Game of Thrones; Stallion blessings, Back Alley Sallys and Bran awakes, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre May 3, 2011, 4:49 GMT

Welcome to the latest edition of HBO\'s "Game of Thrones," where Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) has a break through with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), the bastard son of Ned and a guard of the North and keeper of The Wall.

The Lannisters (en masse) continue their vile scheming ways and a creepy eunuch named Varys (Conleth Hill) adds to the King's Landing spider web of machinations for poor Lord Ned Stark and his two girls.

Welcome to the latest edition of HBO's "Game of Thrones," where Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) has a break through with Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the bastard son of Ned and a guard of the North and keeper of The Wall.

Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) gives her already insufferable son Prince Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) the run-down on how to be a King, schooling him on the ins and outs of entitled douchebaggery. "The truth will be what you make it," she lectures him.

Cersei tells him despite his cold feet, he must marry Ned's daughter Sansa (Sophie Turner), who now is wavering on her marriage plans after Lady the Direwolf had to be slaughtered as a sacrificial lamb per her soon-to-be mother-in-law's wishes.

Ned (Sean Bean) knows he has a real enemy with Queen Cersei, but so far he does not know the extent of her hatred towards him, nor the act of attempted murder she and her brother/lover Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) commited on his young son Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), who witnessed them in flagrante delicto.

"Everybody who isn't us is an enemy," Cersei tells Joffrey.

Arya (Maisie Williams) is all mouth, heart and soul and owns Ned, who caves into her tomboy ways and gives her a tutor in the art of fencing and swordplay. She is a marvelous actor and is one of my favorites in the series.

At home in Winterfell, Bran awakens yet cannot remember anything, and is deeply depressed because he has lost the use of his legs.

The tales of the coming winter (apparently, not just a House Stark saying, winter is actually due any minute) with White Walkers and days of darkness that last years doesn't cheer him up, but we learn more about what the people of Westeros fear.

Lady Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) is en route to King's Landing and is diverted by her old friend Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) who hides her in one of his whorehouses and she cracks the "I'm not a Back Alley Sally," which makes me think of "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley", a great Robert Palmer song.  Sadly Palmer died at age 54 in a Paris hotel room allegedly with a woman, in flagrante delicto.

Catelyn is introduced to the creepy Varys and the dagger the assassin used to try and murder Bran is identified. Tyrion Lannister is now public enemy number one in Winterfell.

The Khaleesi is figuring out how to endear herself to the Dothraki people and Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) is nearly naked in every shot - I totally approve of this and hope it continues. Where was I? Right, Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke) is felt up by her maid who says, "you're pregnant!" in her language and gets her some roasted goat for dinner.  Her horrid brother Prince Targaryen is wearing out his welcome on the Dothraki wagon train. Tic tic tic.

Lots of set up for more to come, not as much action this episode but overall, it establishes the personalities and quirks of so many compelling characters.

I love this series.