Game of Thrones: Season 2

Game of Thrones: Season 2 is the second season of Game of Thrones. It consists of ten episodes. It premiered with "The North Remembers" on April 1, 2012 on HBO, and concluded with "Valar Morghulis" on June 3, 2012. It is based on A Clash of Kings, the second novel of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.
==Premise==
==Overview==
Season 2 spans several months on a world where the seasons last for years at a time. The Seven Kingdoms are at war, with the King in the North, Robb Stark, fighting to win independence for his people and those of the Riverlands. Robb decides that he must win the allegiance of the fiercely independent Ironborn to his cause, and sends his best friend Theon Greyjoy to treat with his father, who is hatching plans of his own. Meanwhile, Joffrey Baratheon holds the Iron Throne with the backing of the powerful House Lannister, but his uncle Renly has also claimed the throne with the support of House Tyrell, whose armies are much larger. As they struggle for the throne, Tyrion Lannister arrives in King's Landing to take matters in hand, only to face opposition from his scheming sister, Cersei, now the Queen Regent.
However, there is another faction entering the picture. Stannis Baratheon, Robert's younger brother and Renly's older brother, has also claimed the Iron Throne. A proven battle commander and veteran of several wars, Stannis is known to be utterly without mercy to his enemies and will do what is right even if it destroys him. Advising him is Melisandre, an enigmatic priestess from the east, who believes Stannis is meant for a greater destiny, and Ser Davos Seaworth, an honest and honorable man uneasy with the shifts in power at Stannis' court.
Far to the east, Daenerys Targaryen has hatched the only three dragons in the world. Eventually they will grow into terrifying monsters capable of destroying cities at her command, but for now they are still hatchlings and vulnerable. With her khalasar gone, Daenerys and her small band of followers must find a way across a forbidding wasteland and find new allies to support her claim to the Iron Throne.
In the distant north, the Night's Watch has mounted an expedition beyond the Wall, searching for missing rangers and investigating rumors of wildlings gathering in the mountains. For Jon Snow this will be a rite of passage as he is asked to make difficult choices, for the realm and for himself.
==Episodes==
Episode	Image	Title 	Air date
1 	 	"The North Remembers" 	April 1, 2012
2 	 	"The Night Lands" 	April 8, 2012
3 	 	"What Is Dead May Never Die"	April 15, 2012
4 	 	"Garden of Bones" 	April 22, 2012
5 	 	"The Ghost of Harrenhal" 	April 29, 2012
6 	 	"The Old Gods and the New" 	May 6, 2012
7 	 	"A Man Without Honor" 	May 13, 2012
8 	 	"The Prince of Winterfell" 	May 20, 2012
9 	 	"Blackwater" 	May 27, 2012
10 	 	"Valar Morghulis" 	June 3, 2012
==Cast==
===Starring===
* Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister (10 episodes)
* Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister (9 episodes)
* Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister (4 episodes)
* Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark (8 episodes)
* Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (8 episodes)
* Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish (7 episodes)
* Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont (7 episodes)
* Kit Harington as Jon Snow (8 episodes)
* Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister (7 episodes)
* Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth (6 episodes)
* Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark (7 episodes)
* Richard Madden as Robb Stark (6 episodes)
* Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark (7 episodes)
* Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (9 episodes)
* Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy (8 episodes)
* John Bradley as Samwell Tarly (6 episodes)
* Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon (6 episodes)
* Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane (5 episodes)
* Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon (7 episodes)
* Carice van Houten as Melisandre (4 episodes)
* Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell (4 episodes)
* James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont (3 episodes)
* Jerome Flynn as Bronn (7 episodes)
* Conleth Hill as Varys (6 episodes)
* Sibel Kekilli as Shae (8 episodes)
===Also starring===
*Jason Momoa as Drogo ("Valar Morghulis")
===Guest starring===
*Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth (7 episodes)
*Steven Cole as Kovarro (7 episodes)
*Joe Dempsie as Gendry (7 episodes)
*Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie (7 episodes)
*Kristian Nairn as Hodor (7 episodes)
*Donald Sumpter as Luwin (7 episodes)
*Natalia Tena as Osha (6 episodes)
*Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar (6 episodes)
*Amrita Acharia as Irri (5 episodes)
*Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos (5 episodes)
*Esmé Bianco as Ros (5 episodes)
*Oona Chaplin as Talisa Maegyr (5 episodes)
*Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett (5 episodes)
*Julian Glover as Pycelle (5 episodes)
*Ralph Ineson as Dagmer (5 episodes)
*Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell (5 episodes)
*Roxanne McKee as Doreah (5 episodes)
*Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark (5 episodes)
*Mark Stanley as Grenn (5 episodes)
*Simon Armstrong as Qhorin (4 episodes)
*Ron Donachie as Rodrik Cassel (4 episodes)
*Ian Hanmore as Pyat Pree (4 episodes)
*Forbes KB as Black Lorren (4 episodes)
*Rose Leslie as Ygritte (4 episodes)
*Kerr Logan as Matthos Seaworth (4 episodes)
*Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton (4 episodes)
*Fintan McKeown as Amory Lorch (4 episodes)
*Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne (4 episodes)
*Aimee Richardson as Myrcella Baratheon (4 episodes)
*Callum Wharry as Tommen Baratheon (4 episodes)
*Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy (4 episodes)
*Eros Vlahos as Lommy (3 episodes)
*Gethin Anthony as Renly Baratheon (3 episodes)
*Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant (3 episodes)
*Andy Beckwith as Rorge (3 episodes)
*Nicholas Blane as the Spice King (3 episodes)
*Karl Davies as Alton Lannister (3 episodes)
*Maisie Dee as Daisy (3 episodes)
*Gerard Jordan as Biter (3 episodes)
*Slavko Juraga as the Silk King (3 episodes)
*Sahara Knite as Armeca (3 episodes)
*Hannah Murray as Gilly (3 episodes)
*Robert Pugh as Craster (3 episodes)
*Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister (3 episodes)
*Tony Way as Dontos Hollard (3 episodes)
*Ian Whyte as Gregor Clegane / White Walker (3 episodes)
*Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt (2 episodes)
*Edward Dogliani as the Lord of Bones (2 episodes)
*Roy Dotrice as Hallyne (2 episodes)
*Francis Magee as Yoren (2 episodes)
*Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy (2 episodes)
*John Stahl as Rickard Karstark (2 episodes)
*Elyes Gabel as Rakharo ("The North Remembers")
*Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister ("The Prince of Winterfell")
*Wilko Johnson as Ilyn Payne ("Blackwater")
*Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan ("The Night Lands")
==Crew==
===Producers===
* David Benioff: executive producer, showrunner
* D.B. Weiss: executive producer, showrunner
* Carolyn Strauss: executive producer
* Frank Doelger: executive producer
* George R.R. Martin: co-executive producer
* Vanessa Taylor: co-executive producer
* Alan Taylor: co-executive producer
* Guymon Casady: co-executive producer
* Vince Gerardis: co-executive producer
* Bernadette Caulfield: producer
===Writers===
* David Benioff and D.B. Weiss: episodes 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10
* Bryan Cogman: episode 3
* Vanessa Taylor: episodes 4 and 6
* George R.R. Martin: episode 9
===Directors===
* Alan Taylor: episodes 1, 2, 8, and 10
* Alik Sakharov: episode 3
* David Petrarca: episodes 4 and 5
* David Nutter: episodes 6 and 7
* Neil Marshall: episode 9
==Production==
===Filming===
Filming of Season 2 again took place in Northern Ireland, on location and at the Paint Hall studio facility in Belfast. Additional filming, for the Night's Watch storyline, took place in Iceland. Malta was not used for filming in Season 2, with the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia standing in for King's Landing instead and used for the new location of Qarth.Winter is ComingWesteros.org The production considered filming in Spain but ultimately preferred Croatia for budgetary reasons.Adriasnews.com
===Deleted scenes===
A scene was cut from "The Old Gods and the New" which would have depicted the theft of the dragons from Xaro's palace, and would have shown the death of Irri.Interview with Amrita Acharia at Winter is Coming
===Marketing===
HBO has released production featurettes through the Making Game of Thrones website. D. B. Weiss's assistant Cat Taylor took over writing responsibilities for the site from Bryan Cogman for the second season.
==Home video==
Season 2 of Game of Thrones was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on 19 February 2013, and in the UK on 4 March 2013. The set includes all 10 episodes of the second season and a large number of extras.Westeros.org
===Blu-ray exclusives===
* The War of Five Kings: an interactive featurette which tracks the movements of the armies and the key characters involved in the conflict, listing the battles and their outcomes.
* Histories and Lore: 19 animated featurettes expanding on the history of Westeros and Essos, narrated by key characters and featuring artwork by storyboard artist William Simpson.
* In-Episode Guide: in-episode resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations, and relevant histories while each episode plays.
* Hidden Dragon Eggs: Find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content.
* DVD and Digital Copies: As well as all of the episodes on Blu-ray, there are additional copies of all the episodes on DVD, with them also available via digital download.
===Blu-ray and DVD===
* Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay: 30-minute documentary focusing on the Battle of the Blackwater and how it was created, including interviews with producers, special effects personnel and actors.
* Game of Thrones Inner Circle: a roundtable discussion about the shooting of Season 2. Moderated by producer-showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff and featuring actors Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Michelle Fairley and Liam Cunningham.
* The Religions of Westeros: George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discuss the religions of Westeros and Essos and the impact they have on the characters.
* Character Profiles: Profiles of seven characters as described by the actors playing them, including Renly and Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy.
* Audio commentaries: Twelve audio commentaries with cast and crew.
** "The North Remembers": Commentary by producers/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
** "The Night Lands": Commentary by actors Alfie Allen and Gemma Whelan.
** "What Is Dead May Never Die": Commentary by writer Bryan Cogman and director Alik Sakharov.
** "What Is Dead May Never Die": Second commentary track by Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and Isaac Hempstead-Wright.
** "Garden of Bones": Commentary by actors Carice Van Houten and Liam Cunningham.
** "The Old Gods and the New": Commentary by actors Kit Harington and Rose Leslie, and writer Vanessa Taylor.
** "A Man Without Honor": Commentary by producers/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
** "The Prince of Winterfell": Commentary by actors Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Michelle Fairley.
** "Blackwater": Commentary by writer/producer George R.R. Martin.
** "Blackwater": Commentary by actors Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey and director Neil Marshall.
** "Valar Morghulis": Commentary by Rainer Gombos and Steve Kullback of the visual effects team.
** "Valar Morghulis": Commentary by actor Emilia Clarke and director Alan Taylor.
===Sales===
The Game of Thrones second season box set set a new record for HBO first-day DVD and Blu-ray sales, breaking the record previously set by Season 1's release a year earlier. On its first day of release the box set sold 241,000 units, which is 44% higher than the first-day sales of Season 1. There were also 355,000 sales of episodes via digital download services, more than twice that for the first season.Entertainment Weekly
==In the books==
The season generally follows the second novel A Clash of Kings, and also consists of scenes based on the third novel A Storm of Swords.
==Gallery==
===Videos===
====Trailers====
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Terror Tease (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - The Game Returns This April (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Critics Spot (HBO)
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Weeks Ahead Trailer
HBO GO: Game Of Thrones Season 1 Catch Up
Game Of Thrones Season 2: In 140 Characters Or Less
Game Of Thrones Season 2: In 140 Characters Or Less 2
Game Of Thrones Season 2: "Shadow" Tease
Game Of Thrones: Season 2 "Cold Winds" Tease
Game Of Thrones Season 2: The More You Love Trailer
Game Of Thrones Season 2: "Power And Grace" Trailer
Game of Thrones Season 2: "Price For Our Sins" Trailer
Game of Thrones Season 2: You Win or You Die Promo
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Nowhere To Hide Promo
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Post Premiere Critics Spot
Game of Thrones: Stunt Promo (HBO)
Game of Thrones / Official Season 2 Recap Trailer (HBO)
====Behind the scenes====
Game of Thrones - You Win or You Die (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Making Of - Weapons (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - New Characters (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Destinations (HBO)
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Religions Of Westeros
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Inner Circle Clip (HBO)
====Character features====
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Daenerys Targaryen (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Stannis Baratheon (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Robb Stark (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Joffrey Baratheon (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Jon Snow (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Character Feature - Theon Greyjoy (HBO)
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Character Featurette - Renly
====The Story So Far====
Game Of Thrones Season 2: The Story So Far (Episodes 11-16)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - The Story So Far (Episodes 7-9) (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Comic Con Recap (HBO)
====Commentary====
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - Stark Children Beatboxing Game of Thrones Theme Song (HBO)
====The Night's Watch Oath====
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - The Night's Watch Oath (HBO)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 - George RR Martin Takes the Night's Watch Oath (HBO)
==References==
===Notes===
==External links==
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