Game of Thrones recap, Hodor's gifted, Arya on the lam and Robb on the march

By April MacIntyre Jun 6, 2011, 14:31 GMT

The Wall of the North is active with supernatural spirits, and Jon (Kit Harrington) and his trusty direwolf Ghost save the Commander of the Night\'s Watch from a rogue White Walker.

SPOILERS

As it stands, the nine great houses of Westeros are the primary players in the political, economic, and military affairs of Westeros. Arryn, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Lannister, Martell, Stark, Targaryen, Tully, and Tyrell.

Each of these houses governs a specific region and has the allegiance of many lesser houses. There is a march to war, and the Houses are now allying with each other and forming great armies.

After King Robert's (Mark Addy) death and Joffrey's (Jack Gleeson) ascending the Iron Throne, the North is set to free Lord Eddard "Ned' Stark (Sean Bean) from Queen mother Cersei's (Lena Headey) dungeons, and have amassed an army under Robb Stark (Richard Madden) with his mother's Lady Catelyn's (Michelle Fairley) blessing.  Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) talks his way out of certain death from the hillside tribes, only to have to face some frontline battle time with his dear old Dad Tywin (Charles Dance), cranky he had to go to war over his least favored child's incarceration for vanity and ego's sake.

In King's Landing, Sansa (Sophie Turner) is left free, pleading for her imprisoned father's life to Joffrey's court.  Arya (Maisie Williams) is suddenly on the lam, and Bran's (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) bodyguard; the giant naked Hodor (Kristian Nairn) is found to be quite well hung by chance when the Wilding female captured and kept at Winterfell comes upon the child that Hodor is assigned to protect, praying for his Father's safety. The direwolf Ghost alerts Jon Snow that a White Walker was among the guard at the Wall.  This was just a tiny part of the action tonight on HBO's "Game of Thrones."

The Wall of the North is active with supernatural spirits, and Jon (Kit Harrington) and his trusty direwolf Ghost save the Commander of the Night's Watch from a rogue White Walker.

Robb's strategy round table was more a rectangle, and Robb’s direwolf, Grey Wind, bit off two of Greatjon’s fingers. Instead of being angry, the Greatjon laughed off the missing digits and renewed his loyalty to Winterfell to save Lord Ned.

The Stark children are now sworn mortal enemies to House Lannister, and Sansa is in a precarious spot, seemingly favored by Cersei, but in her heart she is a daddy's girl, though not as much as Arya who spirited away when her fencing class was interrupted by the Lannister guards.

There is a saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps Daenerys, the Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke) a Targaryen with her own sad tales of Lannister cruelty to her house, will ally with House Stark. The Dothraki aren't equipped to deal with all that "winter is coming" business.

The previews for the next episode show she is hurt next week, but we know she will give Cersei a run for the money in the Queen department when that day comes.

A Lannister spy is found casing the Northern army encampment, and Robb sends him off with a message to Lord Lannister, and spares his life, enraging several key generals.

The true love that has developed between Khal Drogo and his Khaleesi is epic, in the times of arranged loveless marriages. Jason Momoa is naturally regal and physically blessed; he was well cast. The Dothraki rampage sees Daenerys put the brakes on the raping part of the victory spoils, and a high ranking Dothraki general was not pleased when Drogo allowed his "foreign born" wife (he calls the Khaleesi a whore) to seize the women as her wards protecting them from rape and assault.  Drogo masterfully kills this man and rips out his tongue.

Things that I never need to see again: Lord Robyn (Lino Facioli) diving in on mom Lady Lysa's (Kate Dickie) breast for a feeding. The child is 12 now? The first scene was hard enough to take.  Breastfeeding really needs to be over when children can speak in complete sentences and wipe their own arses.

The next Game of Thrones June 12 episode sees all out war begin, and the fate of Ned Stark, the Lannisters and the coming Dothraki across the narrow sea.  Will Jon Snow abandon The Wall in order to help his family?

In the June 12 episode of Game of Thrones, Ned is presented with the opportunity to save his life, but only if he'll swear fealty to Joffrey.  Robb soldiers South, while the Lannister army moves to meet them.  And Jon Snow is desperate to join his brother in the fight to free their Father.  Will he abandon the Guard?

HBO fired over the preview: