A Golden Crown

Game of Thrones Episode 6, Season 1 - Episode 6

USA: HBO 2011-05-22, Germany: RTL 2: 2012-03-24 TNT Serie: 2011-12-07

5/5 stars (4 votes)

Game of Thrones episode 6: A Golden Crown (S01E6) King Robert goes hunting while Ned takes care of the government affairs and representing the throne while the king is away. He not only uncovers a dangerous secret of Queen Cersei. In his function Ned also gives an order which could have a long-term consequence for the seven kingdoms.

At the Eyrie the trial against Tyrion starts in which he admits his "crimes" demanding arbitrary. Viserys angered anew by Daenerys new and self-confident behaviour as Khalessi has to face Khal Drogo.
Short Description HBO

Below is the recap of this episode, which may contain spoilers if you have not seen it yet!

At King's Landing Eddard Stark wakes up from his stabbing to king Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei asking him about Catelyn taking Tyrion Lannister as a prisoner. Ned, still weak and feverish, once more protects Catelyn by telling them that she did nothing he had not commanded. King Robert Baratheon demands that Catelyn releases Tyrion and Ned making peace with Jaime Lannister.

But Ned does not want to make peace. It was Jaime Lannister who attacked him and killed his men. Queen Cersei makes it clear that she won't let that matter go, even if she lied and schemed. After she has left Robert orders Ned to tell his wife to return Tyrion Lannister and let the matter with Jaime go. He cannot rule seven kingdoms when the Starks and Lannisters are at each other's throats and half of his kingdom being in debt with the Lannister's father.

Ned unwillingly surrenders and plans to return to Winterfell but Robert wants Eddard to stay admitting that he had never loved his two brothers but the brother he chose instead: Eddard Stark. Robert returns the sign of the king's Hand to Eddard with the promise to talk when he returns from his hunt and the threat if Eddard does not take the sign back he would pin it to Jaime Lannister.

Eddard once more touches the subject of killing the Targaryen girl but Robert has not changed his mind. He wants her dead.

Across the Narrow Sea Daenerys Targaryen is obsessed with the idea that fire cannot kill a dragon and places one of the petrified dragon eggs at her tent into a brazier. When she takes the hot egg out again with her bare hands she realises that she has not suffered any burns.

At Winterfell Bran has once more one of his nightmares. Again he is practicing archery when the three eyed raven appears. This time the raven flies deep into the family grave and Bran awakens to Hodor storming into his room with the tailor-made saddle for him.

Overly happy Bran rides on a horse with his brother Robb and Theon Greyjoy watching over him. Theon wants to fight against the Lannisters to get revenge for Jaime stabbing Eddard. It was Robb's duty to defend his house, Theon says. But Robb affronts Theon by telling him that it then was no duty after all because it was not Theon's House.

While talking both have left Bran out of sight. "Where is Bran", asks Robb and Theon answers "I don't know, it's not my House", and leaves. Meanwhile Bran enjoys his newly won freedom while riding the horse through the woods when he gets attacked by four wildlings and a deserter from the Night's Watch. When Bran cannot demount his horse he exposes his identity as a Stark. They do not want to harm Bran, they only want to have his belongings in order to flee as far as possible to the south to escape the White Walkers and other creatures from north of the Wall.

They are taken by surprise when Robb appears to help his brother. When several of the Wildlings are killed by Robb, Osha, a Wildling woman, attacks Robb and the Night's Watch deserter takes Bran hostage to stop Robb from killing Osha. It is Theon Greyjoy who shoots the Night's Watch deserter with an arrow from behind claiming that on the Iron Islands one would not be a man before not having killed the first enemy. Once more there is dispute between Robb and Theon since Robb cannot understand why Theon would take such a high risk. If he had missed, Bran would have been dead now. Robb grants Osha, as the only survivor, her life and takes her back to Winterfell as a servant.

At the Eyrie Tyrion Lannister sleeps in his open sky cell and almost falls to his death when getting too close to the edge. Terrified Tyrion tries to bribe Mord, the prison watchman, into getting him out of the cell. "How would you like to be rich? My family has lots of gold. I am prepared to give you gold", he tells Mord. When Mord does not find any gold on Tyrion he leaves him once more alone in his cell.

At King's Landing Syrio Forel continues with his sword fight lessons with Arya but she is not in the mood for the session because of the stabbing of her father and Jory Cassel's death. Syrio teaches her that when troubled in a fight it would mean she was even more in trouble because she would not be able to concentrate on fighting if her thoughts are somewhere else. She needs to learn to keep her emotions in check in order to be a good fighter.

Across the Narrow Sea Daenerys Targaryen performs a Dothraki ritual for her baby to become strong by eating a horse's heart. Despite her disgust she manages to eat the entire heart without spitting it out again meaning her son will become a strong ruler. "The stallion who mounts the world, the stallion is the Khal of Khals and he shall unite the people into a single Khalesar. All the people of the world will be his herd". And Daenerys has not only gained true Queen status among the Dothraki but also found the name for her unborn son: Rhaego.

While the Dothraki people call Rhaego as the new promising ruler of the Dothraki people Viserys is appalled and sees his claim to command the Dothraki people as his army vanish into thin air. He leaves the festivities to steal the three petrified dragon eggs to buy a new army with them. But he is stopped by Ser Jorah Mormont. "You swore an oath to me. Does loyalty mean nothing to you?" "It means everything to me!". Viserys leaves the dragon eggs behind and leaves Daenerys tent.

Back at the Eyrie Tyrion tries once more his luck with Mord and manages the watchman delivering the message to Lady Arryn that he wants to confess to his crimes. Shortly after Tyrion is brought to the courtroom. Everyone awaits Tyrion confessing the murder attempt on Bran and conspiring in the murder of John Arryn. But the dwarf confesses all of his ridiculous childhood crimes, his manipulating other people but he still denies that he had anything to do with the murder attempt on Bran and the conspiring to kill John Arryn.

Before being thrown back into one of the Sky Cells Tyrion cleverly demands a fair trial of which, when found guilty, will cost his life by being thrown through the Moon Door (a hole in the floor leading steeply down to the vale). Since John Arryn is dead the sentence will be spoken by Robyn Arryn his sickly child son. Tyrion knows that he would not receive a fair judgment and demands a trial by combat which is his right by the law.

Many of the Vale's knights offer to fight the combat for the House of Arryn but Lady Arryn calls Ser Varis Egen as her champion. The latter refuses to fight a man half of his size and calls it injustice. Thus Tyrion Lannister is allowed to have a champion fight for him as well to which Ser Varis Egen agrees. Tyrion names his brother Jaime Lannister as his champion.

Since Jaime is hundreds of miles away and Lady Arryn demanding the trial for the same day to be over with Tyrion needs a volunteer. The volunteers are thinly sown but Bronn, the patron of the Inn where Tyrion was captured, steps forward.

In the woods outside of King's Landing king Robert Baratheon is on the hunt for boars with his younger brother Renly Baratheon, Barristan Selmy and his squire Lancel Lannister. Lancel makes sure to fill the king with enough wine to get him so drunk that he gets into an argument with his brother. Angered Renly leaves the party.

Meanwhile Eddard Stark sits on the Iron Throne hearing the ordinary people's problems. Amongst them is a man claiming that his town was attacked by unknown people who left behind dead fish. The fish is a clue and it is the sigil of the house Tully, Eddard wife's House. Certainly an initiated attack to get the Starks' reputation even more destroyed. Eddard tries to find out whether the attackers wore any sigils or banners. But the man can only describe the leader as tall and strong and that he had cut the blacksmith into halves without any problems. All is pointing to Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, which in itself points to the Lannisters setting Eddard Stark up. Ser Gregor Clegane is called the mad dog of Tywin Lannister for a reason. He does whatever the Lannister father demands without questioning.

His hatred of the Lannisters lets Eddard make a fateful decision. In the name of king Baratheon he orders Lord Beric Dondarrion to take hundred men and to ride to Ser Gregor Clegane's keep. Eddard denounces and detains him, strips him of all ranks, titles, of all lands and holdings and sentences Ser Gregor Clegane to death.

Grand Maester Pycelle tries to postpone the decision Eddard made until king Robert has returned. Instead Eddard orders the Grand Maester to send a raven to Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock to inform him that he has been summoned before court. Tywin Lannister should arrive within a fortnight or be branded as an enemy of the crown and a traitor to the realm.

Lord Baelish also tries to convince Eddard to take his decision back. It was not very wise to yank the lion's tale, he advises. It is gold that wins wars and not soldiers. But Eddard's only retard is how it came that Robert was king and not Tywin Lannister.

At the Eyrie the trial combat between Bronn and Ser Varis Egen starts. For a common man Bronn is an experienced and unfair fighter and kills Ser Varis. "You don't fight with honour", says lady Arryn to Bronn. "No, he did", is Bronn's reply. Tyrion is free to go but not before he takes his purse back from Ser Rodrik Cassel and giving it to Mord true to his word that a Lannister always pays his debts.

At King's Landing Septa Mordane and Sansa talk. The Septa has noticed how Sansa has adapted to the southern life style and how much Sansa seem to like it. She explains to her that it is important to know where one was coming from. Their talk is interrupted by prince Joffrey Baratheon's arrival. The latter comes to apologise for his monstrous behaviour giving Sansa a necklace. He also paints a beautiful picture to her being the future queen and Sansa falls for it while Septa Mordane sees what it is. A try to gain Sansa's loyalty over to Queen Cersei and her son as one of the Starks on her side. "I'll never be cruel to you again. You are my lady now, from this day until my last day."

Outside Winterfell Theon Greyjoy takes another emotional blow. He catches his whore Ros leaving for King's Landing. Having made that possible was Tyrion Lannister who gave her enough money so she can afford it to leave. Due to the events between Jaime Lannister and Eddard Stark she also sees no future for her in the north. Soon all the men will go to war and none will be left for her.

Back at King's Landing Eddard foresees his soon fate and wants to send his both daughters Arya and Sansa back to Winterfell. But both don't want to leave. Sansa because of her marriage to the future king and Arya because of her sword fighting lessons. Eddard tries in vain to convince both of the girls that this was not a punishment but a safety measure. But Sansa fights for staying at King's Landing and it is one sentence that gets Eddard the right idea why John Arryn has wanted the book. Putting down his foot he orders his daughters to go and pack.

Once they have left Eddard reads in the book: Lord Oris Baratheon, black of hair. Lionel Baratheon, black of hair. Steffon Baratheon, black of hair. Robert Baratheon, black of hair. Joffrey Baratheon, golden head. Eddard has found why John Arryn was killed. He has found out about king Baratheon's children with Cersei. The true father of all is Jaime Lannister, Cersei's twin brother.

Across the Narrow Sea Daenerys' successful ritual is celebrated with a big feast. A drunk and jealous Viserys interrupts the exuberant mood with his defaming his sister and demanding to be treated as a king. "You are no king", says Khal Drogo, to which Viserys draws his sword threatening his sister. "I want what I came for. I want the crown he promised me. He bought you but he never paid for you. Tell him I want what was bargained for or I'm taking you back. He can keep the baby. I'll cut it out and leave it for him."

And Daenerys translates Khal Drogo's reply to Viserys: "Yes, you shall have it. You shall have a crown." That was all Viserys had wanted but he does not foresee what crown Khal Drogo has in mind for him. He is grabbed by Khal Drogo's blood riders and Khal Drogo melts his golden belt in a pot so it becomes liquid. Viserys begs Daenerys to make them stop but Daenerys has had enough of her brother and let Khal Drogo pour the fluid gold over Viserys head with the words: "A crown for a king". Viserys dies and Daenerys realises that her brother has never been the dragon, never been the true heir to the Targaryen's throne. "Fire cannot kill the dragon."

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Story: David Benioff D.B. Weiss Director: Daniel Minahan Music: Ramin Djawadi