Fire and Blood

Fire and Blood

"Fire and Blood" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of Game of Thrones. It is the tenth episode of the series overall. It first aired on June 19, 2011. It was written by executive producers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by Alan Taylor.

Plot

Synopsis

As tragic news spreads across the Seven Kingdoms, Bran and Rickon share a prophetic dream, Catelyn interrogates Jaime about her sonʼs fall, and Robbʼs destiny is forever changed. After a surprising decision by his father, Tyrion heads south. Arya assumes a new identity in an attempt to escape Kingʼs Landing, and Sansa is terrorized by Joffrey. At the Wall, Jon is forced to choose between the Nightʼs Watch and the family he left behind. Across the sea, Dany pays a terrible price for her love, but finds new hope.

Recap

At the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, Eddard Stark has been executed by beheading; Ser Ilyn Payne, the royal executioner, holds his head up to the adulation of the baying crowd. Sansa Stark has fainted. In the crowd, Yoren drags Arya away, making a point of calling her "Boy," and cutting her hair off.

At Winterfell, Bran has another dream of the three-eyed crow. He wakes up and tells Osha about how the dream always ends with the bird flying into the crypts under the castle. Osha takes Bran down there, but they are surprised by Shaggydog, Rickon's direwolf. Rickon calls him off, revealing that he had the same dream. Making their way out, they are greeted by Maester Luwin, who has the news of Eddard's death.

Catelyn comforts her son, vowing to "kill them all".

At Robb's camp, Catelyn walks the camp and receives the condolences and respects of the northern bannermen. She finds Robb hacking at a tree outside of the camp in anger and grief, and vows that they will first rescue his sisters from the clutches of the Lannisters , and then "Kill them all."

In King's Landing, Joffrey is holding court. A singer is brought before him, charged with making up a 'amusing' but offensive song about Robert and Cersei. The singer turns out to be Marillion, who accompanied Catelyn and Tyrion to the Vale of Arryn. Joffrey asks Marillion if he wants to keep his hands or tongue, and when Marillion, confused by the questions chooses his hands, Joffrey gleefully orders Ilyn Payne to carry out the sentence on the spot. Joffrey then takes Sansa to see her father's head and cruelly mocks her, even having Ser Meryn Trant beat her when she suggests that Robb might win the war. Unexpectedly, Sandor Clegane offers some kind words to her afterwards; he also keeps silent about the fact that he intervened to prevent Sansa from trying to shove Joffrey off the walkway to his death.

At Robb's camp, Robb and his bannermen debate what to do. It is suggested they forge an alliance with either Stannis or Renly Baratheon, but the Greatjon becomes irritated by the suggestion. He declares there is only one king worthy of his respect and allegiance and bows before Robb, calling out, "The King in the North!" The other northern bannermen take up the cry.

Catelyn visits the captive Jaime Lannister, who admits to pushing Bran from the tower but doesn't reveal why. He taunts her, saying widowhood suits her and suggesting that the gods aren't real as they don't care about justice. Catelyn strikes him out of fury, but Jaime knows that the Starks won't kill him as long as his sister holds Sansa and Arya hostage.

Lancel and Cersei.

In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister has taken a new lover, her cousin Lancel who was King Robert's squire and gave him the wine that made him too drunk to slay the boar that killed him. She also receives a letter informing her of Jaime's capture.

At the Lannister camp, Lord Tywin holds a strategy meeting. Both Stannis and Renly have claimed the Iron Throne and the Starks have captured Jaime; Tywin's commanders are uncertain what to do, and Tyrion points out that any chance of negotiating with Robb Stark died along with his father. The Lannister army is now exposed, so Tywin decides to retreat to Harrenhal, the great castle on the northern shores of Gods Eye, and use it as a base of operations. Reluctantly impressed by Tyrion's astute judgement of the situation, Tywin orders his son to go to King's Landing and serve as Acting Hand of the King in Tywin's stead, to bring Cersei and Joffrey to heel and prevent the young king from making more idiotic mistakes and to deal with Baelish, Varys and Pycelle if he gets so much as a hint of treachery from any of them. However, he orders Tyrion to leave his whore behind.

Daenerys awakens.

In the wastelands beyond Lhazar, Daenerys wakes up to terrible news from Ser Jorah Mormont. Her son, Rhaego, is dead. He was born dead and deformed, covered with scales. The khalasar has also moved on, leaving them behind. However, Drogo lives. Mirri Maz Duur takes Daenerys to see her sun and stars, only to find him a catatonic vegetable. Daenerys demands to know why, and Duur explains that when Daenerys saved her, she'd already been raped three times and the temple she served burned and defiled by the Dothraki. Now her 'stallion who mounts the world' can burn no cities and slaughter no innocents.

At the Wall, Jon Snow learns of his father's death. He saddles a horse and prepares to leave and join Robb's army, ignoring Samwell's pleas to stay and fulfill his oaths.

In the Lannister camp, Tyrion complains about his father to Shae, then decides to defy Tywin and take Shae to court anyway.

Jon leaves Castle Black, but is pursued. One of his pursuers hits a tree branch and is unhorsed, and Jon realizes it was Sam. He turns back to help him. The other riders are Grenn and Pypar. They recite their oath to the Night's Watch and Jon realizes they are right. Leaving would make him a deserter and oathbreaker, something his father would never countenance if he were alive. He agrees to return to the castle with them.

Daenerys tends to Drogo, but seeing him like this breaks her heart. She smothers him with a pillow to end his suffering.

In King's Landing, Grand Maester Pycelle takes the prostitute Ros to bed, revealing that he is actually far less frail than he appears. He boasts to Ros of the several great kings he has served.

Yoren and Arya.

Yoren has assembled a band of new recruits for the Night's Watch. Pretending that Arya is a boy by the name of 'Arry', he has her join the group. Also in the group are Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands and Gendry, King Robert's bastard son who worked for Tobho Mott. With Robert dead, secret payments to Mott stopped and he kicked Gendry out. Hot Pie and Lommy try to bully Arya into giving up Needle, but she angrily draws the sword, warning that she 'has already killed one fat boy' and will happily do it again. Gendry breaks up the argument by taking Arya's side, threatening the boys with violence to keep them from picking on Arya later. Yoren now has to get them all to the Wall, a thousand leagues away, through the war-torn Riverlands. They set out.

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont is aware of Jon's attempt to desert and dismisses it, saying many have fled the Wall, only to think better of it and return. If they executed everyone who did that, they'd have no men left. Mormont tells Jon that the war between the Lannisters and Starks is less important than what they face now, a renewed threat from the wildlings, White Walkers, and wights. Mormont means to lead the Night's Watch in force into the Haunted Forest to learn more of their foe, prepare for the battles that lie ahead, and find the missing Benjen Stark. Jon agrees to commit himself fully to the Night's Watch and all that lies ahead.

In the east, Daenerys and her small retinue prepare a funeral pyre for Drogo. At Daenerys' command, Rakharo places the dragon eggs on the pyre, and Mirri Maz Durr is tied to a stake next to the pyre as well. Ignoring Jorah's pleas, Daenerys sets the pyre alight and then calmly walks into the flames. She stands below the pyre as flames consume her, an apparent act of suicide.

At dawn, the fire dies down and Daenerys is revealed crouching there naked and completely unharmed, with three newly-hatched baby dragons at her side. One nuzzles in her arm, the other by her leg and the third sits on her shoulder. At the sight of the mythical animals born anew, Jorah and the remaining Dothraki kneel and swear their allegiance to the Mother of Dragons. After slowly standing up from the ashes, the black hatchling on Dany's shoulder rises, spreads its wings and screams.

Notes

• This episodes covers approximately Chapters 66-73 (Arya 5, Bran 7, Sansa 6, Daenerys 9-10, Tyrion 9, Jon 9 and Catelyn 11) of A Game of Thrones and Chapters 1 and 56 (Arya 1 and Catelyn 7) of A Clash of Kings.
• "Fire and Blood" is the house motto of House Targaryen.
• As of this episode, the claimants to the Iron Throne consist of Joffrey, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, whilst Robb Stark is now fighting to win independence for the North, leaving four kings in Westeros.
• Bran gives a clear and brief summary of Robert's Rebellion: his aunt, Lyanna, was kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Robert and Eddard went to war to win her back, but she died anyway.
• First mention of Cotter Pyke, the commander of Eastwatch, the eastern-most of the castles of the Night's Watch.
• The scene between Catelyn and the imprisoned Jaime is based on a similar portion of A Clash of Kings. The dialogue between the two is almost the same.

Characters

First Appearances

• Hot Pie
• Lommy Greenhands
• Addam Marbrand
• Rickard Karstark
• Jonos Bracken
• Jaqen H'ghar
• Rorge
• Biter

Deaths

• Rhaego Targaryen
• Khal Drogo
• Mirri Maz Duur

Cast

Starring Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark (credit only) Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark Nikolaj Coster-Waldauas Ser Jaime Lannister Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister Emilia Clarke as Princess Daenerys Targaryen Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish Kit Harington as Jon Snow Richard Madden as Robb Stark Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark Maisie Williams as Arya Stark Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Also starring Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo

Guest starring Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin Conleth Hill as Varys Jerome Flynn as Bronn James Cosmo as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister Francis Magee as Yoren John Bradley-West as Samwell Tarly Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Emun Elliott as Marillion Sibel Kekilli as Shae Natalia Tena as Osha Esme Bianco as Ros Clive Mantle as Greatjon Umber Wilko Johnson as Ser Ilyn Payne Mark Stanley as Grenn Josef Altin as Pypar Mia Soteriou as Mirri Maz Duur Amrita Acharia as Irri Elyes Gabel as Rakharo Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister Kristian Nairn as Hodor Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister Joe Dempsie as Gendry Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie Eros Vlahos as Lommy Greenhands Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant Steven Blount as Lord Rickard Karstark Gerry O'Brien as Lord Jonos Bracken Vinnie McCabe as Lord Leo Lefford B.J. Hogg as Ser Addam Marbrand Faolan Morgan as a Stark guard Uncredited Mark Coney as Galbart Glover Unknown as Jaqen H'ghar Unknown as Rorge Unknown as Biter

Cast notes

• Sean Bean is credited, but does not appear in the episode, only a prosthetic head using his likeness.
• Mark Coney makes an uncredited appearance as Lord Galbart Glover, shouting out from the crowd of Northmen that Renly is not the right king. He previously appeared uncredited in The Pointy End, where he had no dialogue.
• Pre-season casting announcements suggested that Vincent McCabe was playing Rickard Karstark. However, in the episode he plays one of the Lannister bannerman (the one who has Harys Swyft's lines from the book), whilst Karstark is actually played by Steven Blount.
• At the end of the episode, during Arya's escape from King's Landing, a wheeled cage is shown as part of Yoren's entourage, with two men and a hooded figure inside. Fans have speculated that the hooded figure is supposed to be Jaqen H'ghar, his face hidden because he was played by an extra in this episode and was not cast (with German actor Tom Wlaschiha) until Season 2, and that the other men are the book characters Rorge and Biter. However, none of this has yet been confirmed by HBO.

Commentary

Writers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff and director Alan Taylor give a commentary on the episodes on the Blu-Ray and DVD releases.

• It was the idea of Angus Wall, the creator of the title sequence, that it should change every episode based on the location of the characters.
• One idea was that the map would be visited within the episode whenever there was a change of location, but this was dismissed as it would yank the viewer out of the episode.
• The idea of an astrolabe and mechanical globe was perhaps a little bit too late for the time period Westeros exists in. Some fans have called it 'monkpunk' (an allusion to steampunk).
• The writers showed Ned's severed head at the start of the episode to ensure everyone was clear that he was dead and not coming back.
• The producers looked at over 200 actresses for the role of Arya, the biggest number for a single role in the series. They found Maisie Williams quite late in the day.
• The scene where the dream sequence transitions to Bran riding on Osha's shoulders was inspired by the Andrei Tarkovsky movie Stalker, where the main character's crippled daughter rides on his shoulders. This was suggested by director of photographer Alik Sakharov to David Benioff, who used it in the script.
• The scene where Bran was riding on Osha's shoulders also featured real snow, as it was filmed late in the schedule just as the UK's worst winter in decades was beginning.
• Rickon was another tricky role to cast, as he had few lines in the first season but had to make his presence felt. They lucked out in finding a local boy, Art Parkinson, who could sell the role well. However, Dan and David incorrectly refer to Art Parkinson as being from Northern Ireland. Parkinson is from County Donegal which in fact a part of the Republic of Ireland.
• Michelle Fairley liked to hang out with the crew between takes rather than retreating to her trailer, no matter the weather.
• Richard Madden had had a big party in his hotel room the night before the scene between him and Michelle Fairley at the start of the episode, adding to Robb's tired and distraught appearance.
• Jack Gleeson developed a perfect posture for Joffrey to sit on the Iron Throne. The producers removed later references to how he should be sitting as they knew Gleeson would do it justice on his own.
• The producers brought forward Marillion's mutilation from the third season to the first because they wanted a character the audience had met before to be punished by Joffrey rather than a random newcomer who doesn't appear before or after. They note Ilyn Payne's professionalism in remembering to cauterise Marillion's wound.
• The producers reiterate there will be more developments to come in the second season between Sansa and Sandor.
• The producers confirm the older woman at Robb's proclamation scene is Maege Mormont.
• Alan Taylor's children are fans of Eugene Simon's children's TV series, House of Anubis and wanted to see him in Game of Thrones. Taylor is holding off on showing them the series as they are too young (and Simon appears naked in this episode).
• Benioff and Weiss were inspired by Charles Dance's performance in Bleak House and did not audition anyone else for the role of Tywin.
• Charles Dance was drinking grape juice rather than wine in the scene between him and Tywin.
• Harrenhal will be a major location in Season 2.
• The scenes in the Red Waste were filmed on Malta, with the ocean replaced by a desert landscape via CGI. The actors had to be positioned in such a way that the background could be replaced as easily as possible.
• At one point David Benioff and Daniel Minahan were in Belfast working on shoots for an earlier episode whilst D.B. Weiss and Alan Taylor were in Malta working on another, and swapping dailies at the end of every day. Season 2 is being filmed in a similar manner.
• The producers are aware of the criticisms that the direwolves don't appear as much as in the book, but every time they were put in a scene it would double the shooting time, so they had to be used economically. More impressive direwolves will appear in Season 2.
• The scene where Jon flees from Castle Black caused several injuries, with a stuntwoman running into a tree by accident and another stuntperson falling off their horse. Benioff and Weiss judged it worth it just to hear Samwell Tarly's 'girly scream'.
• The scene where Pycelle limbers up and shows that his infirmity is an act was inspired by the Kaiser Soze reveal in The Usual Suspects.
• The producers love Aidan Gillen and Conleth Hill's performances so much that they wrote scenes with just the two of them verbally sparring for the sheer joy of it.
• As Arya leaves King's Landing, she looks back at the skyline. The plan was that the Great Sept of Baelor would be CGIed into the background and Arya would be remembering her father. However, it was felt that this drew attention away from Arya as the focus of the shot so the sept was not painted in.
• The producers lament the costs of building the Castle Black and Eyrie sets and then having to leave them unused for the entirety of Season 2.
• There was no question that the final scene of the book would be the final scene of the season. The producers confirm that the dragon on Daenerys's shoulder is Drogon.
• To shoot the final scene, the team did not have enough time at 'magic hour' (the moment surrounding sunrise) to get everything done in one go, so it was shot over three days.
• The music for the final scene was recorded live with a big orchestra in Prague, one of only two times this was done for the score.
• During the filming of the pursuit of Jon Snow through the woods, a lighting generator failed, causing a stuntwoman to crash into a tree. She required eight stitches.
• For the scene where Joffrey shows off the severed heads of his enemies to Sansa, specially-made replicas of Sean Bean and Susan Brown's heads were used. However, for the other heads the prop-makers scrambled to find existing replica heads from stocks. One of the other heads is actually George W. Bush in a wig, which the producers stress was not a political statement.

Memorable quotes

Jaime Lannister: "If the gods are real, why is the world so unjust?"
Catelyn Stark: "Because of men like you."
Jaime: "There are no men like me. Only me."
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Mirri Maz Duur: "Why don't you take a look at your khal? Then you will see exactly what life is worth when all the rest has gone."
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Joffrey Baratheon: "I tell you what. I'm gonna give you a present. After I raise my armies, and kill your traitor brother, I'm going to give you his head as well."
Sansa Stark: "...or maybe he'll give me yours."
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Jeor Mormont: "When dead men, and worse, come hunting for us in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?"
Jon Snow: "No."
Jeor Mormont: "Good. Because I want you and your wolf with us when we ride out beyond the Wall tomorrow."
Jon Snow: "Beyond the Wall?"
Jeor Mormont: "I will not sit meekly by and wait for the snows. I mean to find out what's happening. The Night's Watch will ride in force against the wildlings, the White Walkers, and whatever else is out there. And we will find Benjen Stark, alive or dead. I will command them myself. So I will only ask you once, Lord Snow, are you a brother of the Night's Watch, or a bastard boy who wants to play at war?" ___________________________________________________

Daenerys Targaryen: "I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, of the blood of old Valyria. I am the dragon’s daughter, and I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming."
Mirri Maz Duur: "You will not hear me screaming."
Daenerys: "I will. But it is not your screams I want. Only your life."

Image gallery

Drogo in a vegetative state.

Arya Stark threatens Hot Pie with Needle.

Osha accompanies Bran Stark to the crypts at Winterfell.

Grenn convinces Jon Snow to return to Castle Black.

Marillion begs Joffrey Baratheon for mercy.

Joffrey torments Sansa Stark on the traitors walk.

Sandor Clegane warns Sansa to expect more of the same.

Tywin Lannister appoints Tyrion Lannister as acting Hand of the King.

Robb Stark is declared the King in the North.

Daenerys Targaryen reassures Jorah Mormont before stepping into the flames.

References

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