Season 1, Episode 2
Welcome to my Game of Thrones series of Book vs. Show! This is Season 1, Episode 2
<< If you’d rather watch the shorter version, here’s my TikTok recap on this episode
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Dany
Dany travels on the road with her new family – the khalasar. Ser Jorah has sworn to protect his “rightful king”, implying Viserys, but his loyalties clearly lie with Danaerys. He quickly falls in love with her, even though he’s like 4 times her age…
He tells her stories about how the Dothraki believe that the tall grass will someday take over the world and all men will be lost in it until the world ends.
Viserys approaches Jorah and coaxes his backstory out of him. Jorah tells Viserys that he is a wanted man in King’s Landing for smuggling poachers.
Tyrion
Tyrion wakes up in the stables with the dogs after getting blackout drunk. He has a conversation with Joffrey and smacks him many times, just like in the show. He tells the Hound to be a good dog and remind Joffrey if he ever forgets the encounter.
Tyrion wanders off to breakfast with Jamie, Cersei and her children, and he delivers the news that the boy (Bran) may yet live. Cersei is frustrated by this but tries to remain undiscovered as Tyrion elaborates on the Maester’s diagnosis of Bran’s injuries.
In the show, Cersei goes to Cat and Bran in his room and tells Cat of her own dead son. She cries and tells Cat that she’ll pray to the Mother (one of the seven New Gods) for Bran’s recovery. This didn’t happen in the book, and was simply character development for Cersei’s on-screen presence.
Jon
Jon collects Arya’s gift, a little sword. Jamie confronts Jon and teases him about being stuck on the Wall forever and never enjoying the pleasures of freedom. Jon brushes this off and goes on to find Arya packing her things in her room as she prepares to go to King’s Landing.
He presents to her the sword and she loves it. Together, they name it Needle.
In the show, Jon says goodbye to Bran, Lady Stark, and Robb. The only farewell written in the book was with Robb, but otherwise, everything was true to the book.
Ned
On the road to their separate destinations, Jon and Ned have a brief conversation. Ned tries to present the act of serving on the Wall as something noble and honorable. Jon doesn’t know any better. Jon asks Ned to tell him about his mother… Ned promises to tell him all about her the next time they see one another. Then they go separate ways.
Ned joins the King on the journey back to King’s Landing. They receive news of the wedding of Daenerys and Khal Drogo, making Dany a Queen/Khaleesi. They discuss Jorah, the spy. Ned thinks that Jorah does not deserve a pardon no matter what information he brings back regarding the Targaryens. The King declares otherwise, determined to kill the last of the silver-haired people.
Jon and Tyrion
Tyrion had asked to go see the Wall as a sort of bucket list trip. He wanted to “piss off the edge of the world”. He travels with Jon and they start to get to know each other, but they’re not quite friends. Jon dislikes Tyrion simply because he’s a Lannister. Tyrion is clever and jokes around with Jon. When Jon gets upset, his direwolf, Ghost, lunges at Tyrion and knocks him over, but Tyrion is unharmed.
Catelyn
She watches over Bran, starving and sleepless. The Maester tries to talk to her about the accounts, but she won’t have anything to do with it. Robb enters and tells the maester that they’ll discuss it later.
Robb opens the window for fresh air, and Cat gets hysterical over the noise. When Robb looks out the window, he sees a fire and rushes out to help. Cat is left alone once more with Bran… until an assassin enters to take Bran’s life.
To protect Bran, Cat fights off this intruder and is sliced on both hands, rendering her hands useless. When the man goes for Bran, Bran’s direwolf jumps up and attacks the man, taking his life. Cat goes into shock and sleeps for four days. When she wakes, she has a realization that someone is trying to get Bran killed. She suspects the Lannisters. She goes by boat to King’s Landing with only one protector, Ser Rodrik.
Sansa
Everything in this scene was pretty much true to the book. Sansa has a little date with Joffrey. They go riding on their horses, strolling through the lands where they’ve stopped to rest on their trip to King’s Landing. They find Arya sparring with Mycah, the butcher’s boy, and Joffrey threatens him. Arya ends up fighting Joffrey and Nymeria bites Joffrey’s arm. Arya sends Nymeria away out of fear that she’ll get in trouble, and then Arya runs away and is unseen for four days.
Sansa is called forward as a witness before the King to settle the argument between who’s being honest (Joffrey or Arya). Sansa knows the truth, but can only say what will favor Joffrey because she is betrothed to him. She says she doesn’t know, or that she doesn’t remember. Arya calls her a liar. Cersei demands that a direwolf life be taken, but Nymeria is no where to be found… So they take Lady, instead. Ned dares the King to do it, if he is brave enough. The King walks away.
Bran
Bran is stuck in his unconscious nightmare. He is continuously falling and is surrounded by darkness. A crow appears and talks to him. It tells him that his options are to fly or fall. If he continues to fall, he will die, but if he flies, he can live.
Bran is only 7 so he doesn’t really understand what’s happening. He sees the world approaching him quickly, and decides he will fly. When he makes this decision, the crow lands on his face and scratches a place in Bran’s forehead for a third eye.
Bran wakes up from his coma and his direwolf enters. He names him Summer.
If you want to read along, check out the same set I have on Amazon HERE! I love this leather bound, pocket size set of books. They’re convenient for travel and fit easily into my purse!
