Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones has officially ended. But if you’re getting ready to dive in to the show for the first time or planning a re-watch, let this be your guide.

Getting through all 73 Game of Thrones episodes may seem like a daunting task, but TIME is here to make your binge-watching journey as smooth as possible. Now that the long-awaited Game of Thrones series finale has aired and season 8 is over, here’s everything you need to know about each episode.

From a recap to an analysis of each installment’s most significant scene, here’s a rundown of the essential details from every Game of Thrones episode. Now, that’s not to say that some viewers won’t have different opinions about the episode’s winner or most memorable quote, but this is one lens through which fans can examine everything as they make their way through Game of Thrones.

Here’s how to stream Game of Thrones

Now that Game of Thrones has officially come to an end, some fans may be wondering how they can go back and re-watch the series. Those who already subscribe to HBO through a cable company can use their cable login to watch Game of Thrones on HBO Go while non-cable users can pay $14.99 per month for HBO Now, the network’s stand-alone streaming service. Hulu and Amazon Prime subscribers also have the option of paying an extra $14.99 per month to gain access to HBO’s entire catalog of content.

Here’s TIME’s ultimate guide to binge-watching Game of Thrones



Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 1

HBO

Episode name

“Winter Is Coming”

Episode recap

The death of Jon Arryn (John Standing), who serves as the Hand of the King, brings King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and the Lannister clan north to visit the Starks at Winterfell. It doesn’t take long for things to sour once the royal entourage arrives. From the moment Robert demands to pay his respects to Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) late sister, Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi), in the crypts, it’s clear there are some unresolved issues between the three families — something that becomes even more obvious when Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) pushes Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) out of a window for walking in on him with his twin sister, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey).

Meanwhile, the White Walkers make their presence known beyond the Wall, while across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is given three dragon eggs at her wedding to Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa).

Episode winner

Robert Baratheon

Most memorable line

Ned Stark to Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) about Bran Stark: “He won’t be a boy forever. And, winter is coming.”

Most significant scene

The White Walkers terrorize three Night’s Watch rangers on a scouting mission beyond the Wall.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 2

Episode name

“The Kingsroad”

Episode recap

Although Jon Snow (Kit Harington), who we know as the illegitimate son of Ned and a random, unknown woman, was introduced in the pilot, his storyline doesn’t really pick up until the second episode. After gifting his half-sister Arya (Maisie Williams) with a small sword that she dubs “Needle,” Jon leaves for the Wall, a 700-foot tall, 300-foot thick barrier of ice that spans all 300 miles of Westeros’ northern border, with his Uncle Benjen (Joseph Mawle) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).

Jon intends to join the Night’s Watch, an order of men who guard the Wall and protect the Seven Kingdoms from invaders. But first, he makes one last (unsuccessful) attempt to question Ned about the identity of his mother ahead of Ned’s departure for King’s Landing.

While traveling south with their father, Arya and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) find themselves in the midst of an altercation with Prince Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) that leads to the deaths of both Arya’s friend Mycah (Rhodri Hosking), the butcher’s boy, and Sansa’s direwolf, Lady. Luckily, Arya is able to set her own direwolf, Nymeria, loose in the wild before any harm can come to her. Elsewhere, Daenerys finds a way to connect with her new husband and Bran wakes up from the coma he has been in for over a month.

Episode winner

Bran’s direwolf, Summer

Most memorable line

Ned Stark to Jon Snow: “You may not have my name, but you have my blood.”

Most significant scene

A hired assassin carrying a Valyrian steel dagger attempts to kill a comatose Bran but is thwarted by Catelyn and Summer.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 3

Episode name

“Lord Snow”

Episode recap

In the early days of her arranged marriage, Daenerys is repeatedly raped by her husband (a storyline that led to much controversy). But as she and Drogo develop mutual respect and admiration for one another, Dany begins to come into her own as Khaleesi — a development that upsets her older brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd) — and discovers that she is pregnant with Drogo’s son.

Following Ned’s first Small Council meeting as Hand of the King, he learns that Catelyn has snuck into King’s Landing to show him the dagger that the catspaw assassin tried to use on Bran — a reveal that leads Master of Coin Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish (Aidan Gillen) to claim he recognizes the blade as one he lost to Tyrion in a bet.

As for the Stark kids, Jon starts to understand the harsh reality of serving in the Night’s Watch when he realizes that, unlike him, most of the recruits are untrained criminals who were forced into service, while Arya, who has no desire to become a “proper” lady, begins training with master Braavosi swordsman Syrio Forel (Miltos Yerolemou) and Bran struggles to come to terms with being paralyzed from the waist down.

Episode winner

Arya Stark

Most memorable line

Cersei Lannister to Joffrey Baratheon: “Everyone who isn’t us is an enemy.”

Most significant scene

Old Nan (Margaret John) tells Bran about a dark and terrible winter known as the Long Night, foreshadowing the return of the White Walkers.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 4

Episode name

“Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”

Episode recap

In King’s Landing, Ned discovers one of Robert’s illegitimate children while he’s investigating the death of Jon Arryn. Separately, Sansa learns that Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane (Conan Stevens) is the one responsible for his brother and Joffrey’s personal bodyguard Sandor “The Hound” Clegane’s (Rory McCann) disfigured face, a detail that foreshadows the horrific cruelties that the Mountain is capable of inflicting on others.

Tensions continue to rise between Daenerys and Viserys upon their arrival in the holy Dothraki city of Vaes Dothrak, leading Dany to stand up to her brother for the first time. Farther north, Jon Snow helps Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) adjust to life at the Wall and Catelyn performs a citizen’s arrest on Tyrion for Bran’s attempted murder.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Daenerys Targaryen to Viserys Targaryen: “The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands.”

Most significant scene

Ned discovers that Gendry (Joe Dempsie), the smith’s apprentice that Jon Arryn was seen visiting shortly before his death, is Robert’s illegitimate son.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 5

Episode name

“The Wolf and the Lion”

Episode recap

After arriving in the Vale with Tyrion as her prisoner, Catelyn is concerned to find that her sister Lysa (Kate Dickie) — the late Jon Arryn’s wife — seems to have lost her grip on reality. Lysa fled to the Vale following Jon’s death and has been hiding out in the Eyrie since with their 6-year-old son Robin, who she obsessively dotes over. Lysa proceeds to lock Tyrion in one of the Eyrie’s menacing “sky cells” after accusing him of conspiring to murder her husband.

But most of the episode’s action really takes place in King’s Landing, where Ned renounces his role as Hand of the King after learning that Robert has ordered a hit on Daenerys and her unborn child. But that’s just the beginning of Ned’s woes. Littlefinger takes him to visit the last person that Jon Arryn spoke to before he died — a prostitute whose baby daughter is another one of Robert’s illegitimate children — and Ned is ambushed by Jaime Lannister and his men. A confrontation ensues over Tyrion’s arrest. It ends with the slaughter of Ned’s guards and Ned himself getting stabbed in the leg with a spear.

Episode winner

Jaime Lannister

Most memorable line

Robert Baratheon to Cersei Lannister about Lyanna Stark: “I only know she was the one thing I ever wanted. Someone took her away from me, and seven kingdoms couldn’t fill the hole she left behind.”

Most significant scene

Robert and Cersei discuss their marriage, a union that has held the realm together but left them both miserable. Cersei asks Robert about Lyanna Stark for the first time in 17 years, leading him to reveal that his feelings for Lyanna prevented him from ever even trying to love Cersei.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 6

Episode name

“A Golden Crown”

Episode recap

After Bran wakes up from a dream about a three-eyed raven — a recurring figure in his subconscious — he ventures out into the woods with his older brother Robb (Richard Madden) and Stark ward Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) where they’re attacked by four wildlings. Robb and Theon kill the three men in the group and take the woman, Osha (Natalia Tena), as a prisoner.

At the Eyrie, Tyrion demands a trial by combat after realizing he has no chance of being judged fairly. A sellsword named Bronn (Jerome Flynn) agrees to fight for him and defeats Lysa’s champion, allowing Tyrion to walk free.

In King’s Landing, Ned awakens to Robert demanding that he resume his duties as Hand of the King before informing him that he’s leaving for a hunting trip. Later, thanks to Sansa, Ned finally comes to the realization that Joffrey is actually the son of Cersei and Jaime — not Cersei and Robert.

Over in Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys declares her unborn son to be the Stallion Who Mounts the World after completing the sacred Dothraki task of eating a raw horse heart. When a drunken Viserys shows his true colors by threatening to cut the child out of her womb, she allows Khal Drogo to pour a pot of molten gold on her brother’s head, killing him.

Episode winner

Khal Drogo

Most memorable line

Daenerys Targaryen about Viserys Targaryen: “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”

Most significant scene

Ned pieces together everything he has learned during his time in King’s Landing to figure out the truth about Joffrey’s parentage.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 7

Episode name

“You Win or You Die”

Episode recap

Following his introduction at the Lannister army’s camp in the Riverlands, Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) sends Jaime — who fled King’s Landing after attacking Ned — to lay siege to Riverrun, Catelyn’s childhood home and the seat of House Tully.

At Castle Black, the day begins with Benjen’s horse returning without him from beyond the Wall and only gets worse for Jon when he’s assigned to be Lord Commander Mormont’s (James Cosmo) personal steward rather than a ranger like he’s always dreamed. But after Sam suggests that he was given the job so that the Lord Commander can groom him for command, Jon decides to go through with swearing his Night’s Watch vows.

Despite receiving a pardon that would allow him to return to the Seven Kingdoms, Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), who has clearly come to deeply admire Daenerys, prevents an assassination attempt on the khaleesi that was orchestrated by King Robert. An enraged Khal Drogo then vows to cross the Narrow Sea with his khalasar to conquer Westeros for his unborn son.

The saga in King’s Landing continues with Ned confronting a defiant Cersei with his newly acquired knowledge of her children’s true parentage. But when Robert’s brother Renly (Gethin Anthony) returns to the Red Keep to inform Ned that Robert was gored by a wild boar while hunting, things quickly spin out of control. A dying Robert asks Ned to write a letter declaring himself Lord Protector of the Realm until Joffrey — or as Ned writes, Robert’s “rightful heir” — comes of age. Ned then tries to ensure that Robert’s brother Stannis (Stephen Dillane) will be the one to ascend the Iron Throne by sending him a letter detailing his findings about the Lannisters. However, his attempt to do the honorable thing backfires when Littlefinger betrays him to the Lannisters, allowing Joffrey to lay claim to the throne.

Episode winner

Cersei Lannister

Most memorable line

Cersei Lannister to Ned Stark: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

Most significant scene

Littlefinger betrays Ned when he is summoned to the throne room following Robert’s death and secures Joffrey’s succession.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 8

Episode name

“The Pointy End”

Episode recap

After receiving a letter from Sansa urging him to pledge fealty to King Joffrey — a scheme that Cersei orchestrated — Robb calls on the Starks’ bannerman to head south to war with the Lannisters. He later reunites with Catelyn in the Neck and sends a captured Lannister scout to tell Tywin that 20,000 Northern troops are marching on the Lannister army — which has been joined by Tyrion, Bronn and a group of hill tribesman.

Jon and Sam return from the weirwood grove north of the Wall where they took their Night’s Watch vows with the bodies of two men who were members of Benjen’s ranging party. That night, Jon saves Lord Commander Mormont’s life by throwing an oil lamp at the reanimated corpse of one of the dead rangers to set it on fire — an incident that alerts the Lord Commander to the growing threat of the White Walkers.

After Khal Drogo’s khalasar raids a Lhazareen village, Daenerys claims several of the women as her own to protect them and angers many of the Dothraki warriors. When one of the riders confronts Drogo about his wife’s defiance, the Khal kills him but is injured in the process. Daenerys calls upon one of the women she saved, a healer named Mirri Maz Duur (Mia Soteriou), to tend to his chest wound despite the Dothraki’s hesitance to trust a “witch.”

After her father is taken prisoner by the Lannisters, Arya avoids capture with the help of Syrio, who sacrifices his life for her. Joffrey names Tywin as the new Hand of the King and dismisses the long-serving Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in favor of Jaime. Sansa comes forward to beg for her father’s life and Joffrey tells her he will spare Ned if he confesses to treason.

Episode winner

Robb Stark

Most memorable line

Syrio Forel and Arya Stark: “What do we say to the god of death?” “Not today.”

Most significant scene

Daenerys asks the witch Mirri Maz Duur to heal Khal Drogo after he is wounded in a fight to the death with one of his riders.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 9

Episode name

“Baelor”

Episode recap

The hour that established each season’s penultimate episode as something that fans both eagerly await and outright dread culminates with Joffrey executing Ned in spite of his false confession of treason. Things don’t go so well for Daenerys either, who goes into labor just as Mirri Maz Duur begins performing a blood magic ritual that she claims will save Khal Drogo’s life by paying for it with the life of another.

But there are some bright spots leading up to the bad. At the Lannister camp, Tyrion connects on a deeper level with a prostitute named Shae (Sibel Kekilli). Tyrion tells her about the complicated relationship he has with his father and she comforts him before he heads into battle. Tywin has ordered him to fight in the vanguard alongside the hill tribesman, an assignment that Tyrion sees as a suicide mission.

With his army stuck at a crossroads (literally), Robb agrees to marry one of Walder Frey’s (David Bradley) daughters in exchange for passage across the river at the Twins. He then successfully outmaneuvers the Lannisters by sending 2,000 of his troops to divert Tywin while he and the other 18,000 capture Jaime at Riverrun.

At the Wall, Lord Commander Mormont gives Jon a Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw, to thank him for saving his life. But Jon finds himself struggling to reconcile his love for his family with his commitment to the Night’s Watch after news of his father’s imprisonment and Robb’s campaign south reaches Castle Black. His predicament prompts Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) to reveal that he is actually Aemon Targaryen, an uncle of Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen (David Rintoul) who remained at the Wall when the Targaryens were slaughtered during Robert’s rebellion.

Ultimately, this episode served as a warning that, in the world of Game of Thrones, no character — no matter how beloved by fans — is safe.

Episode winner

Joffrey Baratheon

Most memorable line

Joffrey Baratheon about Ned Stark: “Ser Ilyn, bring me his head!”

Most significant scene

King Joffrey orders the executioner Ser Ilyn Payne (Wilko Johnson) to chop off Ned’s head despite promising to show mercy if Ned confessed to treason.

Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 10

HBO

Episode name

“Fire and Blood”

Episode recap

Ned is dead and word is spreading across the Seven Kingdoms.

After the tragic news reaches the Stark camp, the Northmen decide to back neither Stannis nor Renly Baratheon’s claim to the throne and instead declare Robb the King in the North. Meanwhile, Tywin orders Tyrion to return to King’s Landing to act as Hand of the King and keep Joffrey in check while Tywin himself regroups with what’s left of the Lannister army at Harrenhal. He orders Tyrion to leave Shae behind — a command that Tyrion defies.

Disguised as a boy, Arya joins up with a group of Night’s Watch recruits, including Robert’s illegitimate son Gendry, who are headed north to the Wall, while Sansa remains in King’s Landing as Cersei and Joffrey’s prisoner.

After learning of his father’s death, Jon attempts to desert the Night’s Watch in order to join Robb’s army but Sam, Grenn (Mark Stanley) and Pyp (Josef Altin) convince him to stay. The next day, Lord Commander Mormont asks Jon to ride out with him on a ranging mission beyond the Wall and prove his loyalty to the Watch.

Daenerys wakes from giving birth to learn that her son was both stillborn and horribly disfigured. She asks to be taken to Khal Drogo to see what she paid for with her son’s life and finds her husband in a vegetative state. She later smothers Drogo with a pillow to put him out of his misery and orders Jorah to tie Mirri Maz Duur to the funeral pyre — on which Dany also places her three dragon eggs — as punishment for her betrayal. Daenerys sets the pyre alight and walks fearlessly into the flames. Hours later, Jorah and the remaining Dothraki watch in awe as an unburnt Daenerys rises from the ashes with three newly-hatched dragons.

The Mother of Dragons has officially arrived.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Mirri Maz Duur to Daenerys Targaryen: “When the sun rises in the west, sets in the east. When the seas go dry, when the mountains blow in the wind like leaves.”

Most significant scene

Daenerys emerges unscathed from a massive inferno with her three newborn dragons.



Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 1

Episode name

“The North Remembers”

Episode recap

As the fallout from Ned Stark’s death continues to echo throughout the Seven Kingdoms, the War of the Five Kings, the central conflict of season 2, gets underway.

It quickly becomes clear that Joffrey’s penchant for cruelty is only growing when he sentences the bumbling Ser Dontos Hollard (Tony Way) to die during his own name day tournament. Luckily, Sansa, who is slowly learning how to play the game of court life, is able to convince Joffrey to make Dontos his fool rather than kill him. After arriving in King’s Landing, Tyrion interrupts a small council meeting to throw his promotion to Hand of the King in Cersei’s face, but he’s dismayed to learn that Arya has escaped and left the Lannisters with only Sansa to trade for the still-captive Jaime.

At Winterfell, Osha, who has become Bran’s caretaker of sorts, questions him about the strange and prophetic dreams he has been having before telling him that the mysterious red comet streaking across the sky means that dragons have returned. Cue Daenerys’ first scene of the new season, which sees the Mother of Dragons heading east across the Red Waste with the remaining members of her khalasar.

Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow and the rest of Lord Commander Mormont’s ranging party arrive at Craster’s Keep, where Jon bristles at Craster’s (Robert Pugh) rudeness and abusive habit of marrying his daughters. Craster tells the Lord Commander that the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder, is assembling an army of wildlings.

On the island of Dragonstone, the Red Priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) names Stannis the Lord of Light’s chosen one, a prophesied savior in the religion of R’hllor who is the reincarnation of legendary hero Azor Ahai and is destined to lead mankind against a darkness. Stannis sends out a letter to all the high lords of Westeros announcing his claim to the throne and proclaiming Joffrey — as well as Cersei and Jaime’s younger two children, Myrcella (Aimee Richardson) and Tommen (Callum Wharry) — to be the product of incest. After he gets the letter, Robb sends Theon to Pyke in hopes of forming an alliance with Theon’s father, Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide), and Catelyn south in hopes of forming one with Renly.

Meanwhile, following the letter’s arrival in King’s Landing, the City Watch murders all of King Robert’s illegitimate children. When they can’t find Gendry, who is still en route to the Wall as a Night’s Watch recruit, the Gold Cloaks torture master armorer Tobho Mott (Andrew Wilde) to learn his former apprentice’s whereabouts.

It seems that Joffrey is turning out to be exactly the type of king everyone thought he would be.

Episode winner

Melisandre

Most memorable line

Melisandre: “For the night is dark and full of terrors.”

Most significant scene

Melisandre proclaims Stannis to be the Lord of Light’s chosen warrior, a.k.a. The Prince That Was Promised a.k.a. the reincarnation of Azor Ahai.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 2

Episode name

“The Night Lands”

Episode recap

It’s decision time for Arya.

After two Gold Cloaks show up looking for Gendry amongst the Night’s Watch recruits, Arya learns that her father visited Gendry in the weeks leading up to his death. He inspires enough trust in her that she chooses to divulge a secret of her own, her real identity.

At a small council meeting, Cersei rejects both Robb’s terms for peace and a warning from Lord Commander Mormont that the dead are rising beyond the Wall — a threat that only Tyrion takes seriously. In the wake of the City Watch’s purge of Robert’s illegitimate children, Tyrion exiles City Watch Commander Lord Janos Slynt (Dominic Carter) to the Wall and replaces him with Bronn. Tyrion learns that it was Joffrey who ordered the massacre, not Cersei, a revelation that does nothing to mitigate the bad blood between the Lannister siblings.

Theon returns to the Iron Islands for the first time in years only to find that his father not only has no intention of allying with Robb, but has been grooming his sister Yara as his heir in Theon’s absence — much to Theon’s outrage. Meanwhile, on the island of Dragonstone, Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), Stannis’ righthand man, convinces the pirate Salladhor Saan (Lucian Msamati) to join forces with them, but remains wary of the hold Melisandre has on Stannis. Melisandre proceeds to seduce Stannis by promising him a son.

While Daenerys’ desperation in the Red Waste grows, Jon struggles to keep his cool at Craster’s Keep. His unease only increases after one of Craster’s pregnant wives, Gilly (Hannah Murray), enlists Sam to ask Jon to take her with them out of fear for her unborn child. Jon follows Craster into the woods that night and watches in horror as he leaves a newborn son as an offering to the White Walkers.

Episode winner

Yara Greyjoy

Most memorable line

Cersei Lannister to Tyrion Lannister about Joanna Lannister: “Mother gone, for the sake of you. There’s no bigger joke in the world than that.”

Most significant scene

After he returns to the Iron Islands to zero fanfare, Theon learns that his father intends to take the North for himself rather than join forces with the Starks.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 3

Episode name

“What Is Dead May Never Die”

Episode recap

After taking a vicious beating from Craster for spying on him in the woods, Jon must come to terms with the fact that Lord Commodore Mormont has known about Craster sacrificing his sons all along.

Catelyn arrives at Renly’s camp in the Stormlands, where she meets Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), a powerful female warrior who Renly has just named to his Kingsguard, as well as Renly’s new wife, Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). We learn that although Renly is married to Margaery, he has taken her brother, Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), as a lover. But, ever the pragmatist, Margaery is aware of their relationship and is only interested in getting pregnant in order to strengthen the Baratheon-Tyrell alliance.

In order to test the loyalty of the small council, Tyrion sneakily provides each of its members — Littlefinger, Varys (Conleth Hill) and Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover) — with different information about his plan to marry Myrcella off. He learns that Pycelle is reporting to Cersei and has him thrown in the Red Keep’s dungeon. Tyrion tells Cersei, much to her anguish, that he still intends to go through with sending Myrcella to Dorne to join House Martell. Meanwhile, Shae begins serving as a handmaiden to Sansa.

Theon must decide whether his loyalties lie with his blood, the Greyjoys, or the family who raised him, the Starks. He ultimately sides with his father and doesn’t warn Robb about Balon’s plan to take the North, a choice that sets him on the path to ruin.

When Arya reveals to Yoren (Francis Magee) that she hasn’t been able to sleep since her father’s death, he tells her a story about revenge that inspires her infamous kill list. The group of Night’s Watch recruits is ambushed by a party of Gold Cloaks and Lannister bannerman on the hunt for Gendry. The attack results in the deaths of both Yoren and a boy named Lommy (Eros Vlahos), who Arya cunningly convinces the soldiers was actually Gendry.

Episode winner

Tyrion Lannister

Most memorable line

Varys to Tyrion Lannister: “Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick. A shadow on the wall. And a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”

Most significant scene

Arya saves a prisoner named Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) from being burned alive during the Lannisters’ attack on the Night’s Watch recruits.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 4

HBO

Episode name

“Garden of Bones”

Episode recap

As the War of the Five Kings heats up, Robb wins a decisive victory against the Lannisters at the Battle of Oxcross. Unfortunately, his success prompts Joffrey to make an example of Sansa by having her publicly beaten and stripped in the Red Keep throne room. Tyrion shows up to save Sansa and decides to try to find a way to temper Joffrey’s sadistic tendencies — an endeavor that goes horribly wrong. Tyrion later learns that his cousin, Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon), is not only working for Cersei, but also sleeping with her. Tyrion agrees to free Pycelle per Cersei’s request, but blackmails Lancel into reporting back to him on Cersei by threatening to tell Joffrey about their illicit activities.

In a last-ditch attempt to save her people from dying in the desert, Daenerys leads her khalasar to the coastal trading city of Qarth. The city’s leaders, a group known as the Thirteen, try to turn her away when she won’t show them her dragons, but one of their own, a merchant prince named Xaro Xhoan Daxos (Nonso Anozie), decides to vouch for her.

Arya, Gendry and the rest of the surviving Night’s Watch recruits are taken to Harrenhal, where a group of Lannister soldiers commanded by the Mountain are torturing prisoners. Luckily, Tywin’s arrival prevents them from killing Gendry. Tywin recognizes that Arya is a girl and recruits her as his new cupbearer. As Arya lays freezing and soaking wet in a cell, she recites her kill list — Joffrey, Cersei, Ilyn Payne, the Hound, Polliver (Andy Kellegher), the Mountain — for the first time.

Acting on Tyrion’s request, Littlefinger arrives in the Stormlands to negotiate with Catelyn — who he has been in love with since they were kids — for Jaime’s release. He tells her that the Lannisters will free both Sansa and Arya (who he knows they do not have) in exchange for Jaime.

Stannis meets with Renly to offer his younger brother the chance to relinquish his claim to the throne and join forces with him in exchange for a spot on Stannis’ small council. Renly refuses. That night, Stannis orders Davos to row Melisandre to a secluded cave near Renly’s camp. Melisandre gives birth to a horrifying shadow creature that quickly flies away.

Looks like the Lord of Light may actually hold some sway in Westeros.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) to Robb Stark: “A naked man has few secrets. A flayed man none.”

Most significant scene

Melisandre gives birth to the shadow creature that she conceived with Stannis.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 5

Daenerys Tagaryen in Season 2 of Game of Thrones Paul Schiraldi—HBO

Episode name

“The Ghost of Harrenhal”

Episode recap

One of the five kings vying for the Iron Throne is killed off as Stannis forsakes his family for power and season 2 begins to kick into overdrive.

“The Ghost of Harrenhal” opens with Melisandre’s shadow monster — which now appears to have Stannis’ face — materializing in Renly’s tent and stabbing him through the heart as Catelyn and Brienne watch on in horror. Knowing that Brienne will be blamed for the assassination, Catelyn quickly spirits her away. Brienne swears an oath of fealty to Catelyn as the two head north to Robb’s camp.

Acting on Littlefinger’s advice, Margaery, Loras and the rest of the Tyrells retreat to Highgarden before Renly’s remaining Baratheon troops join forces with Stannis and turn on them.

In King’s Landing, Tyrion is determined to find a way to protect the city from Stannis’ imminent attack. He learns from his newly recruited spy Lancel that Cersei has ordered the Alchemists’ Guild to build up a supply of the highly flammable substance Wildfire and by exercising his power as Hand of the King, he successfully convinces head pyromancer Hallyne (Roy Dotrice) to begin obeying him rather than Cersei. Meanwhile, at Davos’ urging, Stannis agrees to leave Melisandre behind when his forces sail on Blackwater Bay.

After Bran dreams of the sea — a.k.a. the ironborn — coming to Winterfell, Theon continues to betray the Starks by orchestrating a raid on the Northern town of Torrhen’s Square that successfully draws out Winterfell’s remaining forces.

As Tywin’s new cupbearer, Arya is able to listen in on a war council he holds to plot against her brother Robb. She manages to hold her own when Tywin grills her on her background. Later, Arya reunites with Jaqen H’ghar, who is now posing as a Lannister guard. He offers to kill three people for her as repayment for saving the lives of him and his two fellow prisoners and she orders a hit on the head Harrenhal torturer, a man called the Tickler (Anthony Morris).

Beyond the Wall, Lord Commander Mormont and his ranging party rendezvous with experienced ranger Qhorin Halfhand (Simon Armstrong), who takes Jon ahead on a mission to take out Mance Rayder’s wildling lookouts.

On the other side of the world in Qarth, Xaro Xhoan Daxos plies Daenerys with promises of the money for ships and an army in exchange for making him her husband. Jorah is quick to object to Xaro’s proposal, insisting that Dany should not expect to win the Seven Kingdoms with foreign soldiers.

Jorah’s true feelings for Daenerys are beginning to surface.

Episode winner

Stannis Baratheon

Most memorable line

Littlefinger and Margaery Tyrell: “Do you want to be a queen?” “No. I want to be the queen.”

Most significant scene

Tyrion discovers that Cersei has been stockpiling Wildfire in the tunnels beneath King’s Landing.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 6

HBO

Episode name

“The Old Gods and the New”

Episode recap

Another one of Bran’s premonitions comes to pass as Theon and the ironborn sack Winterfell.

Despite claiming that no harm would come to his people if Bran — the acting Lord of Winterfell in Robb’s absence — yielded the castle, Theon begins his reign by sloppily chopping off the head of the Starks’ beloved master-at-arms, Ser Rodrik Cassel (Ron Donachie). Later that night, Osha feigns loyalty to Theon by sleeping with him before showing her true colors by smuggling Bran and Rickon (Art Parkinson), their direwolves Summer and Shaggydog, and their gentle giant protector Hodor (Kristian Nairn) out of Winterfell.

Catelyn returns to Robb’s camp to find him bonding with a healer named Talisa (Oona Chaplin) and cautions him against forgetting that he is promised to one of Walder Frey’s daughters. They are interrupted by Roose Bolton, who informs them of Theon’s betrayal and offers to have his bastard son, Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon), rally a force to retake Winterfell.

With Tywin already suspicious about her identity, Arya is desperate to hide her face when Littlefinger arrives at Harrenhal to propose a potential Lannister-Tyrell alliance. But that doesn’t stop her from snatching the opportunity to steal a letter about Robb off of Tywin’s table. Unfortunately, when she stops to read the message, Amory Lorch (Fintan McKeown), a knight in the Lannisters’ service, catches her. Guess who quickly becomes the next target that Arya orders Jaqen to take out.

Beyond the Wall, Jon and his fellow Night’s Watch scouts catch a female wildling named Ygritte (Rose Leslie). Qhorin orders Jon to execute Ygritte as the rest of the party continues on, but Jon cannot bring himself to kill her. Jon manages to recapture Ygritte after she takes advantage of his hesitation and runs off, but finds himself hopelessly separated from his brothers in the process — a mistake that changes the trajectory of his life.

Speaking of mistakes, Joffrey’s overreaction to having a cow pie thrown at him while the royal court is returning from seeing Myrcella off to Dorne incites the starving peasants of King’s Landing to start a violent riot. Sansa gets lost in the crowd and is assaulted by a group of men who try to rape her. Luckily, the Hound shows up just in time to rescue her and massacre her attackers. Back at the Red Keep, Tyrion slaps Joffrey for his asinine behavior, further aggravating their already tense relationship.

After Daenerys fails in her attempt to bargain for a fleet of ships with the Spice King (Nicholas Blane) of Qarth, she returns to Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ mansion to find that her guards and handmaidens have been murdered and her dragons stolen in a dramatic — but not entirely unexpected — twist.

The episode ends on an ominous note, with a hooded figure carrying Dany’s caged dragons toward a mysterious tower.

Episode winner

Osha

Most memorable line

Ser Rodrik Cassel to Theon Greyjoy: “Gods help you, Theon Greyjoy. Now you are truly lost.”

Most significant scene

Jon gets lost in the wilderness beyond the Wall with a female wilding named Ygritte.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 7

Episode name

“A Man Without Honor”

Episode recap

Turns out that people weren’t exaggerating about Tywin’s reputation for ruthlessness.

After the Mountain suggests that the outlaw group known as the Brotherhood Without Banners may have been responsible for Amory Lorch’s assassination — which Tywin thinks was actually an attempt on his own life — Tywin decides to retaliate by dispatching Ser Gregor on a violent raid of the villages surrounding Harrenhal.

When Sansa wakes to find that she has started her first period, she and Shae frantically try to conceal the evidence — with Shae even going so far as to pull a knife on one of her fellow handmaidens — so that Cersei won’t learn that Sansa is now capable of bearing children with Joffrey. Cersei, of course, finds out anyway and in an out-of-character display of vulnerability, advises Sansa to love no one but her own children, a matter in which “a mother has no choice.”

Ygritte, on the other hand, wastes no time gaining the upper hand on Jon. After taunting him about his lack of sexual experience and loyalty to the Night’s Watch, she manages to lure him into a trap set by her fellow Wildlings.

At a meeting of the Thirteen in Qarth, Daenerys also finds herself in the thick of it when the warlock Pyat Pree (Ian Hanmore) admits that he has stolen her dragons and taken them to the House of the Undying — a.k.a. the headquarters of the Warlocks of Qarth. He proceeds to declare Xaro Xhoan Daxos the King of Qarth and, using magic to create 11 duplicates of himself, slits the throats of the other members of the council.

Jaime’s evil side once again rears its ugly head when he kills his own cousin in order to escape the Starks’ clutches, only to be recaptured shortly afterward. Lord Rickard Karstark (John Stahl), one of Robb’s most powerful allies, demands to be allowed to execute Jaime as retribution for the death of his son Torrhen (Tyrone McElhennon), who Jaime killed on his way out of the camp. But Catelyn refuses Lord Karstark his vengeance.

Not to be outdone by any other character’s cruelty, Theon’s descent into power-hungry madness — and fear of appearing weak — leads to his worst act yet: putting what appears to be the burned-beyond-recognition corpses of Bran and Rickon on display at Winterfell.

Episode winner

Ygritte

Most memorable line

Ygritte to Jon Snow: “You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

Most significant scene

With the Karstarks clamoring for Jaime’s death, Catelyn — with Brienne in tow — orders the men guarding him away and confronts Jaime in his makeshift cell.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 8

Episode name

“The Prince of Winterfell”

Episode recap

With Stannis’ fleet bearing down on King’s Landing, the Lannisters scramble to formulate a battle plan.

Desperate to find a way to keep Joffrey out of danger, Cersei orders the Kingsguard to kidnap Ros (Esmé Bianco) — who she believes is the prostitute Tyrion is in love with — in order to blackmail him into keeping Joffrey off the frontlines. Tyrion is secretly relieved that Cersei has not discovered Shae’s identity, but swears vengeance against his sister anyway.

Tywin must decide whether to ride for King’s Landing or move against Robb. He departs Harrenhal, leaving the Mountain in charge, and Arya realizes that it’s time for her to get out of dodge. She tricks Jaqen by naming him as her third target and only relenting when he agrees to help her, Gendry and Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) escape. At the stroke of midnight, the trio strolls out of the castle unimpeded by the Lannister guards, who Jaqen has killed.

Meanwhile, Catelyn still believes Arya is captive in King’s Landing and decides to take action to rescue both her and Sansa. She secretly frees Jaime and enlists her newly sworn sword Brienne to take him south to trade to the Lannisters in exchange for her two daughters. Unfortunately, Robb is none too pleased when he learns of his mother’s betrayal and orders her put under guard. That night, he and Talisa reveal their feelings for each other and sleep together for the first time.

We reunite with Sam, Grenn and Dolorous Edd (Ben Crompton) at an ancient fort beyond the Wall known as the Fist of the First Men. They happen upon a hidden supply of dragonglass daggers, a weapon that will prove to play a pivotal part in the fight against the White Walkers.

Deeper in wildling territory, Ygritte presents Jon to the Lord of Bones (Edward Dogliani) as a gift. Unfortunately, the infamous wildling raider has already captured Qhorin Halfhand, who he sees as a more valuable prisoner, and has no interest in bringing Jon before Mance Rayder. Ygritte speaks up on behalf on Jon and convinces the Lord of Bones to spare his life. As the group heads to Mance’s camp, Qhorin puts a plan in motion to station Jon as a spy amongst the wildlings.

Following Pyat Pree and Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ coup, Daenerys is running out of options. With her dragons still captive, Dany ignores Jorah’s pleas to flee with him to the slave city of Astapor and orders him to take her to the House of the Undying.

Yara arrives at Winterfell, but not, as Theon expects, to provide reinforcements. Instead, she urges him to relinquish Winterfell and return to the Iron Islands with her before the North’s remaining forces converge on the castle. We learn that the boys who Theon killed and burned were actually two peasant boys, not Bran and Rickon. Osha kept the Stark boys safe by doubling back and hiding them in the crypts of Winterfell.

Brace yourselves, the Battle of the Blackwater is coming.

Episode winner

Arya Stark

Most memorable line

Tyrion Lannister to Cersei Lannister: “I will hurt you for this. A day will come when you think you’re safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you’ll know the debt is paid.”

Most significant scene

Sam, Grenn and Dolorous Edd discover a secret reserve of dragonglass at the Fist of the First Men.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 9

HBO

Episode name

“Blackwater”

Episode recap

In its first capsule episode — a.k.a. an installment that focuses on just one location and a select few characters — Game of Thrones demonstrates an unrivaled ability to bring the horrors of medieval-style warfare to life onscreen as the highly-anticipated clash between the Lannisters and Stanis Baratheon comes to a head.

With Joffrey being…well, Joffrey, it falls on Tyrion to lead the defense of King’s Landing and save the city’s people from Stannis’ attempted invasion. As Stannis’ fleet,led by Davos, sails into Blackwater Bay, Tyrion sends a single ship out to meet it. By the time Davos realizes that the ship is not only unmanned, but dumping wildfire into the water as it drifts, it’s too late. Tyrion gives a signal and Bronn fires a flaming arrow that ignites a massive explosion, decimating Stannis’ forces. Davos watches as the blast incinerates his son, Matthos (Kerr Logan), before being blown away himself.

Undeterred, Stannis commands the remainder of his fleet to shore to begin an assault on the city’s weakest point of defense, the Mud Gate. Tyrion orders the Hound to lead a “welcome party” that includes Lancel to meet the Baratheon troops head on. Lancel quickly retreats inside after getting injured and even the Hound balks when a Baratheon soldier engulfed in flames charges at him. Fueled by his lifelong fear of fire, the Hound proceeds to oh-so-eloquently informs Tyrion and Joffrey that he has no intention of continuing to fight, or ever serving them again for that matter.

Throughout the assault, Cersei, Sansa and the rest of the highborn women and children have been holed up in the Red Keep awaiting their fate. Cersei gets drunk and torments Sansa by describing what Stannis’ soldiers will do to her if the city’s defenses fail. Lancel arrives to update Cersei on the battle and she sends him back out to retrieve Joffrey from the battlements, a proposal that Joffrey eagerly accepts.

With Stannis’ forces gaining ground and the Lannister men losing confidence, Tyrion rallies the troops and leads a successful counterattack on the Baratheon forces battering the Mud Gate. Moments later, Ser Mandon Moore (James Doran) of the Kingsguard turns on Tyrion and slashes him across the face with his sword. But before Ser Mandon can finish the job, Tyrion’s squire, Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman), runs him through with a spear.

Shae orders Sansa back to her room for safety, where she find the Hound waiting for her. He offers to take her north to Winterfell, but she refuses.

Believing that the battle is lost, Cersei sits on the Iron Throne with Tommen and prepares to give him a fatal dose of Essence of Nightshade so that he won’t suffer when King’s Landing falls. As she raises the bottle to his mouth, Tywin bursts into the throne room and declares that the Lannisters — along with the Tyrells, with whom Tywin formed an alliance — have won.

Episode winner

Tywin Lannister

Most memorable line

The Hound to Tyrion Lannister: “F—k the Kingsguard. F—k the city. F—k the king.”

Most significant scene

Tyrion successfully orchestrates a surprise attack on Stannis’ fleet using the city’s secret supply of wildfire.

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 10

HBO

Episode name

“Valar Morghulis”

Episode recap

The Battle of the Blackwater may be over, but there are still some loose ends to tie up in King’s Landing before season 2 is through.

A bandaged Tyrion wakes to find that — despite being the reason the city is still standing — he is no longer the acting Hand of the King. To add insult to injury, he has also been relocated to a small, dumpy room in the Red Keep. Shae pleads with him to pack up and flee to the free city of Pentos with her, but Tyrion explains that he still feels a strange draw to his life in Westeros and refuses. The two reaffirm their love for one another.

With Tyrion out of the way, Joffrey officially proclaims Tywin the Hand of the King. Joffrey then proceeds to grant Harrenhal to Littlefinger to thank him for cultivating the Lannister-Tyrell alliance and ask Loras if there’s any way he can repay him for House Tyrell’s service. Loras requests that Jofffrey break off his engagement with Sansa in favor of marrying Margaery, and Joffrey obliges. Sansa is secretly delighted. That is, until Littlefinger reminds her that she will still be at Joffrey’s mercy. Littlefinger tells her that he will help get her home for Catelyn’s sake.

Meanwhile, Varys decides to nip his apprehension over Littlefinger’s growing power in the bud by recruiting Ros, who works as a prostitute in Littlefinger’s brothel, into his own service as a spy.

In the wake of his defeat, Stannis has returned to Dragonstone to lick his wounds and contemplate his next move. He erupts at Melisandre for leading him astray — even going so far as to choke her — before she is able to convince him that he is still on the Lord of Light’s path. She warns him that he will have to betray his men, his family and everything he holds dear in order to fulfill his fate as the Lord’s chosen one.

But while Melisandre did not foresee Stannis’ defeat, Yara did correctly predict Theon’s downfall. With Winterfell under siege by Ramsay Bolton’s army of 500 Northmen, Maester Luwin (Donald Sumpter) beseeches Theon to flee to the Wall and join the Night’s Watch so that he can start over with all his crimes forgiven. But Theon believes he is already in too deep and refuses to yield. He attempts to rally the 20 ironborn to go out in a blaze of glory, but his men turn on him and prepare to hand him over to the Boltons. When Maester Luwin attempts to intervene, an ironborn runs him through with a spear.

Soon after, Bran, Rickon, Osha, Hodor and the direwolves sneak out of the Winterfell crypts and happen upon a dying Maester Luwin in the Godswood. He urges Osha to take the boys north to Jon at the Wall and asks her to end his suffering.

Arya is also on the move as she, Gendry and Hot Pie hurry to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Harrenhal. They reunite with Jaqen H’ghar and he offers to take Arya to the free city of Braavos and train her in the ways of the Faceless Men. She’s tempted by his proposal but is unwilling to forsake her family in Westeros. He gives her an iron coin and tells her to present it to any man from Braavos and say the words “Valar Morghulis” if she ever changes her mind. Then, for his final trick, Jaqen swaps his own face for that of a different man entirely.

As for the eldest Stark sibling, Robb makes the unwise decision to forego his promise to marry one of Walder Frey’s daughters and instead weds Talisa in a private ceremony. Uh-oh.

On the road to King’s Landing, Brienne proves to Jaime that she’s no pushover when they stumble upon a trio of rogue Stark soldiers who recognize the Kingslayer and she easily takes out all three.

Once inside the House of the Undying, Daenerys experiences a series of mysterious visions. She sees a snowy Iron Throne in the remains of the Red Keep’s ruined throne room before turning at the sound of her dragons’ cries and ending up on the far side of the Wall. Dany enters a tent, where she finds Khal Drogo holding a living, breathing version of their stillborn son, Rhaego. She is tempted to stay with her family, but ultimately walks away and is reunited with her dragons, who are chained to a pedestal back in the House of the Undying. Pyat Pree appears and chains Daenerys up as well, but her dragons respond to her command to breathe fire for the first time and set Pyat Pree aflame.

Back at Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ mansion, Daenerys locks both Xaro and her handmaiden Doreah (Roxanne McKee) inside Xaro’s empty vault as punishment for betraying her and plunders the remnants of Xaro’s treasures to pay for a ship.

As the trek to Mance Rayder’s camp continues, Qhorin Halfand initiates a fight with Jon that ends with Qhorin sacrificing himself in order to convince the wildlings that Jon has come over to their side.

But the most foreboding scene of the episode — and even perhaps, the season — doesn’t come until its final minutes. While on duty at the Fist of the First Men, Sam, Grenn and Edd hear three horn blasts, the Night’s Watch signal for approaching White Walkers. A terrified Sam hides behind a boulder and watches in horror as a White Walker leading an army of wights bears down on the encampment of Night’s Watch brothers.

The Walkers are officially making moves.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Qhorin Halfhand to Jon Snow: “We are the watchers on the Wall.”

Most significant scene

Daenerys experiences a series of cryptic — and seemingly prophetic — visions in the House of the Undying.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 1

Episode name

“Valar Dohaeris”

Episode recap

Game of Thrones season 3 wastes no time jumping right back into the action with a demonstration of just how formidable the White Walkers and their army of dead are.

After the majority of his men are massacred during the White Walkers’ assault on the Fist of the First Men, Lord Commander Mormont rounds up the few remaining Night’s Watch survivors, including Sam, and turns tail for the Wall to warn the people of Westeros of the threat.

In the heart of the wildling camp, Ygritte and the Lord of Bones bring Jon to Mance Rayder’s tent. Jon initially mistakes Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) for Mance and kneels before him, making the wildlings to break into laughter. Mance eventually reveals himself and, having once been a brother in the Night’s Watch himself, questions Jon about his loyalties. Jon is able to convince him that he turned his back on the Night’s Watch because he wants “to fight for the side that fights for the living.”

Time to head south to check back in on the good (and bad) people of King’s Landing.

Tyrion meets with Tywin for the first time since Tywin returned to the capital in a blaze of glory. Tywin informs him, in no uncertain terms, that he will never be heir to the ancestral Lannister seat of Casterly Rock — despite the fact that Jaime cannot inherit land or titles as a member of the Kingsguard. Tywin refuses to give Tyrion any credit for the defense of King’s Landing, warns him again about his relationship with Shae and lambastes him as “an ill-made, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust and low cunning.”

During a royal procession through Flea Bottom, Margaery gets out of her litter in order to spend some time with the impoverished children of King’s Landing. By establishing herself as a queen of the people, Margaery quickly puts herself at odds with Cersei, who only knows how to rule with an iron fist.

Littlefinger comes to call on Sansa with Ros in tow. While he tells Sansa of his plan to stow her away on a ship leaving King’s Landing, Ros warns Shae to watch out for Sansa when it comes to Littlefinger.

Surprise! Davos is alive. After being rescued by Salladhor Saan from the rock in Blackwater Bay that he ended up on after being blown off his ship by the wildfire explosion, Davos returns to Dragonstone to find that Stannis has fallen even deeper under Melisandre’s influence. Stannis throws Davos in the dungeon after he speaks out against Melisandre and tries to pull a knife on her.

With his men losing heart, Robb orchestrates an assault on Harrenhal only to find that the Lannisters have deserted the castle and left hundreds of slaughtered Northern prisoners in their wake. Robb and Talisa discover only one survivor, a maester named Qyburn (Anton Lesser).

Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys has used the ship she purchased with Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ riches to make her way to the city of Astapor in Slaver’s Bay. She begins negotiations to purchase an army of elite eunuch slave soldiers known as the Unsullied with their owner, Kraznys mo Nakloz (Dan Hildebrand), who speaks to Dany via his translator Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel).

While discussing her options with Jorah on the way back to the ship, Daenerys spots a young girl who hands her a wooden ball as a gift. A hooded figure suddenly rushes up and knocks the ball to the ground, where it opens to reveal a poisonous manticore. The man stabs the manticore and chases off the child, who is actually an assassin sent by the Warlocks of Qarth, before revealing himself as Ser Barristan Selmy, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard who was dismissed by the Lannisters back in season 1. Ser Barristan kneels and swears fealty to Daenerys before requesting permission to join her Queensguard.

And just like that, Dany has gained her most prominent Westerosi supporter yet.

Episode winner

Jon Snow

Most memorable line

Lord Commander Mormont to the men of the Night’s Watch: “We need to get back to the wall. It’s a long march, and we know what’s out there. But we have to make it, have to warn them. Or, before winter’s done, everyone you’ve ever known will be dead.”

Most significant scene

Jon Snow convinces King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder to allow him to join his army of wildlings.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 2

Episode name

“Dark Wings, Dark Words”

Episode recap

Is the King-Beyond-the-Wall on to something? It’s time for Jon to find out.

As the wildlings continue their march on the Wall, Mance Rayder makes no secret of the fact that he still doesn’t fully trust Jon. However, he does reveal how he managed to band all the different factions of Free Folk together: by convincing them that they will all die if they don’t manage to get south of the Wall. Jon also meets his first warg, someone who is able to control an animal’s actions by taking over its mind.

Speaking of wargs, Bran is still dreaming about that mysterious three-eyed raven. After a boy appears to him in one such dream and tells Bran that he himself is the raven, Bran and co. discover that same boy, Jojen Reed (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), and his sister, Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick), have been following them north. Jojen explains to Bran that he is not only a warg, but also — like Jojen himself — has the Sight, the ability to perceive past, present and future events through prophetic dreams and visions.

Unfortunately, his older sister Sansa doesn’t seem to have as much foresight. When Shae warns Sansa to be wary of Littlefinger and suggests that he is interested in her sexually, Sansa is quick to brush her off. She then attends a meeting with Margaery and her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg), where, with little to no prodding, she confirms that the rumors that Joffrey is a horribly cruel “monster” are undeniably true.

Acting on Sansa’s tip, Margaery further endears herself to Joffrey by feigning an interest in killing.

At Harrenhal, Robb receives two ravens. One informs him that his grandfather, Hoster Tully, has died at Riverrun. And the other, a letter from Ramsay Bolton, deals the double blow of Winterfell’s destruction and Bran and Rickon’s disappearance. Robb leaves Roose Bolton in charge of Harrenhal so he can travel to Riverrun for his grandfather’s funeral, a decision that further provokes Rickard Karstark. Rickard bashes Robb for forsaking any possible marriage alliances by marrying Talisa.

After learning that her two youngest sons may be dead, a grieving Catelyn confides in Talisa that she believes that the root of all her family’s misfortune was her inability to love Jon and raise him as one of her own.

Theon wakes after being knocked out by the ironborn to find himself in an unknown location being tortured by unknown men. After a gruesome questioning session, a young man who says he was sent by Yara promises to help him escape.

In the Riverlands, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are spotted by a Brotherhood Without Banners scouting party led by the Red Priest Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye). The men take them to an inn to feed them and are about to let them continue on their way when a few other Brotherhood members bring in a captive Hound. Arya attempts to stay out of sight, but the Hound quickly identifies her as a Stark, much to the surprise of the group.

Meanwhile, Brienne and Jaime continue to verbally spar as they make their way towards King’s Landing. When they are forced to cross a bridge, Jaime swipes Brienne’s spare sword and the verbal sparring turns physical. Brienne manages to get the best of Jaime but not before a unit of patrolling Bolton soldiers shows up to take them prisoner.

Episode winner

Margaery Tyrell

Most memorable line

Catelyn Stark to Talisa about Jon Snow: “I couldn’t keep my promise. And everything that’s happened since then, all this horror that’s come to my family, it’s all because I couldn’t love a motherless child.”

Most significant scene

Jojen appears to Bran in a prophetic dream and tells Bran that he is the three-eyed raven.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 3

HBO

Episode name

“Walk of Punishment”

Episode recap

Thanks to its gruesome final scene, “Walk of Punishment” is an episode that will forever live in Game of Thrones infamy. But before we get to that, let’s go over everything that leads up to the shocking conclusion.

After attending his grandfather’s funeral at Riverrun, Robb meets with his great-uncle, Brynden “The Blackfish” Tully (Clive Russell), and uncle, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), to talk strategy. Robb berates Edmure for failing to follow orders to lure Tywin and Ser Gregor Clegane’s armies west in order to leave King’s Landing vulnerable to Stannis’ attack, thus ruining any chance the Starks’ had at gaining the upper hand in the war. Edmure points out that he took Tywin’s youngest nephews, Willem (Timothy Gibbons) and Martyn Lannister (Dean-Charles Chapman), hostage during the Battle of Stone Mill, but Robb doesn’t want to hear it.

Stannis is also still struggling in the wake of his defeat at Blackwater Bay. After Melisandre informs him that he is too weak to create another shadow creature, she leaves Dragonstone in search of another source of king’s blood to power her magic.

Meanwhile, Tywin is working to strengthen the Lannisters’ position even further. At the first Small Council meeting he holds as Hand of the King, Tywin reveals his plan to have Littlefinger marry Lysa Arryn in order to ensure the Vale won’t ally with the Starks. He then announces that Tyrion will take over as Master of Coin in Littlefinger’s absence. But with Tyrion’s financial inexperience and the crown’s massive debt to the Iron Bank of Braavos, this promotion is clearly only intended to set Tyrion up for failure.

In Astapor, Daenerys is getting a firsthand look at the horrors of slavery. During a second meeting with Kraznys mo Nakloz, the owner of the Unsullied repeatedly insults her in High Valyrian — with Missandei softening the translation of his words — as they negotiate over the price of his army. Despite Jorah and Barristan Selmy’s objections, Daenerys eventually offers to trade him her biggest dragon in exchange for all 8,000 Unsullied soldiers as well as Missandei.

As Daenerys struggles with the culture of Slaver’s Bay, Jon is learning to navigate life among the Free Folk. At the Fist of the First Men, the wildlings find the Night’s Watch’s horses butchered and arranged in a strange spiral, but the bodies of the Night’s Watch brothers are nowhere in sight. Mance Rayder explains to Jon that his brothers have been turned into wights. He then orders Tormund to take 20 men, including Jon, to climb the Wall and prepare to ambush Castle Black from the south while the rest of the wildling army attacks from the north.

But what about Sam and the rest of the Night’s Watch survivors? With Lord Commander Mormont leading them, the remaining brothers manage to make it back to Craster’s Keep, where Craster continues to mock and harass them. Sam wanders outside and witnesses Gilly giving birth to the baby she was pregnant with when the ranging party stopped at the keep on their way north. To both Gilly and Sam’s horror, the baby is a boy, meaning Craster will soon offer him up as a sacrifice to the White Walkers.

With the help of the young man who promised him aid in the previous episode, Theon is able to escape from the dungeon where he was being tortured. Unfortunately, his captors quickly catch up with him. As the torturers prepare to rape Theon, the young man intercedes once again and kills them.

At the Inn at the Crossroads, the Brotherhood Without Banners decides to take Arya and Gendry with them as they transport the Hound to their hideout. However, they make a deal with the innkeeper to leave Hot Pie behind to work as a baker.

Elsewhere in the Riverlands, Locke (Noah Taylor) and his unit of Bolton soldiers are transporting the captive Brienne and Jaime to Harrenhal. When they stop to make camp for the night, some of the men drag Brienne into the woods to rape her. Jaime is able to save her by convincing Locke that Brienne’s father, Lord Selwyn of Tarth, will pay them a hefty ransom for her, but only if she remains unharmed. However, he then pushes his luck by promising Locke that Tywin will also handsomely reward him if Jaime is safely returned to King’s Landing. Unimpressed by his repeated attempts at persuasion, Locke responds by chopping off Jaime’s right hand.

Episode winner

Missandei

Most memorable line

Daenerys Targaryen to Missandei: “All men must die. But we are not men.”

Most significant scene

Locke chops off Jaime’s sword hand to teach him a lesson.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 4

HBO

Episode name

“And Now His Watch Is Ended”

Episode recap

Dubbed “one of the big ones” by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, “And Now His Watch Is Ended” marks a major turning point for Daenerys.

In the wake of Locke’s violent amputation of Jaime’s sword hand, the Bolton soldiers continue to torment the Kingslayer by tying his severed limb around his neck and denying him water. That night, Jaime refuses to eat and admits that he wants to die, but Brienne manages to snap him out of his “woe is me” attitude by accusing him of being a coward.

In King’s Landing, Tyrion asks Varys for proof that it was Cersei who tried to have him killed during the Battle of the Blackwater. Varys has no proof, only rumors, but uses the opportunity to teach Tyrion that the best revenge takes time and patience. After telling Tyrion the story of how he was castrated, Varys reveals that he has finally tracked down the sorcerer who cut him when he was just a young boy. “I have no doubt the revenge you want will be yours in time, if you have the stomach for it,” he concludes menacingly.

And Varys isn’t done yet. After learning from his newly acquired spy Ros that Littlefinger is planning to spirit Sansa away from King’s Landing, Varys conspires with Olenna Tyrell to quell Littlefinger’s attempts to control Sansa, who is poised to become the heir to the North. Shortly afterward, Margaery takes a stroll with Sansa and plants the idea in her mind that she would be best served by marrying Loras and living at Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell.

Meanwhile, Cersei, who has grown wary of the Tyrells’ influence at court, tries to alert Tywin that Margaery has dug her claws into Joffrey and learned how to manipulate him. But Tywin turns her words back on her.

Upon arriving at the Brotherhood Without Banners’ hideout, Arya and Gendry are introduced to the Brotherhood’s leader, Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer). The Brotherhood formally charges the Hound with the murder of Arya’s friend Mycah — despite the Hound’s protests that he was only obeying Joffrey’s orders — and Beric challenges him to a trial by combat to decide his guilt or innocence.

In the North, the young man who rescued Theon from his captors tell him that he is taking him to Deepwood Motte, the stronghold of House Glover where Yara is supposedly waiting. Theon confides in him that he knows he made the wrong choice when he picked the Greyjoys over the Starks and that the boys he killed while holding Winterfell were not Bran and Rickon. Unfortunately for Theon, the young man has only been toying with him and eventually leads him back to the same dungeon where he was originally being held. New guards tie him back up while the young man watches on with glee.

Even further north, the tension between Craster and the Night’s Watch finally reaches a breaking point when a brother named Karl (Burn Gorman) stabs Craster in the throat, killing him. When Lord Commander Mormont steps in to intervene, another rogue brother, Rast (Luke Barnes), stabs him in the back. All hell breaks loose as Sam flees the keep with Gilly and her newborn baby.

And last but certainly not least, there’s Daenerys. After Dany relinquishes her biggest dragon, Drogon, to Kraznys mo Nakloz, he hands over a whip that gives her total control of the 8,000 Unsullied soldiers. In a glorious display of cunning, Dany then orders the Unsullied — in Valyrian, which she has understood the whole time — to kill all of the slave masters and strike the chains off of every slave they see. As for Kraznys, Daenerys makes sure to point out that “a dragon is not a slave” before commanding Drogon to barbecue him.

When the battle is over, Daenerys gives the Unsullied the choice of leaving or staying to fight for her as free men. Each and every soldier stays and the army marches triumphantly away from Astapor.

Daenerys’ seasons-long crusade against slavery has officially begun.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Brienne of Tarth to Jaime Lannister: “You have a taste, one taste of the real world — where people have important things taken from them — and you whine and cry and quit. You sound like a bloody woman.”

Most significant scene

After gaining control of the 8,000 Unsullied, Daenerys commands her new army to take out Astapor’s slave masters, effectively winning their loyalty.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 5

Helen Sloane/HBO

Episode name

“Kissed by Fire”

Episode recap

We’re halfway through season 3 and it’s time for Jaime to deliver one of the most memorable monologues in Game of Thrones history.

When Locke and his men finally deliver their hostages to Harrenhal, Roose Bolton is displeased to learn that Locke has butchered Jaime, a valuable political prisoner. He orders Qyburn, a former maester who was kicked out of the Citadel’s order for performing “experiments” to finally give Jaime the medical care he so desperately needs. Later, Jaime joins Brienne in the bathhouse and tells her his side of the story behind his nickname, Kingslayer. He claims that when Robert Baratheon marched on King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion, Tywin and the Lannister army arrived at the capital first and promised to defend the city if they were allowed inside. However, Jaime knew his father was bluffing and, as Kingsguard to Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen, advised his king to surrender the city while he still could. The Mad King didn’t listen and the Lannisters sacked the city. Jaime once again pleaded with the Mad King to surrender, but living up to his nickname, he instead ordered his pyromancer to ignite the caches of wildfire he had hidden under King’s Landing and burn the city down with everyone inside it. Desperate to prevent the impending massacre, Jaime killed the pyromancer and then stabbed the Mad King in the back as he tried to run. As soon as Ned Stark entered the throne room, Jaime knew that he had already judged him guilty. Jaime then faints and Brienne catches him in her arms.

At the hideout of the Brotherhood Without Banners, the Hound’s trial by combat concludes in his favor when he manages to cut deep into Beric’s shoulder, killing him. However, when Thoros kneels over Beric’s dead body and prays to the Lord of Light to resurrect him, Beric comes back to life — much to the surprise of the Hound, Arya and Gendry. Having proved his innocence in the eyes of the Brotherhood, the Hound is released from custody and led away from the hideout. Later, Gendry tells Arya that he has decided to stay with the Brotherhood and work as a smith despite Arya’s tearful promise that he would be part of her family if he came with her to Robb’s camp.

During a discussion with Beric and Thoros, Arya learns that the Lord of Light has enabled Thoros to resurrect Beric on six different occasions. However, Beric reveals that every time he comes back, he’s a “bit less.”

At Riverrun, Rickard Karstark decides to exact his revenge on Jaime by killing his kin, the captive Willem and Martyn Lannister. Robb is livid when he finds out that Rickard has murdered the two defenseless young boys and, despite Catelyn, Talisa and Edmure’s warnings that the Karstarks will abandon his cause if he executes Rickard, Robb does just that. Later, when nearly half of Robb’s army has left Riverrun, Robb and Talisa discuss how to move forward. They ultimately come to the conclusion that Robb will have to make nice with the Freys in order to recruit enough soldiers to have a chance at sacking the Lannister stronghold of Casterly rock.

With Melisandre still off on her search for king’s blood, Stannis decides to pay a visit to his wife Selyse (Tara Fitzgerald), a fanatical believer in the Lord of Light, and his young daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram), whose face is badly scarred from a disease known as Greyscale. Shireen asks Stannis if Davos came back from the Battle of the Blackwater and Stannis tells her that he is being held in the dungeon for treason. Later, Shireen sneaks past the dungeon’s guard to visit Davos, who she has been close with for most of her life. She offers to continue visiting and promises to teach him how to read when she does.

Beyond the Wall, Tormund and Orell (Mackenzie Crook) grill Jon about the Night’s Watch’s numbers and Wall patrols. Jon lies and tells them that 1,000 men currently guard Castle Black when really it’s closer to 300. Ygritte then leads Jon away to a cave and they sleep together for the first time.

On the road from Astapor to the slave city of Yunkai, Jorah covertly tries to determine if Barristan knows that he was spying on Daenerys for Robert Baratheon when he was first in her service. Luckily for Jorah, Barristan didn’t serve on Robert’s Small Council. Meanwhile, Daenerys asks the Unsullied to select one of their own as their leader. A soldier named Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) steps forward.

After the Lannisters, with the help of Littlefinger, find out about the Tyrells’ plot to wed Sansa to Loras, Tywin meets with Tyrion and Cersei to tell them about his plan to marry them off to Sansa and Loras, respectively. Both siblings are distraught by their father’s orders, but Tywin — knowing that their marriages will strengthen the Lannisters’ control over the North and the Reach — refuses to relent.

It seems no one, not even his own children, are capable of out-scheming Tywin.

Episode winner

Tywin Lannister

Most memorable line

Rickard Karstark to Robb Stark: “Kill me and be cursed! You are no king of mine!”

Most significant scene

Jaime tells Brienne the truth about the night he murdered the Mad King.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 6

Episode name

“The Climb”

Episode recap

As the key players of King’s Landing continue to fight for footholds on the realm’s metaphorical ladder of power, Littlefinger once again comes out on top — and isn’t afraid to let Varys know it.

Although Olenna initially refuses Tywin’s proposal to marry Loras to Cersei, he is able to outmaneuver the Tyrell matriarch by threatening to name Loras to the Kingsguard, thereby nullifying his right to inherit Highgarden.

While spying on Sansa and Loras discussing their wedding in the gardens, Tyrion finally accuses Cersei of trying to have him killed during the Battle of the Blackwater. However, her silence leads him to the conclusion that it was actually Joffrey who gave the order. Tyrion is then forced to break the marriage news to Sansa in front of Shae, much to the dismay of everyone involved.

And now, for Littlefinger’s final act before leaving for the Vale. When Varys enters the Red Keep’s throne room to find Littlefinger contemplating the Iron Throne, Littlefinger tells him that he knows about Ros double-crossing him. It’s then revealed that Littlefinger gave Ros to Joffrey to torture and kill as punishment for spying on him. As Littlefinger’s ship sails away from King’s Landing, Sansa is shown crying, knowing that she made the wrong decision by staying behind.

When Melisandre shows up at at the Brotherhood Without Banners’ hideout to purchase Gendry — a.k.a. a source of king’s blood — she immediately makes an enemy of Arya. Melisandre looks into Arya’s eyes and seems to experience an ominous vision that some believe foreshadows Melisandre dying at Arya’s hands. “I see a darkness in you,” Melisandre tells her. “And in that darkness, eyes starring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.”

At Riverrun, Robb meets with Walder Frey’s sons, Black Walder Rivers (Tim Plester) and Lothar Frey (Tom Brooke), to discuss a possible alliance. Robb agrees to formally apologize to Walder Frey, gift Harrenhal to him and marry Edmure off to his daughter Roslin (Alexandra Dowling).

At Harrenhal, Roose Bolton tells Jaime that he will send him to King’s Landing if Jaime agrees to tell his father that Roose had nothing to do with his hand. However, Roose says that Brienne must stay behind as his prisoner.

In the North, Theon’s mysterious captor continues to torture him while forcing Theon to try to guess his identity.

As Bran and co. continue their trek to the Wall, Jojen has a seizure that Meera says was brought on by one of his visions. When he wakes, he tells Bran that he saw Jon surrounded by enemies.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Wall, Ygritte tells Jon that she knows he is still loyal to the Night’s Watch, but says they should just be loyal to each other instead. They begin their climb and Jon saves both their lives before they reach the top of the Wall and kiss.

Episode winner

Littlefinger

Most memorable line

Littlefinger to Varys: “Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder.”

Most significant scene

Robb agrees to marry his Uncle Edmure off to Walder Frey’s daughter to make amends for breaking his own marriage promise.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 7

Episode name

“The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Episode recap

Joffrey may be king, but it’s time for him to learn that he’s not actually the most powerful man in the realm.

When Joffrey summons Tywin to the throne room to question him about what the Small Council has been up to, Tywin not so subtly makes it clear that he’s the one running the show. Tywin also affirms that he doesn’t see Daenerys as a threat and isn’t planning on doing anything about her.

Daenerys, meanwhile, is focused on freeing the slaves of Yunkai. After sending a messenger to tells Yunkai’s ruling elite that she plans to sack the city if its 200,00 slaves aren’t freed, a slave-master named Razdal mo Eraz (George Georgiou) pays her a visit to attempt to negotiate.

He tells her that the masters are prepared to provide her with as much gold and as many ships as she needs to get her army to Westeros, but she refuses his offer.

Back in King’s Landing, Tyrion confides his betrothal woes to Bronn only to have his fears confirmed when Shae tells him that she will no longer sleep with him once he’s married to Sansa.

As they sail past the wreckage of the Battle of the Blackwater, Melisandre reveals to Gendry that he is the son of King Robert Baratheon. Gendry seems somewhat enamored with Melisandre, but Arya is still enraged that the Brotherhood sold him out for gold. She sneaks out of their hideout and tries to escape into the night, but is intercepted by the Hound, who kidnaps her.

On the road to the Twins, Robb’s army is delayed by a rainstorm, a setback that Catelyn insists Walder Frey will see as a personal slight. That night, Talisa tells Robb she is pregnant.

Jon, Ygritte and the rest of Tormund’s band of wildlings have successfully made it to the southern side of the Wall, but tensions are rising. Orell makes it clear to Ygritte that he doesn’t trust Jon and thinks she should be with him instead. Ygritte rebuffs him but then refuses to listen when Jon tries to convince her that Mance Rayder’s invasion plan is futile. Ygritte reaffirms her feelings for Jon by declaring that she is his and he is hers.

A bit further south, it’s not so smooth sailing for Osha either. After Jojen explains that he and Meera plan to take Bran beyond the Wall to find the Three-Eyed Raven, Osha grows increasingly distressed and reveals that her husband was turned into a wight by the White Walkers and that she refuses to step foot beyond the Wall ever again.

In his dungeon cell, Theon is awakened by two women who begin seducing him. However, it doesn’t take long for his torturer to enter the room and reveal that the women were simply part of a ploy leading up to Theon’s castration.

Before leaving Harrenhal, Jaime promises Brienne that he will repay her for everything she did for him by keeping his promise to return Catelyn’s daughters to her once he reaches King’s Landing. However, on the road, Jaime learns from Qyburn that although Brienne’s father offered a ransom for her, Locke refused it because of Jaime’s lie about Lord Selwyn Tarth’s riches. He races back to Harrenhal to find that Locke and his men are forcing Brienne to fight a bear with just a wooden sword for protection. Jaime rescues her from a near-certain death and triumphantly departs the castle with Brienne at his side.

Jaime’s willingness to put himself on the line for Brienne is the first step on his road to redemption.

Episode winner

Jaime Lannister

Most memorable line

Jaime Lannister to Locke: “Sorry about the sapphires”

Most significant scene

Jaime proves that he has truly come to care about Brienne when, at his own peril, he returns to Harrenhal to rescue her from Locke.

Game of Thrones:: Season 3, Episode 8

HBO

Episode name

“Second Sons”

Episode recap

Turns out the White Walkers aren’t invincible.

When Sam and Gilly stop at an abandoned hut to rest for the night on their way back to the Wall, they see two crows land on a nearby heart tree before going inside. Later that night, as they discuss baby names and their fathers, they suddenly hear a whole murder of crows cawing outside. They go to investigate and see the same White Walker that spared Sam at the Fist of the First Men approaching. Sam tries to fend it off with his sword, but the sword shatters as soon as the White Walker touches it. The Walker then bears down on Gilly, clearly intent on taking her baby, but Sam runs up behind it and stabs it in the back with a dagger made of dragonglass. The Walker shrieks, falls to the ground and disintegrates as Sam and Gilly flee.

Outside the slaver-city of Yunkai, Daenerys decides to meet with the leaders of a mercenary company known as the Second Sons, which Yunkai’s masters have hired to protect the city. When the group’s three leaders, an infamously dangerous Braavosi man named Mero (Mark Killeen), his co-captain Prendahl na Ghezn (Ramon Tikaram) and his lieutenant Daario Naharis (Ed Skrein), come to her tent, she tries to bribe them to fight for her instead. They refuse and later plot to assassinate her. Unfortunately for Mero and Prendahl, Daario has taken a liking to Dany and decides to kill them instead. That night, he swears allegiance to Daenerys and commits the Second Sons soldiers to her cause.

Davos, on the other hand, is still not ready to pledge any sort of fealty to Melisandre. After Mel returns to Dragonstone with Gendry, Stannis questions why she is treating him so kindly when they are just planning on sacrificing him to the Lord of the Light. Stannis then pays a visit to the dungeons to ask Davos for his opinion on her plan to sacrifice Gendry. Davos counters that Stannis knows it would be wrong to kill Gendry, who is technically his nephew, and only came to see Davos because he knew that’s what he would say. Stannis agrees to free Davos as long as he promises never to go after Melisandre again. Meanwhile, Mel has been busy seducing Gendry, tying him to a bed and placing leeches on his stomach. When Stannis and Davos enter the room, she hands Stannis the leeches and he throws them into the fire while speaking the names of the three usurpers to his throne: Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy and Joffrey Baratheon.

Speaking of captors and their prisoners, Arya decides to have a go at killing the sleeping Hound, but ultimately backs off once he reveals he is actually awake. The Hound then tells her that he’s not taking her back to King’s Landing like she thought, but to the Twins so he can ransom her to Robb and Catelyn at her Uncle Edmure’s wedding.

Wedding bells are also ringing in King’s Landing, where Joffrey makes it his sole purpose to torture both Tyrion and Sansa on their big day. Once the vows are said, Tyrion quickly begins drowning his sorrows in wine, which leads to an extremely tense confrontation with his nephew that Tywin is forced to diffuse. After the bride and groom retire to their chambers, Tyrion tells Sansa that he won’t share her bed until she actually wants him to and the two go to sleep on separate sides of the room. Shae enters the room the next morning and smiles when it becomes clear that the marriage was not consummated.

If you thought this wedding was memorable, just wait until the next episode.

Episode winner

Samwell Tarly

Most memorable line

Cersei Lannister to Margaery Tyrell: “If you ever call me sister again, I’ll have you strangled in your sleep.”

Most significant scene

Sam discovers that White Walkers can be killed with dragonglass.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 9

HBO

Episode name

“The Rains of Castamere”

Episode recap

In one of the most heartbreaking Game of Thrones episodes ever, Robb’s decision to wed Talisa rather than fulfill his promise to marry one of Walder Frey’s daughters comes back to haunt him in a big way. But first, let’s check in with everyone else.

With her army stationed outside the walls of Yunkai, Daenerys still has to figure out a way to infiltrate the city. After Daario suggests that he and two of Daenerys’ best men sneak in through a back gate, kill the guards and open the main gate for the rest of her soldiers, Jorah and Grey Worm agree to join him on the mission. The trio is at first outnumbered, but ultimately succeeds in sacking Yunkai, giving Daenerys control of yet another slaver-city.

Just south of the Wall, Bran and co. take shelter in an abandoned mill when a thunderstorm descends on the Gift. Nearby, the wildlings decide to kill an elderly horse breeder and steal his horses despite Jon’s protests. Jon hits a rock with his sword to warn the old man of their approach and he flees on horseback. Unfortunately, the wildlings catch up with him just outside the mill. As the storm gets more intense, a frightened Hodor begins shouting and Bran wargs into Hodor’s mind for the first time to quiet him. Outside, Orell insists that Jon should be the one to kill the old man but Jon cannot bring himself to do it. Ygritte is forced to fire an arrow at the man instead and Tormund orders the wildlings to kill Jon while holding Ygritte back from defending him. Bran wargs into the mind of his direwolf, Summer, and he and Rickon’s direwolf, Shaggydog, attack the wildlings to help Jon. Jon kills Orell and then flees on horseback, leaving Ygritte behind.

When the storm has passed, Bran asks Osha to take Rickon to the Umber stronghold of Last Hearth to keep him safe while he, Hodor, Jojen and Meera go north of the Wall. After an emotional goodbye, Osha, Rickon and Shaggydog set off into the night.

Meanwhile, Sam and Gilly are trying to figure out how to get south of the Wall. Sam tells her that he plans on getting them to the other side by using a secret entrance that leads into the Nightfort, one of the Night’s Watch’s abandoned castles.

Now, brace yourselves. It’s time to dive into what will undoubtedly be one of the most painful trials of your Game of Thrones viewing experience: the Red Wedding.

After arriving at the Twins, Robb fulfills his promise to publicly apologize to Walder Frey, but not without Walder getting in some lecherous jabs about Talisa. However, when all is said and done, Walder welcomes the Starks into his home as his guests. At the altar, Edmure is pleasantly surprised to discover that his bride-to-be, Roslin, is much more traditionally attractive than the rest of the Freys and the wedding ceremony goes off without a hitch. It’s then time for the celebratory feast, near the end of which Arya and the Hound arrive at the castle in disguise.

After Edmure and Roslin are ushered out of the banquet hall for the bedding ceremony, Catelyn grows wary when she sees Black Walder shutting the doors and the band begins playing “The Rains of Castamere,” a song about the Lannisters crushing a house that rebelled against them. Everyone sits as Walder Frey rises to make a toast to Robb, but Catelyn is focused on Roose Bolton, who holds his arm out to her to reveal that he is wearing chain mail under his clothes. Catelyn jumps up, slaps Roose and screams out Robb’s name, but it’s too late. Before Robb can wrap his mind around what’s happening, Lothar Frey rushes forward and repeatedly stabs Talisa in her pregnant belly as the Frey men stationed around the room begin slaughtering the Starks. Both Catelyn and Robb are hit with arrows and fall to the floor.

Outside, Arya has given the Hound the slip and is waiting to sneak into the banquet hall when she realizes something is amiss. She hears Robb’s direwolf, Grey Wind, howling and watches in horror as Frey soldiers surround his pen and execute him. The Hound then finds her, knocks her out and carries her away from the massacre.

Back inside, Walder motions for his men to stop the attack as Robb crawls across the floor to a dead Talisa. An injured Catelyn spots Walder Frey’s young wife hiding under a table, yanks her out and holds a knife to her throat. Catelyn threatens to kill Walder’s wife if he doesn’t let Robb go, but the heartless Walder simply responds, “I’ll find another.”

Roose Bolton then strides up to Robb and stabs him in the heart to finish the job. As her last act, Catelyn slits Walder’s wife’s throat before Black Walder does the same to her.

You’ve officially survived the Red Wedding, but we bet you don’t feel too good about it.

Episode winner

Walder Frey

Most memorable line

Roose Bolton to Robb Stark: “The Lannisters send their regards.”

Most significant scene

Having made a deal with the Lannisters, Walder Frey violates the sacred Westerosi tradition of guest right and massacres the Starks after welcoming them into his home.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 10

Episode name

“Mhysa”

Episode recap

The immediate fallout from the Red Wedding reverberates across the Seven Kingdoms as season 3 comes to a close.

As the Freys continue to massacre the Stark army camped outside the Twins, the Hound flees the scene with an unconscious Arya. Unfortunately, she wakes up at exactly the wrong moment and sees a decapitated Robb being paraded through the castle gates with the head of his direwolf sewn to his body in place of his own.

Later, the Hound and Arya happen upon a group of Frey men and overhear one of them claiming that he was the one who attached Grey Wind’s head to Robb’s body. Arya surprises the Hound by dismounting, wandering over to the man and brutally and repeatedly stabbing him. The Hound quickly kills the others before they can react and tells her to give him a head’s up the next time she decides to pull a stunt like that.

The morning after the Red Wedding, Walder Frey and Roose Bolton celebrate their promotions to Lord of Riverrun and Warden of the North, respectively. Roose smartly expresses concern over the Blackfish — who inadvertently escaped the massacre by leaving the banquet hall to pee — but Walder brushes him off. Walder then asks him about the sack of Winterfell and Roose reveals that it was his bastard, Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon), who actually destroyed the castle, not the ironborn. So that’s who has been torturing Theon this whole time.

Speaking of Theon and his tormentor, at the Dreadfort, Ramsay refuses to kill Theon despite Theon’s pleas for death. Instead, he gives Theon a new nickname, Reek. Ramsay has made the Greyjoys aware of Theon’s current situation by sending a box containing his severed penis to Pyke. His letter also reveals that he flayed and killed all 20 of the ironborn men who held Winterfell — despite the fact that they met his terms by surrendering Theon — and plans to do the same with any ironborn who are left in the North. Balon is unmoved and tells Yara that they should forget about Theon since he can no longer bear children to continue the Greyjoy line, but Yara resolves to sail for the Dreadfort and rescue her brother from Ramsay’s clutches.

In King’s Landing, just as Sansa and Tyrion begin to feel a bit at ease with each other, Tyrion is called to a Small Council meeting where he learns of the deaths of Sansa’s mother and brother. Joffrey is overjoyed at the news and threatens to serve Robb’s severed head to Sansa at his wedding feast, an idea that enrages Tyrion and appalls everyone else in the room. The growing tension between Joffrey and Tywin then comes to a head when Tywin gives Joffrey a verbal spanking and Joffrey accuses him of being a coward during Robert’s Rebellion. However, Tywin remains calm and simply sends Joffrey to bed to diffuse the situation.

Tywin then sits Tyrion down and orders him to consummate his marriage with Sansa in order to produce a son who can become Warden of the North. Tywin also cruelly reveals that he wanted to kill Tyrion on the day he was born by throwing him into the sea, but chose not to because Tyrion is a Lannister. As showrunner David Benioff puts it in the post-episode breakdown, “Tyrion certainly always knew that his father was disgusted by him in some ways, but I don’t think he ever realized quite how far it went. It’s one thing to have a distant relationship with your father, it’s another to know that your father wanted you dead from your very first day on this earth.”

When Tyrion returns to his chambers, he finds a despondent Sansa crying over the news of the Red Wedding.

Later, Varys seeks out Shae and tries to bribe her into leaving King’s Landing in order to eliminate Tyrion’s greatest weakness, his love for her. Shae tells him that she’ll only leave if Tyrion asks her himself.

After a long and arduous journey, Jaime, Brienne and Qyburn arrive in the capital. Jaime immediately seeks out Cersei, who is shocked at his appearance.

At the Nightfort, Bran and Gilly happen upon Bran, Jojen, Meera and Hodor. After seeing Summer, Sam realizes that Bran is Jon’s brother and reluctantly agrees to show them the passage that leads beyond the Wall. He also gives them the rest of the dragonglass weapons that the Night’s Watch found at the Fist of the First Men and tells them about the White Walkers.

After arriving at Castle Black, Sam and Gilly immediately tell Master Aemon about what they’ve seen beyond the Wall. He orders all of the Night’s Watch ravens to be sent out across the Seven Kingdoms with letters warning of the White Walkers’ return. Gilly reveals that she has decided to name her baby Sam.

When Jon stops to wash out his wounds en route to Castle Black, he looks up to see that Ygritte has tracked him down and has her bow drawn on him. Jon tells her that he loves her but that she’s always known he was loyal to the Night’s Watch. Ygritte is visibly distraught and fires three arrows into him as he rides away. Despite his injuries, Jon is still able to make it back to Castle Black, much to the delight of Sam and Pyp.

At Dragonstone, Davos decides to set Gendry free before Melisandre can sacrifice him to the Lord of Light and helps him escape in a rowboat. Stannis sentences Davos to die for his treason, but Davos has a plan. Thanks to Shireen, Davos is able to read Maester Aemon’s letter and convinces Stannis that when he goes north to fight the true war against the White Walkers, he will need Davos’ help. Surprisingly, Melisandre agrees and Davos is spared.

Outside of Yunkai, Daenerys prepares to greet the slaves she has freed. After exiting the city’s gates, the crowd begins to chant “mhysa,” the Ghiscari word for “mother,” and lifts Daenerys into the air.

Despite all of its horrors, season 3 ends on a triumphant note.

Episode winner

Daenerys Targaryen

Most memorable line

Tywin Lannister to Joffrey Baratheon: “Any man who must say, ‘I am the king,’ is no true king.”

Most significant scene

Bran tells Jojen, Meera and Hodor the story of the Rat Cook, a legend in which a cook in the Night’s Watch killed the son of a visiting king, cooked him into a pie and served him to the king. As punishment for murdering a guest beneath his roof, the gods cursed the cook and turned him into a rat who could only eat his own young.



Game of Thrones: Season 4, Episode 1

HBO

Episode name

“Two Swords”

Episode recap

Although three of the kings battling for the throne in the War of the Five Kings are still alive, the Lannisters have pretty much got the Seven Kingdoms on lock. For now, that is.

In King’s Landing, Tywin puts the icing on the Red Wedding cake by melting down the Stark family’s ancestral Valyrian steel sword, Ice, and reforging it into two new swords. He gives one of the new swords to Jaime in hopes that Jaime will finally return to Casterly Rock and rule in Tywin’s stead, but Jaime refuses and reiterates that he intends to remain in the Kingsguard.

After learning that Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) of Dorne has arrived in the capital in place of his older brother, Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig), who was invited to Joffrey and Margaery’s royal wedding, Tyrion heads to Littlefinger’s brothel to rendez-vous with Oberyn and his lover, Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma). Oberyn wastes no time telling Tyrion that he has come to King’s Landing to avenge the deaths of his sister, Elia Martell, and her children, Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen, who were brutalized and murdered by the Mountain during the sack of King’s Landing at the end of Robert’s Rebellion. Oberyn believes that it was Tywin who ordered the Mountain to kill them.

In the gardens, Tyrion attempts to convince an openly grieving Sansa to eat, but she tells him that all she can think about is the gruesome details of her mother and brother’s deaths. She then abruptly excuses herself to go to the godswood, which, according to her, is the only place she can go where people won’t talk to her. However, this time, Ser Dontos Hollard — the knight that Sansa prevented Joffrey from killing back in the season 2 premiere — shows up to give her a necklace that he says belonged to his mother as a token of his gratitude.

When Tyrion returns to his chambers, Shae is waiting to seduce him, but he rebuffs her. Shae accuses him of being in love with Sansa and of sending Varys to try to bribe her to leave, but he denies both claims. Shae then storms out of the room. Unfortunately, one of Cersei’s handmaidens was hiding around the corner and overheard their conversation.

Elsewhere in the castle, Cersei watches as Qyburn fits Jaime with a golden prosthetic hand. When Qyburn leaves, Jaime tries to kiss Cersei but she pulls away and tells him that he took too long to come back and that things have changed. Before Jaime can get a straight answer out of her, the eavesdropping handmaiden interrupts them.

But Jaime’s bad day is just getting started. Later, Joffrey mocks him for his lack of accomplishments as a member of the Kingsguard and questions his ability to continue to serve with only one hand. He then meets with Brienne, who chastises him for failing to deliver on his promise to help Sansa. Jaime argues that Catelyn’s death and Sansa’s marriage to Tyrion have complicated matters.

Brienne also calls on Margaery to tell her the truth about Renly’s death.

At Castle Black, Jon is summoned to testify before a panel of sworn brothers that includes Maester Aemon, acting Lord Commander Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale), First Builder Othell Yarwyck (Brian Fortune), and the exiled former Lord Commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt. Jon admits to killing Qhorin Halfhand, at his own behest, and breaking his vows by sleeping with Ygritte, but also offers up valuable information about Mance Rayder’s plan to attack the Wall. Thorne and Slynt both argue in favor of Jon’s execution, but thanks to Maester Aemon, he is allowed to live.

Meanwhile, Ygritte and Tormund are still awaiting orders from Mance Rayder when a group of Thenns, a wildling clan that engages in cannibalism, shows up to join them.

On the road to the third and final slaver-city of Meereen, Daenerys begins to realize that her three dragons are getting too big for her to control. However, she quickly becomes preoccupied with other matters when she discovers that Meereen’s masters have crucified a slave child to mark each and every one of the 163 miles that remain between her army and the city. Daenerys is horrified but resolves to look upon the face of every child that was killed.

In the Riverlands, Arya’s bloodlust only intensifies when she spots Polliver — the Lannister soldier who killed her friend Lommy, stole her sword Needle, and took her to Harrenhal — outside of a tavern. Polliver doesn’t recognize Arya, but does invite the Hound to join them as they rape and pillage their way back to King’s Landing. When the Hound responds with his new go-to line of, “F—k the king,” it doesn’t take long for a fight to break out. The Hound savagely takes out most of the other soldiers, but leaves Polliver for Arya, who kills him with Needle in the exact same way that he killed Lommy.

And just like that, Arya has crossed the first name off of her kill list.

Episode winner

Arya Stark

Most memorable line

The Hound to Polliver: “I understand that if any more words come pouring out of your c—t mo