1: Winter Is Coming — Episode

" Winter Is Coming ," the series premiere of , aired on April 17, 2011. Directed by Tim Van Patten and written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, it adapts the opening chapters of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones . Plot Summary

The episode ends with Ned’s son, Bran, witnessing Queen Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime Lannister, in an incestuous act. To protect their secret, Jaime pushes Bran from a high tower window. Core Themes & Symbolism Episode 1: Winter is Coming

Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark executes Will for desertion, upholding the value that "the man who passes the sentence should also swing the sword". Afterward, the Starks find a dead direwolf with six pups—mirroring the number and genders of Ned’s children, including his bastard son, Jon Snow. " Winter Is Coming ," the series premiere

In Pentos, exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen arranges a marriage between his sister Daenerys and Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo to secure an army to reclaim the Iron Throne. Martin’s A Game of Thrones

Three Rangers of the Night's Watch encounter ancient, supernatural creatures known as White Walkers. Will, the sole survivor, flees south but is captured as a deserter.

King Robert Baratheon arrives to ask Ned to become the new "Hand of the King" following the mysterious death of their mentor, Jon Arryn.