its first season began?" Cathy Young of ''Reason'' magazine, writing in ''Time'' noted what she calls a lack of complaint in response to the sexual mistreatment of male characters in earlier seasons, specifically the literal emasculation of Theon Greyjoy and the sexual assault of Gendry. Criticism of the scene has not extended to the quality of the acting. Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' wrote, "And if we can say one positive thing about that scene it's that Allen nailed his performance. Theon's horror mirrored our own and the camera—focusing on his reaction—let our minds fill in the blanks." Sophie Turner defended the scene as an artistic challenge for herself as an actor, saying, "When I read that scene, I kinda loved it. I love the way Ramsay had Theon watching. It was all so messed up. It’s also so daunting for me to do it. ... I think it's going to be the most challenging season for me so far, just because it's so emotional for her. It’s not just crying all the time, like seasons 2 or 3, it’s super messed up." She had since gone on to interview for the DailyMail about it and that the scene had inspired her to work for organizations to stop violence against women and to help underprivileged girls and women in Africa in similar situations. Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) agreed, referring to Turner's performances this season as "absolutely amazing." Some viewers, including U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, announced that they would stop watching the show because of this scene. According to ''Business Insider'', this scene and increased use of streaming services are likely reasons why ratings dropped from 6.2 million viewers for this episode to 5.4 million for the next episode, "The Gift." However, there is some question as to how much of this drop is attributable to its Memorial Day weekend air date. Rebecca Martin of ''Wetpaint'' maintains that the air date was probably the only reason for the decrease in ratings. The season two episode "Blackwater," which also aired on Memorial Day, also suffered a notable drop in ratings. No episode was aired on Memorial Day weekend in either season three or season four. Whatever the reason, the ratings for the episode after "The Gift," "Hardhome," were higher than those of both previous episodes. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jeremy Podeswa Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Gregory Middleton Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron 2016 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton ==References== ==External links== * "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Gift'''" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 47th overall. The episode was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik, his directorial debut for the series. This episode marks the final appearance for Peter Vaughan (Maester Aemon). ==Plot== ===At the Wall=== Jon leaves for Hardhome with Tormund and some rangers, in spite of Ser Alliser's complaints. Before they leave, Sam gives Jon a bag of dragonglass weapons, reminding him of their use against the White Walkers. Sam and Gilly visit Maester Aemon, who has fallen ill and dies at nightfall. In the morning, Sam eulogizes him before lighting his funeral pyre. Afterward, Gilly is attacked in the dining hall by two brothers. Sam attempts to intervene and is badly beaten before Jon's wolf, Ghost, scares off the brothers. Gilly tends to Sam and the two have sex. ===At Winterfell=== Reek brings food to Sansa, who has been imprisoned in her bedchamber by Ramsay. She begs for him to help, asking him to light a candle at the top of the broken tower, the aim of which is to send a signal to Stark sympathizers to rescue her. Instead, Reek tells Ramsay, who reacts by flaying and killing the old lady from whom Sansa learned the signal. As Ramsay is talking to Sansa, however, she discreetly steals a corkscrew from the top of a barrel. Meanwhile, Brienne and Podrick wait out in the snow for the signal, to no avail. ===In the North=== Stannis' troops have made a camp and are trapped by the snowstorm. Davos Seaworth meets with Stannis and tells him that supplies, as well as horses, have been lost to the winter. The Stormcrows, a group of 500 sellswords, have abandoned the camp during the night. Davos suggests returning to Castle Black, but Stannis replies that doing so could delay them for years, since winters in Westeros can last for years at a time. After Davos leaves, Stannis asks Melisandre if she is sure of his victory. Melisandre assures him that she saw a vision of Stannis winning, but she asks for permission to sacrifice his daughter Shireen to the Red God. Stannis is disgusted and refuses, and dismisses Melisandre. ===In Meereen=== Jorah is sold by the slave traders to a Meereenese man, Yezzan zo Qaggaz, who is looking for fighters for the upcoming games at Meereen. Before Yezzan leaves, Tyrion convinces Yezzan to purchase him as well by showing fighting prowess by attacking with a chain a slave herder who had been whipping Tyrion. Daenerys and Daario discuss her pending marriage to Hizdahr zo Loraq. Daario advises her to kill all of Meereen's nobles when the fighting pits get re-opened, but she declines. Yezzan takes his fighters to Meereen, where they fight in front of Daenerys. When Jorah realizes that Daenerys is present, he enters the pits and easily defeats the other fighters before revealing his identity to Daenerys, who orders he be taken out of her sight. Jorah tells her he brought her a gift, and Tyrion enters the arena, where he reveals his identity to a stunned Daenerys. ===In Dorne=== Myrcella is brought to speak with Jaime, and asks why he came to take her back to King's Landing, when what she wants is to stay and marry Trystane. In the cells, Bronn is taunted by Tyene Sand exposing her breasts to him, before learning that her daggers, with which he'd been cut during their fight, had been coated with a slow-acting poison that would activate when his heart rate increased. He slowly succumbs to the poison, but Tyene gives him the antidote after he gives in to her request that he call her the most beautiful woman in the world. ===In King's Landing=== In the Sept of Baelor, Olenna meets with the High Sparrow to discuss the imprisonment of her grandchildren, Loras and Margaery. She demands that he release them, but he declines, stating they will be punished for their crimes. The High Sparrow tells her that the laws of the Faith must be applied to everyone equally. Olenna first tries to bribe him, but upon seeing that he cannot be bought, threatens to end the Tyrell support for the capital by stopping shipments of food. The High Sparrow remains unfazed. He counters that she and the rest of the nobility are outnumbered by the smallfolk, and tells her to consider what will come when the smallfolk stop fearing the nobility. On her way out, Olenna receives a letter from Petyr Baelish. In the Red Keep, Tommen anguishes over his inability to help Margaery. Cersei offers to speak with the High Sparrow for him, and advocate for Margaery and Loras's release. Petyr meets with Olenna in his ransacked brothel, where they share a tense conversation. Olenna reminds Petyr of the role they both played in Joffrey's murder, and warns that, should her house fall, she won't keep his involvement a secret. In the Sept, Cersei meets with Margaery and brings her food, but Margaery refuses and angrily orders her mother-in-law to leave, knowing full well that she was responsible for imprisoning both her and Loras. Cersei then meets with the High Sparrow, and after a brief discussion on Margaery and Loras, he reveals that her cousin Lancel has informed against her regarding a sin she has committed. Cersei tries to leave but is stopped by a tall septa, who proceeds to lock Cersei in a cell. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. This episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series' creators. It contains content from George R. R. Martin's novels ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters Samwell II, Samwell IV, and Cersei X and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters The King's Prize, Tyrion X, and Daenerys IV. Like other episodes in season 5, this episode differed considerably from Martin's novels in places. Aemon's death takes place at Castle Black rather than at sea, which Myles McNutt of ''A.V. Club'' notes, "establishes a shifting of the guard at Castle Black and marking Sam’s reemergence as a more significant character." In what Sara Stewart of the ''New York Post'' calls "the biggest departure yet from the books," Tyrion actually meets Daenerys at the end of the episode, which has yet to happen as of ''A Dance with Dragons''. The decision was largely approved by critics from ''The Atlantic'' and other publications. David Benioff cited the television adaptation's faster pace as part of the rationale behind this decision. ===Filming=== Miguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his first episode for the series. "The Gift" was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It was his first time being a director for ''Game of Thrones''; he also directed the subsequent episode, "Hardhome". ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Gift" was watched by 5.5 million and a 2.5 in the key 18–49 demographic during the its first airing. This is significantly fewer viewers than the previous episode, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", which had an audience of 6.2 million. According to ''Business Insider'', likely causes for the lower ratings include backlash from the rape scene in "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", in response to which many fans announced they would stop watching the show, and increased use of streaming through HBO Now. Rebecca Martin of ''Wetpaint'', however, maintains that the Memorial Day weekend air date was probably the only reason for the decrease in ratings. The season two episode "Blackwater", which also aired on Memorial Day weekend, also suffered a notable drop in ratings. Whatever the reason, the ratings for the episode immediately after "The Gift", "Hardhome", were higher than those of either "The Gift" or "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken". With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 8.87 million viewers, and a 4.5 in the 18–49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.293 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.176 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reviews=== The episode received very positive reviews. It scored 91% on Rotten Tomatoes from 32 reviews with a rating average of 7.9 out of 10 and the consensus reading: "'The Gift' is a jam-packed installment that delivers long-awaited plot turns in a satisfying manner, even though it continues a disturbing theme from the previous episode." Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' called this a "terrific, exciting, tense episode," though, like Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'', he questioned both the "anemic" Dorne storyline and the gratuitousness of Tyene exposing her breasts in the prison scene. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''The Red Woman'''" is the sixth season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 51st overall. The episode was written by series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. The body of Jon Snow is discovered by Ser Davos Seaworth and loyal members of the Night's Watch protect his lifeless body; Melisandre has begun to lose her faith in the Lord of Light; Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy flee Winterfell, Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes seize control of Dorne; Jaime Lannister returns to King's Landing with the body of his dead daughter; and Daenerys Targaryen is taken prisoner by the khalasar of Khal Moro. "The Red Woman" was positively received by critics who found the episode to be a satisfactory launching point for the season, and praising the scenes involving Sansa and Brienne, as well as the closing reveal with Melisandre, although the Dorne storyline was criticized once again for feeling too abrupt and deviating greatly from the books. For filming of the episode's closing reveal, the director used similar technique to the body double of Cersei Lannister in the previous episode. The episode title is an allusion to the epithet used to describe the Red Priestess Melisandre. In the United States, the episode premiere achieved a viewership of 7.94 million in its initial broadcast, and a same-day total including the streaming services HBO Go and HBO Now of 10.7 million viewers, a record for the series. ==Plot== ===In the North=== At Winterfell, Ramsay Bolton mourns the death of Myranda, but commands that her corpse be fed to the hounds. Roose Bolton warns him that, despite their victory, they could be facing the wrath of the Lannisters in the future, and as such, they must secure the loyalty of the North's other nobles. Roose blames Ramsay for losing Sansa Stark, who, as a child of Eddard Stark, could have been used as a figurehead for the North. Roose implies that he will disinherit Ramsay if he cannot retrieve her and if Roose's unborn child with Walda is a son. Meanwhile, Sansa and Theon Greyjoy flee through the nearby forests. Upon being cornered by a squad of Bolton soldiers, they are rescued by Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne, who kill the soldiers. Brienne again offers to pledge her loyalty to Sansa, who accepts. ===In Dorne=== Doran Martell receives news of Myrcella Baratheon's death and is aghast, but he and Areo Hotah are immediately murdered by Ellaria Sand and Tyene Sand, while the palace guards look on without intervening. Ellaria states that his people have become dissatisfied with Doran's inaction against the Lannisters. As Doran dies, he pleads for his son Trystane's life, but Ellaria vows that "weak men" will never rule Dorne again. ===In King's Landing=== Jaime Lannister arrives in King's Landing bearing Myrcella's body, and returns to Cersei Lannister. Cersei recounts Maggy the Frog's prophecy that all her children would die before her and she would be left with nothing. Jaime promises that they will have revenge against all who have wronged the Lannisters, heightening the importance of his and Cersei's staying close. Across the city, Margaery Tyrell, who is still held captive by the Faith Militant, converses with the High Sparrow, but he refuses to give her information about her brother Loras. In his ship, still docked in the harbor, Trystane is painting stones for Myrcella's funeral. Obara and Nymeria Sand board his ship and enter his cabin, stating their intent to kill him. Despite proclaiming that he does not want to fight his family, he attempts to defend himself from Nymeria but is stabbed through the back of the head by Obara. ===In Meereen=== Tyrion Lannister and Varys walk through the streets, which are largely empty because of Daenerys Targaryen' absence and fear of the Sons of the Harpy. Tyrion observes that Daenerys' enemies are growing, including former slaves and former masters. Varys promises that his spies will find the leader of the Sons of the Harpy. The two discover that someone has set fire to all of the ships in Meereen's harbor, and Tyrion realizes that Daenerys' forces will be unable to sail to Westeros. ===In the Dothraki Sea=== Daario Naharis and Jorah Mormont continue to trace Daenerys' location. Jorah takes a moment to observe his worsening greyscale. They discover her ring in the middle of thousands of hoof-prints, deducing that she has been taken by the Dothraki. Daenerys is presented to Khal Moro, who has taken her prisoner. Moro initially wishes to rape her, but treats her with respect after Daenerys explains that she was Khal Drogo's wife. Daenerys asks Moro to escort her back to Meereen, but he refuses to let her leave, as widows of Khals must live out their lives in Vaes Dothrak, the Dothraki's sacred city. ===In Braavos=== Arya Stark, now blinded, is sent to beg on the streets. The Waif suddenly appears and forces Arya to duel her using a wooden staff. Arya fails because of her blindness, and the Waif promises that she will return the following day. ===At the Wall=== Following the murder of Jon Snow, his direwolf Ghost begins to howl as the sun rises above Castle Black, attracting the attention of Davos Seaworth, Eddison Tollett, and a few other loyalists. They release Ghost from his nearby pen and take Jon's body into a store-room. Melisandre briefly visits and is troubled, as she had experienced a vision in the flames of Jon fighting at Winterfell. The loyalists become fearful and also lock themselves in from the mutineers, with the exception of Edd, who sneaks out of Castle Black to get assistance from the Wildlings against the mutineers. Ser Alliser Thorne convenes the other black brothers and takes responsibility for Jon's murder. Several black brothers accuse Thorne and the other officers of treason, but Thorne wins them over by citing Jon's actions and stating that Jon would have destroyed the Night's Watch by letting in the Wildlings. Thorne and the other mutineers then surround the store-room and promise Jon's friends amnesty if they surrender, but threaten to attack if they don't open the door by nightfall. Elsewhere, Melisandre, who has been sullen following Stannis's defeat and Jon's death, goes to sleep in her bedroom. As she undresses, she removes her ruby necklace, which proves to be enchanted, as she is revealed to have a physical body many decades older than she normally appears. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss wrote the episode. "The Red Woman" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Some elements in the episode are based on the sixth novel in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, ''The Winds of Winter'', which author George R. R. Martin had hoped to have completed before the sixth season began airing. It also contains elements from the chapters "The Sacrifice" and "The Blind Girl" from ''A Dance with Dragons''. With this episode, Jonathan Pryce (High Sparrow) is promoted to series regular. The episode has the introduction of new recurring cast member Joe Naufahu, who plays Khal Moro. It was the first episode followed by ''After the Thrones'', HBO's after-show hosted by Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan. The episode had a premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre two weeks before the premier of the episode on HBO. There was a lot of speculation prior to the episode regarding whether the character Jon Snow would remain dead or return to life. Fans speculated that Melisandre would be the one to bring back Snow to life, after and before the title of the first episode was revealed to be "The Red Woman". Liam Cunningham, who portrays Davos Seaworth, spoke about the writing of the episode following its airing, and revealed how he reacted to the scene, saying "It was initially shocking. You know what I thought was my favorite bit, and I said it to David and Dan, it was at that moment when the reveal comes and you kind of go, 'Oh my God,' it puts things into context with Melisandre. It doesn't explain or blah, blah, blah. … It's confirmed like, she's a witch, but there was such a touch of humanity. When she went to the bed and got into the bed and covered herself up… it was like a really striking moment in this weird madness of humanity." John Bradley, who portrays Samwell Tarly, also spoke about the scene, saying "And what I like about that, and seeing her like that is you know then that her sexuality over the course of the last few seasons, we've seen her use as such a tool -- that's all very deliberate. She presents herself in this way as this beautiful woman because she knows the effect that that can have on people. She knows the effect that that has on Stannis, and that can make men do unadvisable things. So the fact that she did that and she uses that power in that way to have this influence on people. That puts her into context as somebody who really does know what she's doing." ===Filming=== Carice van Houten portrays the titular character of the episode, the Red Woman Melisandre. "The Red Woman" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. Podeswa previously directed the fifth season episodes "Kill the Boy" and "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", the latter of which received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. The budget for the sixth season increased compared to the previous seasons as each episode had an average cost of over $10 million, totaling approximately $100 million for the full season, setting a new high for the series. For the closing reveal involving Melisandre, the director of the episode stated that a similar technique to the body double of Cersei Lannister in "Mother's Mercy" was used, with Carice van Houten wearing prosthetic makeup for the face that was then transposed onto the real body of an old woman. Podeswa stated, "The idea is there's an indefinite indeterminate quality that she could be ancient. We were limited by choosing to use a real person rather than a complete creation. Because what does a 400-year-old person look like? We don't know. So if you try to create that, then you're creating something that looks beyond our known reality. Here you feel like she's very old without putting a number on it." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Red Woman" was viewed by 7.94 million American households on its first viewing, which is slightly lower than number of viewers for the fifth-season premiere, 8.00 million, marking the first time in the show's history a season premiere received less ratings than the premiere and finale of the season that came before it. HBO notes that two replays later in the night and early figures from HBO Go and HBO Now push the total to 10.7 million viewers, a same-day record for the show, meaning that the episode received an increase in viewerships. The episode also acquired a 4.0 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was watched by 2.19 million viewers according to overnight ratings (2.289 million viewers over 7 days and 2.554 over 28 days), a record for the pay channel Sky Atlantic. The UK viewing figures reached an all-time high. The 2am simulcast attracted 60,000 viewers. Similarly it broke the Australian record as the most watched show on pay TV, with 721,000 viewers in the overnight figures and 1.1 million in the final tally. Over a million had downloaded the episode within 12 hours of airing, with Australia having the most illegal downloads of the episode by a single nation. ===Critical reception=== Reviews for "The Red Woman" were very positive. The episode was praised for its humor, Brienne's reunion with Sansa and Theon, and the revelation regarding Melisandre's true age. Rotten Tomatoes assembled 38 reviews and calculated an approval percentage of 86% with an average rating of 7.6/10, and the consensus reading: "A solid season opener, The Red Woman balanced its ongoing mysteries with a bit of humor and featured Sansa's touching reunion with Brienne of Tarth." James Hunt of ''What Culture'' wrote in his review of the episode; "It was a good return to the Seven Kingdoms (and beyond), one that was filled with tension throughout, and set about re-establishing the pieces on the board." Ellen Gray of ''Philadelphia Daily News'' noted in her review of the episode; "First episodes are always difficult. So many people to check in on. Or kill. Or swear vengeance upon. Still, things are off to several promising starts." Mark W. Pleiss of ''PopMatters'' wrote in his review of the episode; "The most recent episode of HBO's Game of Thrones largely evaded the two major questions from the previous chapter, and instead lined up its sixth season to gravitate around the heroics and cunning of its female protagonists." Tim Surette of ''TV.com'' wrote that Melisandre is one of his favorite characters. In isolation from the rest of the episode, many critics were baffled by the drastic changes to the Dorne storyline. For io9, Charlie Jane Anders called it "the absolute worst" part of the episode, and criticized the Dorne storyline in general for giving Doran Martell "a grand total of ten minutes' screentime" before suddenly killing him off, given that he is alive in the novels and his major subplot from the books - that he was simply ''feigning'' a desire for peace while planning to betray the Lannisters - was not introduced at all before his departure. Alan Sepinwall from HitFix also disliked the Dorne scenes and summarized, "I'll settle for not needing to audibly groan every time the story returns to Dorne, frankly." For Vulture, Nate Jones wrote an op-ed piece specifically criticizing the Dorne storyline in seasons five and six, culminating in the changes in the season six premiere, which it felt to be bizarre and illogical - purely relying on shock value when the characters' actions don't make sense upon closer analysis. Jones was also critical of how it was altering the female characters in Dorne, saying that they were changed from the novels to be "the kind of violent, scantily clad women that emerge when creators want to pay lip service to feminism, but don't have the time or inclination to create actual three-dimensional female characters." ==References== ==External links== * "The Red Woman" at HBO.com * *

"'''A Man Without Honor'''" is the seventh episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The episode is written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed, for the second time in this season, by David Nutter. It premiered on May 13, 2012. The name of the episode comes from Catelyn Stark's assessment of Ser Jaime Lannister: "You are a man without honor," after he kills a member of his own family to attempt escape. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Sansa awakens from a nightmare to find she has had her first period, meaning she can bear Joffrey’s children. Shae tries to help conceal the blood, but discovers the Hound has seen the sheet. Cersei tells Sansa it will be impossible to love Joffrey. Tyrion tells Cersei his doubts about Joffrey's plan to repel Stannis’ fleet. Cersei confesses her belief that Joffrey is punishment for her incest with Jaime. ===Beyond the Wall=== Jon searches for his companions, and captive Ygritte tells him life would be better with the wildlings. She teases his sexual inexperience, but he rebuffs her advances. Ygritte escapes, and Jon is unable to find her until she reveals he is surrounded by wildlings. ===At Harrenhal=== Tywin orders Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane to find Lorch's killer, believing the murder was an attempt on his own life. Dining with Arya, Tywin deduces she is highborn and advises her to hide her status more carefully. ===In the Westerlands=== Robb hears Alton Lannister's unfavorable reply to the peace terms brought to Cersei and, with his prisons full, orders Alton placed with Jaime. Talisa agrees to accompany Robb to the Crag for medical supplies. Jaime kills Alton to draw the jailer, Torrhen Karstark, into the pen, strangling him before fleeing. Jaime is recaptured, and Lord Rickard Karstark demands his head for murdering his son, but Catelyn delays the execution until Robb’s return. Confronting Jaime, Catelyn calls him "a man without honor", and Jaime bitterly explains the contradictions he faced in his vows as a knight. He provokes Catelyn, who asks for Brienne's sword. ===In Qarth=== Daenerys has difficulty trusting Xaro, who claims he did not take her dragons. Vowing to find them, Jorah confronts the shadowbinder Quaithe. At a meeting of the Thirteen, Pyat Pree tells Daenerys that he has her dragons in the “House of the Undying”. Xaro proclaims himself King of Qarth as Pree, having multiplied himself around the room, assassinates the remaining Thirteen, and Daenerys flees with Jorah and Kovarro. ===At Winterfell=== Realizing Osha has fled with Bran, Rickon, and Hodor, Theon beats Lorren for challenging him and hunts for the fugitives against Maester Luwin’s wishes, following the trail of Bran and Rickon. Returning from the hunt, Theon reveals the charred remains of two children as a public warning. Luwin cries out in horror for Bran and Rickon, while Theon struggles to hide his guilt. == Production == === Writing === The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was written by producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, their fourth of six scripts for the second season. This episode adapts content from the second novel, ''A Clash of Kings'', chapters Theon IV, Sansa IV and parts of Catelyn V and Catelyn VII. == Reception == === Ratings === "A Man Without Honor" was watched by 3.69 million American households in its initial telecast on HBO. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.935 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. === Critical reception === The episode received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 12 reviews of the episode and judged 92% of them to be positive, with an average score of 8.85 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Quieter and more meditative than previous episodes, 'A Man Without Honor' is bolstered by incredible performances and a welcome return to an unlikely but surprisingly satisfying onscreen duo." IGN's Matt Fowler gave the episode a 9 out of 10, noting that "While ''A Man Without Honor'' didn't have as many big, striking scenes as some of the past few episodes, it made up for its lack of face-melting moments with some absolutely fantastic one-on-one scenes." The A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff gave it an A-. == References == == External links == * "A Man Without Honor" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Prince of Winterfell'''" is the eighth episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The episode is written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed, for the third time in this season, by Alan Taylor. It premiered on May 20, 2012. The title of the episode refers to Theon Greyjoy as ruler of Winterfell after disposing of the Stark children. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion and Bronn plan the defense of King's Landing with the aid of old texts. When Tyrion is accused of plotting to kill King Joffrey, Cersei mistakenly kidnaps Ros instead of Shae, and Tyrion swears to Cersei that she will pay for her actions. Joffrey's inexperience and arrogance leave Tyrion fearful for the coming battle. Varys informs Tyrion that Daenerys is alive with three dragons. ===At sea=== Planning the siege of King's Landing, Stannis and Davos reminisce about Robert's Rebellion. Stannis remains bitter that Renly was given Storm's End, and vows to make Davos his Hand once he takes the Iron Throne. ===At Harrenhal=== As Tywin departs to face Robb's army, Arya is unable to find Jaqen H'ghar in time for him to kill Tywin, and instead forces him to help her escape. That night, Jaqen kills the castle's guards, allowing Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie to escape. ===In the Westerlands=== Robb returns from the Crag with Talisa to learn Jaime has escaped. Catelyn admits that Brienne is escorting Jaime to King's Landing to trade for Sansa and Arya, and Robb has Catelyn placed under guard. Roose Bolton assures Robb that Bolton's bastard son is nearing Winterfell; Robb orders mercy be shown to any Ironborn except Theon to persuade Theon's men to betray him. Robb confesses to Talisa that he does not want to marry Frey's daughter, and they consummate their mutual attraction. ===Beyond the Wall=== Ygritte and her companions present Jon to the Lord of Bones, whom she convinces to spare Jon's life, saying Mance Rayder will want to meet Eddard Stark's bastard. Captured Qhorin Halfhand tells Jon to “defect” to Mance's army to learn his plans. At the Fist of the First Men, Sam and Grenn discover an ancient Night's Watch cloak, containing a strange horn and a cache of dragonglass weapons. ===In Qarth=== Daenerys refuses to flee Qarth for Astapor without her dragons, and Jorah reluctantly takes her to the House of the Undying. ===At Winterfell=== Theon orders the messenger ravens killed to conceal Bran and Rickon's deaths. Yara Greyjoy arrives to bring Theon home, but he refuses to abandon Winterfell. Following Osha to the crypts beneath Winterfell, Maester Luwin discovers Bran and Rickon are alive. Luwin deduces Theon's men murdered a farming family and burned their sons in the Stark boys' stead, which Bran overhears. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was written by producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the original work of George R. R. Martin. "The Prince of Winterfell" adapts the content of chapters Arya IX, Tyrion XII, Theon V (48, 55 and 57) from ''A Clash of Kings'', and also parts Jaime I and Catelyn I (2 and 3) from ''A Storm of Swords''. Among the added material there are the relationship between Talisa and Robb (which in the books happen offscreen and in an entirely different context) and the Qarth plot (which is still only loosely based on the books). Other changes include Arya using her third "death" to flee Harrenhal instead of contributing to the fall of the castle to Bolton's Northmen, revealing the hidden cache of “dragonglass” found after Jon's departure, and having the wildlings capture Qhorin Halfhand alive. ===Casting=== Edward Dogliani joins the guest cast of the show playing the wildling leader Rattleshirt, also known as "the Lord of Bones." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The first airing of "The Prince of Winterfell" matched the series high ratings with 3.86 million viewers and a 2.0 share among the 18–49 demographic. The second airing brought an additional 1.04 million viewers and a 0.5 share. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.892 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== The episode received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 12 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.25 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though it's mostly concerned with moving its pieces into position before the finale, 'The Prince of Winterfell' is a pleasantly subdued episode that makes the most of its character moments." The A.V. Club gave it a B+. IGN gave it a rating of 8 out of 10. ===Accolades=== This episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series. == References == ==External links== * "The Prince of Winterfell" at HBO.com * *

"'''Blackwater'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The episode is written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels of which the series is an adaptation, and directed by Neil Marshall, his directorial debut for the series. The entire episode is dedicated to the climactic Battle of the Blackwater, in which the Lannister army, commanded by acting Hand of the King Tyrion Lannister, defends the city of King's Landing as King Stannis Baratheon's fleet stages an attack at Blackwater Bay. Unlike all previous episodes, "Blackwater" does not follow the parallel storylines of the characters outside of King's Landing. The episode received a largely positive response and was the recipient of the prestigious Hugo Award, winning one for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form). ==Plot== Davos leads Stannis' fleet into Blackwater Bay. Grand Maester Pycelle gives Cersei a poison to use should Stannis take the city. Outside the Red Keep, Bronn's carousing is soured by the Hound; their tension is interrupted by bells, indicating Stannis' fleet has been spotted. Varys brings Tyrion a map of tunnels beneath King's Landing. King Joffrey leads his forces from the Red Keep and orders Sansa to kiss his sword, vowing to use it to slay Robb. The noble ladies and children are interned at Maegor's Holdfast under Ser Ilyn Payne's watch. Cersei drunkenly mocks Sansa's innocence, warning she will be raped should the city fall. Stannis' fleet is confronted by a single unmanned ship, which Davos realizes too late is a trap; the ship, rigged with explosive "wildfire", kills scores of Stannis' men, seemingly including Davos and his son Matthos. Stannis orders his surviving army to attack the vulnerable Mud Gate. The defenders are routed; Lancel, injured, retreats to the Holdfast, while the Hound succumbs to his childhood fear of fire and deserts. Stannis himself storms the battlements as his men employ a battering ram. Cersei nearly learns Shae's true origins, while Sansa realizes Ser Ilyn's orders: to kill the Holdfast's residents if the city falls. Cersei orders Lancel to bring Joffrey to safety; frightened, Joffrey orders Ser Mandon Moore take command. Tyrion rouses the defenders and leads them through a tunnel from Varys' map, flanking the Baratheons. Lancel demands the king return to battle, causing Cersei to assault him and depart with Prince Tommen. Sansa rallies the panicked ladies but is convinced by Shae to flee to her quarters, where the Hound offers to take her north; Sansa's decision remains unclear. Tyrion's men defeat the surprised Baratheon forces before facing a larger group of Stannis' men. Tyrion is slashed across the face by Ser Mandon, who is killed by Tyrion's squire, Podrick Payne. On the Iron Throne, Cersei tells Tommen a story about "the mother lion and her little cub", referencing House Lannister and Cersei's relationship with her children. As Tyrion falls unconscious, he witnesses a surprise cavalry assault on Stannis’ army, led by Tywin. Stannis unsuccessfully orders his men to stand their ground as he is dragged to safety. Cersei, about to give Tommen the poison, is startled by Ser Loras Tyrell, wearing Renly Baratheon's armor, and Tywin, who declares they have won. ==Production== The DVD and Blu-ray box sets of ''Game of Thrones''s second season contain a 30-minute feature covering the production of the episode. ===Conception and development=== "Blackwater" depicts the series' first large-scale war sequence, the confrontation between the Baratheons and the Lannisters towards which the whole season builds. In the episode's first drafts, the battle took place offscreen for budgetary reasons, and viewers would have experienced it mostly through the eyes of Cersei Lannister and Sansa Stark, ensconced in Maegor's Holdfast while the battle rages outside. Eventually, showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss convinced HBO to approve a "considerable" increase in the series's budget in order to stage the battle on screen. With their still-limited resources, the show's producers decided not to attempt to create spectacular mass scenes similar to that of ''The Lord of the Rings''s Battle of Helm's Deep, but rather to focus on the infantryman's perspective, hampered as he is by the fog of war. They said that this also allows the series to draw on its viewers' empathy for the battle's participants, with whom viewers are already much more familiar than the audience of a typical two-hour movie. They resisted pressure to stage the battle exclusively on land, avoiding the problems of shooting on water, because they considered the naval confrontation to be essential to the series's principal storyline. ===Writing=== "Blackwater" was scripted by the author of the original saga: George R. R. Martin. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels on which the series is based. For this episode Martin adapted material from chapters 58 to 63 (Sansa V, Davos III, Tyrion XIII, Sansa VI, Tyrion XIV, and Sansa VII) of his novel ''A Clash of Kings''. Martin said that "Blackwater" was much harder to write than the episode he wrote for the show's first season, "The Pointy End", because he was forced to weigh budget restrictions against the huge scope of the battle he described in the novels. ===Filming=== English director Neil Marshall was aware of ''Game of Thrones'' from trailers and, given his experience with action and horror films, had unsuccessfully sought a directing role. About a week before shooting was to start, the episode's planned director had to leave the production because of a personal emergency, and a replacement had to be found quickly. Benioff and Weiss settled on Marshall on the basis of his work on ''Centurion'' and ''Dog Soldiers'', where he created intensive action sequences on a limited budget. Marshall began filming after two weeks of preparation, which included watching the show's first season. He avoided watching the Battle of Helm's Deep in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' as it was, according to Marshall, "an obvious comparison." He did, however, study such films as ''The Vikings'' and ''Kingdom of Heaven''. Benioff and Weiss described the episode's filming as "pretty much a month straight of night shoots." The cold and wet climate of Belfast was so uncomfortable for actors and extras, they said that their exhaustion from battle was no act, and weather machines were not required to simulate the wind and rain. The episode also has far more visual effects shots than any other. The special-effects department developed a catapult that fired bags of burning green napalm for the wildfire explosion, but decided to instead color regular fire green in post-production. Marshall took credit for many scenes of gore during the battle that the script did not describe in detail. ===Music=== The song sung by the Lannister soldiers before the battle and played over the end credits, "The Rains of Castamere", was adapted from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by the series's composer Ramin Djawadi. The end credits version was performed by the American indie rock band The National, and sung by their vocalist Matt Berninger. The song also appeared in at least two earlier episodes, in which Tyrion can be heard whistling the melody. According to the novels, the song is about Tywin Lannister's victory over vassals led by House Reyne of Castamere, who had rebelled against House Lannister, about 40 years before the events of the novels. The stanza of the song that was adapted for the series tells of the vassals' defiance-–"And who are you, the proud lord said / That I must bow so low?"–-and the subsequent obliteration of their houses: "But now the rains weep o'er his hall / With no one there to hear." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== In its premiere night, the episode had 3.38 million viewers for its first airing at 9:00 pm, and an additional 0.83 million viewers for the repeat at 11:00. Viewer shares among the 18–49 demographic were 1.6 and 0.4 respectively. This represented a decrease of 13% from the series record viewership figures reached by the previous week's episode, "The Prince of Winterfell". James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly attributed this to the premiere's coincidence with the Memorial Day holiday, which often reduces TV viewership by about 20%. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.035 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Blackwater" received critical acclaim and is generally cited as one of the best in the series. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 13 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive, with an average score of 9.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reading, "GoT delivers a thrilling tour de force in 'Blackwater,' an epic hour of blockbuster television full of spectacular battle sequences and equally powerful drama." Many reviewers used superlatives: for ''Time''s reviewer, the episode was "possibly the best hour of TV" of the year, for ''Rolling Stone'' it was "the show's best episode yet", and ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as "arguably the best battle sequence ever produced for television", surpassing those in HBO's World War II series ''Band of Brothers'' and ''The Pacific''. IGN's Matt Fowler gave the episode a perfect 10 out of 10, calling it a masterpiece. Alan Sepinwall, who reviewed the episode for HitFix, called it "an epic battle, and an intimate hour" and continued "but what ultimately made Blackwater so impressive wasn't the scope, but the focus." Ed Cumming's review for ''The Daily Telegraph'' praised the episode as "an emerald inferno, as lethal as it was beautiful to watch." Commentators praised the battle's emotional impact and epic scale. Although much reduced compared to its description in ''A Clash of Kings'', it still went beyond anything attempted by any other regular series, according to Emily VanDerWerff in ''The A.V. Club''. Lena Headey's performance as the increasingly cynical, drunk, and desperate Queen Regent Cersei was particularly noted. Sean Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that the episode "gave actress Lena Headey her finest hour on the show so far." Sarah Hughes writing for ''The Guardian'' described the performances of both Headey and costar Peter Dinklage as "wonderful", going on to say of Headey's Cersei that she "displayed a terrifying strength" and that her final scene with Tommen was "gut-wrenching." The episode also received praise for its unsentimental depiction of warfare as a harrowing and costly enterprise, interpreted also as a critique of "the sorts of political systems that perpetuate it". The episode's director Neil Marshall called the fan and critical reaction to the episode "overwhelming...I've never seen anything like it for a TV episode." ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (1 hour) Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Sam McCurdy IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Episode 2013 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, and Brett Voss Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing — Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Best Sound Editing — Short Form Music in Television Best Sound Editing — Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Neil Marshall (director) and George R. R. Martin (writer) ==References== ==External links== * "Blackwater" at HBO.com * *

"'''Valar Morghulis'''" is the tenth and final episode of the second season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. It is the sixth episode of season 2 to be written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and is directed by Alan Taylor, his fourth episode of the season. The episode is 64 minutes long and aired on June 3, 2012. The episode's title is a code phrase spoken by Jaqen H'ghar to Arya Stark during the episode, but its meaning is not explained until the third season episode "Walk of Punishment": "All men must die." This is consistent with the meaning given in the books upon which the series is based. This episode marks the final appearance of Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo). ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tywin is named Hand of the King and Baelish is awarded Harrenhal. Ser Loras asks Joffrey to wed Lady Margaery, with Cersei and Pycelle's agreement. Baelish offers to smuggle Sansa home but she declines. Varys plots to undermine Baelish. Scarred and without allies except Podrick, Tyrion learns Cersei was behind the attempt on his life. Shae tries to convince him to leave for Pentos, but he refuses. ===At Dragonstone=== Stannis tries to strangle Melisandre for his defeat, relenting after truly comprehending his involvement in Renly's death and is struck by divine visions, restoring his faith in Melisandre. ===In the Westerlands=== Escorting Jaime to King's Landing, Brienne finds three women lynched by Stark soldiers, whom she kills before burying the women. Brienne reminds Jaime that she serves Catelyn, not House Stark. Robb confides to Catelyn that he loves Talisa and will not proceed with the arranged marriage to House Frey. Despite Catelyn's warning, Robb marries Talisa. ===At Winterfell=== Under siege, Theon rejects Luwin's advice to leave for the Night's Watch, believing Jon will kill him. Theon tries to rally his men, but is knocked out by Dagmer and brought to the Bolton forces. Luwin is stabbed by Dagmer. Bran and his party find Winterfell sacked and Luwin dying in the Godswood, advising them to head for the Wall before having Osha mercifully kill him. ===In the Riverlands=== Fleeing Harrenhal, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are surprised by Jaqen, who offers to train Arya in his abilities, but she declines. He gives her a special coin and the phrase "''Valar morghulis''" to use to find him, and reveals his face-changing ability before departing. ===In Qarth=== Pyat Pree's magic strands Jorah and Kovarro outside the House of the Undying while trapping Daenerys within. Encountering strange visions, she finds her dragons chained as Pyat Pree appears and binds her. Daenerys orders her dragons to breathe fire, killing Pyat Pree and freeing her. Escaping with her dragons, Daenerys finds Xaro in bed with Doreah and seals them in Xaro's empty vault (revealing that his claim to be wealthy was a fraud all along), as her companions loot Xaro's house to buy a ship. ===Beyond the Wall=== Qhorin goads Jon into killing him, convincing the wildlings Jon has defected. Jon is introduced to the massive wildling force and promised a meeting with Mance Rayder. Sam is surrounded by an army of wights and a White Walker, who ignore him as they march toward the Night's Watch encampment. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was written by producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (their sixth and final script of the season) and directed by Alan Taylor. It was Taylor's final episode on the show until he returned for the season seven episode "Beyond the Wall". The episode covers chapters Tyrion XV, Sansa VIII, Theon VI, Arya IX, Bran VII, Daenerys IV, and Jon VIII from ''A Clash of Kings'' and the prologue and chapters Jaime I, Tyrion I, and Jon I of ''A Storm of Swords''. As a season finale, "Valar Morghulis" is a slightly extended episode. ===Filming=== The Minčeta Tower in Dubrovnik was used as the location of the House of the Undying. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== In its original broadcast on June 3, 2012, the episode received 4.20 million viewers, to become the most-watched episode of the series until the third season aired. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 0.973 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Valar Morghulis" received highly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 92% with an average rating of 8.83 out of 10, based on 25 reviews. The site's consensus reads: Smart writing, a few surprising plot developments, and an ominous final scene make "Valar Morghulis" a satisfying conclusion to a stellar season. Matt Fowler of IGN rated the episode 9 out of 10. David Sims of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an "A" grade. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2012 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rainer Gombos, Juri Stanossek, Sven Martin, Steve Kullback, Jan Fiedler, Chris Stenner, Tobias Mannewitz, Thilo Ewers, and Adam Chazen 2013 Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Best Sound Editing – Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television Visual Effects Society Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Sven Martin, and Juri Stanossek ==References== ==External links== * "Valar Morghulis" at HBO.com * *

'''''Game of Thrones Ascent''''' was a strategy video game developed by Disruptor Beam for iOS, Facebook, Kongregate, and Android. The game was a 2013 Facebook Game of the Year in the Staff Picks category and a winner of a 2013 Friendie Award. The game is an adaptation of the novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by George R. R. Martin and the HBO TV series ''Game of Thrones'', and is the first such social network game. According to Martin, the game features "alliance building, treachery, marriages, murders, and most of all the constant struggle to be the greatest house in Westeros." The game includes the ability to engage in the dynamic political and social intrigue featured in the books and television show. The game has over 9 million registered players though daily activity suggests 3 thousand active players. Disruptor Beam released the first expansion for the game, titled "The Long Night", in October 2014. The expansion allows players to travel beyond "The Wall" and offers upgrades to the game’s Alliances system, along with new quests to complete and items to collect. On October 5, 2018, it was announced that ''Game of Thrones: Ascent'' will be shutting down on January 3, 2019. The lack of explanation regarding why the game was shut down left fans disappointed. Some have suggested this resulted from NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) between HBO and Disruptor Beam. ==Gameplay== ''Game of Thrones Ascent'' was a point-and-click casual, role-playing/strategy video game. The player takes on the role of the head of a minor house, swearing allegiance to one of the Great Houses of Westeros, building and managing a keep and army of Sworn Swords. Players complete quests and build their holdings as solo play, making choices that influence their alignment and affect future quests. They can also engage in player versus player conflict, both one-on-one with individual players, or as part of an Alliance in larger-scale wars. These wars are scheduled in 5-week "cycles", beginning with a week of low-conflict preparation, followed by three weeks of Alliance-versus-Alliance combat competing for ranks across eight of the nine major geographical areas of Westeros, and concluded with a week-long cooperative event. ==Setting== The game closely followed the HBO television series, with weekly content updates following the airing of each episode. Quests allowed the player to participate in major events from the story in various ways, as well an original storyline exploring your character's past and current events at your holdings. The player selected their primary location by swearing fealty to House Stark, House Lannister, House Greyjoy, House Baratheon, House Targaryen, House Tyrell, House Tully, or House Martell. However, the character visits many notable locations through the course of the game, including several famous places in Essos. ==References== ==External links== *

"'''The Rains of Castamere'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 29th episode of the series. The episode was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by David Nutter. It aired on . The episode is centered on the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, one of the most memorable events of the book series, commonly called "The Red Wedding", during which Robb Stark and his banner-men are massacred. Other storylines include Bran Stark's group's having to separate, Jon Snow's loyalties being tested, and Daenerys Targaryen's plotting her invasion of the city of Yunkai. The title is a song belonging to the Lannister family, whose lyrics foreshadow the Red Wedding and which is played by the band at the wedding right before the slaughter begins. This episode earned Benioff and Weiss a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. This episode marks the final appearance of Richard Madden (Robb Stark), Oona Chaplin (Talisa Stark), and Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark). ==Plot== ===Beyond the Wall=== Sam and Gilly continue their march south. Sam tells Gilly he plans for them to cross the Wall using the entrance at the Nightfort, an abandoned castle along the Wall. ===In the North=== Bran and his group take shelter in an abandoned mill. They see a horse breeder captured by Jon's wildling group. Hodor, scared, begins yelling, which threatens to give away their location to the wildlings. Bran uses his warg abilities to enter Hodor's mind and knocks him out. Orell tells Jon to kill the old man to prove his loyalty, but Jon is unable to kill him and Ygritte kills him. Tormund realizes that Jon is not loyal to them and orders his men to kill Jon. Bran enters Summer's mind and helps Jon to defeat Tormund's men and Orell. Jon steals a horse and escapes. Bran asks Rickon to leave for Last Hearth, the home of the Umber family. ===In Yunkai=== Daario, Jorah and Grey Worm enter the city and kill Yunkai's slave soldiers. They tell Daenerys that she is now in control of the city. ===At the Twins=== Robb's army arrive at the Twins. Robb apologizes to Walder and his daughters. Sandor, travels to the Twins with Arya, steals the cart of food. Edmure marries Roslin, Walder calls for the bedding ceremony and the couple are taken to their chamber. Talisa tells Robb that she wants to name their son Eddard. Freys begin playing a Lannister song The Rains of Castamere. Arya and Sandor arrive, but are turned away by the guards, but Arya sneaks in. Catelyn realizes that they have been betrayed by Roose Bolton. Frey orders his men to attack Stark men. Lothar kills Talisa. Arya witnesses Frey men kill Stark soldiers and Robb's direwolf, Grey Wind. She is saved by Sandor. Bolton kills Robb, Catelyn kills Walder's wife Joyeuse and Black Walder kills Catelyn. ==Production== ===Writing=== "The Rains of Castamere" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George R. R. Martin's original work from his novel ''A Storm of Swords''. The episode adapts content from chapters 41 to 43 and 50 to 53 (Bran III, Jon V, Daenerys IV, Catelyn VI, Arya X, Catelyn VII, and Arya XI). The episode includes one of the most important plot turns of the series: the betrayal and assassination of the Stark forces during a marriage ceremony in what came to be known as the "Red Wedding". The event culminates in Roose Bolton delivering Jaime Lannister's message from "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", before killing Robb. This tragic turn of events had a profound impact on Benioff and Weiss in their first read of the novels and it was the scene that convinced them to attempt to obtain the rights for a television series. The Red Wedding was inspired by the Black Dinner that took place in 1440 at Edinburgh Castle. George R. R. Martin conceived The Red Wedding during the earliest stages of the planning of his saga, when he was envisioning a trilogy with The Red Wedding as one of the climactic events at the end of the first of the three books. Martin was inspired by a couple of events in Scottish history. One of them was the 15th century historical event known as the "Black Dinner", where the Scottish king invited the chieftains of the powerful Clan Douglas to a feast at Edinburgh Castle. A black bull's head, the symbol of death, was served as the last course of the dinner while a single drum was playing in the background, and the Douglases were murdered. Another event from which the author drew inspiration was the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe, where Clan MacDonald hosted the Campbell Clan who killed thirty-eight of their hosts overnight. Martin has said The Red Wedding was the hardest thing he has ever written. He explained that he always tries to put himself in the skin of his characters when writing from their perspective, and develops bonds with them. He even felt attached to the minor characters killed during the massacre. It was so painful for him that he skipped the chapter and continued writing, and only when the rest of the book was finished, he "forced himself" to come back to the dreaded scene. In 2012, at ComicCon he even joked that "he will visit a country with no television when the episode goes on air". Martin also said he killed off Robb because he believed the audience would assume that the story was about Ned Stark's heir avenging his death and wished to keep them guessing. Richard Madden suggested Talisa — whose counterpart Jeyne Westerling was not killed in the books — died so Robb's heir could not avenge his death. ===Casting=== Will Champion, the drummer and backing vocalist of the band Coldplay, has a cameo appearance as one of the musicians who play at the wedding. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Rains of Castamere" premiered to 5.22 million viewers and received a 2.8 ratings in adults 18–49. The second airing was viewed by 1.08 million people, bringing total viewership for the night to 6.30 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.013 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.112 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode was widely praised by critics and cited as one of the best of the series. Rotten Tomatoes, a prominent review aggregator, surveyed 21 reviews of the installment and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.9 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The most unforgettable episode of Game of Thrones thus far, 'The Rains of Castamere' (or as it shall forever be known, 'The Red Wedding') packs a dramatic wallop that feels as exquisitely shocking as it does ultimately inevitable." The majority of the comments were directed at the massacre at the end of the episode, where praise was especially given to Michelle Fairley's performance, leading to the disappointment of many critics when she was not nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. IGN's Matt Fowler gave the episode a perfect 10/10, calling it "an exquisitely awful event that managed to out-do the unpredictable and horrifying death of Ned Stark back in Season 1". Fowler also said he believed that the episode's depiction of the Red Wedding was more powerful than its depiction in ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', both David Sims and Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an "A" grade. Sims (writing for people who have not read the novels) expressed shock at the deaths of several main characters, writing, "I don’t think I’ve really processed what I just watched". VanDerWerff, who reviews the episodes for people who have read the novels, wrote "If the reader doesn’t terribly want to deal with the thought of the deaths of Catelyn and Robb, well, he or she can read that much more quickly. Or he or she can read that much more slowly if there’s a need to process the emotions more fully. On TV, you can't really do that." Reviewing for ''Forbes'', Erik Kain called the episode "one of the best episodes of HBO's dark drama yet", and noted "there was a deeper sense of tragedy knowing Robb also lost his unborn child". Sean Collins of the ''Rolling Stone'' also praised the episode, and commented on the unusual step the show took in ending one of its central conflicts. Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' highlighted the decision to kill Talisa, writing that her "heartbreaking end was unbearable". For its 65th anniversary, ''TV Guide'' picked "The Rains of Castamere" as the third best episode of the 21st century. ===Viewer reception=== The episode was also notable for the intense and emotional response it pulled from viewers, many of whom were unaware of what was about to transpire and had their reactions filmed by people who had read the book on which it was based. This led to George R. R. Martin giving his personal analysis of the reactions, which he stated were on par with the responses he received from readers of ''A Storm of Swords''. Madden said that he sobbed "very loudly" on an airplane flight right after filming the scene, and that he and Fairley were "both in tears" when they watched the episode. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D.B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Oral Ottey Gold Derby TV Awards 2013 Best Drama Episode IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Awards 2014 American Cinema Editors Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Oral Norrie Ottey Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, and Brett Voss Directors Guild of America Award Dramatic Series David Nutter Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing — Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Jed Dodge Best Sound Editing — Short Form Music David Klotz Best Sound Editing — Short Form Sound Effects and Foley Tim Kimmel Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff, David Nutter, and D. B. Weiss ==References== ==External links== * "The Rains of Castamere" at HBO.com * *

'''''Thronecast''''' is a British television series on Sky Atlantic which is presented by Sue Perkins and Jamie East. It is an aftershow to ''Game of Thrones'', which also airs on the channel. Each episode is an hour in length and features interviews with members of the cast and crew, interaction with the audience and social media alongside analysis of the previous episode and a preview of the next episode of ''Game of Thrones''. It was the only official aftershow for the American series until HBO aired ''After the Thrones'' in 2016 – a show which was cancelled after only one series. ''Thronecast'' was originally devised by Koink Productions Ltd for Sky Digital Entertainment. The series began airing online in April 2011 as a series of 10-minute podcasts presented by Geoff Lloyd to correspond with the first series of ''Game of Thrones''. Annabel Port joined Geoff for the second series, which corresponded with the broadcast of the second series of ''Game of Thrones''. For the third series, ''Thronecast'' became a 15-minute on-air show that was broadcast on Sky Atlantic following each episode of the third series of ''Game of Thrones'', and featured new guest presenter Grace Dent. The fourth series was presented by Jamie East and Rachel Parris, and was 30 minutes long. The fifth series was presented by Sue Perkins and Jamie East and was 30 minutes long, except for the series finale which was an extended hour long special. Perkins and East continued to present the seventh and eighth series of the show which were all 60 minutes long with the exception of the final episode of the show, which was 70 minutes. Series 7 and 8 included pre-series episodes titled ''War Room'', and the eighth series also included a 90 minutes long gameshow titled ''Gameshow of Thrones'' and a 30-minute pre-finale episode titled ''Thronecast: The End is Coming''. Each series was also made available on Sky Go, On Demand (previously Sky Anytime and Sky Anytime+) and NOW TV. Series 1 to 4 of Thronecast were produced by Koink Productions Ltd for Sky Atlantic. Series 5 of Thronecast was produced by CPL Productions for Sky Atlantic. Series 6 and 7 of the show were produced by Sky's in-house production company, Sky Vision Productions. Series 8 of the show was produced by independent production company Znak & Co Ltd. ==Episodes== ===Series overview=== ===Series 1 (2011)=== ===Series 2 (2012)=== A special episode of Thronecast was filmed before the start of the second series, which featured interviews with Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister). ===Series 3 (2013)=== ===Series 4 (2014)=== ===Series 5 (2015)=== The series finale was an extended one-hour episode and was viewed by 560,000 viewers, making it the second highest-rated broadcast that week, behind the actual episode. It also received 29,000 timeshifted viewers. ===Series 6 (2016)=== The series finale was an extended one-hour episode and was viewed by 587,000 viewers, making it the second highest-rated broadcast that week, behind the actual episode. It also received 45,000 timeshifted viewers. ===Specials (2017)=== A pre-series episode titled "War Room", filmed on location, was broadcast the week before the start of Series 7. ===Series 7 (2017)=== ===Specials (2019)=== Two specials aired before Series 8: "Gameshow of Thrones" featuring a number of stars of the show with superfans, plus "War Room" featuring superfans Al Murray, Lauren Laverne and Jonathan Ross. ===Series 8 (2019)=== The series finale includes a special 30-minute pre-show episode titled "The End is Coming", and a 70-minute post-show episode. These episodes incorporated an additional studio segment titled "Littlefinger's Establishment", where Jamie East talked to stars of the show and superfans about their memories of working on the show. Episode 3 of Series 8 was the most viewed episode of ''Thronecast'' according to BARB figures. ==See also== *''After the Thrones'' – a similar talk show hosted by Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan which also discusses episodes of ''Game of Thrones''. *''Talking Dead'' – a similar talk show hosted by Chris Hardwick which discusses episodes of ''The Walking Dead'' and ''Fear the Walking Dead''. *''Talking Bad'' – a similar talk show hosted by Hardwick which discussed episodes of ''Breaking Bad''s fifth series. *''Talking Saul'' – a similar talk show hosted by Hardwick which discusses episodes of ''Better Call Saul''. *''Talking Preacher'' – a similar talk show hosted by Hardwick which discusses episodes of ''Preacher''. == References == ==External links== * * Official Thronecast website at Sky Atlantic * Official Game of Thrones website at Sky Atlantic * Sue Perkins Twitter * Jamie East * CPL Productions * Koink Productions Ltd

"'''The Spoils of War'''" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 64th overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Matt Shakman. At Dragonstone, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow observe cave drawings left by the Children of the Forest, indicating that the First Men and the Children fought together against the White Walkers. In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister seeks further investment from the Iron Bank, after reassuring them that their debt will soon be paid. In the North, Arya Stark returns to Winterfell, reunites with her siblings, Sansa and Bran Stark, and spars with Brienne of Tarth. On the road to King's Landing, Jaime Lannister, Bronn, and the Lannister and Tarly armies are caught in an attack led by Daenerys, her dragon Drogon, and the Dothraki army. The title of the episode refers to the Tyrell gold and other resources in possession of the Lannisters after taking Highgarden. "The Spoils of War" received praise from critics with one critic defining it as a "masterpiece", who listed the concluding battle sequence between Daenerys and Jaime, Arya's return to Winterfell and interaction with Brienne, and Daenerys and Jon's conversation at Dragonstone as highlights of the episode. It received a nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Editing, and was also Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's pick to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor, his first ever for this series. The episode set an industry record for the most stuntmen set on fire, with 73 "fire burns", in addition to 20 people being set on fire for a single shot. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.17 million in its initial broadcast, the 3rd highest in the series. "The Spoils of War" also received multiple awards and nominations, including "Best TV Episode" and "2017 People's Choice Award" from IGN "The Spoils of War" marked the final appearance of Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed). ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Cersei assures Tycho that the Crown's debts to the Iron Bank will be fully repaid. They discuss the possibility of a new loan that would enable Qyburn to engage the mercenary Golden Company of Essos. ===At Winterfell=== Littlefinger gives Bran the Valyrian steel dagger that was used in the attempt on Bran's life. Littlefinger tries to get Bran to tell him of his experiences after fleeing Winterfell, and is disconcerted when Bran repeats to him Littlefinger's earlier remark to Varys that "chaos is a ladder." Meera visits Bran to say farewell, as she wants to be with her family when the White Walkers attack. Bran is indifferent to her departure, and a dismayed Meera remarks figuratively that Bran died in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave. Arya arrives at Winterfell, and evades the guards to visit Ned's tomb in the crypts, where Sansa finds her. Sansa takes Arya to see Bran in the godswood. Arya is taken aback to find that Bran knows of her kill list, and Bran gives her the Valyrian steel dagger. Podrick reassures Brienne that she has fulfilled her oath to Catelyn; Brienne insists she did almost nothing. Later, Brienne and Podrick spar and Arya asks to train with Brienne. They fight to a draw as Sansa and Littlefinger watch. ===At Dragonstone=== Jon shows Daenerys the vast dragonglass mine, in which Children of the Forest cave drawings depict the Children and the First Men fighting together against the White Walkers. Seemingly convinced that Jon is telling the truth, Daenerys vows to fight for the North, but only if Jon bends the knee. Jon remains resistant. Tyrion and Varys report the pyrrhic victory at Casterly Rock and the loss of Highgarden; Daenerys questions Tyrion's loyalties. Considering striking King's Landing with her dragons, she asks Jon for advice. He notes that her followers believe she can change the world, but if she destroys a city, she will be just another tyrant. Later, the Ironborn survivors return to Dragonstone. Jon confronts Theon, declaring that his role in saving Sansa from Ramsay is the only reason he will not kill him for betraying Robb. Theon reveals that he has come for Daenerys' help in rescuing Yara, but Jon and Davos inform him that Daenerys has gone. ===On the Roseroad=== The bulk of the Lannister caravan approaches King's Landing after the Tyrell gold has been brought inside the city. Jaime gives Bronn a large satchel of gold, but Bronn still wants the castle he was promised. Riding Drogon, Daenerys leads a Dothraki attack that quickly overruns the caravan. Abandoning the gold where he drops it, Bronn wounds Drogon with Qyburn's scorpion weapon. Drogon destroys the scorpion, then lands. Tyrion watches the chaos with remorse from a safe distance; as Daenerys dismounts to tend Drogon's wound, Tyrion is shocked to see Jaime charge at her. Drogon breathes fire at Jaime, but Bronn tackles him off his horse, out of the flame's path, and into the Blackwater Rush, where Jaime begins to sink under the weight of his armour. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Spoils of War" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode is the series' shortest episode to date. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, David Benioff spoke about the inspiration for the return of Arya Stark to Winterfell, saying it was inspired by Odysseus's return, who is also unrecognizable after making his journey. Benioff also stated that the important part of her return to Winterfell is her relationship with Sansa Stark, with Weiss following up by stating that the intention of the scene in the crypts where they are reunited was to "lay down the beginnings of the storyline where Sansa realizes what Arya is now." Speaking about the revelation of the cave drawings with the Children of the Forest and the First Men, Benioff stated that the inspiration for the drawings were the cave paintings created by prehistoric men that were found in France, and that the scene was meant to be evocative in noting the thousands of years that have passed since the drawings were created. In writing the battle between the Lannister army, and Daenerys' Dothraki and Drogon, Weiss stated that one of the most exciting elements of the fight involved the fact that two main characters were on opposite sides of the battlefield, and that it is "impossible to really want any one of them to win, and impossible to want any one of them to lose," according to Weiss. He also compared the introduction of a dragon in medieval warfare to using an F-16 fighter aircraft in a medieval battle. According to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, in an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'' following the airing of the episode, the script stated that "One of our main characters is about to die." Coster-Waldau also stated about his character, "Jaime is such an idiot that he thinks for a second, 'If I can do this, I can win the whole thing in a 'Hail Mary.'" ===Casting=== In addition to the regular recurring guest cast, Major League Baseball player Noah Syndergaard, pitcher for the New York Mets, made a brief uncredited cameo appearance as a spear-throwing Lannister soldier during the battle between Lannister and Tarly forces and Daenerys Targaryen and the Dothraki. In an interview prior to the season conducted by ''Sports Illustrated'', Syndergaard spoke about his appearance in the series by saying "It's a dream come true. I think it’s the greatest TV show of all time, so just to be able to say I was in ''Game of Thrones'' is an unbelievable feeling." ===Filming=== "The Spoils of War" was directed by Matt Shakman. This was Shakman's first episode of ''Game of Thrones'', but he had previously served as a director for several other television series, including ''Fargo'', ''The Good Wife'', ''Mad Men'' and ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', among others. The battle sequence at the conclusion of the episode, which was nicknamed "The Loot Train Attack" by HBO, set an industry record for the most stuntmen set on fire, with real fire being used, rather than special effects, to simulate the dragon fire being emitted by Drogon. There were 73 "fire burns," in addition to 20 people being set on fire for a single shot. Filming of the attack sequence took approximately 18 main-unit days, five second-unit days, and several weeks for the effects-unit. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Shakman spoke about the first time he read the script of the battle, saying "I was reading the script and this battle began and I kept turning pages and the battle kept going on page after page after page! The excitement, the stress and the fear all built at the same time, mirroring probably what was happening on screen. It was a huge opportunity and a challenge. I spent the better part of six months working on that one sequence." The "Loot Train Attack" was filmed in Cáceres, Spain, and Emilia Clarke, who portrays Daenerys Targaryen, was filmed riding a motion base on a stage in Belfast in front of several green screens. Director Matt Shakman chose Jaime Lannister, portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (''pictured''), as the main point of view for the battle. Shakman's first step in directing the battle was choosing to focus on a specific perspective, with Shakman choosing Jaime as the main point of view, noting "To see it from a traditional fighter like Jaime to see what happens when you introduce something like napalm or the atom bomb into battle and all the sudden traditional fighting goes out the window." Shakman also noted that Tyrion was another important perspective for the battle, as he watches from afar, saying "We talked through every beat of what he was seeing, and then he imagined that in his mind and brought it to life. He's the human intermediary there to see the battle through." Shakman filmed Peter Dinklage as Tyrion about a mile from the battlefield, and most of his shots involved "staring at lots of different tennis balls" for eye line. Shakman drew inspiration for the direction of the sequence from Miguel Sapochnik, who directed the sixth season episode "Battle of the Bastards", and Neil Marshall, who directed the second season episode "Blackwater", as well as the battles in ''Apocalypse Now'', ''Saving Private Ryan'' and ''Stagecoach''. Shakman also revealed that he used the volcanic destruction of Pompeii as a reference, which led to the idea of some of the army being turned to ash. For the beginning of the "Loot Train Attack," with the Dothraki approaching, Shakman stated that he wanted it to feel like a Western, saying in the interview, "I wanted that feeling of a Western — this savage attack coming at this more formalized line of men, that tension of circling the wagons and trying to protect them from the chaos and the onslaught." Shakman worked with the horse mistress, Camilla Naprous, in order to show the Dothraki's mastery at horse riding, which included standing on the horse's saddles while shooting arrows. In order to accomplish this stunt, Naprous built what was referred to as a "metal shoe" that allowed the stunt performers to stand on the horses. The sequence continues with Drogon attacking the Lannister and Tarly armies, with special effects supervisor Joe Bauer noting that the number of shots of Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen riding Drogon increased significantly, with the entirety of the sixth season having eleven shots, while "The Spoils of War" alone had over 80 shots. As the stunt performers were lit on fire, they were required to hold their breath until the fire was put out, and specific attention was given to stunt performers in the middle of the shot, as they faced the brunt of the heat from the fire. Shakman also spoke about the difficulty in shooting the dragon sequence and the safety of the performers, saying "The most difficult was safety because you're dealing with fire, horses and actors — and those things don't do well in close proximity yet the nature of it was to create this Bosch-like nightmare where, as the scene progresses, it becomes increasingly like you're in the pit of hell. That was difficult." Robert McLachlan who served as cinematographer for the episode, and previously was cinematographer for episodes including "The Rains of Castamere" and "The Dance of Dragons" in the show's third and fifth seasons respectively, was also interviewed about the process of creating the "Loot Train Attack." In an interview conducted by ''The Verge'', McLachlan revealed that the production team received the script for the episode more than a year in advance. Several cameras were used to capture the "Loot Train Attack," including a small handheld camera known as an Osmo, which "allowed a horseman to get shots while riding a horse at a full gallop through the cavalry charge," as well as a "custom-built miniature helicopter drone" for the "overhead dragon shots." A cable-cam was also used, which made several passes over the battlefield during the course of filming. Going into filming, one of McLachlan's most desired effects was the amount of smoke on the battlefield, saying "we wanted to block the sun out so the shots would have some consistency. And I knew the fire and smoke would be incredibly beautiful." White smoke was used towards the beginning of filming, but as the battle went on, McLachlan decided to switch to black smoke, which was accomplished through burning diesel oil. This caused the crew to be required to wear masks and goggles, and raised concern for HBO's safety officer, who eventually prohibited further use of the black smoke due to health and safety concerns. Additional smoke was added later by the special effects team. The number of extras that were utilized for filming the "Loot Train Attack" began with more than 600 extras, and gradually decreased as the weeks of filming went on, with 400 extras returning the following week, and ultimately concluded with approximately 100 extras, according to McLachlan. McLachlan also discussed the "oner" featuring Bronn, which he described as a single shot that "runs for as long as possible," revealing that the sequence was actually three shots that were stitched together by the special effects team, led by VFX supervisor Joe Bauer. He continued by revealing that the entire "oner" Bronn sequence was accomplished in only three takes. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Sophie Turner, who portrays Sansa Stark, spoke about filming the reunion scene with Maisie Williams, who portrays Arya Stark. Turner stated that the two kept laughing during the filming of the scene, and that they couldn't "keep a straight face". She continued, "Our relationship is so close, but it's only that fun side, never the business side. I was nervous. It just terrified me. It's like performing for your mum. When somebody is watching you don't do it quite as well." Williams also spoke about the scene, saying, "It was the weirdest thing when we shot our first scene together. We were both embarrassed to do our thing in front of each other. It took a few hours for us to get serious and actually do it. Later it was fine on set and we could concentrate, but it was so hard to get into character with Sophie in front of me." Shakman also spoke about the reunion in a separate interview, saying, "It was fun for them, it was fun for us to see them work together, and same with Isaac when they all got together. They're all terrific, and they're amazing actors, and it was fun to see them come together now as adults and navigate these much more complicated scenes than they had to do with each other years ago." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Spoils of War" was viewed by 10.17 million total viewers on its initial viewing on HBO, which was significantly higher than the previous week's rating of 9.25 million for the episode "The Queen's Justice". This set a ratings record for ''Game of Thrones'', as the highest rated episode of the series to that point, surpassing the seventh season premiere, which previously held the record. The episode also acquired a 4.6 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.015 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 1.022 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "The Spoils of War" received widespread acclaim from critics, who listed the battle between Daenerys Targaryen and Jaime Lannister, Arya's return to Winterfell and interaction with Brienne, and Daenerys and Jon Snow's conversation at Dragonstone as high points of the episode. It has received a 97% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 43 reviews with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "'The Spoils of War' delivers arguably the greatest battle sequence of the series so far, in exciting, epic, fiery spectacle." The episode also currently holds a 9.8 out of 10 community rating on IMDb, making it one of the highest-rated episodes on the website. Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode, "The past three ''Thrones'' episodes now have ended with big action set pieces, but the Dragon/Dothraki battle down in The Reach, in "The Spoils of War," was one of the most gripping and magnificent ones to date. It may even rival "Hardhome" in terms of spectacle." He continued, "''Game of Thrones'' pulled no punches and showed no quarter this week as we witnessed one of the fiercest and most engaging battles the show's ever produced, featuring major fan-favorite characters on opposite sides of the fight. On top of that, Arya, after seven years, made her way home to Winterfell and managed to best Brienne of Tarth in a friendly training session. There are three Starks in Winterfell right now, but with Littlefinger there poisoning the well, things still aren't quite right." He gave the episode a 10 out of 10. Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' similarly praised the concluding battle sequence: "The Spoils Of War" lives up to its title by reinforcing how much more fruitful war is as a storytelling mechanism at this point in the series' life." He also compared the episode to the previous episode, "The Queen's Justice", which had two battles that largely took place off-screen, writing "Here, the battle is told through multiple perspectives, each vested with meaning and purpose: our point-of-view shifts between Dany and Drogon and Jaime and Bronn, before eventually adding Tyrion watching from afar, and the direction from first-time Thrones director Matt Shakman uses those POV very carefully." He concluded his review by saying "The Spoils Of War" anchors itself on characters whose stories are far from over, and crafts a reunion and a battle sequence that end no stories and yet draw meaning from the fact that technically, at this point, any story could end at any moment." He gave the episode an A-. James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the episode an A, writing in his review, "All the leaks in the world couldn't wreck 'The Spoils of War'. ''Game of Thrones''' shortest episode ever — and part of the show's fastest-paced season ever — didn’t feel rushed at all, and the story's impact remained incredibly strong no matter what you knew ahead of time." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 American Society of Cinematographers Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television Robert McLachlan IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Episode Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch 2018 Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Matt Shakman Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project Murray Stevenson, Jason Snyman, Jenn Taylor, Florian Friedmann – "Drogon Loot Train Attack" Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Dom Hellier, Thijs Noij, Edwin Holdsworth, Giacomo Matteucci – "Loot Train Attack" Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Brett Voss and Jeffrey Wilhoit Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel, Paul Bercovitch and Tim Hands 2018 Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Episode Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series Crispin Green Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama series Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Bradley C. Katona, John Matter, Brett Voss, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan T. Wilhoit ==Leak== On August 4, 2017, it was reported that, two days before its original broadcast, the episode was leaked online from Star India, one of HBO's international network partners. Four suspects were arrested over the leak in Mumbai. Three of them were current employees of Prime Focus Technologies, an independent company that handles Star India's data; the fourth was a former employee. ==References== ==External links== * "The Spoils of War" at HBO.com * *

Two fans costumed as Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen. Cosplay is a popular activity at fan conventions. The '''''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fandom''' is an international and informal community of people drawn together by George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series, the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the related merchandise. ==History== During his years in television, Martin's novels slowly earned him a reputation in fiction circles, although he said to only receive a few fans letters a year in the pre-internet days. The publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' caused Martin's following to grow, with fan sites springing up and a Trekkie-like society of followers evolving that meet regularly. By 2005, Martin received tons of fan e-mails and was about 2000 letters behind that may go unanswered for years. == Ice and Fire Con == Tournament Melee at Ice and Fire Con 2018. Discussion Panel at Ice and Fire Con 2018. '''Ice and Fire Con''' (also known as ''A Con of Ice and Fire'' and ''A Convention of Ice and Fire'') is a North American convention held annually in Mount Sterling, Ohio that celebrates George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy book series, as well as HBO's ''Game of Thrones'' television adaptation. ===Programming and traditions=== The convention's programming has included a Tourney of Champions since 2013, featuring "LARP"-based duels, melees, jousts, and archery contests. Other annual activities include a weekend-long live action Assassin-style game themed after the series' Faceless Men characters, a board game tournament, and a "Flea Bottom Fete" dance party, among others. A mock election has been held each year since 2013 allowing attendees to campaign for and vote for characters from ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. A donation-based voting format was incorporated beginning in 2017, with all proceeds going to Santa Fe's Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, a favorite charity of Martin. ===Awards and honors=== In 2016, FanSided named Ice and Fire Con as one of the top ten nerdiest vacation destinations. In 2017, NowThis News praised Ice and Fire Con in its "Game of Thrones - A Community of Ice and Fire" coverage for the event's "more intimate gathering that's more party than press conference", favorably comparing the Ice and Fire Con to the fan conventions Martin himself attended in the 1970s and 1980s as a fan and built the friendships that served him throughout his career. ==Westeros.org== Linda Antonsson, Elio M. García and George R.R. Martin in 2015. Sweden-based fans Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson run one of the main ''Ice and Fire'' fansites, Westeros.org, which they established in 1999. The site had about 17 thousand registered members in 2012. Martin himself has checked with García (whom ''The New Yorker'' dubbed a "superfan" with encyclopedic knowledge of Martin's works) to confirm details of his own series, and has referred HBO researchers to García as well. The very first fan website and messageboard (as recounted by García, Antonsson, and Martin) was a site called "Dragonstone", which only lasted for about one year between the release of the first novel in 1996, and the site crashed in 1997, never to be rebuilt. The creator of "Dragonstone" moved on; however, several of the earliest online fans who had met on the site (Elio García among them) coalesced again to create Westeros.org. Though his work at Westeros.org is voluntary, García has been a paid consultant for licensed tie-in merchandise. García and Antonsson are Martin's coauthors of a companion book to the series, ''The World of Ice & Fire'' (2014). Martin had approached the pair about the project in 2008. ==Brotherhood Without Banners== The Brotherhood Without Banners is an unofficial fan club operating globally. George R. R. Martin attends their gatherings on his travels and counts their founders and other longtime members among his good friends. ==''Game of Thrones''== Since the creation of the television series in 2011 there has been a proliferation in the number of fansites dedicated to the show and novel series. These include 'WatchersOnTheWall.com' which provides news reports, reviews and discussion forums, 'ToweroftheHand.com', which organizes communal readings of the novels, and 'Fleabottom.net', an online discussion forum. In addition to these there is further discussion on more general sites, such as Reddit, and tumblr, where there are many fan-created blogs. Moreover, there are also many podcasts covering the series. These podcasts, such as 'Game of Owns', and 'A Podcast of Ice and Fire' provide discussions of each book chapters, and each episode in the television series, as well as discussing the current theories in the fandom. ==GRRuMblers== While Martin calls the majority of his fans "great", and enjoys interacting with them, some of them turned against him due to the six years it took to release ''A Dance with Dragons''. A movement of disaffected fans called GRRuMblers formed in 2009, creating sites such as ''Finish the Book, George'' and ''Is Winter Coming?''. It is not uncommon for Martin to be mobbed at book signings either. ''The New Yorker'' called this "an astonishing amount of effort to devote to denouncing the author of books one professes to love. Few contemporary authors can claim to have inspired such passion." When fans' vocal impatience for ''A Dance with Dragons'' peaked in 2009, Martin issued an angry statement called "To My Detractors" on his blog to stem a rising tide of anger. Author Neil Gaiman backed Martin on his own blog, replying to a fan's inquiry about Martin's tardiness that "George R. R. Martin is not your bitch." Martin sees it a right to withdraw anytime and enjoy his leisure times as he chooses. Martin believes of himself as being bound by an informal contract with his readers; he feels that he owes them his best work. He does not, however, believe that this gives them the right to dictate the particulars of his creative process or to complain about how he manages his time. As far as the detractors are concerned, Martin's contract with them was for a story, their engagement with it offered on the understanding that he would provide them with a satisfying conclusion. ==Interaction with the author== Martin is committed to nurturing his audience, no matter how vast it gets. Starting out as a fan himself, he visited his first convention in 1971 after selling his first story. Since there are different types of conventions nowadays, Martin tends to go to three or four science-fiction conventions a year simply to go back to his roots and meet friends, such as the Brotherhood Without Banners. His fan mail occasionally includes photos of children and pets named after his characters, which Martin displays on his website. He also administers a lively blog with the assistance of Ty Franck. Martin does not read message boards anymore, so as not influence his writing by fans foreseeing twists and interpreting characters differently from how he intended. ==Celebrity fans== The series has a devoted global following of people from a range of backgrounds. Celebrity fans include former U.S. president Barack Obama, former UK prime minister David Cameron, Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans, who framed European politics in quotes from Martin's novels in a 2013 speech. Other fans includes singer Zara Larsson, Adam Lambert, and Scott Ian from the metal band Anthrax, with the later one having read books, stated that he likes the show better, saying that it's very rarely that a TV show or a movie is better than the source material. Other celebrity fans include actors Laurence Fishburne, Richard Dreyfuss, June Squibb, Amanda Peet, Zach Braff, Patton Oswalt, Elijah Wood, Mindy Kaling, Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Kerry Washington, Dylan McDermott and Jennifer Lawrence. Singers T-Pain, Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, Ed Sheeran, Madonna and Joe Jonas (who is married to Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark on the show), and comedians Kevin Smith, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari. Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively are also both fans of the show. Author Stephen King is also a fan of the series. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are both fans of the show, while Jay-Z once bought dragon eggs for his wife Beyoncé. In 2017, Prince William and Kate Middleton also said that they watch the show. ==Online media== ===Podcasts=== Several podcasts are dedicated to the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books and ''Game of Thrones'' HBO series, including: ''After the Thrones'', ''Thronecast'', ''Game of Owns'', ''History of Westeros'', ''Podcast of Ice and Fire'', ''Not A Cast'', ''Girls Gone Canon'', ''Mythical Astronomy of Ice & Fire'' ''A Storm of Spoilers'', and ''Radio Westeros''. ===YouTube channels=== Several YouTube channels are dedicated to the franchise as well, including ''Alt Shift X''. ==References==

+ '''List of awards won by ''Game of Thrones''''' 250px Awards and nominations '''Award''' '''Won''' '''Nominated''' ;Art Directors Guild ;American Cinema Editors ;AFI Awards ;Annie Awards ;British Academy Television Awards ;American Society of Cinematographers ;Artios Awards ;Cinema Audio Society ;Costume Designers Guild ;Critics' Choice Television Awards ;Directors Guild of America Awards ;Primetime Emmy Awards ;GLAAD Media Awards ;Golden Globe Awards ;Grammy Award ;Golden Nymph Awards ;Golden Reel Awards ;Hollywood Post Alliance ;Irish Film & Television Academy ;Kerrang! Awards ;Location Managers Guild Awards ;National Television Awards ;Peabody Awards ;People's Choice Awards ;Producers Guild of America Awards ;Royal Television Society ;Satellite Awards ;Saturn Awards ;Scream Awards ;Screen Actors Guild Awards ;TCA Awards ;Visual Effects Society ;Writers Guild of America Awards ;Young Artist Awards ; '''Total number of wins and nominations''' References ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. The story takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, it has several plot lines and a large ensemble cast. The first story arc follows a dynastic conflict among competing claimants for succession to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, with other noble families fighting for independence from the throne. The second covers attempts to reclaim the throne by the exiled last scion of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty; the third chronicles the threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North. The series, mostly written by Benioff, Weiss and Martin, has been nominated for many awards, including six Golden Globe Awards (one win), ten Writers Guild of America Awards, seven Producers Guild of America Awards (one win), eight Directors Guild of America Awards (two wins), eight Art Directors Guild Awards (five wins), twenty one Saturn Awards (two wins), fourteen Satellite Awards (three wins), and one Peabody Award. The series has received 160 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including eight consecutive Outstanding Drama Series nominations, with 59 wins to date. ''Game of Thrones'' received many nominations, with awards recognizing various aspects of the series such as directing, writing, cast, visual effects, or overall quality. Peter Dinklage is the most awarded member of the cast, with recognitions such as the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series. In addition, cast members Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Alfie Allen, Sophie Turner, Gwendoline Christie, Carice van Houten, Diana Rigg, and Max von Sydow received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their performances in the series. The rest of the cast was also very praised, many receiving various awards nominations, including six Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series nominations rewarding all of the main cast for seasons 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. In 2015, it set a record for winning the most number of Primetime Emmy Awards for a series in a single year, with 12 wins out of 24 nominations. In 2016, it became the most awarded series in Emmy Awards history, with a total of 38 wins. To date, ''Game of Thrones'' has won 308 awards out of 628 nominations. ''Game of Thrones'' also holds six world records from the Guinness Book of World Records, "Most pirated TV program" and "Largest TV drama simulcast" among others. ==Total nominations and awards for the cast== Peter Dinklage is the series's most successful cast member in terms of awards, having won eight awards and received 38 additional nominations Actor Character Tenure Nominations Awards Peter Dinklage Tyrion Lannister 2011–2019 47 8 Lena Headey Cersei Lannister 2011–2019 33 6 Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen 2011–2019 32 5 Kit Harington Jon Snow 2011–2019 30 5 Maisie Williams Arya Stark 2011–2019 22 5 Sophie Turner Sansa Stark 2011–2019 14 4 Diana Rigg Olenna Tyrell 2013–2017 9 3 Sean Bean Eddard "Ned" Stark 2011 8 3 Pedro Pascal Oberyn Martell 2014 5 3 Jack Gleeson Joffrey Baratheon 2011–2014 12 2 Natalie Dormer Margaery Tyrell 2012–2016 4 2 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister 2011–2019 17 1 Michelle Fairley Catelyn Stark 2011–2013 8 1 Liam Cunningham Davos Seaworth 2012–2019 8 1 Charles Dance Tywin Lannister 2011–2015 6 1 Iain Glen Jorah Mormont 2011–2019 7 1 Isaac Hempstead Wright Brandon "Bran" Stark 2011–2014, 2016–2019 7 1 Gwendoline Christie Brienne of Tarth 2012–2019 7 1 Conleth Hill Varys 2011–2019 6 1 Nathalie Emmanuel Missandei 2013–2019 6 1 Rory McCann Sandor "The Hound" Clegane 2011–2014, 2016–2019 6 1 Ian McElhinney Barristan Selmy 2011, 2013–2015 5 1 John Bradley Samwell Tarly 2011–2019 5 1 Josef Altin Pypar 2011, 2013–2014 4 1 Julian Glover Pycelle 2011–2016 4 1 Mark Stanley Grenn 2011–2014 4 1 ==Emmy nominations and awards for the cast== Actor Character Category Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Peter Dinklage Tyrion Lannister Supporting Actor Lena Headey Cersei Lannister Supporting Actress Diana Rigg Olenna Tyrell Guest Actress Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen Supporting Actress Lead Actress Kit Harington Jon Snow Supporting Actor Lead Actor Maisie Williams Arya Stark Supporting Actress Max von Sydow Three-eyed Raven Guest Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister Supporting Actor Alfie Allen Theon Greyjoy Supporting Actor Gwendoline Christie Brienne of Tarth Supporting Actress Sophie Turner Sansa Stark Supporting Actress Carice van Houten Melisandre Guest Actress ==Significant Guild and Peer Awards== ===AFI Awards=== The AFI Award, created in 2000 by the American Film Institute, is given annually to ten films and ten television programs to acknowledge the "most significant achievements in the art of the moving image". ''Game of Thrones'' has been awarded seven times. + AFI Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2012 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2015 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Top 10 TV Programs of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' ===American Cinema Editors Awards=== Tim Porter won one American Cinema Editors Award in 2017 The American Cinema Editors presents annual awards for outstanding achievements in film editing. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of six nominations. + American Cinema Editors Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Frances Parker (for "Baelor") 2014 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Oral Norrie Ottey (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2016 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Katie Weiland (for "The Dance of Dragons") Tim Porter (for "Hardhome") 2017 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Best Edited Drama Series for Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter (for "Beyond the Wall") ===American Society of Cinematographers=== The American Society of Cinematographers presents annual awards for outstanding achievements in directors of photography and special effects for film and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated ten times, winning three times. + American Society of Cinematographers Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series Kramer Morgenthau (for "The North Remembers") 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series Jonathan Freeman (for "Valar Dohaeris") Anette Haellmigk (for "Kissed by Fire") 2014 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Anette Haellmigk (for "The Children") Fabian Wagner (for "Mockingbird") 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner (for "Hardhome") 2016 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner (for "Battle of the Bastards") Anette Haellmigk (for "Book of the Stranger") 2017 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television Robert McLachlan (for "The Spoils of War") Gregory Middleton (for "Dragonstone") ===Annie Awards=== First awarded in 1972, the Annie Awards are given exclusively for animation. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated twice. + Annie Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2017 Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Nicholas Tripodi, Dean Elliott, James Hollingworth, Matt Weaver (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Cajun Hylton, Georgy Arevshatov (for "Beyond the Wall") ===Australian Production Design Guild=== The Australian Production Design Guild Awards are awarded annually in recognition of excellence in production design. ''Game of Thrones'' has won three awards out of three nominations. + Australian Production Design Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Production Design for a Television Drama Deborah Riley 2016 Production Design for a Television Drama Deborah Riley 3D Award for Visual Effects Design Iloura (for "Battle of the Bastards") ===Art Directors Guild Awards=== The ADG Excellence in Production Design Award is presented each year by the American Art Directors Guild to recognize the best production design and art direction in the film and television industries. ''Game of Thrones'' has won five awards out of seven nominations. + Art Directors Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson (for "A Golden Crown") 2013 One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson (for "The Ghost of Harrenhal") 2014 One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson (for "Valar Dohaeris") 2015 One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "The Laws of Gods and Men" and "The Mountain and the Viper") 2016 One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "High Sparrow", "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", and "Hardhome") 2017 One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "Blood of My Blood", "The Broken Man", and "No One") 2018 One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "Dragonstone", "The Queen's Justice", and "Eastwatch") ===Artios Awards=== The Casting Society of America awarded annually to honor the top works of casting directors in feature films, television and theatre. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one award out of seven nominations. + Artios Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Pilot Drama Nina Gold Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold 2014 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold 2016 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, Carla Stronge ===ASCAP Awards=== Ramin Djawadi won two ASCAP Awards in 2012 and 2013 The ASCAP Awards are awarded annually to composers for outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two awards out of two nominations. + ASCAP Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Top Television Series Ramin Djawadi 2013 Top Television Series Ramin Djawadi ===ASTRA Awards=== The ASTRA Awards awarded annually. According to the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA), the awards "recognise the wealth of talent that drives the Australian subscription television industry and highlight the creativity, commitment and investment in production and broadcasting." ''Game of Thrones'' has won three out of four nominations. + ASTRA Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2015 Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' ===BAFTA Awards=== The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They have been awarded annually since 1955. It is the British equivalent to the Emmy Awards in the United States. ''Game of Thrones'' has won four out of eight nominations. British Academy Television Awards recognize outstanding work in British television programming, while the British Academy Television Craft Awards are presented to honor technical and creative achievements, and include categories recognising work of art directors, lighting and costume designers, cinematographers, casting directors, and other production-based personnel. ====British Academy Television Awards==== + British Academy Television Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2013 Best International Programme David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger Radio Times Audience Award ''Game of Thrones'' 2015 Radio Times Audience Award ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Must-See Moment "Battle of the Bastards" 2018 Must-See Moment "Viserion is Killed by the Night King" (for "Beyond the Wall") ====British Academy Television Craft Awards==== + British Academy Television Craft Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2018 Costume Design Michele Clapton Production Design Deborah Riley, Rob Cameron Special Award ''Game of Thrones'' ===British Society of Cinematographers=== The British Society of Cinematographers Awards are awarded annually to honor the top works of cinematographers in feature films and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated five times, and won once. + British Society of Cinematographers Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Sam McCurdy (for "Blackwater") 2015 Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner (for "Hardhome") ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award David Morgan, Sean Savage, Ben Wilson, David Worley (for "Hardhome") 2016 Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner (for "The Winds of Winter") ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award Sean Savage, David Morgan & John Ferguson (for "Battle of the Bastards") ===Canadian Society of Cinematographers=== The Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards are awarded annually to honor the top works of cinematographers in feature films and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated four times and won twice. + Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan (for "Oathkeeper") 2016 TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan (for "The Dance of Dragons") TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton (for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken") 2017 TV Series Cinematography Gregory Middleton (for "Home") ===Cinema Audio Society Awards=== The Cinema Audio Society presents annual awards for outstanding achievements in sound mixing. ''Game of Thrones'' has won five out of seven nominations. + Cinema Audio Society Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Mark Taylor (for "Baelor") 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, and Brett Voss (for "Blackwater") 2014 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, and Brett Voss (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "The Children") 2016 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "Hardhome") 2017 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Brett Voss (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "Beyond the Wall") ===Costume Designers Guild Awards=== The Costume Designers Guild presents annual awards for excellence in costume design in motion pictures, television, and commercials. ''Game of Thrones'' has won four out of seven nominations. + Costume Designers Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 2013 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 2014 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 2015 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 2016 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 2017 Outstanding Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton, April Ferry 2018 Outstanding Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton ===Directors Guild of America Awards=== David Nutter won one Directors Guild of America Award for "Mother's Mercy" in 2015 The Directors Guild of America Awards are awarded annually by the Directors Guild of America. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated for eight awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series, winning in 2015 and 2016. + Directors Guild of America Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Dramatic Series Tim Van Patten (for "Winter Is Coming") 2014 Dramatic Series David Nutter (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2015 Dramatic Series Alex Graves (for "The Children") 2016 Dramatic Series David Nutter (for "Mother's Mercy") 2017 Dramatic Series Miguel Sapochnik (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Dramatic Series Jeremy Podeswa (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Matt Shakman (for "The Spoils of War") Alan Taylor (for "Beyond the Wall") ===Emmy Awards=== D. B. Weiss and David Benioff received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Mother's Mercy" in 2015 and for "Battle of the Bastards" in 2016 Lena Headey received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her performance as Cersei Lannister in 2014 The Emmy Awards were established in 1949 in order to recognize excellence in the American television industry, and are bestowed by members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Emmy Awards are given in different ceremonies presented annually; Primetime Emmy Awards recognize outstanding work in American primetime television programming, while the Creative Arts Emmy Awards are presented to honor technical and creative achievements, and include categories recognising work of art directors, lighting and costume designers, cinematographers, casting directors, and other production-based personnel. The Emmy Award corresponds to the Academy Award (for film), the Tony Award (for theatre), and the Grammy Award (for music). ''Game of Thrones'' has won 59 out of 161 nominations. Peter Dinklage has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series eight times in a row for playing Tyrion Lannister, with a win in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2019. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have won twice for Writing for a Drama Series. ''Game of Thrones'' has eight nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, winning four, in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Both David Nutter and Miguel Sapochnik have won for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. ''Game of Thrones'' holds the Emmy Award record for most wins for a scripted television series, ahead of ''Frasier'' (which received 37). At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards the show's fifth season was nominated for 24 awards. The show ultimately won twelve awards, setting a new record for most Emmy wins by a series in a single year, replacing the previous holder ''The West Wing''s nine wins, and tying that show and ''Hill Street Blues'' for the most wins by a drama series throughout its run. At the nominee announcement for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, the show's sixth season received the most nominations of any show with 23. The show yet again won twelve awards, tying the same record for most Emmy wins by a series in a single year. At the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards the seventh season was nominated for 22 awards, the most of the ceremony, including a first Emmy nomination for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards the eighth season was nominated for 32 awards, thus breaking the record for most nominations received by a regular series in a single year. Actors Alfie Allen, Gwendoline Christie, Sophie Turner and Carice van Houten all received their first ever Emmy Award nomination thanks to this season. ====Primetime Emmy Awards==== + Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result 2011 Outstanding Drama Series Vince Gerardis, Frank Doelger, Ralph Vicinanza, Mark Huffam, David Benioff, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin, Guymon Casady and D. B. Weiss Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "Baelor") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Tim Van Patten (for "Winter Is Coming") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "Baelor") 2012 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, Alan Taylor, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis and Bernadette Caulfield Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "Blackwater") 2013 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R. R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, Chris Newman and Greg Spence Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "Second Sons") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "And Now His Watch Is Ended") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2014 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R. R. Martin, Chris Newman and Greg Spence Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "The Laws of Gods and Men") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey (for "The Lion and the Rose") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Neil Marshall (for "The Watchers on the Wall") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Children") 2015 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R. R. Martin, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney and Bryan Cogman Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "The Dance of Dragons") Lena Headey (for "Mother's Mercy") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Nutter (for "Mother's Mercy") Jeremy Podeswa (for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "Mother's Mercy") 2016 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, Vince Gerardis, Guymon Casady, George R. R. Martin, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman, Greg Spence and Lisa McAtackney Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage (for "No One") Kit Harington (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "Book of the Stranger") Lena Headey (for "The Winds of Winter") Maisie Williams (for "No One") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Miguel Sapochnik (for "Battle of the Bastards") Jack Bender (for "The Door") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, George R. R. Martin, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman, Lisa McAtackney and Greg Spence Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (for "The Spoils of War") Peter Dinklage (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Alan Taylor (for "Beyond the Wall") Jeremy Podeswa (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") 2019 Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Vince Gerardis, Guymon Casady, George R. R. Martin, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney and Duncan Muggoch Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kit Harington (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "The Last of the Starks") Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alfie Allen (for "The Long Night") Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Peter Dinklage (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Gwendoline Christie (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Lena Headey (for "The Bells") Sophie Turner (for "Winterfell") Maisie Williams (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") David Nutter (for "The Last of the Starks") Miguel Sapochnik (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") ====Creative Arts Emmy Awards==== + Creative Arts Emmy Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton and Rachael Webb-Crozier (for "The Pointy End") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander and Candice Banks (for "A Golden Crown") Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani, and Robert Feng Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen (for "Winter Is Coming") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen and Conor O'Sullivan (for "A Golden Crown") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Robin Quinn, Steve Fanagan, Eoghan McDonnell, Jon Stevenson, Tim Hands, Stefan Henrix, Caoimhe Doyle, Michelle McCormack and Andy Kennedy (for "A Golden Crown") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rafael Morant, Adam McInnes, Graham Hills, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Stuart Brisdon, Damien Macé, Henry Badgett and Angela Barson (for "Fire and Blood") Outstanding Stunt Coordination Paul Jennings for (The Wolf and the Lion") 2012 Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series Gemma Jackson, Frank Walsh, and Tina Jones (for "Garden of Bones", "The Ghost of Harrenhal", and "A Man Without Honor") (shared with ''Boardwalk Empire'') Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, and Chloe Aubry (for "The Prince of Winterfell") Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media ''Game of Thrones'' Season Two – Enhanced Digital Experience Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, and Gary Machin (for "The Old Gods and the New") Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen (for "The Old Gods and the New") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton (for "Valar Morghulis") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz (for "Blackwater") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour) Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore (for "Blackwater") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rainer Gombos, Juri Stanossek, Sven Martin, Steve Kullback, Jan Fiedler, Chris Stenner, Tobias Mannewitz, Thilo Ewers, and Adam Chazen (for "Valar Morghulis") 2013 Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series Gemma Jackson, Frank Walsh, and Tina Jones (for "Valar Dohaeris") Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Rob McLachlan (for "Mhysa") Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, and Chloe Aubry (for "Walk of Punishment") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg (for "And Now His Watch Is Ended") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, and Gary Machin (for "Second Sons") Outstanding Interactive Program ''Game of Thrones'' Season Three – Enhanced Digital Experience Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen (for "Kissed by Fire") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton (for "Valar Dohaeris") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Oral Ottey (for "The Rains of Castamere") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz (for "And Now His Watch Is Ended") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (One hour) Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore (for "And Now His Watch Is Ended") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Doug Campbell, Rainer Gombos, Juri Stanossek, Sven Martin, Steve Kullback, Jan Fiedler, Chris Stenner, Tobias Mannewitz, Thilo Ewers, and Adam Chazen (for "Valar Dohaeris") 2014 Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "The Laws of Gods and Men", and "The Mountain and the Viper") Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Anette Haellmigk (for "The Lion and the Rose") Jonathan Freeman (for "Two Swords") Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Alexander Fordham, and Nina Ayres (for "The Lion and the Rose") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg (for "The Lion and the Rose") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, and Nicola Mount (for "The Lion and the Rose") Outstanding Interactive Program ''Game of Thrones'' Premiere – Facebook Live and Instagram, by Sabrina Caluori, Paul Beddoe-Stephens, Jim Marsh, Michael McMorrow, and Michael McMillian Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Ann McEwan (for "Oathkeeper") Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Mountain and the Viper") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie, or Special The Children") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Jed M. Dodge, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, David Klotz, Bradley C. Katona, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Watchers on the Wall") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (One Hour) Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, and Mathew Waters (for "The Watchers on the Wall") Outstanding Special and Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Joern Grosshans, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Eric Carney, Sabrina Gerhardt, Matthew Rouleau, Thomas H. Schelesny, and Robert Simon (for "The Children") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series Paul Herbert 2015 Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Fabian Wagner (for "Hardhome") Anette Haellmigk (for "Sons of the Harpy") Rob McLachlan (for "The Dance of Dragons") Gregory Middleton (for "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken") Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Movie Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Nina Ayres, Alex Fordham (for "The Dance of Dragons") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg (for "The Gift") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, Laura Pollock, Nicola Mount (for "Mother's Mercy") Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Nicola Matthews (for "Mother's Mercy") Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron (for "High Sparrow", "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", and "Hardhome") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter (for "Hardhome") Katie Weiland (for "The Dance of Dragons") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Peter Bercovitch, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Jabbar Raisani, Eric Carney, Stuart Brisdon, Derek Spears, James Kinnings, Matthew Rouleau (for "The Dance of Dragons") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series Rowley Irlam 2016 Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Gregory Middleton (for "Home") Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy Series Michele Clapton, Chloe Aubry, Sheena Wichary (for "The Winds of Winter") Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Max von Sydow (for "The Door") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Laura Pollock, Gary Machin, Rosalia Culora (for "The Door") Outstanding Interactive Program ''Game of Thrones'' Main Titles 360 Experience Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron (for "Blood of My Blood", "The Broken Man", and "No One") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Sarah Gower, Emma Sheffield, Tristan Versluis, Barrie Gower (for "The Door") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter (for "Battle of the Bastards") Katie Weiland (for "Oathbreaker") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Michael Wabro, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit (for "The Door") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Sam Conway, Matthew Rouleau, Michelle Blok, Glenn Melenhorst (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series Rowley Irlam 2018 Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg (for "The Queen's Justice") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth, Kate Thompson, and Nicola Mathews (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Jane Walker, Paul Spateri, Emma Sheffield, and Barrie Gower (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter (for "Beyond the Wall") Crispin Green (for "The Spoils of War") Katie Weiland (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Bradley C. Katona, John Matter, Brett Voss, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Spoils of War") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, and Ronan Hill (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Michelle Blok, Sam Conway, Ted Rae, David Ramos, Wayne Stables, and Derek Spears (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie Rowley Irlam 2019 Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Jonathan Freeman (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program "Fight for the Living: Beyond the Wall Virtual Reality Experience" Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell (for "The Bells") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Carice van Houten (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Kirk Shintani, Shahana Khan, Ian Ruhfass, and Rustam Hasanov Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Nicola Mathews, and Pamela Smyth (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "The Bells") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special Emma Faulkes, Paul Spateri, Chloe Muton-Phillips, Duncan Jarman, Patt Foad, John Eldred-Tooby, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland (for "The Iron Throne") Tim Porter (for "The Long Night") Crispin Green (for "Winterfell") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch, John Matter, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Simon Kerr, Danny Crowley, and Ronan Hill (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Sam Conway, Mohsen Mousavi, Martin Hill, Ted Rae, Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, and Thomas Schelesny (for "The Bells") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie Rowley Irlam ===Golden Reel Awards=== The Golden Reel Award presents awards annually to sound editors in the several categories for feature film and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has received eleven awards out of twenty two nominations. + Golden Reel Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Winter is Coming") 2013 Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Valar Morghulis") Best Sound Editing – Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Valar Morghulis") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Blackwater") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Music in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Blackwater") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' (for "Blackwater") 2014 Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Jed Dodge and Tim Hands (for "The Rains of Castamere") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Music David Klotz (for "The Rains of Castamere") Best Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley Tim Kimmel (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2015 Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley ''Game of Thrones'' (for "The Children") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR ''Game of Thrones'' (for "The Children") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music ''Game of Thrones'' (for "The Watchers on the Wall") 2016 Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel (for "Hardhome") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel (for "Hardhome") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz (for "Hardhome") 2017 Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel, Brett Voss, John Matter, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Wilhoit, Paula Fairfield and Bradley Katona (for "Battle of the Bastards") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel and Tim Hands (for "Battle of the Bastards") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2018 Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Brett Voss and Jeffrey Wilhoit (for "The Spoils of War") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel, Paul Bercovitch and Tim Hands (for "The Spoils of War") Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz (for "Beyond the Wall") ===Grammy Awards=== The Grammy, is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. ''Game of Thrones'' has one nomination. + Grammy Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2018 Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Ramin Djawadi (for ''Game of Thrones: Season 7'') ===Hollywood Post Alliance=== The Hollywood Post Alliance presents awards to individuals and organizations to recognize the achievement of post production talent. ''Game of Thrones'' has received seven awards out of nineteen nominations. + Hollywood Post Alliance Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Visual Effects – Television Joe Finley (for "The Prince of Winterfell") 2013 Outstanding Color Grading – Television Joe Finley (for "Kissed by Fire") Outstanding Sound – Television Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona, Jed Dodge, Onnalee Blank and Mathew Waters (for "The Climb") Outstanding Visual Effects – Television Joe Bauer and Jabbar Raisani, Jörn Grosshans and Sven Martin, and Doug Campbell (for "Valar Dohaeris") 2014 Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona and Jed M. Dodge (for "The Children") Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley (for "Mockingbird") Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Sven Martin, Jörn Grosshans, Thomas Schelesny, Matthew Rouleau (for "The Children") 2015 Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Editing Tim Porter (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Jabbar Raisani (for "The Dance of Dragons") 2016 Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Editing Tim Porter (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau (for "Battle of the Bastards") 2017 Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Editing Tim Porter (for "Stormborn") Jesse Parker (for "The Queen's Justice") Crispin Green (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch (for "The Spoils of War") ===Irish Film & Television Awards=== Michelle Fairley won one Irish Film & Television Award in 2014 The Irish Film & Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the Irish Film & Television Academy. ''Game of Thrones'' has received four awards out of twenty-eight nominations. + Irish Film & Television Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Television Drama Mark Huffam Best Director Television Drama Brian Kirk Best Actress – Television Michelle Fairley Best Supporting Actor – Television Aidan Gillen Best Sound (Film/TV Drama) Ronan Hill Best Sound Ronan Hill 2013 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Best Director of Photography P.J. Dillon Best Sound Ronan Hill, Mervyn Moore 2014 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Aidan Gillen Actress in a Supporting Role – Television Michelle Fairley Best Sound Ronan Hill 2015 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Best Sound ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham 2017 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Best Sound Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank and Matthew Waters Best VFX Ed Bruce & Nicholas Murphy 2018 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Aidan Gillen Best Sound Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank and Matthew Waters Best VFX Ed Bruce & Nicholas Murphy ===Location Managers Guild Awards=== The Location Managers Guild Awards are awarded annually by the Location Managers Guild International. ''Game of Thrones'' took the most awards, two in total, and claimed the top TV award at the inaugural LMGA Awards in 2014. In 2016 the show became the first series to win multiple LMGI Awards, with Location Managers Robert Boake and Tate Araez taking home the award for Outstanding Locations in a Period Television Series. Nominated again in 2017 and 2018, ''Game of Thrones'' took back the period television throne from ''The Crown'' in 2018, and currently holds a record 4 LMGI Award wins out of 6 nominations. The film locations featured in ''Game of Thrones'' have also proven to be winners themselves, as the show has been responsible for driving a significant increase in tourism to the host regions filmed by the series. + Location Managers Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 Outstanding Achievement by a Location Professional in Television Robert Boake Outstanding use of Locations in Television ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Outstanding Locations in Period Television Robert Boake and Tate Araez 2017 Outstanding Locations in Period Television Matt Jones and Naomi Liston 2018 Outstanding Locations in Period Television Robert Boake, Matt Jones, Pedro Tate Araez 2019 Outstanding Locations in a Period Television Series Robert Boake ===Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards=== The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild are awarded annually to make-up artists and hair stylist in feature films, television programs, commercials, live network events and theatrical productions in the United States. ''Game of Thrones'' has won six out of nine nominations. + Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Paul Engelen, Melissa Lackersteen 2016 Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks 2017 Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker, Kay Bilk Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks Best Special Makeup Effects – Television Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower 2018 Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker, Nicola Matthews Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks Best Special Makeup Effects – Television Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower ===Producers Guild of America Awards=== The Producers Guild of America Award is bestowed by the Producers Guild of America to honor the work of producers in film and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated for seven awards for Best Episodic Drama, winning in 2016. + Producers Guild of America Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 "Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Mark Huffam, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss 2013 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss 2014 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Christopher Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, and D. B. Weiss 2015 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss 2016 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence 2017 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence 2018 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence ===Screen Actors Guild Awards=== The Screen Actors Guild Award, given by the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), is an award dedicated to honor the best performances of actors in film and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has received seven awards out of eighteen nominations. Dinklage was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 2014, his first for the series. + Screen Actors Guild Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Amrita Acharia, Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Josef Altin, Sean Bean, Susan Brown, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Ron Donachie, Michelle Fairley, Jerome Flynn, Elyes Gabel, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Conleth Hill, Richard Madden, Jason Momoa, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Luke McEwan, Roxanne McKee, Dar Salim, Mark Stanley, Donald Sumpter, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Rob Cooper, Jamie Edgell, Dave Fisher, Dave Forman, Paul Herbert, Michelle McKeown, Sian Miline, Jimmy O'Dee, Domonkos Pardanyi, Marcus Shakesheff, CC Smiff, and Mark Southworth 2014 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, John Bradley, Oona Chaplin, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Mackenzie Crook, Charles Dance, Joe Dempsie, Peter Dinklage, Natalie Dormer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Michelle Fairley, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Kristofer Hivju, Paul Kaye, Sibel Kekilli, Rose Leslie, Richard Madden, Rory McCann, Michael McElhatton, Ian McElhinney, Philip McGinley, Hannah Murray, Iwan Rheon, Sophie Turner, Carice Van Houten, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Rachelle Beinart, Richard Bradshaw, Ben Dimmock, Levan Doran, Jamie Edgell, Bradley Farmer, Jozsef Fodor, Dave Forman, Paul Herbert, Paul Howell, Daniel Naprous, Florian Robin, CC Smiff, and Roy Taylor 2015 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Josef Altin, Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Dominic Carter, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ben Crompton, Charles Dance, Peter Dinklage, Natalie Dormer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Pedro Pascal, Daniel Portman, Mark Stanley, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Lucy Allen, Cole Armitage, Gary Arthurs, Rachelle Beinart, Ferenc Berecz, Richard Bradshaw, Andy Butcher, Michael Byrch, Neil Chapelhow, Nick Chopping, Jonathan Cohen, Joel Conlan, Gary Connery, James Cox, Tom Cox, Jason Curle, Nicholas Daines, Bill Davey, Kelly J. Dent, Ben Dimmock, Levan Doran, Jamie Edgell, Bradley Farmer, Neil Finnighan, Jozsef Fodor, Dean Forster, David Garrick, James Grogan, Tim Halloran, Paul Heasman, Robert Hladik, Al Holland, Gergely Horpacsi, Paul Howell, Stewart James, Gary Kane, Ian Kay, Robbie Keane, George Kirby, Cristian Knight, Laszlo Kosa, Geza Kovacs, Norbert Kovacs, Guy List, Phil Lonergan, Russell Macleod, Tina Maskell, Adrian McGaw, Nick McKinless, Erol Mehmet, Andy Merchant, Sian Milne, Daniel Naprous, Chris Newton, Ray Nicholas, Bela Orsanyi, Sam Parham, Ian Pead, Justin Pearson, Martin Pemberton, Heather Phillips, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Christopher Pocock, Curtis Rivers, Marcus Shakesheff, Matt Sherren, Anthony Skrimshire, Mark Slaughter, Karen Smithson, Mark Southworth, Helen Steinway Bailey, Shane Steyn, Matthew Stirling, John Street, Gaspar Szabo, Gabor Szeman, Roy Taylor, Gyula Toth, Tony Van Silva, Reg Wayment, Linda Weal, Richard J Wheeldon, Heron White, Maxine Whittaker, Simon Whyman, Donna C. Williams, Lou Wong, Annabel E. Wood, Liang Yang, and Steen Young 2016 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, Ian Beattie, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Michael Condron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ben Crompton, Liam Cunningham, Stephen Dillane, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, Tara Fitzgerald, Jerome Flynn, Brian Fortune, Joel Fry, Aidan Gillen, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Michiel Huisman, Hannah Murray, Brenock O'Connor, Daniel Portman, Iwan Rheon, Owen Teale, Sophie Turner, Carice Van Houten, Maisie Williams, and Tom Wlaschiha Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Boian Anev, Richard Bradshaw, Jonathan Cohen, Christopher Cox, Jacob Cox, Matt Crook, Rob DeGroot, Levan Doran, Clint Elvy, James Embree, Bradley Farmer, Richard Hansen, Bobby Holland-Hanton, Radoslav Ignatov, Borislav Iliev, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Milen Kaleychev, Paul Lowe, Jonathan McBride, Sian Milne, David Newton, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Jan Petrina, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Dominic Preece, Marc Redmond, Paul Shapcott, Ryan Stuart, Pablo Verdejo, Calvin Warrington-Heasman, Annabel E. Wood, Danko Yordanov, and Lewis Young 2017 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Liam Cunningham, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Kristofer Hivju, Michiel Huisman, Faye Marsay, Jonathan Pryce, Sophie Turner, Carice Van Houten, Gemma Whelan, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Boian Anev, Kristina Baskett, Rachelle Beinart, Richard Bradshaw, Michael Byrch, Nick Chopping, Christopher Cox, Jake Cox, David Cronnelly, Matt Crook, Levan Doran, Bradley Farmer, Vladimir Furdik, Richard Hansen, Rob Hayns, Paul Howell, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Milen Kaleychev, Leigh Maddern, Jonathan McBride, Leona McCarron, Kim McGarrity, Richard Mead, Casey Michaels, Sian Milne, David Newton, Jason Otelle, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Marc Redmond, Paul Shapcott, Jonny Stockwell, Ryan Stuart, Edward Upcott, and Leo Woodruff 2018 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Liam Cunningham, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, James Faulkner, Jerome Flynn, Aidan Gillen, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Conleth Hill, Kristofer Hivju, Tom Hopper, Anton Lesser, Rory McCann, Sophie Turner, Carice Van Houten, Gemma Whelan, Rupert Vansittart, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Boian Anev, Mark Archer, Luis Miguel Arranz, Ferenc Berecz, Richard Bradshaw, Michael Byrch, Nick Chopping, Jonathan Cohen, Chris Cox, Jake Cox, James Cox, David Cronnelly, Matt Crook, Ricardo Cruz Jr., Jason Curle, Levan Doran, Daniel Euston, Bradley Farmer, Pete Ford, Vladimir Furdik, Eduardo Gago, Angel Gomez, David Grant, Lawrence Hansen, Richard Hansen, Nicklas Hansson, Rob Hayns, Bobby Holland Hanton, Paul Howell, Radoslav Ignatov, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Orsányi Iván, Sonny Louis, Leigh Maddern, Jonny McBride, Leona McCarron, Kim McGarrity, Trayan Milenov-Troy, Sian Milne, David Newton, Jason Oettle, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Andy Pilgrim, Oleg Podobin, Marc Redmond, Andrej Riabokon, Florian Robin, Doug Robson, Fabio Santos, Stanislav Satko, Paul Shapcott, Mark Slaughter, CC Smiff, James Stewart, Jonny Stockwell, Ryan Stuart, Gáspár Szabó, Lukas Tomsik, Marek Toth, Teodor Tzolov, Raycho Vasilev, Calvin Warrington-Heasman, Annabel Wood, Leo Woodruff, and Lewis Young ===Society of Camera Operators Awards=== The Society of Camera Operators Awards are awarded annually to honor the creative contribution of the camera operator in the motion picture and television industries. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated one time. + Society of Camera Operators Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2017 Camera Operator of the Year – Television Sean Savage ===Visual Effects Society=== Visual Effects Society honors visual effects in film, television, commercials, music videos and video games. At the 11th annual Visual Effects Society awards, the show won four awards, the most of the TV shows nominated. In 2014 the show was the most successful TV nominee at the Visual Effects Society awards for the second year in a row, winning three of its four nominations. In 2015 ''Game of Thrones'' was the most successful TV nominee at the Visual Effects Society awards for the third consecutive year, winning three of its five nominations. In 2016 the show was the most successful TV nominee at the Visual Effects Society awards for the fourth consecutive year, winning four of its nine nominations. ''Game of Thrones'' has received twenty six awards out of forty seven nominations. + Visual Effects Society Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Henry Badgett, Mark Brown, Rafael Morant, James Sutton (for "Fire and Blood") Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Markus Kuha, Damien Macé, Dante Harbridge Robinson, Fani Vassiadi (for "The Icewall") Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Angela Barson, Ed Bruce, Adam McInnes (for "Winter Is Coming") 2013 Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Irfan Celik, Florian Friedmann, Ingo Schachner, Chris Stenner (for "Training the Dragons") Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program Falk Boje, Esther Engel, Alexey Kuchinsky, Klaus Wuchta (for "White Walker Army") Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Rene Borst, Thilo Ewers, Adam Figielski, Jonas Stuckenbrock (for "Pyke") Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Sven Martin, Juri Stanossek (for "Valar Morghulis") 2014 Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Philip Meyer, Ingo Schachner, Travis Nobles, Florian Friedmann (for "Raising the Dragons") Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program Kirk Brillon, Steve Gordon, Geoff Sayer, Winston Lee (for "The Climb") Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program Patrick Zentis, Mayur Patel, Nitin Singh, Tim Alexander (for "The Climb") Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Jörn Großhans, Sven Martin (for "Valar Dohaeris") 2015 Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game Philip Meyer, Thomas Kutschera, Igor Majdandzic, and Mark Spindler (for "Drogon") Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program ''Game of Thrones'' (for "The Children") Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game Rene Borst, Christian Zilliken, Jan Burda, Steffen Metzner (for "Braavos Establisher") Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program Keegan Douglas, Okan Ataman, Brian Fortune, David Lopez (for "Wight Attack") Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, Eric Andrusyszyn (for "The Watchers on the Wall") 2016 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Stuart Brisdon (for "The Dance of Dragons") Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Florian Friedmann, Jonathan Symmonds, Sven Skoczylas, Sebastian Lauer (for "Mother's Mercy" – "Wounded Drogon") James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Joseph Hoback, Matt Derksen (for "The Dance of Dragons" – "Drogon Arena Rescue") Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Dominic Piche, Christine Leclerc, Patrice Poissant, Thomas Montminy-Brodeur (for "City of Volantis") Rajeev B R., Loganathan Perumal, Ramesh Shankers, Anders Ericson (for "Drogon Arena") Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project David Ramos, Antonio Lado, Piotr Weiss, Félix Bergés (for "Hardhome") Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Eduardo Díaz, Guillermo Orbe, Oscar Perea, Inmaculada Nadela (for "Hardhome") Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, Eric Andrusyszyn (for "Drogon Arena") Travis Nobles, Mark Spindler, Max Riess, Nadja Ding (for "Drogon Lair") 2017 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau, Sam Conway (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Matt Derksen, Joseph Hoback (for "Battle of the Bastards" – "Drogon") Sebastian Lauer, Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Anthony Sieben (for "Home" – "Emaciated Dragon") Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, François Croteau, Alexandru Banuta (for "Battle of the Bastards" – "Meereen City") Edmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, Cheri Fojtik (for "The Winds of Winter" – "Citadel") Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, Michelle Blok, Christopher Baird, Drew Wood-Davies (for "Battle of the Bastards") Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Kevin Blom, Sasmit Ranadive, Wanghua Huang, Ben Andersen (for "Battle of the Bastards") Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, James Dong, Xavier Fourmond (for "Battle of the Bastards" – "Meereen City") Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Thomas Montminy-Brodeur, Patrick David, Michael Crane, Joe Salazar (for "Battle of the Bastards" – "Meereen City") Dominic Hellier, Morgan Jones, Thijs Noij, Caleb Thompson (for "Battle of the Bastards" – "Retaking Winterfell") Eduardo Díaz, Aníbal Del Busto, Angel Rico, Sonsoles López-Aranguren (for "The Door" – "Land of Always Winter") 2018 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Chris Baird, David Ramos, Sam Conway (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Nicholas Wilson (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Zombie Polar Bear") Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Philipp Winterstein, Andreas Krieg (for "Eastwatch" – "Drogon Meets Jon") Murray Stevenson, Jason Snyman, Jenn Taylor, Florian Friedmann (for "The Spoils of War" – "Drogon Loot Train Attack") Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Daniel Villalba, Antonio Lado, José Luis Barreiro, Isaac de la Pompa (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Patrice Poissant, Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, Gabriel Morin (for "Eastwatch") Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Manuel Ramírez, Óscar Márquez, Pablo Hernández, David Gacituaga (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, Sylvain Nouveau, Nathan Arbuckle (for "The Dragon and the Wolf" – "Wall Destruction") Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Óscar Perea, Santiago Martos, David Esteve, Michael Crane (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Thomas Montminy Brodeur, Xavier Fourmond, Reuben Barkataki, Sébastien Raets (for "Eastwatch") Dom Hellier, Thijs Noij, Edwin Holdsworth, Giacomo Matteucci (for "The Spoils of War" – "Loot Train Attack") ===Writers Guild of America Awards=== First presented in 1949, the Writers Guild of America Award recognizes the work of film, television and radio screenwriters. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated ten times. In June 2013, the show was placed at number 40 on the list of the 101 best written shows of all time by the Writers Guild of America, assessing series from the previous 70 years. HBO had attempted to submit the show for a third consecutive Writers Guild Award for Best Drama Series, but a technical error during the process meant it was not submitted and the fault was discovered too late for the show to be entered. + Writers Guild of America Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss New Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss 2013 Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, George R. R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, D. B. Weiss 2015 Episodic Drama George R. R. Martin (for "The Lion and the Rose") Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss 2016 Episodic Drama David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "Mother's Mercy") Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss 2017 Episodic Drama David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Winds of Winter") Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss 2018 Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss ==Significant critical awards== ===Critics' Choice Television Awards=== Kit Harington was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award in 2016 The Critics' Choice Television Award is an annual accolade given by the Broadcast Film Critics Association since 2011 in order to recognize the most significant achievements in television. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two out of twenty nominations. + Critics' Choice Television Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' 2012 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage 2013 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series Diana Rigg 2014 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series Diana Rigg 2015 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Most Bingeworthy Show 2016 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Most Bingeworthy Show Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Kit Harington Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke Lena Headey 2018 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke ===Golden Globe Awards=== Peter Dinklage won one Golden Globe Award in 2012 The Golden Globe Awards are awarded annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to honor the best achievements in film and television. In 2012, The show was nominated for 2 Golden Globe awards including Best Drama Series and Best Supporting Actor, taken by Dinklage. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one award out of seven nominations. + Golden Globe Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage 2015 Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Lena Headey 2018 Best Television Series - Drama ''Game of Thrones'' ===Guinness World Records=== The ''Guinness World Records'' is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records. Game of Thrones currently holds six records. + Guinness World Records received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Most pirated TV program ''Game of Thrones'' Most viewers sharing a single torrent file simultaneously ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Largest TV drama simulcast ''Game of Thrones'' Most "in demand" TV show ''Game of Thrones'' Most Emmy Awards for a drama series ''Game of Thrones'' Most VES Awards won by a TV series ''Game of Thrones'' ===Hugo Awards=== George R. R. Martin won a Hugo Award for "Blackwater", along with director Neil Marshall, in 2013 The Hugo Awards are a set of awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. ''Game of Thrones'' has won three out of six nominations. + Hugo Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin, Tim Van Patten, Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, and Alan Taylor for ''Game of Thrones'' – Season 1 2013 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Neil Marshall (director) and George R. R. Martin (writer) (for "Blackwater") 2014 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and David Nutter (director) (for "The Rains of Castamere") 2015 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Alex Graves (director) (for "The Mountain and the Viper") 2017 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Miguel Sapochnik (director) (for "Battle of the Bastards") David Benioff (writer), D. B. Weiss (writer), and Jack Bender (director) (for "The Door") ===IGN Awards=== Sean Bean won an IGN Awards in 2011 The IGN Awards are chosen annually by the IGN editors, honoring the best in film, television, games, comics and anime. ''Game of Thrones'' has won nine out of thirty two nominations. + IGN Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Actor Peter Dinklage Best TV Actress Emilia Clarke Best TV Episode "Baelor" Best TV Twist "Off with his head!" Best TV Hero Sean Bean as Ned Stark Kit Harington as Jon Snow Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon 2012 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "Blackwater" Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete first season on Blu-ray 2013 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Rains of Castamere" Best TV Villain David Bradley as Walder Frey Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete second season on Blu-ray 2014 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Children" 2015 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "Hardhome" Best TV Villain Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton 2016 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Winds of Winter" 2017 Best Action Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Spoils of War" ===IGN People's Choice Award=== Jack Gleeson won an IGN People's Choice Award in 2012 and 2013 The IGN People's Choice Awards are voted on annually by the general public, they honor the best in film, television, games, comics and anime ''Game of Thrones'' has won sixteen out of thirty two nominations. + IGN People's Choice Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Actor Peter Dinklage Best TV Actress Emilia Clarke Best TV Episode "Baelor" Best TV Twist "Off with his head!" Best TV Hero Sean Bean as Ned Stark Kit Harington as Jon Snow Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon 2012 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "Blackwater" Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete first season on Blu-ray 2013 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Rains of Castamere" Best TV Villain David Bradley as Walder Frey Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete second season on Blu-ray 2014 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Children" 2015 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "Hardhome" Best TV Villain Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton 2016 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series Best TV Episode "The Winds of Winter" 2017 Best Action Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Spoils of War" ===National Television Awards=== The National Television Awards are presented in an annual award show broadcast by the ITV network. The results are voted on by the general public. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated four times. + National Television Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Multichannel show ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Best Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2018 Best Drama ''Game of Thrones'' ===People's Choice Awards=== The People's Choice Awards recognize the people and the work of popular culture. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated twelve times. + People's Choice Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Favorite Cable TV Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Favorite Thriller Show ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Favorite Premium Cable TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite TV Anti-Hero Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Emilia Clarke 2015 Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show 2016 Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Emilia Clarke 2017 Favorite Premium Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Emilia Clarke ===Peabody Awards=== Nikolaj Coster-Waldau accepted the Peabody Award on behalf of the show in 2012 The Peabody Award recognizes excellence in various platforms of the media, including film, television, and radio. The award "spotlights instances of how electronic media can teach, expand our horizons, defend the public interest, or encourage empathy with others". ''Game of Thrones'' was honored with a Peabody Award in 2011 for its first season. The award association gave the following description of the show: + Peabody Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Peabody Award ''Game of Thrones'' ===Poppy Awards=== Sophie Turner won one Poppy Award in 2016 The Poppy Awards, formerly known as the EWwys, honors the Emmy-snubbed shows and actors of the year. ''Game of Thrones'' has received six awards from ten nomination. + Poppy Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Emilia Clarke Best Actor, Drama Sean Bean 2012 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Lena Headey 2013 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Natalie Dormer 2014 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Maisie Williams Best Supporting Actor, Drama Charles Dance Best Guest Actor, Drama Pedro Pascal 2015 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Maisie Williams Sophie Turner 2016 Best Supporting Actress, Drama Sophie Turner ===Satellite Awards=== Peter Dinklage won one Satellite Award in 2011 The Satellite Award is given annually by the International Press Academy (IPA) to honor the best work in the entertainment industry. ''Game of Thrones'' has received three awards out of fourteen nominations. In 2011, Dinklage received the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film, and received three more nominations (2012, 2014–2015). In 2014, ''Game of Thrones'' won the Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Genre, while Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Emilia Clarke received nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. + Satellite Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Peter Dinklage 2012 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Peter Dinklage 2013 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Emilia Clarke 2014 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Peter Dinklage 2015 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Peter Dinklage 2016 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Lena Headey 2017 Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' ===Saturn Awards=== Maisie Williams won Saturn Award in 2015 and 2019 The Saturn Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films to honor the top works mainly in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ''Game of Thrones'' has won six out of thirty-four nominations. + Saturn Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best Television Presentation ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor on Television Sean Bean Best Actress on Television Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington 2013 Best Television Presentation ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Best Television Presentation ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor on Television Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Best Supporting Actress on Television Gwendoline Christie Michelle Fairley Best Performance by a Younger Actor on Television Jack Gleeson 2015 Best Limited Run Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actress on Television Emilia Clarke Best Performance by a Younger Actor on Television Maisie Williams 2016 Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington Best Supporting Actress on Television Lena Headey Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series Maisie Williams Brenock O'Connor 2017 Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actress on Television Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor on Television Kit Harington 2018 Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actress on a Television Series Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series Kit Harington Nikolaj Coster-Waldau 2019 Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor on a Television Series Kit Harington Best Actress on a Television Series Emilia Clarke Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Peter Dinklage Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series Gwendoline Christie Lena Headey Sophie Turner Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series Maisie Williams ===Scream Awards=== Emilia Clarke won one Scream Award in 2011 The Scream Awards were awarded annually to honor the top works mainly in the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has won three out of eight nominations. + Scream Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Fantasy Actor Sean Bean Best Fantasy Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Breakout Performance – Female Emilia Clarke Best Ensemble Amrita Acharia, Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Josef Altin, Sean Bean, Susan Brown, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Ron Donachie, Michelle Fairley, Jerome Flynn, Elyes Gabel, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Conleth Hill, Richard Madden, Jason Momoa, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Luke McEwan, Roxanne McKee, Dar Salim, Mark Stanley, Donald Sumpter, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams Most Memorable Mutilation "Head covered in molten gold" (from "A Golden Crown") The Ultimate Scream ''Game of Thrones'' ===Television Critics Association Awards=== The TCA Awards are awarded annually by the Television Critics Association for outstanding achievements in television. ''Game of Thrones'' has won three out of sixteen nominations. + Television Critics Association Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama Outstanding New Program Individual Achievement in Drama Peter Dinklage 2012 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama Individual Achievement in Drama Peter Dinklage 2013 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama 2014 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama 2015 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama 2016 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Achievement in Drama 2019 Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' ==Other awards== ===Dorian Awards=== The Dorian Awards are awarded annually by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated twice. + Dorian Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2013 TV Drama of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 TV Drama of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' ===Dragon Awards=== The Dragon Awards are awarded annually, winners are voted upon by the general public. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of one nomination. + Dragon Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' ===Empire Awards=== Empire Award in 2015 The Empire Awards are awarded annually, winners are voted upon by the general public. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of three nominations. + Empire Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Hero Award Josef Altin, Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dominic Carter, Dean-Charles Chapman, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ben Crompton, Liam Cunningham, Charles Dance, Peter Dinklage, Natalie Dormer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Pedro Pascal, Daniel Portman, Mark Stanley, Sophie Turner, Indira Varma and Maisie Williams 2016 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' ===E! Online Best. Ever. TV. Awards=== The E! Online Best. Ever. TV. Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated once. + E! Online Best. Ever. TV. Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' ===GLAAD Media Awards=== The GLAAD Media Awards are awarded annually by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated once. + GLAAD Media Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' ===Glamour Awards=== The Glamour Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two out of two nominations. + Glamour Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Best UK TV Actress Sophie Turner 2017 Best UK TV Actress Sophie Turner ===Gold Derby TV Awards=== Diana Rigg won a Gold Derby TV Awards in 2013, 2015 and 2018 The Gold Derby TV Awards are awarded annually to the best of television. ''Game of Thrones'' has won fifteen out of forty-seven nominations. + Gold Derby TV Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage 2012 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Breakthrough Performer of the Year Maisie Williams Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Best Drama Supporting Actress Emilia Clarke Michelle Fairley Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "The Rains of Castamere" Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Charles Dance Best Drama Supporting Actress Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actor Pedro Pascal Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "The Lion and the Rose" "The Watchers on the Wall" Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 2015 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "Hardhome" "Mother's Mercy" Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Kit Harington Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actor Ian McShane Max von Sydow Best Drama Episode "Battle of the Bastards" "The Winds of Winter" 2018 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "Beyond the Wall" "The Spoils of War" 2019 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" "The Long Night" Best Drama Actor Kit Harington Best Drama Actress Emilia Clarke Best Drama Supporting Actor Alfie Allen Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Gwendoline Christie Lena Headey Maisie Williams Best Drama Guest Actress Carice van Houten Best Ensemble The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' ===Golden Nymph Awards=== The Golden Nymph Awards are awarded annually at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of five nominations. + Golden Nymph Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding International Producer David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss and D. B. Weiss Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Kit Harington ===Gracie Allen Awards=== The Gracie Award was established in 1975 by the Alliance for Women in Media to recognize the best representation of women in the media. The award is given to various types of programming or individuals. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of one nomination. + Gracie Allen Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Drama Series or Special Emilia Clarke ===Hollywood Music in Media Awards=== The Hollywood Music in Media Awards are awarded annually to recognize the music of visual mediums such as film, television, movie trailers, video games and commercials. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated one time. + Hollywood Music in Media Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 Best Original Score – TV Show / Digital Streaming Series Ramin Djawadi ===Humanitas Prize=== The Humanitas Prize are awarded annually to film and television writing intended to "promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom". ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated one time. + Humanitas Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2017 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television David Benioff, D. B. Weiss (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") ===International Film Music Critics Association=== The International Film Music Critics Association are awarded annually to film and television composers. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated four times, and won once. + International Film Music Critics Association Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Original Score for a Television Series Ramin Djawadi 2013 Best Original Score for a Television Series Ramin Djawadi 2016 Best Original Score for a Television Series Ramin Djawadi Film Music Composition of the Year Ramin Djawadi for "Light of the Seven" ===Jupiter Awards=== The Jupiter Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has won once. + Jupiter Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 Best International TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' ===Kerrang! Awards=== The Kerrang! Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two out of two nominations. + Kerrang! Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' 2014 Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' ===MTV Fandom Awards=== The MTV Fandom Awards are awarded annually, voted by the public. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of two nominations. + MTV Fandom Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 OMG Moment of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' – The Purple Wedding 2016 Fan Freak Out of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' – Resurrection of Jon Snow ===MTV Millennial Awards=== The MTV Millennial Awards are annual awards that celebrates the music, videos and digital culture of the Millennial Generation in Latin America. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of one nomination. + MTV Millennial Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Killer Serie del Año ''Game of Thrones'' ===MTV Movie & TV Awards=== The MTV Movie & TV Awards is an annual award show presented by MTV to honor outstanding achievements in film and television. Founded in 1992, the winners of the awards are decided online by the audience. ''Game of Thrones'' won one award from ten nominations. + MTV Movie & TV Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2017 Show of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor in a Show Emilia Clarke Tearjerker Hodor's (Kristian Nairn) death 2018 Best Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Performance in a Show Maisie Williams Best Hero Emilia Clarke 2019 Best Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Performance in a Show Emilia Clarke Best Hero Maisie Williams Best Fight Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) vs. White Walkers ===NewNowNext Awards=== The NewNowNext Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated three times. + NewNowNext Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 TV You Betta Watch ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 Cause You're Hot Richard Madden 2014 Best New Television Actor Pedro Pascal ===Portal Awards=== The Portal Awards are awarded annually for genre television and movies. ''Game of Thrones'' has won seven out of sixteen nominations. + Portal Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor Sean Bean Best Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Episode "Winter Is Coming" Best Young Actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright Maisie Williams 2012 Best Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor Peter Dinklage Best Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Aidan Gillen Best Supporting Actress Michelle Fairley Maisie Williams Best Episode "The Ghost of Harrenhal" Best Young Actor Jack Gleeson Maisie Williams ===Royal Television Society=== The Royal Television Society presents annual awards honoring the best in television. In 2014, the show won the International Program Award at the in 2014. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of one nomination. + Royal Television Society Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 International Program ''Game of Thrones'' ===Screenwriters Choice Awards=== The Screenwriters Choice Awards are awarded annually. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of two nominations. + Screenwriters Choice Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' ===SFX Awards=== The SFX Awards are awarded annually to celebrate achievements in science fiction and are voted on by the readers of the SFX magazine. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two out of thirteen nominations. + SFX Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2012 Best New TV Show David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Best TV Show David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Best Actress Maisie Williams Best Actor Peter Dinklage 2013 Best Actress Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Best Actor Peter Dinklage 2015 Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actress Maisie Williams Best Actor Peter Dinklage Best Villain Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister Biggest Disappointment No Hodor in ''Game of Thrones'' season five Best TV Episode "The Mountain and the Viper" ===Shorty Awards=== The Shorty Awards are annual awards, recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short form content across social media. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated twice. + Shorty Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' GIF of The Year ''Game of Thrones'' Come at Me Bro ===TV Choice Awards=== The TV Choice Awards are awarded annually, the nominees are selected by the editors at TV Choice magazine and the winners are chosen by voting of the general public. ''Game of Thrones'' has won two out of two nominations. + TV Choice Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2014 Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' 2016 Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' ===USC Scripter Awards=== The USC Scripter Awards are awarded annually by the USC Libraries Board of Councilors in recognition of the year's best adaptation of the printed word into film. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated two times. + USC Scripter Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "Hardhome") 2017 Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Winds of Winter") ===Webby Awards=== The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. ''Game of Thrones'' has won six awards out of six nominations. + Webby Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' Unscripted (Branded) Battle of the Bastards Featurette 2018 Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' Best Trailer ''Game of Thrones'' Best Digital Campaign ''Game of Thrones'' ===Women's Image Network Awards=== The Women's Image Network Awards are annual awards presented to individuals who promote women and girls in the media. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of two nominations. + Women's Image Network Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Actress Drama Series Lena Headey 2014 Actress Drama Series Lena Headey ===World Soundtrack Awards=== The World Soundtrack Academy presents annual awards honoring the music professionals involved in film and television. ''Game of Thrones'' has one nomination. + World Soundtrack Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2016 Television Composer of the Year Ramin Djawadi ===Young Artist Awards=== The Young Artist Awards are awarded annually to young artists. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated three times. + Young Artist Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2013 Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress Sophie Turner Maisie Williams ===Young Hollywood Awards=== The Young Hollywood Awards are bestowed annually to honor the achievements in pop music, film and television, sports, fashion and social media. ''Game of Thrones'' has won one out of three nominations. + Young Hollywood Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2013 Actor of the Year Kit Harington 2014 Bingeworthy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' We Love to Hate You Jack Gleeson ===Zulu Awards=== The Zulu Awards are awarded annually, nominees are selected by Danish broadcaster Zulu and the winners are voted upon by the general public. ''Game of Thrones'' has been nominated one time. + Zulu Awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' Year Category Recipient Result Ref. 2017 Best Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== * Official U.S. website HBO * * * Official UK website HBO UK

'''''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms''''' was a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) under development by Bigpoint and Artplant, in collaboration with HBO. The game was based on the HBO TV series ''Game of Thrones'', which is itself an adaptation of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series by George R. R. Martin. The game was being built using the Unity platform, and will be playable in the browser using the Unity Web Player plugin. ==Gameplay== ''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms'' was to be set within the fictional realm of Westeros, and will use a third-person viewpoint. Gameplay was planned to be mainly based around player vs player (PvP) combat, which would involve small group combat, one on one duels and siege battles, large scale battles in which players must capture keeps, forts and castles. Player vs Environment (PvE) combat was planned to be available at launch, although this was not a major priority. Combat would be realtime, with movement controlled using the WASD keys. Players would be able to come together to form guilds, known as lesser houses. Lesser houses align themselves with one of the three major houses in-game: Baratheon, Stark or Lannister. Solo play will be possible, although group play will be encouraged. Players would be able to customize their characters by changing features such as hair and clothing. ==Development== ''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms'' was announced in February 2012, with the first look being unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in March 2012. The first gameplay footage was shown in a trailer released on July 12, 2012. The game was under development by German videogame developer Bigpoint, and Norwegian developer Artplant. The studios have previously worked together on Battlestar Galactica Online, another browser based multiplayer game. The game was being made in collaboration with HBO. Everything put in game is reviewed by HBO in advance, and Bigpoint is working with the HBO design teams. The look and feel of the weapons and armour, for example, are straight from the show. The game was being built on the Unity platform. ==References== ==External links== * Official page

The fourth season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered in the United States on HBO on April 6, 2014, and concluded on June 15, 2014. It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States, consisting of 10 episodes, each running approximately 50–60 minutes. The season is adapted primarily from the second half of ''A Storm of Swords'', along with elements of ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'', all novels from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin. The series is adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO ordered the fourth season on April 2, 2013, which began filming in July 2013. The season was filmed primarily in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Croatia. The story takes place in a fictional world, primarily upon a continent called Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east known as Essos. Like the novel and previous seasons, the fourth season mainly centres around the war of the five kings; after the death of Robb Stark at The Red Wedding, all three remaining kings in Westeros believe they have a claim to the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, at the wall, Jon Snow and the Night's Watch get ready for the battle against the free folk. ''Game of Thrones'' features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington. The season introduced a number of new cast members, including Pedro Pascal, Indira Varma, Michiel Huisman and Dean-Charles Chapman. Critics praised the show's production values and cast, with specific accolades for Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. Viewership yet again rose compared to the previous season. It won 4 of the 19 Emmy Awards for which it was nominated. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister * Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister * Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen * Kit Harington as Jon Snow * Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister * Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell * Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly * Rose Leslie as Ygritte * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane * Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth * Jerome Flynn as Bronn * Sibel Kekilli as Shae * Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont * Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth * Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon * Carice van Houten as Melisandre * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy / "Reek" * Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Snow / Ramsay Bolton * Conleth Hill as Varys * Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish * Hannah Murray as Gilly ===Guest cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 4. They are listed by the region in which they first appear: ====At and beyond the Wall==== * Owen Teale as Alliser Thorne * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * Noah Taylor as Locke * Mark Stanley as Grenn * Josef Altin as Pypar * Luke Barnes as Rast * Burn Gorman as Karl Tanner * Brenock O'Connor as Olly * Lu Corfield as the Mole's Town madam * Lois Winstone as a Mole's Town prostitute * Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder * Yuri Kolokolnikov as Styr * Ian Whyte as Dongo * Joseph Gatt as a Thenn warg * Deirdre Monaghan as Morag * Jane McGrath as Sissy * Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed * Kristian Nairn as Hodor * Struan Rodger as the Three-Eyed Raven * Octavia Alexandru as Leaf * Richard Brake as the Night King * Ross Mullan as White Walkers ====In the North==== * Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton * Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy * Charlotte Hope as Myranda ====In the Vale==== * Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn * Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce * Alisdair Simpson as Donnel Waynwood ====In King's Landing==== * Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell * Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell * Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell * Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand * Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne * Tony Way as Dontos Hollard * Paul Bentley as the High Septon * Anton Lesser as Qyburn * Will Tudor as Olyvar * Josephine Gillan as Marei * Pixie Le Knot as Kayla ====On Dragonstone==== * Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Florent * Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon ====In the Riverlands==== * Gary Oliver as Ternesio Terys * Andy Kellegher as Polliver * Andy Beckwith as Rorge * Gerard Jordan as Biter * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie ====In Braavos==== * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris * Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan * Sarine Sofair as Lhara ====In Slaver's Bay==== * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis * Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm * Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq * Reece Noi as Mossador ==Production== On April 2, 2013, HBO announced it had renewed the series for a fourth season, to consist of 10 episodes. ===Crew=== David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as main writers and showrunners for the fourth season. They co-wrote seven out of ten episodes. The remaining three episodes were written by Bryan Cogman (two episodes), and the author of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', George R. R. Martin (one episode). Benioff and Weiss co-directed the season premiere after making their directorial debut in season 3, although only Weiss is credited as Benioff received credit for their previous directed episode; Alex Graves, who directed two episodes in season 3, returned and directed episodes 2, 3, 8 and 10; Michelle MacLaren, who also directed two episodes in season 3, returned to direct episodes 4 and 5; former series cinematographer Alik Sakharov, who directed in seasons 2 and 3, returned to direct episodes 6 and 7; and Neil Marshall directed episode 9 after previously directing "Blackwater", the ninth episode of season 2. ===Casting=== Pedro Pascal plays Oberyn Martell. The fourth season adds previously recurring actors Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) and Hannah Murray (Gilly) to the series' main cast. Iain Glen's credit is moved last in the rotation and given the "With" moniker. Prince Oberyn Martell, nicknamed "The Red Viper", is played by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal. "This was a tough one", said showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss about the casting. "The Red Viper is sexy and charming, yet believably dangerous; intensely likable, yet driven by hate. The boys love him, the girls love him, and he loves them all back. Unless your last name is Lannister. We found a fellow who can handle the job description and make it seem effortless. He wasn't easy to find and he won't be easy to stop". Martin commented on the casting by saying: "I wasn't present for Pedro Pascal's audition, but I understand that he really killed it with his reading. And since his casting was announced, the producer of another TV show on which he appeared recently has written me to say how terrific Pascal is, and to congratulate us on the casting. So I suspect that he will turn out to be a wonderful Red Viper". Actress Indira Varma was cast as Ellaria Sand, Prince Oberyn's paramour. Roger Ashton-Griffiths joins the cast in the role of Mace Tyrell. "The lord oaf of Highgarden", as his mother describes him, is otherwise known as father to Margaery and Loras. His casting was confirmed by George R. R. Martin, who introduced the actor as the solution to a riddle he'd set fans with the following message, "Yes, it's the fine British character actor Roger Ashton-Griffiths, who has been cast in the role of Mace Tyrell, son to the Queen of Thorns, and father of Loras and Margaery". Mark Gatiss plays Tycho Nestoris, a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos, to whom the Iron Throne owes millions in borrowed gold. The role of Hizdahr zo Loraq is played by young British actor Joel Fry. Hizdahr is the young scion of an ancient Meereenese family who crosses paths with Daenerys Targaryen in Meereen. Elizabeth Webster was cast as Fat Walda Frey. Walda Frey is a granddaughter of Lord Walder Frey. She is the new wife of Roose Bolton, the Lord of the Dreadfort. During the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Lord Bolton recounts to Catelyn Stark and Ser Brynden "Blackfish" Tully how Lord Walder Frey proposed him to marry one of his granddaughters and offered her weight in silver as dowry. Lord Bolton then adds he chose the fattest bride available and she has made him very rich. Paola Dionisotti and Rupert Vansittart were cast as Lady Anya Waynwood and Bronze Yohn Royce. They are the heads of House Waynwood and House Royce of Runestone: two powerful vassal houses of House Arryn. Yuri Kolokolnikov plays Styr: One of Mance Rayder's lieutenants and the Magnar – the name of the first ever Lord of Thenn which is now a title – of the Thenn people, a wildling clan. Two mysterious characters from Bran's storyline have also been cast: the Three-Eyed Crow, who is played by Struan Rodger, and a Child of the Forest, played by Octavia Alexandru. Roles that were recast for season 4 include Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis. Huisman replaces Ed Skrein, who portrayed the character in season 3. Dean-Charles Chapman plays the role of Tommen Baratheon, King Joffrey's younger brother. Tommen was played by Callum Wharry in seasons 1 and 2. Chapman appeared as Martyn Lannister in two episodes of season 3 ("Walk of Punishment" and "Kissed by Fire"). Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson was cast as Ser Gregor Clegane, called "The Mountain". Hafþór replaces Ian Whyte, who portrayed the character in season 2. After an absence of at least a season, Owen Teale returns as Alliser Thorne, Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn, Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt, Tony Way as Dontos Hollard, Andy Beckwith as Rorge, Gerard Jordan as Biter, Andy Kellegher as Polliver, Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn and Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck. ===Filming=== Filming for the season began on July 8, 2013, in Northern Ireland. The series also returned to Iceland and Dubrovnik for filming. New locations in Croatia include Diocletian's Palace in Split, Klis Fortress north of Split, Perun quarry east of Split, Mosor mountain, and Baška Voda further down to the south. In the commentary for episode 2, "The Lion and the Rose," the showrunners revealed that parts of Joffrey's death scene had been filmed in California. The Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used as the location for the fight between Brienne and The Hound. Filming for the season lasted 136 days and was completed on November 21, 2013. ===Music=== The Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós appears in the second episode, as a group of musicians serenading the royal couple at their wedding reception with "The Rains of Castamere." This continues the series's tradition of employing noted indie bands, begun in season 2 with The National and continued in season 3 with The Hold Steady. The soundtrack for the season was released digitally on June 10, 2014, and on CD on July 1, 2014. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== The fourth season was acclaimed by critics. However, the third episode attracted criticism for the inclusion of a scene in which Jaime Lannister appears to be raping his sister and lover Cersei in the Great Sept of Baelor. In the source novel, Cersei verbally consents to the sexual encounter, but does not in the television portrayal. The final episode was also criticised for the omission of the events of the epilogue of ''A Storm of Swords'' which was expected by fans to be the final scene. The review aggregator website Metacritic gave season 4 a score of 94 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth season has a 97% approval rating from 44 critics with an average rating of 8.89 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Game of Thrones'' continues to be one of the best shows on TV, combining meticulously-plotted character arcs with the spectacular design of the Seven Kingdoms." ===Ratings=== Season 4 obtained the strongest viewer numbers of all seasons aired up until that point, with a series high of 7.20 million viewers of the first airing of the seventh episode. With its fourth season, ''Game of Thrones'' has become the most-watched HBO series in history (surpassing the fourth season of ''The Sopranos'' which had a gross audience of 18.2 million viewers), averaging 18.4 million viewers across multiple platforms, including live viewing, encores, DVR views, HBO GO and On Demand views. ===Accolades=== For the 30th TCA Awards, the series was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Drama and Program of the Year. For the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series and Diana Rigg received a nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series. For the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 19 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Peter Dinklage for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Lena Headey for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Diana Rigg for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "The Children", and Neil Marshall for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "The Watchers on the Wall". For the 67th Writers Guild of America Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series and George R. R. Martin was nominated for Best Episodic Drama for "The Lion and the Rose". For the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards, the cast was nominated for Best Drama Ensemble, Peter Dinklage was nominated for Best Drama Actor, and the series won for Best Stunt Team. For the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, the series was nominated for Best Television Series – Drama. For the 67th Directors Guild of America Awards, Alex Graves was nominated for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series for the episode "The Children". Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 AFI Awards AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' TV Choice Awards Best International Show ''Game of Thrones'' Young Hollywood Awards We Love to Hate You Jack Gleeson Bingeworthy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold EWwy Award Best Supporting Actress, Drama Maisie Williams Best Supporting Actor, Drama Charles Dance Best Guest Actor, Drama Pedro Pascal 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Neil Marshall for "The Watchers on the Wall" Outstanding Drama Series "The Lion and the Rose", "Breaker of Chains", "First of His Name", "The Laws of Gods and Men", "The Watchers on the Wall", and "The Children" Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Children" 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Fantasy Series Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron for "The Laws of Gods and Men" and "The Mountain and the Viper" Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Anette Haellmigk for "The Lion and the Rose" Jonathan Freeman for "Two Swords" Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Alexander Fordham, and Nina Ayres for "The Lion and the Rose" Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, and Nicola Mount for "The Lion and the Rose" Outstanding Interactive Program Game of Thrones Premiere – Facebook Live and Instagram, by Sabrina Caluori, Paul Beddoe-Stephens, Jim Marsh, Michael McMorrow, Michael McMillian Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Ann McEwan for "Oathkeeper" Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi for "The Mountain and the Viper" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker and Barrie Gower for "The Children" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Jed M. Dodge, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, David Klotz, Bradley C. Katona, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit for "The Watchers on the Wall" Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (One Hour) Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, and Mathew Waters for "The Watchers on the Wall" Outstanding Special and Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Joern Grosshans, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Eric Carney, Sabrina Gerhardt, Matthew Rouleau, Thomas H. Schelesny, and Robert Simon for "The Children" Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series Paul Herbert Women's Image Network Awards Actress Drama Series Lena Headey 19th Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage Best Television Series – Genre ''Game of Thrones'' 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series Diana Rigg 30th TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Gold Derby TV Awards 2014 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Charles Dance Best Drama Supporting Actress Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actor Pedro Pascal Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "The Lion and the Rose" "The Watchers on the Wall" Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score - TV Show/Digital Streaming Series Ramin Djawadi Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona and Jed M. Dodge for "The Children" Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley for "Mockingbird" Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Sven Martin, Jörn Grosshans, Thomas Schelesny, Matthew Rouleau for "The Children" IGN Awards Best TV Episode "The Children" Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Children" Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Jupiter Award Best International TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' 1st MTV Fandom Awards OMG Moment of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' - The Purple Wedding 2015 Guinness World Records Most pirated TV program ''Game of Thrones'' People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley for "The Laws of Gods and Men" and "The Mountain and the Viper" Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss for "The Children" Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan for "Oathkeeper" 12th Irish Film & Television Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Best Sound ''Game of Thrones'' SFX Awards Best Actress Maisie Williams Best Actor Peter Dinklage Best Villain Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister Biggest Disappointment No Hodor in Game Of Thrones season five Best TV Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode ''The Mountain and the Viper'' Screenwriters Choice Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' NewNowNext Awards Best New Television Actor Pedro Pascal Astra Awards Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Anette Haellmigk for "The Children" Fabian Wagner for "Mockingbird" 20th Empire Awards Hero Award The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' British Academy Television Awards Radio Times Audience Award ''Game of Thrones'' Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton for ''Game of Thrones'' Directors Guild of America Award Dramatic Series Alex Graves for "The Children" GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley ''Game of Thrones'' for "The Children" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR ''Game of Thrones'' for "The Children" Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music ''Game of Thrones'' for "The Watchers on the Wall" 72nd Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff, Alex Graves, and D. B. Weiss for "The Mountain and The Viper" National Television Awards Multichannel show ''Game of Thrones'' Producers Guild Awards "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss Saturn Award Best Limited Run Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Performance by a Younger Actor on Television Maisie Williams Best Supporting Actress on Television Emilia Clarke 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series Lucy Allen, Cole Armitage, Gary Arthurs, Rachelle Beinart, Ferenc Berecz, Richard Bradshaw, Andy Butcher, Michael Byrch, Neil Chapelhow, Nick Chopping, Jonathan Cohen, Joel Conlan, Gary Connery, James Cox, Tom Cox, Jason Curle, Nicholas Daines, Bill Davey, Kelly J. Dent, Ben Dimmock, Levan Doran, Jamie Edgell, Bradley Farmer, Neil Finnighan, Jozsef Fodor, Dean Forster, David Garrick, James Grogan, Tim Halloran, Paul Heasman, Robert Hladik, Al Holland, Gergely Horpacsi, Paul Howell, Stewart James, Gary Kane, Ian Kay, Robbie Keane, George Kirby, Cristian Knight, Laszlo Kosa, Geza Kovacs, Norbert Kovacs, Guy List, Phil Lonergan, Russell Macleod, Tina Maskell, Adrian McGaw, Nick McKinless, Erol Mehmet, Andy Merchant, Sian Milne, Daniel Naprous, Chris Newton, Ray Nicholas, Bela Orsanyi, Sam Parham, Ian Pead, Justin Pearson, Martin Pemberton, Heather Phillips, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Christopher Pocock, Curtis Rivers, Marcus Shakesheff, Matt Sherren, Anthony Skrimshire, Mark Slaughter, Karen Smithson, Mark Southworth, Helen Steinway Bailey, Shane Steyn, Matthew Stirling, John Street, Gaspar Szabo, Gabor Szeman, Roy Taylor, Gyula Toth, Tony Van Silva, Reg Wayment, Linda Weal, Richard J Wheeldon, Heron White, Maxine Whittaker, Simon Whyman, Donna C. Williams, Lou Wong, Annabel E. Wood, Liang Yang, Steen Young Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series Josef Altin, Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Dominic Carter, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ben Crompton, Charles Dance, Peter Dinklage, Natalie Dormer, Iain Glen, Julian Glover, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Ian McElhinney, Pedro Pascal, Daniel Portman, Mark Stanley, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Visual Effects Society Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game Philip Meyer, Thomas Kutschera, Igor Majdandzic, and Mark Spindler for "Drogon" Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program ''Game of Thrones'' for "The Children" Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game Rene Borst, Christian Zilliken, Jan Burda, Steffen Metzner for "Braavos Establisher" Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program Keegan Douglas, Okan Ataman, Brian Fortune, David Lopez for "Wight Attack" Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, Eric Andrusyszyn for "The Watchers on the Wall" Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama George R. R. Martin for "The Lion and the Rose" Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss ==Release== ===Home media=== The fourth season of ''Game of Thrones'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on . ===IMAX=== Between January 30 and February 5, 2015, the last two episodes of season four were shown in 205 IMAX theaters in the U.S. ''Game of Thrones'' is the first TV series released in this format. The show earned $686,000 in its opening day at the box office and $1.5 million during its opening weekend. The one-week release grossed $1,896,092. ===Copyright infringement=== The fourth season of ''Game of Thrones'' was the most-pirated TV series in 2014. ==References== ==External links== * – official US site * – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

"'''Valar Dohaeris'''" is the third season premiere episode of the HBO fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on March 31, 2013. The premiere continued where the second season left off, with the Lannisters consolidating their power at King's Landing in the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater. Meanwhile, Jon Snow meets the "King beyond the Wall," and Daenerys leaves Qarth for Slaver's Bay. The episode's title translates to "all men must serve" in the High Valyrian language in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, which the series adapts. The title mirrors that of season 2's finale, "Valar Morghulis" – "all men must die." The episode received mostly positive reviews, set a new ratings record for the series, and was one of the most torrented episodes for an HBO series. ==Plot== ===Beyond the Wall=== The White Walkers’ attack leaves few Night's Watch survivors. Samwell Tarly is saved by the direwolf Ghost and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, who reprimands Sam for failing to warn of the approaching army and orders the survivors back to the Wall. At the wildling camp, Jon Snow mistakes Tormund Giantsbane for the King-beyond-the-Wall, but Mance Rayder reveals himself and questions Jon's motives for deserting the Night's Watch. Jon earns Mance's approval, declaring that he wants "to fight for the side that fights for the living". ===In King's Landing=== Newly knighted Ser Bronn returns to the service of Tyrion Lannister, whose father Tywin, new Hand of the King, agrees to recognize Tyrion's accomplishments during the Battle of Blackwater but refuses to name him heir to Casterly Rock and viciously insults him. Petyr Baelish offers to smuggle Sansa Stark out of King's Landing. Ros tells Shae to look out for Sansa, especially when dealing with Baelish. King Joffrey Baratheon and his betrothed Lady Margaery Tyrell travel through Flea Bottom, when Margaery exits her litter to visit an orphanage as Joffrey hides. At dinner, Joffrey trades insults with his mother, in contrast to the harmonious Tyrells. ===In Blackwater Bay=== Stranded Davos Seaworth is rescued by the pirate Salladhor Saan, and recounts seeing his son Matthos die. Salladhor reveals he is leaving the service of Stannis, who is in seclusion at Dragonstone and will only speak with Melisandre, who is burning people alive. Davos, intending to kill Melisandre, persuades Salladhor to bring him to Stannis. ===At Dragonstone=== Discovering Stannis is indifferent to his survival and that Melisandre believes him responsible for Stannis’ defeat, Davos tries to attack Melisandre but is thrown in the dungeons. ===At Harrenhal=== Robb Stark and his forces discover Gregor Clegane has abandoned Harrenhal and slaughtered the prisoners. Lord Roose Bolton sympathizes with Lord Rickard Karstark's frustration that Catelyn Stark let Jaime Lannister go, assuring Karstark that his best hunter is after Jaime. Robb finds a survivor, Qyburn. ===Across the Narrow Sea=== Reaching Astapor in Slaver's Bay with her fast-growing dragons, Daenerys Targaryen considers buying an army of the "Unsullied", renowned eunuch soldiers. A warlock masked as a young girl attempts to assassinate Daenerys with a scorpion-like creature, but is thwarted by Ser Barristan Selmy, Kingsguard to Daenerys' father, who swears his allegiance to her. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It was based mainly on the first chapters of ''A Storm of Swords'', the third novel in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Specifically, it adapts material from chapters Samwell I, Jon I, Davos I, Davos II, Tyrion I, Daenerys I, Davos III, and Daenerys II from ''A Storm of Swords'' and chapter Daenerys V of ''A Clash of Kings''. Some of the twists that open the third book were used in the previous season's finale (mainly Robb's marriage and the White Walkers attacking the Night's Watch). Conversely, Barristan Selmy saving Daenerys from the manticore was borrowed from her last chapter in the second book ''A Clash of Kings''. ===Casting=== Ciarán Hinds joins the series as Mance Rayder "Valar Dohaeris" introduces the Irish actor Ciarán Hinds as the Wildling leader and Night's Watch deserter Mance Rayder, one of the latest Season 3 roles to be cast. The producers explained that casting Mance was a great challenge because he was someone who had become "King beyond the Wall" not by birthright but by convincing all the tribes to unite under his leadership. They had to find an actor with the charisma required to portray this. Unusual for a production such as ''Game of Thrones'', the first scene Hinds filmed was the first one where his character appears: the meeting with Jon Snow at his tent. The season premiere also marks the first appearance of guest stars Kristofer Hivju as the Wildling Tormund Giantsbane, Nathalie Emmanuel as the slave Missandei, and Anton Lesser as the wounded prisoner Qyburn. The three castings were announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2012. With this episode, Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Oona Chaplin (Talisa) are promoted to series regulars, after guest starring in the second season. After being absent for the entire second season, Ian McElhinney returns as Ser Barristan Selmy. Actor Ian Whyte, previously cast as a White Walker in the first season, was recast as the huge Ser Gregor Clegane in the second and appears in the episode as the giant seen in the wildlings camp. ===Valyrian=== David J. Peterson, who created the Dothraki language for the first season of the show, was entrusted by the producers to design a new constructed language to depict Valyrian, the tongue of the fallen Valyrian Empire. After immersing himself in the fictional background, Peterson ended devising two languages: High Valyrian, the oldest form that was spoken at the height of the Empire and that in its purest form still exists as a language of scholarship and refinement, and the Slaver's Bay variety of Low Valyrian, a creolized version that is spoken in local dialects around the Slaver's Bay. The relationship between the two languages would be similar to the one between Classical Latin and Vulgar Latin. To translate sentences in Low Valyrian such as the ones spoken by Kraznys mo Nakloz and Missandei during the episode, Peterson would first write them into High Valyrian, and then apply a series of phonological, semantic and grammatical changes to the text. ===Filming locations=== The episode used locations in four different countries: The Paint Hall in Belfast, the City Walls of Dubrovnik, Mývatn and Vinderbelgjarfjall, and the Old Fort at Essaouira. The production continued to use the Paint Hall studios in Belfast for most interior shoots. The scene of Daenerys at sea was filmed at the Linen Mill Film & Television Studios at Banbridge, using the same ship built for Theon's arrival in Pyke and used as Stannis' flagship in season 2. The beach of Downhill Strand returned as the island of Dragonstone. The old city of Dubrovnik was again used for the exterior shots of the capital, King's Landing. Tyrion and Bronn are seen walking on the famed city walls, and the scene where Lord Baelish visits Sansa at the docks was filmed in the old port between Fort Lovrijenac and the Pila Gates. Also repeating from last season, the scenes beyond the Wall were filmed in Iceland. The Wildling's camp was built in a new location, on a lava field in the Mývatn Lake region in the North, a few hours from the town of Akureyri. Building the camp took months of work from the art department and weeks of construction by the local crew. Although the scenes at the Icelandic exteriors were filmed at minus 11 degrees Celsius, the interior of Mance's tent was filmed on one of the soundstages at the Paint Hall. The fires burning inside the tent made the set very hot, and the actors suffered the heat wearing heavy furs designed for Arctic climates. To depict the slaver city of Astapor, the production used the Moroccan city of Essaouira. The Unsullied are introduced in the city ramparts of ''Skala de la Ville'', the 18th-century sea bastion that runs along the northern cliffs, and during the closing scene when Barristan reveals himself, the Genoese-built citadel by the harbour can be clearly seen. ===Dedication=== The episode is dedicated to the memory of cinematographer Martin Kenzie, who had worked in the photography department and died of cancer while the third season was being filmed on July 16, 2012. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Valar Dohaeris"'s first airing was seen by 4.4 million viewers; the total rose to 6.7 million viewers once the two repeats of the night are taken into account. Both figures represented a viewership record for the show. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.173 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== The episode received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Valar Dohaeris' overextends itself trying to reintroduce a multitude of characters and plotlines, but is strengthened by its brilliantly acted two-person scenes (and three growing baby dragons)." In an advance review for ''The Daily Beast'', Jace Lacob wrote that the season premiere lacks "energy and intensity, but provides a necessary foundation," and that the season, like the novel it is based on, "takes a little to get going." Matt Fowler, writing for IGN, gave the episode an 8.6/10, writing that "while understandably not showing us everyone, Game of Thrones returned in fine form with dragons, zombies and giants." Neela Dabnath of ''The Independent'' felt that "Valar Dohaeris" was a strong start to Season 3 and "deftly picked up the various story strands from the last season ... even if it was just a series of brief check-in." She also praised the show for taking "creative liberties which always pay off in bucket loads," commenting on how this can "add to Martin’s world and flesh it out in new ways." Forbes.com writer Erik Kain stated he felt "Valar Dohaeris" did "exactly what it needed to do," by bringing the viewers "back up to speed on the broader conflict and the various minor character conflicts and positioning for power. The ball hasn’t really been moved forward at all, but our feet are on sturdy ground to move forward." He did however express some disappointment over how some elements of the episode differed from its source material in regards to the reintroduction of the character Barristan Selmy and the apparent absence of the character Strong Belwas. Reviewing the episode for ''The Guardian'', Sarah Hughes felt that "Valar Dohaeris" "didn't really feel like a season opener," and that the opening scene was "a little disorientating." However she enjoyed the scenes in King's Landing and lauded Stephen Dillane's brief performance. Commenting on the Daenerys' plot, she felt her storyline was advancing quite quickly. She also felt that the Barristan Selmy reveal was handled well as; "there are certain conventions that work better on page than screen and the hidden identity trope is one of them. By getting the reveal out of the way early, Benioff and Weiss can concentrate on the potential rivalry between Barristan and Jorah." ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series Gemma Jackson, Frank Walsh, and Tina Jones Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton Outstanding Special Visual Effects Doug Campbell, Rainer Gombos, Juri Stanossek, Sven Martin, Steve Kullback, Jan Fiedler, Chris Stenner, Tobias Mannewitz, Thilo Ewers, and Adam Chazen Hollywood Post Alliance Awards Outstanding Visual Effects – Television Joe Bauer and Jabbar Raisani, Jörn Grosshans and Sven Martin, and Doug Campbell 2014 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson American Society of Cinematographers One-Hour Episodic Television Series Jonathan Freeman Visual Effects Society Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Jörn Großhans, Sven Martin == References == == External links == * "Valar Dohaeris" at HBO.com * *

"'''Eastwatch'''" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 65th overall. The episode was written for television by Dave Hill and directed by Matt Shakman. Daenerys forces the surviving soldiers to swear fealty to her, but the Tarly's refuse, and are executed. Meanwhile, Davos Seaworth retrieves Gendry, along with Jon Snow and Jorah Mormont, where they head beyond the Wall along with Tormund, The Hound, and the Brotherhood Without Banners. Arya Stark spies on Littlefinger and discovers a letter that Sansa wrote to her family, requesting their fealty to King Joffrey. The title of the episode refers to the namesake place at which the final sequence takes place. "Eastwatch" received praise from critics, who listed Jon Snow's interaction with Drogon, Lena Headey's performance as Cersei Lannister, Gendry's return, and the tension between Arya and Littlefinger as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.72 million in its initial broadcast, the highest of any episode in the first seven seasons. This episode marks the final appearance of Tom Hopper (Dickon Tarly) and James Faulkner (Randyll Tarly). ==Plot== ===On the Roseroad=== After the battle, Bronn pulls Jaime ashore. They recognize that the Lannisters cannot defeat Daenerys's three dragons. Daenerys has Randyll Tarly and his son Dickon, who both refuse to swear fealty to her, incinerated despite Tyrion's protests. The remaining soldiers swear fealty to Daenerys out of fear. ===At Winterfell=== Bran, who can see the White Walker's army approaching the wall, requests that ravens be sent throughout the Seven Kingdoms to warn of the imposing threat. Arya witnesses Sansa declining two northern lords's suggestion that Sansa should rule the North. Arya privately accuses Sansa of wanting to displace Jon. Littlefinger surreptitiously lets Arya see the letter Cersei forced Sansa to write after King Robert died in the first season, asking Robb to swear fealty to King Joffrey ("The Pointy End"). ===In Oldtown=== Archmaester Ebrose discusses Bran's message with other Archmaesters. Sam tries to get them to use their influence to prepare Westeros for war against the White Walkers. Archmaester Ebrose decides the matter needs further study. Sam transcribes a High Septon's journal as Gilly reads from it. Sam, frustrated with the Archmaesters lack of action against the White Walkers, steals documents from the library and leaves Oldtown with Gilly and Little Sam. ===In King's Landing=== Jaime returns to Cersei and declares the war unwinnable for the Lannisters. He reveals that Olenna admitted to poisoning Joffrey before her death. Tyrion and Davos sneak into King's Landing. Bronn leads Jaime to Tyrion, who requests an audience with Cersei once Jon can prove that the White Walkers exist. Jaime conveys Tyrion's message; Cersei doubts Tyrion's warning. Cersei acknowledges that a temporary ceasefire could be a strategic necessity for her. She also tells Jaime that she is pregnant and will publicly acknowledge him as the father. Davos locates Gendry, who eagerly leaves King's Landing with him. Two city guards discover Davos' boat; he bribes them, but Tyrion returns and they recognize him, so Gendry kills them. ===On Dragonstone=== Ser Jorah returns and reunites with Daenerys, who has returned to Dragonstone. Varys and Tyrion privately discuss the brutality of Daenerys' actions. Jon and Davos attend Daenerys's meeting with her advisors. Jon receives Bran's warning and decides to return to Winterfell to fight the White Walkers. Jon again requests her help. She refuses, because leaving her war against Cersei would mean conceding the Iron Throne to her. Tyrion proposes capturing a wight north of the Wall and bringing it to King's Landing, to show Cersei the danger and gain her support. Jon and Jorah volunteer for the mission. Tyrion and Davos return from King's Landing with Gendry. Davos advises Gendry to conceal his identity; Gendry instead introduces himself openly to Jon as Robert's bastard and volunteers to join his excursion. ===At Eastwatch-by-the-Sea=== Jon, Davos, Gendry, and Jorah meet with Tormund at the Night Watch fortress Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, where the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Hound are imprisoned. The disparate men discuss their enmities, but acknowledge that they are now fighting against a common enemy. Davos decides to remain at Eastwatch while the others head north. ==Production== ===Writing=== "Eastwatch" was written for television by Dave Hill, who had previously written two episodes for the series, "Sons of the Harpy" and "Home", as well as serving as a writing assistant since the show's second season. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Hill commented on the intentions of the characters' decisions, and the writing and storylines that were involved in penning the episode. In writing the opening sequence involving Daenerys, and Randyll and Dickon Tarly, Hill noted the difference between Daenerys and other rulers, in that she offered the men a choice, saying, "These lords disobeyed her and disrespected her in rebellion against the rightful queen. Then she gives them a way out and they don't take it." He also spoke about the effect on Jaime of being defeated by Daenerys, noting: "This was their first time facing in the open field and they were so easily defeated and that's not something he's ever seen before. But as hard as it is to deal with and her dragons, it's much harder to deal with Cersei." Regarding Jon Snow's departure from Dragonstone, Hill mentioned that Daenerys believes Jon is honest, and she "can't continue a war and still have Seven Kingdoms to rule after the war is done" as long as the White Walker threat remains. Hill's intention in writing the scene of Tyrion's secret meeting with Jaime was to open the interaction with "total antagonism and hatred", and eventually change it to the two "being vaguely on the same side." He notes that although Jaime may not believe Tyrion, it was worth exploring a possibility of a truce. Hill stated that the writers were uncertain on when Gendry should be reintroduced to the story. He noted that the writers always intended to bring Gendry back, and that they had originally planned to bring him back in the previous season. They eventually settled on bringing him back in "Eastwatch" in order to place him into the storyline he referred to as "the big mission" with Jon Snow beyond the Wall. Hill added, "It made sense that Davos would want to save this boy who's like a surrogate son." ===Casting=== Actor Joe Dempsie returned in the role as Gendry in "Eastwatch". "Eastwatch" saw the re-introduction of Joe Dempsie as Gendry, the role he portrayed in the first, second, and third seasons. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Dempsie said about re-joining the cast: "In the intervening three years, I would always welcome the opportunity to come back to the show with open arms. I have so many friends on the show and have such a great time making it. I learn so much when I'm on that set." Dempsie also revealed that co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were unsure when he would be returning to the show, noting that he was told by them, "Look, your character is going to disappear for a while. We don't want you to panic. We're not trying to sack you. We like your performance and your character, but we have plans for him further on down the line." Dempsie learned of his return to the show shortly before Christmas 2015, during a meeting with his agent. ===Filming=== "Eastwatch" was directed by Matt Shakman, who also directed the previous episode, "The Spoils of War". Prior to joining the series, Shakman served as a television director for several other series, including ''Fargo'', ''The Good Wife'', ''Mad Men'', and ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' following the airing of "Eastwatch", Shakman described shooting his two episodes (the other being "The Spoils of War") for the season: "There isn't the same massive set piece, so it's really about establishing what's coming next for the season. It's a bit of a reset. There are some major character revelations and further development of relationships, especially the people who are reunited and are now seeing what's happening as they navigate their new relationships with the people they haven't seen in so long." At the beginning of the episode, Tyrion Lannister is shown walking through the aftermath of the "Loot Train Attack," which Shakman noted was intended to show Tyrion's internal conflict between serving Daenerys and seeing his own family's dead soldiers. He also stated about the scene, "We created things for him to look at that were evoking Pompeii, the aftermath of the dragon fire and what it does to the humans all around him, as well as the destruction of the actual wagons. We walked Peter through that, and let him react to what he was seeing. The effect is pretty powerful." For Daenerys Targaryen's return to Dragonstone, and the interaction between Drogon and Jon Snow, Shakman spoke about the process that went into creating the scene, saying that "half the time Kit Harington", who portrays Jon Snow, was "acting with a partial dragon snout", and at other times "nothing, or a tennis ball in order to establish a proper eye-line." A "pre-viz" was also created, "in order for Harington to see a visualization of what the scene would look like after post-production was completed and to understand the enormity of Drogon." He continued, "It's tremendous acting, to be able to invent your scene partner, and to be able to navigate a scene like that. Bravo to Kit Harington." Shakman also talked about directing Harington and Emilia Clarke, who portrays Daenerys, saying: "Even though they haven't interacted much on the show at all, except for this season, know each other very well. So there's a familiarity there that helps them as actors. They both have great respect for each other and are both very talented, so the scenes are relatively easy to craft due to the familiarity between them that works." Shakman also spoke about the direction for the scene between Samwell Tarly and Gilly at the Citadel, noting that despite the importance of the information that Gilly was revealing regarding Rhaegar Targaryen, his intent was to focus primarily on John Bradley as Sam, saying, "I knew the information was huge, and there's no need to underline it at all. I put all of that information off-camera and pushed in on John Bradley as he was dealing with the crisis of the moment, which was his frustration with the maesters and ultimately coming to the conclusion that he doesn't want to be a part of it anymore. The fact that it happens to be dropping a giant piece of information about Jon's lineage and his claim to the throne, I felt it was better to have that happen without any kind of underlining." He also disclosed that the effect of this reveal will be felt in future episodes as Daenerys and Jon's relationship changes. Additionally, "Shakman revealed that the meeting of characters at the Eastwatch ice cells at the end of the episode was shot all in one day, and that he hoped to have had more time to shoot the scene." He complimented the actors for their performances, however, saying: "there's just so much tension happening with everybody, and we're setting up this idea that this is a group of very unlikely comrades heading out to perform an impossible task. All of those actors are fantastic. Building the tension between each of them wasn't that difficult, given how smart they all are as performers." For the closing shot of the episode, Shakman attempted to pay homage to director Sam Peckinpah, specifically by referencing the 1969 film ''The Wild Bunch'', for which Peckinpah wrote the screenplay and directed. He noted the scene was "meant to evoke that image of the Wild Bunch walking into town before the big shoot-'em-up begins." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Eastwatch" was watched by 10.72 million viewers on its initial viewing on HBO, which was higher than the previous week's rating of 10.17 million viewers for the episode "The Spoils of War" This set a ratings record for ''Game of Thrones'' to that point as the highest rated episode of the series, surpassing "The Spoils of War", which previously held the record. The episode also acquired a 5.0 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.42 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on that channel. It also received 1.209 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Eastwatch" received praise from critics, who listed Jon Snow's interaction with Drogon, Lena Headey's performance as Cersei Lannister, and Gendry's return as highlights of the episode. It has received a 95% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 63 reviews with an average score of 8.07 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "'Eastwatch' traded the fiery spectacle of ''Thrones''' previous episode for a slow-burn approach, but nonetheless delivered some spectacular revelations and reunions." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review of the episode, "'Eastwatch' may have represented a breather in the action, so to speak, but it sure didn't lag. It was a masterfully busy episode, with big moments coming at you in each and every scene. Everyone's past connection to one another is now getting brought up, noted, and utilized to further plot in a meaningful, natural way.‘"He continued by mentioning several of the reunions and call-backs that took place throughout the episode, saying "From Sam having met Bran back at the end of Season 3, to Gendry finally returning to the show and meeting up with both Ser Davos and Beric Dondarrion (in the same episode), to Jorah finding his way back to Daenerys, to Tyrion's tense-but-fruitful reunion with Jaime – 'Eastwatch' was chock-full of the past becoming present, and being used to inform the drastic, dramatic war machine." He gave the episode a 9.2 out of 10. Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' similarly felt the episode lacked the action that the previous episode, "The Spoils of War", had, calling it a "piece-moving" episode, but noted "Whereas before you were seeing pieces moving into place to set up a set of four or five different climaxes to the season, here all of the moving pieces are taking place on the same continent, and with an impact on the same central story arc." He gave the episode a B+. Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' expressed similar thoughts by stating it was the best episode of the season thus far, and noting, "The series has needed to reinvent itself after it brought so many major characters together and narrowed its focus." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2018 Art Directors Guild Awards One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Philipp Winterstein, Andreas Krieg – "Drogon Meets Jon" Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Patrice Poissant, Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, Gabriel Morin Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Thomas Montminy Brodeur, Xavier Fourmond, Reuben Barkataki, Sébastien Raets ==References== ==External links== * "Eastwatch" at HBO.com * *

'''Tyrion Lannister''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. He is a prominent point of view character in the novels, having the most chapters out of all at 49. Based on an idea that came to Martin while writing the 1981 novel ''Windhaven'', Tyrion has been called one of the author's finest creations and most popular characters by ''The New York Times''. Martin has named the character as his favorite in the series. Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and subsequently in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), Tyrion was one of a few prominent characters that were not included in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) but returned in the next novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). The character will also appear in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter''. The popularity of the character led Martin and Bantam Books to publish ''The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister'', an illustrated collection of Tyrion quotes from the novels, in 2013. Tyrion is a dwarf and member of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the fictional continent of Westeros. In the story, Tyrion uses his status as a Lannister to mitigate the prejudice he has received all of his life, even from his own family, especially his father and sister. Knowing that no one will ever take him seriously, he soothes his inadequacies with wine, wit and self-indulgence. As the peaceful rule of King Robert Baratheon begins to decay, Tyrion sees how ill-equipped his family are at holding everything together. He first saves his own neck from the vengeful Catelyn Stark and her sister Lysa Arryn, and then is sent by his father Tywin to impose order on the capital of King's Landing, as well as his nephew Joffrey, the new king, as civil war begins. Tyrion struggles to strengthen and protect the city and family who hate him and refuse to see the peril they are in; when his father returns, Tyrion becomes vulnerable to the wrath and machinations of the self-serving courtiers who surround Joffrey, including Tyrion's own scheming sister Cersei. Tyrion escapes death again but at great cost and in fleeing Westeros finds himself in even more danger and without his usual Lannister resources. The character is portrayed by Peter Dinklage in the HBO television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', a role for which he has received significant and widespread critical acclaim. In 2011, Dinklage won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and later the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for his portrayal of Tyrion in the HBO series. He won the Emmy again in 2015,2018 and 2019. Among other accolades, Dinklage has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. ==Character== ===Description=== In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Tyrion is introduced as the third and youngest child of wealthy and powerful Tywin Lannister, the former Hand of the King, and Joanna Lannister, who dies giving birth to him. Tyrion's elder sister Cersei is the Queen of Westeros by virtue of her marriage to King Robert Baratheon, and Cersei's male twin Jaime is one of the Kingsguard, the royal bodyguard. Described as an ugly ("for all the world like a gargoyle"), malformed dwarf with different colored eyes, green and black, Tyrion possesses the golden blond hair of a Lannister but has a complicated relationship with the rest of them. While he is afforded the privilege and luxuries of his family, he is treated as a "second class noble" because of his stature. Tyrion's mother Joanna died giving birth to him and Tywin and Cersei loathe him because they blame him for her death. While Tywin bears no affection for Tyrion, he nevertheless feels a sense of duty to his son, raising him in the Lannister fold and extending Tyrion a share of the family wealth. In contrast to Tywin and Cersei, Jaime has great affection for Tyrion and treats him with kindness, respect, friendship and love. Lev Grossman of ''Time'' wrote in 2011: Tyrion is intelligent, witty, well-read, and shares his father's skill for business and political maneuvering. Grossman describes the character as "a bitter, cynical, high-born dwarf", calling him "Martin's Falstaff". David Orr of ''The New York Times'' notes Tyrion to be "a cynic, a drinker, an outcast and conspicuously the novels' most intelligent presence". As an outcast, he displays sympathy for other outcasts and the otherwise mistreated; the TV series version of the character commiserates with the illegitimate son of Ned Stark by saying, "All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes." Still, he is usually seen for his deformities and vices, rather than his virtues and good deeds. Tom Shippey of the ''Wall Street Journal'' points out that other characters underestimate Tyrion: "His dwarf-status acts as a kind of protection, because—though he is probably the most intelligent character in the whole cast list—no one takes him seriously." Acknowledging that Tyrion's wit, humor and cunning are his survival mechanism, actor Dinklage told ''The New York Times'' that "He knows he has no skills with the sword and this is a world that is really deeply violent. Military rules. He would not be able to survive in that world, given his own strength. So he beats people to the punchline—he's entertaining." ===Creation and overview=== In 1981, Martin was collaborating with Lisa Tuttle on a trio of novellas that would be published as the novel ''Windhaven'': Tyrion is a prominent point of view character in the novels, and both David Orr of ''The New York Times'' and Lev Grossman of ''Time'' called him one of Martin's "finest creations." Noting the character to be one of Martin's most popular, Dana Jennings of ''The New York Times'' called Tyrion "a bitter but brilliant dwarf whose humor, swagger and utter humanity make him the (often drunken) star of the series". Thomas M. Wagner wrote in 2001 that the character "may very well be the strongest antihero in all of contemporary fantasy". Dan Kois of ''The New York Times'' also noted in 2012 that "for fans of the novels, Tyrion is among the most beloved among the scores of kings, warriors, wenches, slaves, queens and monsters that populate George R. R. Martin's world". Martin said, "My readers identify with the outcast, with the underdog, with the person who's struggling rather than the golden boy". Martin himself has singled out Tyrion as his favorite character in the series. Asked why, Martin said in a 2000 interview: Tyrion appears first in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), and then in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). He is one of a handful of "sorely missed" major characters that do not appear in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows'', but on his website in 2006 Martin released a sample chapter featuring Tyrion from his next novel ''A Dance with Dragons''. In advance of the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in 2011, Martin confirmed Tyrion's presence in the novel and called him one of "the characters people have been waiting for". Grossman concurred, writing of ''A Dance with Dragons'', "Now the camera has swung back to the main characters: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister." James Poniewozik of ''Time'' added that the return of these "favorite characters" gave ''A Dance with Dragons'' a "narrative edge" over ''A Feast for Crows''. In April 2012, Martin read a Tyrion chapter from his forthcoming ''The Winds of Winter'' at Eastercon; a second Tyrion chapter was read at Worldcon in August 2013 and later released in the official ''A World of Ice and Fire'' iOS application on March 20, 2014. In 2013, Bantam Books published ''The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister'', an illustrated collection of Tyrion quotes from the novels. ===Development=== As ''A Game of Thrones'' begins, Tyrion is a witty, hedonistic curiosity, protected by his family status but still the object of subtle derision. He is perhaps the most intelligent member of his family but is consistently underestimated and marginalized. Tyrion embraces the advantages of being a Lannister but at the same time is all too aware of its negative aspects and his own place as the embarrassment of the family. Initially he is the one Lannister remotely sympathetic to the Starks but he is soon caught in the middle of the conflict between the two Houses. Taken prisoner and put on trial for his life, "all of his skills at conniving must be brought to bear simply to stay alive". With the Starks and Lannisters fully at war, Tywin tasks Tyrion to manage affairs at King's Landing, recognizing that his son is intelligent and has inherited his skills with statecraft. In ''A Clash of Kings'', Tyrion relishes his new power but finds that his sincere efforts to stabilize his nephew Joffrey's rule are being undermined and thwarted by the misguided and self-serving machinations of everyone around him. He plots to nullify the counterproductive whims of Joffrey and Cersei but the "much-maligned dwarf" finds himself "teetering between order and disaster as he tries to keep the Lannisters from losing absolutely everything". Thomas M. Wagner calls it a "defining moment" when Tyrion comments that he is all that keeps chaos from overwhelming the family and population who both despise him. Roberta Johnson of ''Booklist'' likens Tyrion to the calculating title character of Robert Graves' ''I, Claudius''. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Tywin reclaims the office of Hand of the King and gives Tyrion the seemingly-impossible task of reforming the royal finances. Tyrion's previous efforts, crucial in keeping Joffrey in power and saving King's Landing from invasion are all but forgotten. Joffrey, emboldened by Tywin's return, publicly humiliates Tyrion; when Joffrey is murdered, everyone eagerly points the finger at Tyrion. Cersei does everything in her power to assure that he is declared guilty at trial. Innocent but condemned to death and hated more than ever, Tyrion takes a dark turn. Martin explains: Finding his former lover Shae in his father's bed, Tyrion strangles her. Confronting Tywin with a crossbow soon after, he murders him too. To Martin, "the two actions are quite different, although they occur within moments of each other". The author continues, "He's furious at Lord Tywin because he found out the truth about his first wife and what happened to her, and ... Lord Tywin is convinced that since he doesn't love Tyrion, then no one can possibly love Tyrion." As Tywin repeatedly calls Tyrion's tragic first wife Tysha a "whore," Tyrion warns him to stop. Tywin has always taught his son that you must follow through on your threats if you are defied, so when he fails to heed Tyrion's warning, the dwarf kills him. "And it will haunt him. Tywin was his father and that will continue to haunt him, probably for the rest of his life," says the author. To Martin, Shae's murder is something else: "Fan-favorite" Tyrion returns to the narrative in ''A Dance with Dragons'', as he flees Westeros following the murders of Shae and Tywin "in a state of shock at his own actions". Across the narrow sea in Pentos and Slaver's Bay he soon finds himself "in just about the most humiliating and dire circumstances in a life that has seen more than its share of such". Cut off from his family's wealth and influence, he must use his wits to survive. As ''Booklist'' notes, "his astonishing adaptability evident as he goes from captive to conspirator to slave to mercenary without losing his tactical influence". Still in possession of the "cruel wit that has seen him through in the past", Tyrion provides, according to Thomas M. Wagner, the "warmest and most sympathetic moments" in the novel. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Lannister ===''A Game of Thrones''=== In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Tyrion visits the Stark stronghold of Winterfell with King Robert Baratheon's entourage. While there, Tyrion tries to befriend Ned Stark's bastard son Jon Snow, and provides Ned's recently crippled son Bran with a saddle design to help him ride a horse. On the road home, Tyrion is taken prisoner by Ned's wife Catelyn, who believes he ordered the attempted murder of Bran. Taken to Catelyn's sister Lysa Arryn at the Eyrie, Tyrion demands a trial by combat and is championed by the mercenary Bronn, who wins his freedom. Using his wit and the promise of a reward, Tyrion wins over the hill tribes of the Vale while on his way to the Lannister army camp. Finally impressed with Tyrion's political instincts, his father Tywin appoints Tyrion acting Hand of the King in an attempt to control Joffrey. While at the camp, Tyrion beds a prostitute named Shae and takes her with him to the capital. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== Tyrion arrives at King's Landing in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and immediately recognizes the chaos created by Joffrey and Cersei. Seeking to consolidate power and preserve order in the capital, Tyrion methodically removes Cersei's supporters from positions of power. Disgusted by Joffrey's behavior and Cersei's failure to control him, Tyrion openly opposes the young king and tries to keep royal captive Sansa Stark out of harm's way. Tyrion masterminds the defense of King's Landing against Stannis Baratheon, even leading a sortie that drives Stannis from the gates. Afterwards, Tyrion is attacked and is grievously injured by one of the Kingsguard on orders to kill him. Tyrion suspects Joffrey or Cersei, but is unable to get revenge on either. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Upon his recovery in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), Tyrion finds that he has lost most of his nose, and a returned Tywin has assumed the position of Hand himself. Tyrion is appointed Master of Coin, the treasurer, as a reward for his successful leadership. After learning of a Tyrell plot to claim Winterfell through marriage to Sansa, Tywin forces Tyrion to marry her instead. Sympathetic to Sansa's situation, Tyrion leaves their marriage unconsummated, despite his father's orders to conceive a child with her as soon as possible. At the celebration of his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, Joffrey is poisoned. Cersei promptly accuses Tyrion, who is arrested. His previous good deeds forgotten, Tyrion is put on trial as Cersei manipulates the proceedings to ensure a guilty verdict. He is heartbroken to find that even Shae has turned against him. In his grief, Tyrion demands a trial by combat, to which Cersei responds by naming the virtually unbeatable Gregor Clegane as her champion. Oberyn Martell agrees to fight for Tyrion but dies in the attempt. Pronounced guilty, Tyrion is taken to the dungeon to await his execution. Jaime frees him with the help of Varys, eventually confessing his complicity in Tywin's ruin of Tyrion's first wife Tysha. Furious, Tyrion swears revenge on his family for a lifetime of cruelty and lies to Jaime that he did murder Joffrey. Before escaping the palace, Tyrion goes to confront his father, and finds Shae in Tywin's bed. After strangling her in a rage, Tyrion murders Tywin as well with a crossbow when he speaks ill of Tysha, and flees Westeros in a ship organized by Varys. ===''A Dance with Dragons''=== In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Tyrion travels to Pentos, where he finds himself under the protection of wealthy Magister Illyrio Mopatis. There he learns that Varys and Illyrio have secretly plotted to return the Targaryens to power since the murder of the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen. On Illyrio's advice, Tyrion decides to seek out and join Aerys' surviving daughter Daenerys at Meereen and help her reclaim the Iron Throne. He eventually realizes that two of his traveling companions are not what they seem. One is Jon Connington, disgraced former Hand of the King; the other claims to be Aegon VI Targaryen, Aerys' grandson, whom Varys had spirited away and replaced with another baby that was then killed during the Lannisters' sack of King's Landing. While stopping at a trading town to rest on their way to Volantis, Tyrion visits a brothel and is recognized and captured by Jorah Mormont who believes that delivering a Lannister to Daenerys will return Jorah to her good graces. Before they can reach Meereen, they are captured by the slavers currently besieging the city. When a plague strikes the slavers' siege camps, Tyrion engineers their escape by joining a mercenary company, the Second Sons. In exchange for membership, Tyrion promises the company the wealth of the Lannister ancestral seat of Casterly Rock, his birthright since Tywin is dead and Jaime has renounced it. Tyrion quickly realizes the slavers are on the losing side, and attempts to convince the Second Sons to change their allegiance. ===Family tree of House Lannister=== ==TV adaptation== Executive producers/writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss had pitched the idea of adapting Martin's series for television to HBO in March 2006, and the network secured the rights in January 2007. The first actor cast was Peter Dinklage as Tyrion in May 2009. Benioff and Weiss later noted that the funny and "incredibly smart" Dinklage was their first choice for the role, as the actor's "core of humanity, covered by a shell of sardonic dry wit, is pretty well in keeping with the character." Unfamiliar with the source material, Dinklage was cautious in his first meeting with the producers; as a dwarf, "he wouldn't play elves or leprechauns" and – choosy about genre roles – he had just come from portraying the dwarf Trumpkin in 2008's ''The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian''. Benioff and Weiss told Dinklage that the character was "a different kind of fantasy little person," or in the actor's words, "No beard, no pointy shoes, a romantic, real human being." Dinklage signed on to play Tyrion before the meeting was half over, in part because "They told me how popular he was." Martin said of Dinklage's casting, "If he hadn't accepted the part, oh, boy, I don't know what we would have done." Benioff added, "When I read George's books, I decided Tyrion Lannister was one of the great characters in literature. Not just fantasy literature – literature! A brilliant, caustic, horny, drunken, self-flagellating mess of a man. And there was only one choice to play him." In October 2014, Dinklage and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons five, six, and seven. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season five at "close to $300,000 an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of $500,000 per episode" for seasons seven and the potential eight. In 2017, Dinklage became one of the highest paid actors on television and will earn £2 million per episode for the show. ===Storylines=== A costume worn by Peter Dinklage in the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' Seasons 1 and 2 (2011–12) follow the events of ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'', respectively. The plot of ''A Storm of Swords'' was split into seasons 3 and 4 (2013–14). Both season 5 and season 6 adapt material from ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'', novels whose plots run concurrently and each contain different characters. Though the HBO series has alternately extended, abbreviated, conflated and diverged from the novels' plot lines, Tyrion's character and story arc have remained mostly consistent with Martin's writing. ====Season 1==== Calling the character the "black sheep" of the Lannister family, ''TV Guide'' wrote as the show premiered in 2011 that "Tyrion sees through all the chicanery and decides the best option is to drink and bed his way through the Seven Kingdoms." ''The Boston Globe'' added that he is "a hedonistic intellectual who can talk his way out of anything." According to the ''Los Angeles Times'', "brilliant but low-living" Tyrion is "so well acquainted with the workings of the world he can hardly bear it, the Imp is ... debauched, perhaps, but a truth-teller nonetheless, fighting for his own survival with as much mercy as he can spare." ''The New York Times'' went as far as to name Tyrion "the closest thing to a hero" in the HBO series. As in ''A Game of Thrones'', Tyrion travels to Winterfell with the royal family, and accompanies Ned Stark's bastard son Jon Snow on his journey to the Wall. On his way back to King's Landing, Tyrion is seized by Catelyn Stark, who suspects him of having plotted to assassinate her son Bran. Taken to the Eyrie, where Catelyn's sister Lysa Arryn rules as regent, Tyrion is put to trial. Tyrion demands trial by combat, naming as his champion the sellsword Bronn, who is victorious. The two meet up with Tyrion's father Tywin, whose forces are fighting Robb Stark's army as retaliation for his capture. Tyrion is accidentally knocked unconscious as the battle begins. Tywin sends Tyrion to King's Landing to act as Hand of the King. Disobeying Tywin's orders, Tyrion takes the prostitute Shae with him. ====Season 2==== During the second season, Neil Genzlinger of ''The New York Times'' wrote that "Tyrion is just about the only character developing any complexity. Maybe even a glimmer of a conscience." Emily Nussbaum of ''The New Yorker'' noted, "If the show has a hero, it's Tyrion (Dinklage), who is capable of cruelty but also possesses insight and empathy, concealed beneath a carapace of Wildean wit." ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called Tyrion "the one to watch, as he's the smartest Lannister and knows that having a brat for a king – who mistreats all those around him – could cause major backlash." Willa Paskin of ''Salon'' called the character's increased prominence in Season 2 "a trade up in entertainment value, and a trade-off in morality." She added, "Tyrion is more cynical, more manipulative and much better suited to surviving. He's not so keen to be made into meat, and that makes him the kind of man characters in the show and audience members alike should be investing in." Praising Dinklage, Dan Kois of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "He plays Tyrion as the only modern man in a muddy, violent, primal world. He loves good food, good conversation and a good book. Unlike the warmongering lords and knights of Westeros, but like most HBO subscribers, he would prefer to stay out of battle." Kois adds that, "Dinklage's bravado masks Tyrion's deep well of melancholy." Of the Season 2 storyline, Dinklage noted that Tyrion enjoys not only his foray into battle, but also his new and unprecedented power at court. He said, "This is a character that's been shit upon his whole life. I mean, he comes from great wealth, but he's treated very poorly, so now there's a newfound respect where if somebody calls him a name, he can have them killed. He never had that before. Tyrion definitely enjoys that part and he's trying desperately to hold onto it. He's enjoying it while it lasts 'cause he's not sure it's gonna last very long." As Varys the Spymaster tells Tyrion, power is "a trick, a shadow on the wall ... and a very small man can cast a very large shadow." As Hand of the King, Tyrion attempts to control his cruel and incompetent nephew Joffrey, and defend Kings Landing from Stannis Baratheon, the rival claimant to the Iron Throne. Tyrion destroys much of Stannis' attacking fleet with wildfire, but is almost assassinated during the battle, presumably at Joffrey's or Cersei's command. Tyrion recovers to find himself stripped of power by his returned father, and without recognition for his heroics. Shae implores Tyrion to move to Pentos with her, but he opts to remain in Kings Landing. ====Season 3==== Season 2 leaves Tyrion "broke, beaten, scarred for life and stripped of his power," despite having been instrumental in saving King's Landing from invasion. It is his chance to escape the sordid and deadly "game of thrones," but he cannot bring himself to, confessing, "Bad people are what I'm good at." So Tyrion finds he must submit to Tywin's plan of marrying him to Sansa Stark; despite being drunk in order to soothe his many woes, Tyrion manages to save Sansa from being publicly stripped and likely raped by Joffrey, and later "chooses decency over filial loyalty and elects not to consummate the marriage after all." Tyrion is also now powerless against Joffrey's malice, but Tywin has asserted his control over the young king, if only when it serves his own desires; he stops Joffrey from presenting Sansa with her brother's head, but not because he cares about Sansa or Tyrion's outrage. Despite Tywin's continuous determination to make Tyrion feel "miserable and unloved," he believes he is a good father – because he resisted the urge to cast Tyrion into the sea at birth. Though he should not be surprised by his father's coldblooded machinations, Tyrion is horrified by Tywin's involvement in the Red Wedding; Emily VanDerWerff writes, "only Tyrion seems to understand that the blood they spilled will eventually be avenged. The North may have calmed for now, but it won't be calm always." Of that storyline, Matt Fowler of IGN notes, "Only an event that powerful could keep series-favorite Tyrion ''out of an episode'' for the first time." Tyrion asks Tywin to be named heir to House Lannister's ancestral home Casterly Rock. Tywin angrily refuses and threatens to hang Shae if she is found in his bed again, but does have Tyrion named as Master of Coin, the treasurer. He also forces Tyrion to marry Sansa Stark against his will, though both decide not to consummate the marriage. Tyrion and Sansa begin to bond as they are both outcasts in King's Landing, until Sansa discovers that her mother Catelyn and brother Robb have been murdered as a result of Tywin's scheming. ====Season 4==== In March 2014, Dinklage confirmed that Season 4 would "stick fairly closely" to Tyrion's plot line in ''A Storm of Swords'', adding that "those reversals of fortune really send Tyrion down the rabbit hole." He notes that the character changes in Season 4, and "really ends up in a different place than he thought he was going to. It's fueled a bit by anger towards his family, and trying to find his place in the world. You see that some people rely on drunk, funny Tyrion. I think funny and drunk lasts only so long. He sobers up in many ways. And love is in his life with Shae, and that causes a tremendous amount of damage – because he's vulnerable and he doesn't like to be vulnerable. He's completely stripped of his defense mechanisms." Of Tyrion's relationship with his brother Jaime, Dinklage said, "If you're raised together, you have an unspoken dialogue many times, and it's very easy, especially between Jaime and Tyrion. They have a real friendship, a good brotherhood. They look after each other." As in the novels, Tyrion is (unfairly) found guilty of Joffrey's murder and condemned to death; the HBO series does not use the reveal that his first wife was not really a prostitute to motivate Tyrion to kill his father, and he does not lie to Jaime that he is guilty of killing Joffrey. Fearing for Shae's safety, Tyrion breaks up with her and orders her to leave for Pentos. She refuses until he calls her a whore, and declares that she cannot have his children. Joffrey is poisoned to death at his wedding feast, and Cersei immediately accuses Tyrion. At his trial, Shae appears to testify against him, falsely claiming that Sansa refused to bed Tyrion unless he killed Joffrey. Outraged at her betrayal and finally snapping from years of mockery for his dwarfism, Tyrion demands a trial by combat but only after a very intense monologue about the people he hates/despises and the state of affairs. Cersei names the virtually undefeatable Gregor Clegane as her champion. Tyrion is defended by Oberyn Martell, who believes that his sister, niece, and nephew were murdered by Gregor. Oberyn is nearly victorious, but his refusal to kill Gregor without obtaining a confession gives Gregor the opportunity to kill him, and Tyrion is sentenced to death. Before his execution, Tyrion is released by Jaime to be smuggled out of Westeros by Varys. Tyrion decides to confront Tywin before his flight, and finds Shae in his father's bed. Tyrion strangles her to death, and then confronts Tywin on the privy. Tyrion kills his father with a crossbow bolt, and then leaves for Pentos with Varys. ====Season 5==== In 2015, James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' called Tyrion's meeting with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) an "iconic meetup" that "delighted fans, who were universally enthusiastic (for once!) about the showrunners making a narrative move not yet found in George R.R. Martin’s novels." Dinklage said in the interview, "That’s the great thing about my character: He’s been everywhere. He’s the only character that goes searching. He’s been to The Wall and now he has to find the dragons." Benioff and Weiss said that the conversation between Tyrion and Daenerys focused on the parallels between their lives, as Tyrion had a "lot of empathy" toward Daenerys for being an orphan, like himself, and both had "terrible fathers". Tyrion realized that Varys might be right about Daenerys being the "last hope for Westeros". Benioff and Weiss also suggested that Tyrion believes that Daenerys could bring him "back into power". Tyrion arrives in Pentos, where Varys reveals that he has been conspiring to restore House Targaryen to power, and asks Tyrion to journey with him to meet Daenerys Targaryen in Meereen. During their journey, Tyrion is kidnapped by Daenerys' former advisor Jorah Mormont, who aims to redeem himself to Daenerys by bringing her the dwarf. However, Tyrion and Jorah are captured by slavers, whom Tyrion convinces to sell them to the fighting pits in Meereen. During a demonstration of pit fighters, Tyrion and Jorah encounter Daenerys; she decides to take Tyrion into her service, but orders Jorah exiled again. At the re-opening of Meereen's fighting pits, the insurgency known as the Sons of the Harpy launch a massive attack, which is only thwarted when Daenerys' dragon Drogon appears and scares off the Sons, before riding off with Daenerys on his back. Although Tyrion wishes to join Jorah and Daario Naharis in their search for Daenerys, Daario points out that his skills are best suited to governing Meereen in Daenerys' absence. Varys later arrives in Meereen, and offers Tyrion the use of his spy network to maintain order in the city. ====Season 6==== Tyrion discovers that the Sons of the Harpy are funded by the slavers of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis, and arranges a meeting with representatives of those cities to give them seven years to abolish slavery. Despite Tyrion's insistence that compromise is necessary, this solution is met with disapproval by Daenerys' other advisors and the freedmen of Meereen. Tyrion also enlists the assistance of the red priestess Kinvara, who believes that Daenerys is a messianic figure prophesied by her faith and offers the support of the followers of R'hllor. Meereen begins to prosper, but the city's success attracts the ire of the slavers, who fear it will undermine the legitimacy of slavery, and so launch a massive naval attack against the city. Daenerys returns in the chaos, and though she is displeased with Tyrion's failure, she is persuaded by him to obliterate the slavers' fleet and force their ultimate surrender rather than destroy them outright. Soon after, Theon and Yara Greyjoy arrive in Meereen offering Daenerys the Iron Fleet; they are joined by the fleets of Dorne and the Reach, who have defected from the Lannisters. Daenerys names an honored Tyrion as her Hand of the Queen. Tyrion then joins her, the dragons, and her army as they sail to Westeros. ====Season 7==== Plotting their conquest of Westeros from Dragonstone, the ancestral Targaryen fortress, Daenerys and Tyrion learn that Jon Snow has been named King in the North. Tyrion suggests that Jon would make a valuable ally; Daenerys and Jon are impressed with each other, but she is annoyed when he declines to swear his allegiance to her. Daenerys and her allies discuss their strategy for the war against the Lannisters. Tyrion advises against a direct attack on King's Landing, and Daenerys agrees to his nuanced series of attacks. However, Cersei and Jaime outmaneuver him, neutralizing Daenerys' Tyrell and Dornish support. A furious Daenerys ignores Tyrion's continued arguments for caution, and decimates a Lannister caravan with her dragons. He is also unable to stop her from executing Randyll and Dickon Tarly, who refuse to swear fealty to her even after their defeat. In "Eastwatch", Tyrion meets with Jaime in secret to broker a meeting between Cersei and Daenerys. In "The Dragon and the Wolf", he helps convince Cersei that the advancing undead are a more immediate threat than the war with Daenerys for control of Westeros. ====Season 8==== Tyrion returns to Winterfell with the Targaryen forces. He is reunited with Sansa, who doubts Cersei's promise to send aid and is disappointed that Tyrion would fall for Cersei's lie. Jaime later arrives in Winterfell and provides confirmation that no Lannister forces are coming. Daenerys questions Tyrion's ability to serve as her Hand after so many mistakes in judgment, but after talking to Jorah privately, she acknowledges that Tyrion is useful to her, and orders him down in the crypts during the battle against the dead for his own safety, to his chagrin. During the battle, the Night King reanimates the Starks buried in the crypts; Tyrion and Sansa hide together, prepared to face the horde, but soon the Night King is killed and the Army of the Dead destroyed. While preparing to travel south to besiege King's Landing, Tyrion learns from Sansa of Jon's heritage as a trueborn Targaryen. He tells Varys, who considers whether Jon is a better option to rule Westeros than Daenerys. Tyrion recommits to Daenerys and reveals Varys' treachery, and Daenerys executes Varys. Tyrion convinces Daenerys to halt the destruction of King's Landing if the people surrender, signalled by the ringing of the city's bells. Tyrion releases Jaime, who has been captured attempting to sneak into King's Landing, and sends him to convince Cersei to surrender rather than face Daenerys' wrath. Though the city surrenders, Tyrion is horrified when Daenerys uses Drogon to burn the city, destroy the Red Keep, and slaughter the population. Following the battle, Tyrion wanders through the ruins of King's Landing and eventually discovers the corpses of Jaime and Cersei, crushed by rubble in the Red Keep. After the victorious Daenerys promises to take her armies on a campaign of "liberation" throughout the world, she accuses Tyrion of treason for releasing Jaime. When he resigns as Hand in protest, she has him arrested and sentences him to death. In prison, Tyrion persuades Jon that he must kill Daenerys for the good of the realm. Jon hesitates but eventually does kill Daenerys, and is also imprisoned. Some time later, Tyrion (still held prisoner of Grey Worm and the Unsullied) persuades a council of the most powerful lords and ladies of Westeros to reject coronation by birthright and to instead agree to select each new ruler by council vote. He then suggests they make Bran king, claiming Bran's supernatural knowledge and wisdom make him an unparalleled choice to lead Westeros. The council votes unanimously in favor. Bran accepts the position and names Tyrion as his Hand of the King, remarking that the appointment is intended to force Tyrion to make amends for his mistakes. Tyrion passes on to Jon the news that he is to be exiled to the Night's Watch again, and bids him farewell. Some time later, he presides over King Bran's first small council meeting. ===Appearances in other media=== In 2019, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey appeared as Tyrion and Cersei Lannister alongside Elmo in a ''Sesame Street'' PSA on the importance of being respectful to one another, as part of Sesame Street's "''Respect Brings Us Together''" campaign. ===Recognition and awards=== Peter Dinklage is the series's most successful cast member in terms of awards, having won 7 awards and received 37 additional nominations Dinklage's performance was praised; ''The Boston Globe'' called his Tyrion one of the show's "highlights", adding that Dinklage "gives a winning performance that is charming, morally ambiguous, and self-aware." Matt Roush of ''TV Guide'' told viewers to "rejoice in the scene-stealing bravado of Peter Dinklage as the wry 'imp' Tyrion Lannister." The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote "In many ways, ''Game of Thrones'' belongs to Dinklage" even before, in Season 2, the "scene-stealing actor's" character became the series' most central figure. ''The New York Times'' noted that as beloved as the character of Tyrion is to the novels' fans, "Dinklage's sly performance has made Tyrion all the more popular." ''The Huffington Post'' called Tyrion the "most quotable" character on the HBO series, as well as one of the most beloved. In April 2011 both the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Entertainment Weekly'' pronounced Dinklage worthy of an Emmy Award for his performance in Season 1. He subsequently received one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. He also earned a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film and a Scream Award for Best Supporting Actor for Season 1 of ''Game of Thrones''. Dinklage won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor again in 2015, and 2018. Dinklage has been nominated for the Emmy four other times for playing Tyrion, in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016. He has received several other award nominations for his performance in the series, including the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2012 and 2016; the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2012, 2015, and 2016; the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017; the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2011 and 2012; and in 2011 both the IGN Award and the IGN People's Choice Award for Best TV Actor. ===Merchandising=== Among the various lines of ''Game of Thrones'' collectible figurines licensed by HBO, Tyrion has featured prominently, being dubbed one of the "heavy hitters", "fan favorites", "most-liked" and "most popular" characters. Funko has produced two Tyrion figures as part of their POP! Television line. They are 4.5 inch vinyl figures in the Japanese super deformed style, one in an early series look, and a post-Season 2 version with a facial scar, "Battle Armor" and an axe. The company also produced a Mystery Mini Blind Box figurine of a stylized Tyrion. As part of their Legacy Collection line of action figures, Funko released a "Hand of the King" Tyrion, a Tyrion in armor with axe, as well as a Limited Edition "2014 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive" armor version with a helmet. Threezero released a 1/6 scale 8 5/8 inch figure, and Dark Horse produced both a 6-inch figurine, and a 10 inch high-end statue for which the series' producers chose Tyrion as the subject. ==References== ==External links== * * * * Tyrion Lannister on IMDb

"'''Black Friday'''" is the seventh episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 244th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on November 13, 2013. The episode is the first of a three-episode story arc, which continues with "A Song of Ass and Fire", and concludes with "Titties and Dragons". The plot, which employs themes and motifs from the TV series ''Game of Thrones'', concerns the characters' anticipation of a Black Friday sale, with Randy Marsh taking a temporary job as a mall security guard to gain an advantage over the holiday shopping crowds, and the children of South Park split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles to facilitate their online group gaming. This episode was submitted for, and received, a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. ==Plot== The security management at South Park Mall briefs its guards on the upcoming Black Friday shopping day. The security Captain, a grizzled veteran with a large scar running down his face, tells the guards that this year, the mall is offering an 80% discount to the first 30 people in the mall, which is certain to again incite violence among shoppers. Among the guards is Randy Marsh, who has taken the temporary job not to earn extra holiday money as he says, but to acquire the discounts ahead of the crowds that will camp outside the mall. Meanwhile, the boys of South Park are dressed in medieval garb while engaging in role playing inspired by ''Game of Thrones'', and are themselves anticipating Black Friday. Cartman informs his classmates of the 80% discount, and says if they work together, they can all purchase one of the new gaming systems so that they can play online games together. The children, however, become split over whether to purchase Xbox Ones or PlayStation 4s. Kyle and Stan find themselves on opposite sides of the schism, with Kyle allied with Cartman's Xbox One faction, and Stan on the PS4 side. The two factions then begin recruiting other children to increase their ranks. Cartman, strolling through the "Garden of Andros" with Kenny, whose character is "Lady McCormick", tells him that they are only recruiting Xbox One loyalists to help them get inside the mall so they both can get cheap Xbox Ones. He wants Kenny to use his influence to "take care" of Kyle, should his loyalty to their faction falter. The garden is then revealed to be the elaborately landscaped back yard of an elderly South Park resident, who orders the children to stop trespassing on his property. This gag recurs throughout the three-part storyline, with Cartman playing different participants in the conflict against each other, only for the old man to inform them of this from his window, much to Cartman's irritation. The mall's security is further daunted by the news that a new Tickle Me Elmo called "Stop Touching Me Elmo" is being released in time for Black Friday, which leads to shoppers camping outside even earlier than anticipated. The head of Sony has also announced a special bundle to help entice customers to side with PS4. To address increasing crowds, the mall's security tries to hand out wristbands so shoppers can hold places in line, but this leads to a brawl in which the Captain is fatally stabbed. Cradling his dying superior, Randy reveals his true motives for having taken the job. The Captain notes that Randy now knows how serious Black Friday is, and peels off the scar over his left eye, revealing it to be a prosthetic appliance. Before dying, he places it on Randy's face, telling Randy that regardless of his early motives, he is the Captain now, and must now protect the town. Inspired by the new responsibility, Randy tells his fellow guards that they now have work to do. At the same time, Stan rallies his assembled army, telling them that Lady McCormick has joined them to make sure that the winner of the console war is the PS4. ==Production== From the beginning of season seventeen's production cycle, ''South Park'' co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wanted to ensure that there was a two- or three-part storyline somewhere in this season because they have always enjoyed doing them as they allow for a different style of writing. They decided to actually start a multiple-episode storyline with this episode after coming off "Ginger Cow", which they felt could have easily been expanded into two or three episodes. The fact that "Ginger Cow" unfortunately had to be compressed into the standard length of an episode left Parker and Stone wanting to doing something bigger even more. With four episodes left to be produced for this season, Parker and Stone contemplated making a four-part storyline but wrapped it up at three. As for what the three-part storyline would be about, Parker and Stone said that they had been talking about doing a ''Game of Thrones''-themed episode for a long time since they both watched the show and found many things to satirize. Butters' scenes in the three episodes which centered on his understanding of ''Game of Thrones'' were the first jokes that were visualized by Parker and Stone as being one of the running gags; they also helped solidify ''Game of Thrones'' role in the plot. Once they decided to center the episodes around Black Friday, the ''Game of Thrones'' angle became a great way to tie both stories together as Parker and Stone felt Black Friday was something that would really fit well in ''Game of Thrones''. They soon felt that they were onto a big idea that would be received well by audiences. Before the ''Game of Thrones'' and Black Friday elements became part of the episode, the original premise of the storyline was focused on the large amount of cut content from ''South Park: The Stick of Truth'', a video game which Parker and Stone were heavily involved in the development of. However, as the episode became more and more focused on ''Game of Thrones'' and Black Friday, the aspects which were lifted from the game were almost entirely scrapped. ==Reception== "Black Friday" received critical acclaim. Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a score of 8.7 out of 10, writing: "Cleverly fusing elements of the Next-Gen Console War with HBO's Game of Thrones, 'Black Friday' was easily one of the best ''South Park'' episodes we've seen in Season 17." Ryan McGee of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A−, praising the ''Game of Thrones'' parody, saying, "Why wrap ''Game of Thrones'' in all this? There's no ''real'' reason to do so, except that it's really amusing and offers up a great way to frame the overall narrative. What makes the approach really work is that 'Black Friday' is not a one-for-one parody so much as a thematic one." ==References== ==External links== * "Black Friday" Full episode at South Park Studios. * * * "Episode 1707 "Black Friday" Press Release". South Park Studios. November 10, 2013.

'''"A Song of Ass and Fire"''' is the eighth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 245th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 20, 2013. The episode serves as a continuation of the previous episode, "Black Friday", in which the children of South Park, role-playing as characters from ''Game of Thrones'', are split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the local mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of mall security. The story arc concludes with the following episode, "Titties and Dragons". ==Plot== In continuation from the previous episode, the children of South Park are split into two factions over whether to purchase bargain-priced Xbox Ones or PlayStation 4s at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the South Park Mall. Kenny, role-playing as Lady McCormick, is revealed to have joined Stan's pro-PlayStation 4 faction because Cartman, who leads the pro-Xbox One faction, would not make him a princess. Meanwhile, as pre-Black Friday violence increases, the South Park Mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of security, announces that the early-shopper discount has been increased from 80% to 90%, leading to more shoppers gathering in front of the mall ahead of the sale. Cartman becomes increasingly agitated with the Xbox people's training following Kenny's betrayal, and informs a worried Kyle that he has a plan. Seeking an advantage to counter the PS4 faction's increasing ranks, Cartman contacts Microsoft, but CEO Steve Ballmer dismisses the importance of the children's conflict and the commercialization of the console wars. When Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates learns of this, he has Ballmer murdered in order to personally see to it that Xbox wins the console wars. Gates allies himself with Channel 9's ''Morning News'' correspondent Niles Lawson, promising that the Black Friday violence will ensure high ratings. Lawson, playing both sides of the conflict, then informs Sony's CEO of this during a post-coital discussion, and in response, the CEO gives Kenny a brooch that turns him into a Japanese princess. Cartman also sends Butters and Scott Malkinson to the New Mexico home of ''A Game of Thrones'' author George R. R. Martin for information on upcoming storylines, but Martin does nothing but regale the two children with plot points that emphasize male characters' penises. As Butters and Malkinson are about to leave, Martin tells them that he has connections with which he may be able to help their cause. Lawson then reports that the mall, on Martin's suggestion, has moved the Black Friday sale one week from November 29 to December 6, and is now offering 96% off purchases to the first 100 people inside the mall, an announcement that leads to a brawl outside the mall. ==Production== Series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone stated that they struggled when deciding where to take the plot next after establishing that this would be the second episode in a three-part story arc. Originally, the episode consisted almost entirely of each console side's leader recruiting recurring characters from all throughout the series' history to join their side; crab people and underpants gnomes among others made appearances before being cut. This premise was scrapped because Parker and Stone felt it wasn't enough like the content in ''Game of Thrones''. The Japanese Princess Kenny sequence was taken directly from the video game ''South Park: The Stick of Truth'', which Parker and Stone worked on. ==Reception== Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a score of 8.4 out of 10, slightly lower than "Black Friday", saying: "Though not quite as strong as last week's Console War episode, 'A Song of Ass and Fire' was nevertheless entertaining and featured a number of great laugh-out-loud moments." Marcus Gilmer from ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A−, writing that the last two episodes "prove there's still plenty of life left in the show". He wrote: "Among all of these bigger thematic elements are, of course, great jokes and gags: Cartman's 'wizard and a king' exchange with the Microsoft operator; the boys having to tilt Cartman to get him through the McCormick's doorway; George R. R. Martin torturing poor Butters by not letting the wiener thing go and promising the pizzas (or dragons) are on their way and will be amazing. And, of course, the great anime-aping segment." ==References== ==External links== * "A Song of Ass and Fire" Full episode at South Park Studios. * * * "Episode 1708 'A Song of Ass and Fire' Press Release". South Park Studios. November 10, 2013.

Ulster Museum +Weekly tapestry lengths Season . Episode Length (m) Total length (m) Total length (ft) 1 10.70 10.70 35.10 2 10.63 21.33 69.89 3 10.75 32.08 105.25 4 11.40 43.48 142.65 5 11.64 55.12 180.84 6 11.30 66.42 217.91 7.1 1.70 68.12 223.49 7.2 1.50 69.62 228.41 7.3 1.47 71.09 223.23 7.4 1.53 72.62 238.25 7.5 1.53 74.15 243.27 7.6 1.57 75.72 248.43 7.7 2.23 77.95 255.74 The '''Game of Thrones Tapestry''' is a hand-woven tapestry which currently stands at 66 m (217 ft) long, which was opened to the public on 21 July 2017 at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Once finished, it will be longer than its inspiration, the Bayeux Tapestry, at 77 m (253 ft). The tapestry tells the entire story of the television show, ''Game of Thrones''. It consists of six 11 metre long panels of hand-woven fabric, and one 10.5 metre panel. The seven panels depict scenes from each episode of the aired seasons. After season 8 is aired in 2019, the tapestry is planned to grow to reflect that season's six episodes. == Campaign background == The Game of Thrones Tapestry is a campaign which celebrates Northern Ireland and its historic contribution to the legacy linen mills which once was the largest linen and textile industry of its time. At the end of the 19th century, it had been estimated that over 100,000 people in the north of Ireland were employed in the manufacture and decoration of linen. Today, the Irish linen and textile industry is much smaller, whereas a growing number of the Northern Irish have found direct or indirect employment in the ''Game of Thrones'' tourism industry. The tapestry was commissioned by Tourism Ireland and HBO. Publicis London, the advertising agency, generated this campaign to help a global audience understand this shift in employment. The tapestry was made from material which represents that of the late 18th century (linen) and a technique passed on from generations (embroidery). The tapestry was hand-embroidered by some of the last few people remaining in the industry in Northern Ireland. == ''Game of Thrones'' influence == Traditional tapestries tell the stories of times gone by and have represented history and heritage from as far back as 3rd Century BC. The typical medieval style of ''Game of Thrones'', along with many iconic scenes, have been used to influence and craft the illustrative style of tapestry. As some garments worn in the show have been supplied by the Irish textile trade, the tapestry also contains these same woven yarns. The yarns used in the tapestry have been supplied by Thomas Ferguson and Co. Ltd of Banbridge in associations with the Irish Linen Guild. The style of characters has been carefully designed to reflect those from the show. Publicis London worked closely with HBO ensuring all characters were true to show and their role during that particular scene. The tapestry has drawn some controversy around famous cameos and whether they have also been included. In July 2017 the online website www.ireland.com/tapestry was launched. The site allows those who are not able to visit the tapestry, to see the entire tapestry in incredible detail. Users can scroll the entire length of the tapestry and even zoom in to see each individual stitch. The website was updated as each new section was woven. The site carefully plots the filming locations (Castle Ward, Shillanavogy Valley, Inch Abbey, Dark Hedges, Downhill Beach, Ballintoy Harbour, Cushendun Caves, Audley's Field Pollnagollum Caves) famous to Northern Ireland and presents further key facts within the show and each location. The site encourages users to share their favourite key scenes. == Manufacturing process == === Creative design === thumb thumb thumb The tapestry began production with a set of avid ''Game of Thrones'' fans in Publicis London who employed a group of illustrators from an established animation/illustration studio in London called Jelly London. The illustrators, also huge fans, would start by creating an outline sketch using both pen, paper and digital touch screen. Sketches would be in black and white with the aim of identifying the correct style, tone of voice, scale and detail, for approval by HBO and Tourism Ireland. Once approved, the line drawings would pass through the colourisation phase. The colourisation phase is a lengthy process of converting the monochrome designs into a coloured piece of illustrated artwork. This process considers line widths, contrasts and resolution and also identifies the correct colour palette to use per section. === Weaving === The illustrated artwork is then passed to a hand-weaving specialist. The artists at Dash & Miller started the weaving process by setting up their loom to the required specification. Several tests were carried during the early stages of the campaign to determine the design density and range of colours possible. A specialist software is used to help translate the artwork into a format readable by the loom. Once programmed, the team at Dash & Miller begin weaving, using the colour palettes instructed by the loom. The average speed of weaving is 4 hours per metre. To capture the weekly episodes, a camera was installed above the loom: it was set to take regular shots during the weaving process, which were then stitched together to create a weekly time-lapse. === Embroidery === Once woven, the 11-metre section of tapestry would be shipped to Belfast to be embroidered. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, near Holywood, County Down, was used as the secret location for this work. Key areas on the tapestry was selected to be embroidered by a team of 30 stitchers working in groups of 6 and 9 at a time. The team included six staff from the museum. The work relied heavily on the help of volunteers drawn from textiles guilds that have a thirty-year relationship with the museum. Members of the Northern Ireland Lace Guild, Patchwork Guild, and Embroidery Guild responded to the call for help with embroidery and joined staff at the museum to stitch on a daily basis for over three weeks. The volunteers ranged from a recent textiles graduate in her mid-twenties to an 82-year-old with a background in the garment stitching industry. == Loom setup and programming == === Machine set-up and weaving === The jacquard loom used for weaving the tapestry is a hand-operated TC2 weaving loom from Digital Weaving Norway. This loom is the latest technology in hand-woven jacquard design and allows the hand-weaver to create intricate and complex patterns by hand. The black and white cotton warp threads first need to be wound onto the loom. This is done in 64m lengths, and the threads are wound onto the back beam of the loom. The warp has 60 threads per inch and is approximately 20 inches wide, each thread needs to be threaded through a heddle in the middle of the loom, and then through the reed at the front of the loom. This threading process is done by hand using a threading hook. Once the machine is threaded up, the warp threads are secured at the front of the loom onto the front beam. The loom then needs to be calibrated to advance the warp threads at the correct speed to weave 84 threads per inch. To begin the weaving process, Dash & Miller weave 1 or 2 inches of plain weave at the beginning of the warp. This spaces out the warp threads properly and also evens out any tension issues. They can then begin weaving the tapestry, passing the 3 colours of thread by hand through the shed created by lifting the warp threads up and down. The computer controls which threads are lifted up and down, but the weft yarns are passed through the shed by hand. Weaving builds up at a rate of approximately 11 inches per hour, and the weaving is stored on the cloth storage beam at the front of the weaving loom. Once the weaving is completed, they weave another 1 or 2 inch plain weave border before cutting the weaving off the loom, ensuring the warp threads are still threaded so they can tie on and begin the process again for the next panel. === CAD design and colour palettes === Using specialist weaving software from Pointcarre, the illustrators' artwork first needs to be calibrated for the jacquard loom, taking into consideration the weave construction and warp and weft yarns. The warp yarns are 2/30NE Cotton in black and white end-on-end, and the weft yarns are 1/10NM Flax and Linen. The construction of the fabric are combinations of double-cloth and double-faced satins and sateen structures over 4 ends. The combinations of 3/1 and 1/3 satin structures, together with blending of warp and weft colours allow us to create different shades within a colour spectrum that bring depth and intricacy to the weave. The illustrators' artwork is converted into a weave file by first defining the colours within the 4 colour palettes. The weave uses 3 weft colours throughout the piece, and this is split into colour palette in the following way: Tapestry colour palette * Colour palette 1: Natural Linen, Red and Blue Flax * Colour palette 2: Natural Linen, Red and Green Flax * Colour palette 3: Natural Linen, Green and Blue Flax * Colour palette 4: Natural Linen, Red and Yellow Flax During the weaving process Dash & Miller blend 3 colours together in the weft, so the illustrators clearly mark which sections of the design should be woven in each colour palette. They then manually swap between colour palette during the weaving process. The weave has 84 threads per cm in the weft, and to ensure the scale is kept true to the designs the artwork then needs to be stretched and rotated. The CAD is stretched by 140% to allow the weaving to come out at the same scale as the original illustrators artwork. The artwork is rotated by 90 degrees counter-clockwise so that the piece can be woven as a continuous length on the loom. Once the artwork has been scaled and the colours defined, Dash & Miller allocate weave structures to each colour in the CAD using Pointcarre Jacquard software. Each colour within the 4 colour palettes has its own weave structure. Dash & Miller also add in borders and selvedge to the weave to ensure clean edges to the design. Once the weave file has been generated, the computer is able to read the pattern to begin hand-weaving. == Thomas Fergusons Irish Linen == Fergusons was first established in Banbridge, County Down, for the hand-weaving of linen fabric. In 1867 the firm introduced power driven jacquard looms for the weaving of linen damask. John England (Banbridge) Ltd, since 2015 a sister company of Fergusons, regularly supplies fabrics for major theatrical and film productions, including ''Game of Thrones''. == Jacquard looms == The loom used to create the panels is a small modern version of that developed by Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard, the son of a Lyonnais silk weaver, in 1804. His development based on earlier work by fellow Frenchmen Basile Bouchon in 1725, Jean Baptiste Falcon in 1728, and Jacques de Vaucanson in 1741. A jacquard loom is one in which a series of punched cards each corresponds to a row of the design to be woven, allowing for a greater definition of motifs. The punched cards operate a mechanism attached to the loom, controlling the pick-up of weft threads as the design evolves. In the case of the ''Game of Thrones Tapestry'', it has allowed the weavers to introduce a rich palette of colours and considerable level of detail throughout the work. Jacquard looms have often been credited with inspiring the development of the very first computers. The English mathematician, engineer, and inventor Charles Babbage (1791–1871) is believed to have been inspired by jacquard loom mechanisms in his development of the first digital programmable computer. == References == ==External links== * Official website __INDEX__