Queen Cersei's younger brother, Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf also known as "The Imp," accompanies Jon to the Wall. Before departing, Jon gave tomboy Arya a thin sword she names, "Needle". Ned's illegitimate son, Jon, heads north with his uncle, Benjen Stark, to join the Night's Watch, the protectors of the Wall, a massive ice structure that keeps the Wildling tribes and the mythical White Walkers from civilized Westeros. Catelyn suspects the Lannisters were behind the attack. An assassin attacks Bran, but Catelyn fends him off and Bran's direwolf, Summer, kills him.
Catelyn remains at Winterfell to care for the still unconscious Bran. Ned, the new Hand of the King, travels to King's Landing accompanied by his daughters, Sansa and Arya. The ancient Targaryens once commanded dragons, and Daenerys is given three fossilized dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Robert Baratheon became king after Jaime Lannister killed "Mad" King Aerys Targaryen, earning Jaime the nickname, "The King Slayer". Across the Narrow Sea in Essos, exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen forces his sister, Daenerys, to marry the Dothraki warlord, Drogo, in exchange for an army to conquer Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne. To hide their incest, Jaime pushes Bran from the high window. Ned's young son, Brandon, climbs a tall tower and witnesses Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime Lannister, inside having sex. Catelyn believes the Lannisters are now plotting against King Robert. Lysa Arryn, Jon's widow, sends her sister (Ned's wife), Catelyn, a letter claiming the Lannisters, Queen Cersei's family, murdered Arryn. King Robert Baratheon, Ned's old friend, travels to Winterfell to recruit Ned and propose a marriage between his heir Joffrey and Ned's daughter, Sansa. In King's Landing, the Seven Kingdoms capital, Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, dies suddenly. Later, six orphaned dire wolf pups are found and one given to each Stark sibling, including Ned's bastard son, Jon Snow. Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North, executes him for desertion. One soldier escapes but is captured at Castle Winterfell. North of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Night's Watch soldiers are attacked by supernatural White Walkers. See also: List of Game of Thrones episodes No. viewership rose by approximately 33% over the course of the season, from 2.2 million to over 3 million by the finale. It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series.
The first season won two of the thirteen Emmy Awards for which it was nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage) and Outstanding Main Title Design. Newer actors were cast as the younger generation of characters, such as Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams.Ĭritics praised the show's production values and cast Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister received specific accolades, as did Bean and Clarke, as well as Ramin Djawadi for music. Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast, including established actors such as Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Iain Glen, and Peter Dinklage.
The season ends with Viserys dead and Daenerys becoming the Mother of Dragons. Meanwhile, in Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of the former king, forces his sister Daenerys to marry a Dothraki warlord in exchange for an army to pursue his claim to the Iron Throne. Ned is killed at the order of Cersei's tyrannical teenage son, King Joffrey Baratheon. Ned's eldest son, Robb, begins a rebellion against the Lannisters. This leads, after Robert's death, to Ned's arrest for treason. He uncovers dark secrets about the powerful Lannister family, which includes Robert's queen, Cersei, that his predecessor died trying to expose. Ned seeks to find out who murdered his predecessor, Jon Arryn. Like the novel, the season initially focuses on the family of nobleman Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Warden of the North, who is asked to become the King's Hand (chief advisor) to his longtime friend, King Robert Baratheon. The story takes place in a fantasy world, primarily upon the continent Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east, Essos. In March 2010, HBO ordered the first season, which began filming in July 2010, primarily in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with additional filming in Malta. However, it was deemed unsatisfactory and later reshot with some roles recast.
HBO had ordered a television pilot in November 2008 filming began the following year. Martin, adapted for television by David Benioff and D. The series is based on A Game of Thrones, the first novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. It consists of ten episodes, each of approximately 55 minutes. The first season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011, in the U.S.