The Kingsroad: GoT Sn 1 Ep 02
By: Kevin Mcmahon
Tags: Review, Binge Watching, HBO, TV, Game of Thrones

Episode 2 is really where all the characters start their journeys, physically anyway. Daenerys is traveling across the Dothraki lands with the horde, slowly trying to come to terms with her position. She is desperate to find something to hold on to, and stories of dragons and her 3 dragon eggs is where she starts to see herself fitting. She also has one of her servants teach her some ways to make Khal Drogo ‘happy’ as a means to make things easier for herself, but also find a way to have her own influence.

In Winterfell we have the kings caravan preparing to leave back for King’s landing and with them Ned, Arya, and Sansa. Knowing what I do having watched season 7, there are a lot of fairly tragic points in this episode that have more weight on a second watch. Catelyn Stark loathes Jon Snow, the bastard of Ned. When he comes to say goodbye to a comatose Bran, she simply cannot stand the presence of him as she has stood vigil without break with the recovering boy. Even at their last parting, Ned says that the next time they see each other, Jon Snow that is, he will tell him about his mother. This certainly should not be a spoiler at this point, but Jon and Ned do not meet again. I won’t spoil season 7 stuff until we get there, but if you know what I am talking about, there are a couple scenes very well played out here, and Sean Bean is very good at not letting on what he knows.

Jon is heading to a life a celibacy with the Night’s Watch. The defenders of the 800 foot ice wall between the kingdoms and the frozen north where the wildlings and all the bad things live. Tyrion the imp has found it entertaining to visit the wall himself, mainly because he is not part of the Lannister family in terms of running the kingdom. He makes a point to engage Jon and ttries to build a bond with his fellow outsider. We do not get much more of this story other then them seeing the way for the first time and then we are back to Winterfell.

A fire breaks out at Winterfell and Rob leaves Catelyn with Bran to go see what the trouble is. An assassin shows up to kill Bran and Catelyn holds him off long enough. including grabbing the dagger blade with both hands, that Bran’s dire wolf saves the day by ripping the mans throat out. We don’t know who did it, but Cat decides that she needs to travel to King’s Landing to deliver the message to Ned as she does not trust the ravens and suspects the Lannisters. Sometimes you take for granted how easy it is to just text or email someone huh?

On the Kingsroad we get some bonding banter between old friends Robert and Ned, and a sequence involving Arya, Sansa, Joffrey and the wolves. Joffrey is trying to woo Sansa and walks her down to the river where they find Arya dueling with the butchers boy with sticks. Arya of course is not supposed to be doing this because it is not ‘ladylike’ and when Sansa tries to yell at her for it the boy thwaps her on the shoulder with his stick. Joffrey seizes the opportunity to ride his power trip and slower draws blood from the boys face with his sword. Arya hits Joffrey and he tries to attack her with his sword. Once he has her on the ground her dire wolf Nymeria comes from the bushes and bites his hand and she throws his sword in the river after he blabbers like a baby and she and the wolf run off. Yes I will continue to show Joffrey in negative ways because man did Jack Gleeson play a slimy, asshole prince well. So well in fact that people hounded him in real life for it, much like Billy Dee Williams from Lando’s actions in Empire Strikes back. Here’s my tip for the day people, DO NOT PERSONALLY ATTACK ACTORS FOR THEIR CHARACTERS! I really should not have to say that.

Anyway Arya get’s her dire wolf to run off and leave the area. Arya is found by Lannister guards and taken straight in front of the King and Queen. Joffrey’s story contradicts Arya’s and Sansa takes Joffrey’s side in what will be a long line of very, very, short sighted decisions on her part. She is trying to win their favor because all she has ever wanted is to be a princess or queen, and all the glamour that comes along with it. Unfortunately Cersei demands something be done, and without Arya’s wolf there, Ned is forced to kill Sansa’s wolf Lady. It is a scene that is hard to watch, as any wolf death is, and despite the wanton violence of the show, they don’t show the actual strike against the wolf. Bran’s eyes open up annnnnnnnnnnnnndddddd end episode.

We get character development in spades in this episode, and that continues to be some of the magic of a show that is constantly switching storylines to give each character their time. We see more tension between Robert and Cersei, the nasty side of Joffrey, Ned’s struggles with his duty, Sansa balancing her want for the royal treatment and how it requires her betraying her family, and Arya striking out against the forces that try to control her. A lot more to come, but they cover an awful lot of ground in this episode in what was likely 70 pages or more in the book.

Did not hear ‘Winter is coming’ so the count is still at 3. Next episode is Lord Snow.