"Game of Thrones" season 1, episode 1, titled "Winter Is Coming," establishes the main characters and their respective houses, as well as the political and societal landscape of the fantasy world of Westeros. The episode opens with the Stark family, led by Lord Eddard Stark, discovering a dead stag and a dead direwolf. This foreshadows the Stark family's role in the series as protectors of the North and the direwolf as the symbol of House Stark. We also see Bran Stark climbing a castle tower, and he falls off and becomes paralyzed. This incident will play a significant role in the series.
Meanwhile, in King's Landing, we are introduced to the Lannisters, a wealthy and powerful family. We see the incestuous relationship between Queen Cersei Lannister and her twin brother Jaime Lannister. This sets up their role as the primary antagonists for the series. The episode also introduces the Night's Watch, a brotherhood of men who protect the realm from the Others, a supernatural threat beyond the Wall. Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Eddard Stark, joins the Night's Watch, foreshadowing his journey beyond the Wall.
Daenerys Targaryen, the last surviving member of the deposed Targaryen dynasty, marries Khal Drogo, the leader of the Dothraki, a nomadic horse-riding tribe. This marriage is a political move to gain support for reclaiming the Iron Throne. The episode ends with Bran Stark's mother Catelyn Stark receiving a message from her sister Lysa Arryn, that King Robert Baratheon, who was ruling the Seven Kingdoms, was planning to kill Bran Stark, as he was the only witness of the incestuous relationship of Queen Cersei Lannister and her twin brother Jaime Lannister. The episode sets up the main conflicts and characters for the series, including the Stark family's struggle for power and survival, the Lannisters' deceit and ambition, and the threat of the Others beyond the Wall. It establishes the complex political landscape of Westeros.
In summary, "Winter Is Coming" is a powerful premiere episode that sets the stage for the entire series. It introduces the main characters and their respective houses, as well as establishing the political and societal landscape of the fantasy world of Westeros. With the Stark family's struggle for power and survival, the Lannisters' deceit and ambition, and the threat of the Others beyond the Wall, this episode keeps the audience hooked from the very beginning. The episode's cliffhanger ending leaves the audience wanting more and eager for the next episode.
Read more: Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 2 recap in all languages.