Not a whole lot happens in this quiet, reflective episode. Tyrion, Bronn and Shae the funny whore share in an intimate and revealing conversation. Khal Drogo succumbs to his wounds, despite Danys best efforts. The Starks and Lannisters engage in an off-screen battle due to budgetary limitations. Oh, and that guy you all thought was the main character? He dies. The execution of Ned Stark marks the exact moment when Game of Thrones transitioned from moderately popular TV show to pop culture sensation. It was a shocking scene in the novel for sure, but for television, this twist remains unprecedented. And for us book-reading elitists, the scene is so horrifyingly beautiful that it makes you wish you couldve experienced it on screen first. Once Joffrey commands Ser Ilyn Payne to bring him Starks head, the camera frantically floats from place to place, as if its desperately trying to find some way to prevent this atrocity. But as Sansa and Arya are restrained and Ned is moved into position for his beheading, everything slows down and we begin to accept the inevitable. Finally, the sword falls, the birds fly away, and millions of people watching learn that no one is safe on Game of Thrones. Except Tyrion and Dany of course.
J.D. Laney is an aspiring novelist and screenwriter from Cleveland, Ohio. When he isn't trying to write his own material, he is constantly consuming the work of others for analysis and, occasionally, for fun. He has a particular interest in film, literature, and video games.
