“A Golden Crown” was promised and delivered in a brutal episode for House Targaryen. Written by the dynamic duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss with Jane Espenson and directed by Daniel Minahan, the episode aired May 22nd, 2011. Robert goes for a hunt while Ned further hunts for truth and Tyrion enlists the help of sellsword Bronn in another episode of mayhem, blood, and fire in Game of Thrones.
We open through Ned’s point of view as he’s beginning to regain consciousness. He wakes to an angry Cersei and beyond fed up King Robert. Cersei demands justice for her brothers while Robert remains sympathetic for his friend. Cersei sees which way Robert is leaning and takes charge:
I should wear the armor and you the gown. – Cersei Lannister
Robert sits to reflect (and drink) with his friend and decides to hunt to clear his mind. This leaves Ned grudgingly sitting the Throne in his absence and Dany is still to be murdered.
It’s scenes like these that make you really miss the first cast (and hope for a prequel series where we can see Robert’s Rebellion) as these two really do seem like old pals. Mark Addy and Sean Bean bring a sense of nostalgia to these rewatches that makes it all worthwhile, and we remember a simpler time when everyone was still alive.
For the King, Robert holds none of the power here. Cersei manipulates and Ned refuses Robert as the war between the Starks and Lannisters rages on.
We transition to the Khaleesi as she is warming a dragon egg over fire. She tries to pick up the sizzling egg when Irri intervenes. She grabs the egg and is scolded where Dany remains unburnt.
Even before the dragons we see that there is something different about Dany from the other characters. She isn’t selfish or overly ambitious. In fact, because of Viserys, she is forcefully passive which sets the course for the rest of her journey in becoming who she was meant to be.
We also see her completely unburnt for the second time which raises many questions. In the books, she isn’t completely immune to fire whereas the show is more ambiguous.
Speaking of ambiguous, in Winterfell Bran dreams again of the three-eyed raven that flies through the castle’s crypts. With Season 6 fast approaching, any scene with Bran and the three-eyed raven demands reexamination. Dreaming of the crypts mostly refers to foreshadowing Ned’s death but also that there may be other answers down there.
It’s also the beginning of supernatural wonder for both the audience and Bran.
He wakes to Hodor bringing the finished saddle designed by Tyrion. He goes riding with Robb and Theon where the two converse over the events at King’s Landing. It’s nice in these few moments to see Bran actually joyous since his fall.
Theon urges war between the Starks and Lannisters stating it’s his duty to which Robb responds, “It’s not your duty because it’s not your house.” The statement emphasizes that Theon is no Stark but a hostage and most of all, no brother to Robb. This also further drives a wedge between the two and provides reasoning for Theon’s future uprising. With Robb’s constant belittling, it’s hard not to see why Theon feels so inadequate at Winterfell.
The sounds of hooves go quiet as Robb calls for Bran who has stumbled across four intruders. They try to cut him down and steal the horse before Robb intervenes. Robb kills two and grabs Osha for leverage to save Bran from Stiv, a Night’s Watch deserter.
At first watch one might miss the exchange where the deserter voices his desperation to get South but it’s another reminder (of the many to come) of the imminent White Walkers.
Theon breaks the stalemate with an arrow from behind killing Stiv. Not too shabby for a ward. It’s moments like this that make you feel truly sorry for Theon when Robb isn’t the slight bit appreciative.
Robb: You don’t have the right!
Theon: It was the only thing to do, so I did it!
You have to wonder if it was Jon instead, would Robb be grateful? Instead, he constantly pulls Theon down and puts him in his place.
Robb spares Osha and they all return to Winterfell. For Harry Potter fans, this was an exciting moment for it meant Natalia Tena would be sticking around a few more episodes.
Tyrion almost rolls over to his grave in his sky cell as the audience cringes. Terrified, he demands to see Mord to try attempt a bribe. To his dismay, Mord sees that he has “no gold!”
The Sky Cells and the set of the Eyrie were some of the coolest moments to see come to life in Season 1. The cells themselves are ingenious on George R.R. Martin’s part as they are equal parts freedom and prison. The way the crew and VFX artists brought them to life was exciting for book readers and newcomers alike.
Back in King’s Landing, one of my favorite moments with Arya takes place. She’s distracted by her father’s injury and Jory’s death when her instructor shows her why that’s dangerous.
Watching Arya square off with the Braavosi swordmaster is an exciting moment when you look at where she is after Season 5. You see the impact Syrio had on her and why she was so determined to train in Braavos.
He also gave her a lesson in the Gods:
Syrio Forel: Do you pray to the gods?
Arya: The old and the new.
Syrio: There is only one god and his name is Death, and there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today”.
Also, take note that Arya (Maisie Williams) is fighting with her left hand which she said was an important detail from the books she wanted keep. Such dedication at such a young age is certainly very impressive!
To be clear, she has to and does use her right hand in some scenes for filming details but claims as a water dancer, Arya would be ambidextrous.
Across the Narrow Sea, we return to a gruesome scene with Daenerys as she’s ingesting a heart to provide strength for her unborn son while Viserys watches with horror.
He won’t be a real Targaryen. He won’t be a true dragon. – Viserys Targaryen
And nor will you, Viserys. It’s a small moment but it still characterizes him before his death. Believing he is last dragon is critical to his overall being and sense of entitlement. He’s beginning to see himself lose what he was promised and his temper emanates.
From Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 1 & 2, Harry Lloyd speaks on his character:
He doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s the hero of this story! That’s how you have to play it: ‘I’m the fucking lead! Why isn’t anyone treating me like the lead?
Dany falls and the room goes quiet. She forces the heart down and rises drenched in blood. ‘The Stallion Who Will Mount the World resides in Khaleesi who will unite all the Khals into a single Khalasar” Jorah translates. Daenerys stands up and announces (in Dothraki) that the prince will be named Rhaego after her late brother Rhaegar. The hut chants the prince’s name as Viserys watches in horror something he will never experience: the people’s love.
She truly is a queen today. – Jorah Mormont
A really powerful moment for Daenerys and Emilia Clarke. For Dany, it’s the first time we see her as a Queen. For Clarke, it’s a scene she’ll always remember as an actress. In an interview with Vulture, she reveals the stallion heart was made of a congealed sort of jelly.
Viserys is furious and turns to flee. He arms a sword against the law in Vaes Dothrak and attempts to steal the dragon eggs when Jorah stops him. Viserys is beyond jealous of his sister’s higher position and admiration. He furiously spits to Jorah his observations of his lust filled glances at Dany. He doesn’t budge an inch and refuses to let him leave with the eggs. Viserys drops them and exits the hut.
I agree with what Sue said in 104, I wasn’t much of a fan of Viserys in the book either but with Harry Lloyd’s performance, I can’t help but applaud. You can really see not only the frustration and jealousy but also the hurt in Viserys’ eyes.
Back at the Eryie, Tyrion demands to confess his crimes before the lunatic Lysa Arryn.
When I was 12 I milked my eel into a pot of turtle stew, I flogged the one eyed snake, skinned my sausage, I made the bald man cry into the turtle stew which I do believe my sister ate…at least I hope she did. – Tyrion Lannister
Not those crimes, Tyrion!
He then demands his first ever trial by combat (ah, memories). Lysa opens the moon door to show his fate if he loses, much to Robin’s delight. Lysa chooses Ser Vardis Egen as her champion and Bronn steps up as Tyrion’s.
In the woods, King Robert recounts his stories of “making the eight” as Lancel does his duty. It’s always fun to go back and relive moments like this connect after you see them unfold. Tensions rise between Renly and Robert as Lancel offers more wine.
In King’s Landing, a peasant recounts The Mountain’s pillaging to Ned and brings a net of dead fish which Littlefinger cleverly decodes as a warning to House Tully. It’s also here we get a look at our first Lord Beric Dondarrion played by guest star David Michael Scott.
Refusing to let such an injustice stand, Ned strips the Mountain of all his titles and sends Dondarrion with a hundred men to execute him in the name of the King. So much for keeping the peace with the Lannisters.
Back at the Eyrie, the trial by combat commences. The masterful choreography is always something to look forward to with each season and this scene certainly does not disappoint. Bronn has Ser Vardis at his mercy when he looks directly up at Lysa and plunges his sword deep into his throat. He then lets his bleeding corpse fall through the moon door.
Lysa Arryn: You don’t fight with honor!
*Tyrion grins and raises his handcuffs*
Bronn: No…he did….
And a bromance was born that would last for years. Tyrion gets his gold back from Catelyn and throws it to Mord as “a Lannister always pays his debts.”
Back at King’s Landing a gif is born as Sansa and her Septa converse. Joffrey enters to apologize for being a monster….it’s a little late (but also too soon) for that. He gives Sansa a necklace and apologizes to his Lady with a kiss.
At Winterfell, Theon ruefully says goodbye to his beloved whore, Ros and throws her a coin in payment to “see it one last time.”
Back at King’s Landing, Ned wants to send his daughters home for their safety. At this point, even Sansa can see that Joffrey is nothing like his “father” King Robert. The comprehension flashes across Ned’s face as he consults the lineages of the royal families. He notes the change in trend as Joffrey is… *gasps* a blond?!
Back across the Narrow Sea, Viserys is drunk and furious. Khal Drogo sends him to the back of the celebration, but Viserys retorts that is no place for a king.
Drogo tells him he is no king. Viserys draws his sword, fooled into thinking he’s safe due to Vaes Dothrak’s no-bloodshed policy. He demands his crown or he’ll cut Dany’s baby out of her.
Drogo and the Dothraki oblige and Viserys is given a golden crown that men will tremble to behold.
Viserys desperately calls his sister as she watches her tormenter receive his golden crown.
He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon. – Daenerys Targaryen
Dany is confident in herself and her Targaryen lineage as she takes her place as the last dragon.
Good riddance, Viserys. We hardly liked ya.
Check out the Anatomy of this episode – Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 and Part 6 where the cast and crew discuss this turning point of the season.
Introductions: Osha is spared and heads back to Winterfell, Stiv and Wallen came and went, and we meet Lord Beric Dondarrion!
Deaths: Wallen and Stiv, Ser Vardis Egen, and Viserys Targaryen.
Freak Out Moment: Easily the title moment of the episode; secondly Bronn killing Vardis; third is Arya’s “Seven hells!” when Sansa talks about having Joffrey’s babies.
Creative Fandom:
The Death of Viserys, Artwork by Robert Ball from his “Beautiful Death” collection.
The episode in general was a big source of inspiration to the Game of Thrones fandom for artwork, memes, and some amazing cosplay.
Here’s TheNerdyBird cosplaying a heart-eating Daenerys posing with the man himself, George R.R. Martin at San Diego Comic Con in 2011.
And crowned Viserys cosplayers became popular after then as well. Here’s one:
An animated parody of the episode by seanzoz sure to give you a few laughs:
Fire and Lunch celebrated the episode with crowned-Viserys and Daenerys cake pops!
Check out Jason Yang’s magnificent violin cover of the Game of Thrones theme:
And because we’re on the internet, who can resist memes?
Yesterday: Unsullied Oz on Game of Thrones Memory Lane 105: The Wolf and the Lion
Tomorrow: Sue shows you what happens when you play the Game of Thrones in Episode 7: You Win or You Die.
Hodor!
UGH… three minutes you beat me Jack Bauer… rascal
Hodor?
the SFX when he hit the floor was great too.
This is a terrific episode, particularly as it has several terrific setpieces, and the first of many great one-on-one fights with the Bronn/Vardis match, one that does a lot of character building by itself because we get a sense of Bronn’s cunning nature and keen abilities as a fighter, not just because he’s good with a sword, but because he’s smart and knows how to keep himself alive, and embodies a line that so far hasn’t shown up in the show: “There are old sellswords, and there are bold sellswords, but there are no old, bold sellswords.”
I barely remember the Theon/Robb scenes but it’s interesting to see how much Robb tried to continually undercut Theon – he does the same in the pilot, too, as I recall. He’s much more accepting of Jon, by contrast. It may have been a combination of a jealousy or more accurately, an indication that he took a none-too-charitable attitude towards his father’s ward.
One of the best of Season 1, with too many great scenes to mention. I noticed D&D very cleverly incorporating Mormont family words in the scene where Viserys tries to steal the dragon eggs: “And here I stand”, says Jorah. That was a nice touch.
I think the Robb-Theon dynamic is interesting because people tend to look back at it on the show with rose-tinted lenses sometimes. And that leads to them being angrier with Theon for his choices. But Robb was kind of a jerk until he needed Theon by his side. It’s not so surprising that the eldest son who grew up knowing he would be a powerful lord was a little arrogant toward a hostage. But Theon’s conflicted feelings are very understandable. They are like his family. Just in a messed up way.
Greatjon of Slumber,
He’s much more accepting of Jon, by contrast. It may have been a combination of a jealousy or more accurately, an indication that he took a none-too-charitable attitude towards his father’s ward.
My take on that is perhaps he saw the “heart” of Theon an his arrogant ways verses Jon’s humility and humble ways. Growing up with both Theon and Jon he would have had seen for himself the true nature of Theon. And perhaps he was just trying to let Theon know he would NEVER be a Stark … so stop acting so high an mighty… imho.
An excellent episode…although I was horrified by the “crown of gold” in my first viewing.
Yes, Viserys was a jerk but Harry Lloyd was superb in this role. I wish that he had been around for a bit longer.
This episode also had one of Jorah’s best moments – “And here I stand.” Sigh!
Harry Lloyd was really great as Viserys — one of the performances where I think the shows adds to understanding the character.
The scene where Ned attaints Clegane is one of my favourite dramatic parts of the show, still. Contrary to his image as a bad strategist, he’s actually boxed Tywin in here; if Cersei’s improbable bid to kill Robert hadn’t worked, he would have won. Though this scene has one of the more nonsensical Littlefinger lines which I think is supposed to sound smart (“gold wins wars, not soldiers”).
The Vale has had my favorite sets in the whole series and I wish we’d get to see more. Alas, I think the we are done seeing the Eyrie on the show.
Harry Lloyd was fantastic as Viserys. His terror when he realizes what Khal Drogo intends to do was palpable. He was so good, in fact, that it’s hard not to think about what might have been had he been cast as Jon Snow. (I think he was one of the other actors in the running for the part, but I’m not sure.)
Making the 8,
I’ve always enjoyed the over-the-top nature of the Eyrie, but in both the books and show I never thought the Sky Cells made much sense. Generally when you put somebody in a cell it’s because you want them alive for whatever reason, whereas the Sky Cells seemed purpose-built to slowly drive the captives insane. Cool visual, though.
Lloyd was excellent. Reminds me of James Callis’ Baltar from new BSG.
As for Tywin, one has to wonder what his endgame was. He couldn’t have known that Robert was soon to die, so he was essentially preparing to launch a full-scale invasion of Riverlands without any allies and with post-Rebellion Stark-Baratheon-Tully-(maybe)Arryn alliance in tact. It was a suicidal move, when you think about it.
I don’t think Littlefinger’s line is nonsensical. He truly believes it, I’d say.
Mr Fixit,
Gold wins wars when you use it to pay soldiers, is my point. Gold on its own is not very useful. The way that line is positioned in the script suggests it’s meant to contrast with Ned’s supposedly naive belief in force, given that the season as a whole posits Ned as completely out of his depth and Baelish as a man who understands the game.
Well stated. It’s an underappreciated dynamic, for sure.
But you can see, through repeated viewings of season 1 and 2, how many small, modest moments or bits of dialogue were carefully placed – even when they didn’t know how long the show would continue. Tyrion’s mention of Theon’s uncles and the “stupid rebellion,” Jaime saying he “doubts” Theon is a “good lad,” per Jory, the wholly unnecessary bit-part casting of Beric Dondarrion (and that actor sorta does look like a younger, better-looking version of the desiccated wreck we meet in season 3)
IIRC, Iwan Rheon also auditioned for Jon Snow!
Cant stand Lysa. So glad shes gone lol
Sorry ozzy
Sean C.,
It’s not so simple. You don’t use gold only to pay soldiers. You can also use it to bribe people, convert them to your cause, or impress others with ostentatious display of wealth. Money gives you an edge as you can hire mercenaries (instead or relying dominantly on feudal levies), equip your troops with better arms and armor, have better logistics, etc. The point is, gold (read: economy) matters!
Mr Fixit,
Obviously the economy matters. But they’re speaking about the possibility of military conflict, where Ned notes that Tywin is massively outnumbered.
And indeed, Tywin would have lost, if not for several pieces of incredible luck that he had nothing to do with. All the gold in Casterly Rock would have been meaningless if not for Melisandre (killing Renly with a magic shadow demon) and Baelish himself (keeping the Arryns off Team Stark).
One of my favorite things from earlier seasons is the interaction between Varys and Baelish. Do you think they’ll ever meet again?
I simply do not understand why raw horse heart isn’t considered a delicacy, like Rocky Mountain Oysters. Just look at Dany’s mug! She is in heaven as she enjoys every bite. This should be considered a rite of passage for all ambitious ones. Yum! 🙂
That scene was amazing.
My other thought about 1×06 is that the Vale costumes are dumb. I get Michele Clapton was trying to go for the suggestion of wings, but they look silly, especially since she was able to incorporate house motifs into costumes from other regions (flowers, lions, etc.) without visual silliness (the trout collar excepted). The Season 4 Vale costumes looked marginally less ridiculous.
PD’s wig in Season 1 is one of the most distracting things. I’m so glad they let him ditch it in later seasons.
Sean C.,
Bribery is an excellent way of circumventing the need for soldiery, if you endear yourself to powerful lords or people in positions of power. Soldiers do what they’re told to do by whomever holds the (purse) strings. I think that’s his philosophy and it’s worked for him.
M,
Pretty sure that was Peter’s real hair,they colored it blond to make him more “Lannister”looking,but gave up on it,thank the seven. Think I read somewhere they also tried contact lenses to give him different colored eyes but it looked too freaky.
Because people in Westeros, especially Lysa Aryyn were batshit crazy. I know the sky cells were built long before her but the altitude drives folks mad. Look at what’s happening in Denver CO. The show did improve the moon door as opposed to GRRM’s book version of an actual door I like the hole in the floor of the throne room leading everyone to have sweaty palms even if you are not deathly afraid of heights.
Sean C.,
Littlefinger despises all those above him, people born into power. He likes to think that a smart man with enough gold in his purse can outplay his opponents, no matter the odds. Of course, it will eventually bite him in the ass, but the line in question is both in LF’s character and has some merit to it.
Maybe in Season 7. If Varys gets Dany to Westeros and Littlefinger is still around, he’ll definitely try and get into her good graces. He’s shameless like that.
It’s so fascinating rewatching the Theon-Robb dynamic. You can definitely now see all the clues to Theon’s eventual betrayal.
Wow…those costumes/makeup that Osha’s friends had were hideous. Glad the budget increased lol.
RIP Viserys. I’ll miss his ridiculousness.
Sue the Fury,
Having seen Theon’s confession to Ramsey, this scene became more poignant upon re-watching. It appears that, in this instance, Robb did not follow his father’s example. BTW, I hope Alfie Allen gets more love from the fandom this year.
I think Theon is a goner this season.
Yeah…that’s the reason. Only the nuttiest get to enjoy the perilous, double-diamond Frostfangs though! You win or you die. 🙂
May I ask “what is happening” in Denver, according to your rationale? denverpost.com doesn’t have anything abnormal to report.
Hodors Bastard,
I heard raw bison liver is also considered a delicacy! So says Leo 😛
Sue the Fury,
I agree but at the same time I think there is a huge gap from being undermined all the time to coming to the point of betraying so cruelly and mindlessly someone who in the end trusted you as a friend and counselor. And this very gap justifies Robb’s attitude to Theon. It is not so much that he wants to belittle him as that he undermines his power to think, to judge and then to act accordingly. The irony lies that the very moment Theon did exactly this making Robb to trust him even more that was the turning point when Theon’s “trauma” became an unfathomable and inexcusable hybris…
I actually winced and looked away from Viserys’ golden crown moment the first time I watched that episode lol! I thought it would be total nightmare fuel. I’ve seen that episode 5 billion times now and it’s not as gruesome as I originally imagined. 🙂
PS I love Harry Lloyd.
I really love this episode, when i tell my friends to watch this series, i always tell them: Wait till episode 6, if by the end of it you’re not hooked, then you could just stop watching.
….they always keep watching 🙂
Regrettably, the local deli has not put that item on the menu yet. Btw, what is the difference, if any, between a wight and a revenant?
Hodors Bastard,
Revenants speak French?! LOL
I don’t know, HB. I heard they drain the living of blood, wights don’t.
I pray to the seven gods that we do not get a Robert’s Rebellion series. Prequels like that rarely work because we simply know too much about the events and it would be a bit of an anticlimax after GoT. There’s a reason that the books are set after the rebellion. Besides we’re already going to see some of the events that took place during the rebellion, such as the ToJ.
You’d have thought those god awful Hobbit films would make people think twice, however tempting it may be.
Sue the Fury,
…right. The only family Theon had, but they didn’t really love or want him. He got a raw deal – then he gets castrated.
Theon’s debts(for killing the boys and Rodrik) are repaid in full, in my book.
Thanks for the Skank-sa gif. Just in case we forget what a little snot she was/is.
I remember watching this for the first time and being utterly shocked at Viserys’ death. I expected him to last at least till the end of the season.
Hodors Bastard,
Revenants are more ghostly and revengeful – wights are more zombie like and mindless
Kraznys,
Haha – and then Ned didn’t even make it til the end of the season
Yeah…I got distracted from earlier. I was going to state that there is a certain revenant in this tale that (probably) won’t be exploited in the GoT medium! And her name ain’t Covenant! 😉
Yep, S1 episode 6 was a classic. So much going on. Viserys getting his golden crown was brilliant. Especially when he keeled over with that metallic clunk 🙂
I don’t know what the melting point of gold is, but doubt very much if Drogo emptying a stew pot and then throwing his golden belt into it over a wood burning open fire would generate enough heat to melt it. Still… we got the idea 😀
I did this backwards and watched the show before reading the books. Harry Lloyd’s performance definitely colored my understanding of Viserys Targaryen and made it that much richer.
I remember that “A Golden Crown” was the last episode that was sent out for critics to review in advance of Season 1 (for subsequent seasons, they’ve never sent out more than four). It was a smart move. It’s a brilliant episode, full of great scenes and memorable dialogue, and capped off with a truly iconic moment for the series. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that there are people out there who find the first few episodes of Season 1 to be slower and heavier on exposition (understandably so). But by the time the credits roll on this one, most fans seem to be hooked.
The scene in the sky cell when Tyrion is attempting to educate Mord about gold and debts so that he can bribe him is one of the funniest scenes in the series. I’ve watched the episode at least a dozen times. Never once, in any of those viewing, have I failed to laugh when Tyrion plaintively utters the words “Listen to me! Sometimes, possession … is an abstract concept.” Hell, I’m cracking up now just typing it! 🙂
I also love Peter Dinklage’s delivery of the line “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘as rich as a Lannister’? Of course you have. You’re a smart man.” The way he draws out and enunciates the phrase ‘smart man’ is just fantastic. He makes it sound like it’s the most galling lie that Tyrion has ever been forced to tell in his entire life.
On the flip side, we have Viserys’s brutal and entirely self-inflicted downfall, to which the writers and Harry Lloyd manage to introduce a significant element of tragedy. The moment that stands out for me is when the Dothraki start chanting for Dany’s son, and Viserys looks around and realizes that the sister he spat on for her entire life has inspired a love that he never will. In that moment, he looks like a little boy who is completely lost. When he bitterly laments to Jorah that no one has ever given him the adoration that they gave to Dany, I see a parallel to Theon’s self-evaluation from late in Season 2. Viserys is a man who has been trying to be something he’s not, but has come too far to pretend to be anything else.
There a certain lines in Game of Thrones that always give me chills whenever I hear them, regardless of how many times I’ve seen the episode. The final line of this episode is one of those, as Dany stares at the body of her slain brother and says “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.” I love the way that Emilia Clarke manages to make her eyes go completely dead in that moment, and yet her gaze still seems to be alive with a strange fire. As the series has gone on, Emilia has taken her share of flack for her performance (not from me – I love her work!), but she’s excellent in Season 1, and in this episode in particular.
I love that moment as well. Iain Glen is so damn great.
Sean C.,
the point was gold wins wars not the soldiers they may fight for u aka tywin for a war where he wins but he hasnt won them the next war with the right gold from the right person can have those same soldiers fight against tywin hence he won the previous war … not the soldiers… at least thats what i got out of it
Some things:
-I think for this episode they had shot the scene of Gregor Clegane raiding the Riverlands but I don’t think it made the cut because they couldn’t do it justice with the budget they had left.
-The kid playing Robyn Arryn was hilarious. Tyrion: “I once brought a jackass and a honeycomb into a brothel…” Lysa: “Silence!” Robyn: “What happened next?” LOL. I’m glad he was brought back for season 4.
-The crowd reaction of pure horror when Bron lifts up Ser Vardis Egen’s hand is so spot on. Really adds weight to the brutal nature of a trial by combat.
-Daniel Minehan, the director of the episode, did fantastic work in seasons 1 and 3. I hope they bring him back for one of the last two seasons.
This is Still my favorite episode of all time… Thanks for the memories!
Black Raven,
That’s an instance where the differences between book and film pacing kind of matter. In the book it’s implied that it takes a while for the gold to melt, and Dany’s account of events glides over this; in film, that would kill the momentum of the scene.
Greatjon of Slumber,
The inclusion of Beric was quite brilliant just a few seconds after Ned said, “I cannot restore your dead to life.”
Thanks for that piece of info. I must read the books sometime as it sounds like a lot of detail is missing from the TV show. Quite understandable though how scenes and detail need to be compressed down to fit into the time frame allowed per episode. 😉