Game of Thrones (TV Series) A Golden Crown (2011) User Reviews

Fire cannot kill a dragon

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 15 August 2015]

Having survived his encounter with Jaime Lannister Ned is visited by the King and the Queen; she demands that Ned arranges for her brother Tyrion to be freed while Ned wants Jaime punished for what he did… the king just wants peace between the Starks and the Lannisters; something that seems less and less likely as time progresses. Tyrion is still captive in the Eyrie and demands that he be given a trial as is his right under the King's Law… as he knows he won't get a fair hearing he opts for trial by combat hoping they will wait for Jaime to get there to fight as his champion; they don't but another man stands up for him and he is prepared to fight dirty. Across the Narrow Sea Viserys is frustrated to see the way the people adore his sister and impatient to receive the golden crown he was promised; he should have been wary of the proverb 'be careful what you wish for; you might just get it'!

I think this was my favourite episode yet; it is packed with some great scenes… so many that it is hard to believe they all come from a single episode! The most memorable scene is of course the finale where we see Viserys get his crown; not only is it shocking, it is also important as it demonstrates that this series isn't afraid to kill of apparently major characters and shows just how tough Daenerys has become; both Harry Lloyd and Emilia Clarke were on top form. Other highlights include a brilliant scene between Maisie Williams and Miltos Yerolemou as Arya and her 'dance instructor' Syrio Forel and an utterly hilarious scene where Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister confesses… not to the crime he was accused of but to a variety of sexual matters starting at a surprisingly young age! These are just a few of the highlights in this great episode; an episode that was as much fun watching the second time as the first thanks to some subtle hints of things to come.

Take the Golden Crown!

[g-bodyl · 9/10 · 11 June 2015]

This is the sixth episode of the first season of Game of Thrones. It's a solid episode that has quite a bit happening for it. While the first half of the episode may be mostly talk and the struggles of trying to run a kingdom, the second half is spectacular on the action/drama front as we witness a sword duel and a brotherly hissy fit. The ending is fantastic, so hold on to your seats.

In this episode, "The Golden Crown," Ned reunites with King Robert as Robert leaves him in charge of the kingdom while he is off boar-hunting. Ned also sends Arya and Sansa back to Winterfell and in the process of doing so, he learns of a secret from John Arryn. Meanwhile, Tyrion requests a sword duel to seal his fate and Viserys is losing his patience with Drogo, whom Drogo has a surprise for.

Overall, I this another solid entry in this entertaining first season of the hit fantasy series. The ending is just worth watching this episode for. Also, in part due to Drogo's customs, there are quite a few bloody scenes. So for those who have squeamish stomachs, you may want to not eat anything before watching this episode.

My Grade: A

Probably The Best Episode So Far.

[slightlymad22 · 8/10 · 4 September 2014]

In this sixth episode we don't see the Wall for another episode.

What we do get is we get another good scene with Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). And we finally see what Robb can do in combat. We also get to see Arya with her "dancing master" Syrio Forel again and she learns a valuable lesson. Maisie Williams and Miltos Yerolemou are, once again, fabulous together. Ser Jorah and Viserys share a good scene too and Viserys comes across, for just a moment, as sympathetic. Just for a moment. And we see Ned make a shocking discovery.

My favourite scene of the season so far was Tyrions confession, who didn't want to know the end to Tyrion's story about taking a mule and a honeycomb into a brothel??

Tyrion played to perfection by Peter Dinklage and Arya played by Maisie Williams and dare I say it, noble Ned Stark played by Sean Bean (who I stated in an earlier review, I'm not a fan of him or any of his work) are easily my favourite characters so far.

I need to give special mention to Jerome Flynn, who's character still does not have a name on the show (but IMDb says is Bronn) who I'm really enjoying too.

One scene that puzzled me, was Joffrey's sudden apology to Sansa, 3 episodes after we saw Cersei advising her son to do just that. Why now?? We do get to see just how naive Sansa (Sophie Turner) is. Turner plays the scene very well going from being rude to her Septa Mordane (a superb Susan Brown) to smitten the minute Joffery arrives.

All I can think of, is it tied to a scene following shortly where Eddard announced he was sending the girls back to Winterfell, and Sansa's pleas to stay, she may have been happy to leave had Joffery not apologised. There is a nice moment in that scene that is just a look between Sean Bean and Maisie Williams as Sansa says "I don't want someone brave, handsome and strong... I want Joffery" it really showed the chemistry between the two.

Possibly the best episode so far!

Tough Decisions, Trial and Coronation

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 16 April 2014]

King Robert reinstates Ned as the King's Hand and goes hunting. Ned is recovering his wound on the leg but is forced to take tough decisions against Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in the name of the King. Tyrion demands a trial by combat and finds a knight to represent him. Viserys disrespects his sister Daenerys and Khal Drogo in front of their people demanding his golden crown and Drogo immediately resolves the situation.

"A Golden Crown" is another gripping episode of "Game of Thrones" with tough decisions take by Ned; the trial of Tyrion; and the coronation of the ambitious Viserys that finally receives a golden crown. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Golden Crown"

A crown for a King!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 9 January 2023]

This is the episode where you realize things are just getting better and better! Multiple plotpoints are developing with things set in motion!

The stars in this episode is, for me, Ned, Tyrion and Jorah! Tyrion has some great monologues doing the trial! The duel here is also really solid and memorable!

Jorah's developement also grows as his perspective on Danearys changes, as we see in the scene with him and Viserys! He respects her now! We also see how Ned values honor more than anything! He does not care who you are and will confront/punish you if you're actions are wrong! This has been shown to us and we will see it again.

The highlight of the episode though is the final scene which still remains one of the most iconic in.the series! It is one that comes to mind when i think of season 1 both for how brutal and satisfying it is!

Crack

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 16 June 2020]

I like the bit where that bloke fell out of the hole when he lost the fight

Game of Thrones: S1E6 "A Golden Crown" Review - King Cadmium

[kingcadmium · 9/10 · 23 February 2022]

While recovering from his battle with Jamie, Ned has to run the kingdom while Robert goes hunting. Tyrion demands a trial by combat for his freedom. Viserys is losing his patience with Drogo.

What I Liked:

The dialogue in this show is top-notch, feeling organic and rarely trite, and this episode is no exception. It's a testament to the level of care every person involved has given.

As usual, it is impossible not to be impressed by the high-quality production value, as well as the meticulous attention to detail. Again, acting all around is solid.

Viserys' death is perhaps the most shocking scene so far, giving this unpleasant character the perfect send-off, leaving the viewer wanting more as soon as the credits roll.

What I Disliked:

Joffrey's apology to Sansa was odd, considering they hadn't spoken since episode two. While not a bad scene by any means, it came across as an interaction that should have occurred two or three episodes ago.

Overall:

Game of Thrones continues to deliver, with yet another fantastic episode this early in its run. You would be hard-pressed to find a show more tautly written and produced.

9/10

King Cadmium.

Just an amazing episode.

[affel-55578 · 10/10 · 4 April 2017]

Another amazing episode, the show keeps getting better after each episode. Great twist and turns and character development and so on.

Amazing music and acting. Just amazing.

10 out of 10.

Amazing.

That's Some Crown, That Golden Crown

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 21 April 2015]

From the interaction between Ned and the King to the trial of our diminutive friend in the castle, this is non-stop entertainment. There is more of the maneuvering for power. There are the barbarians who now have a queen who must show her resolve by eating the heart of a horse (yes, the whole thing). We see her brother invade a world where he is an alien but doesn't get it. Ned maintains his morality as his wife goes off, causing problems. We have his daughter, betrothed to the king, acting in her selfish, childish way. Bran almost gets it. Most of the children, including that awful suckling child, are really selfish and full of themselves. The Prince comes and makes peace with the daughter, but we must remember how hollow his offer is, how self serving. She, of course, is too dense to understand what is going on.

A King Wears A Golden Crown, Right?

[gab-14712 · 9/10 · 27 June 2019]

"A Golden Crown" is another great hour of television and it features Game of Thrones at it best. There is plenty of dialogue to digest, but there are some cool action scenes and some rather squeamish imagery, in part, due to the customs of the Dothraki. If I were you, I would advise against eating anything before watching this episode, especially if you cannot stand the sight of blood. This episode is also quite humorous thanks to the lovely quips from Tyrion.

The main focus here is across the Narrow Sea with Khal Drogo and Daenerys. It is amazing to see how quickly Daenerys goes from sobbing little girl to steely queen. I guess that little girl wouldn't have the heart to eat a horse's heart, a delightfully gross sequence. Of course, Viserys is the snobbish kingly wannabe and in his next confrontation with his sister, it proves to be his last as Viserys meets his doom by molten gold being poured on him. Definitely a clever plan by Khal Drogo!

As we head back to the Eyrie where Tyrion is being kept prisoner, maybe Catelyn acted a little too rash in her kidnapping of the youngest Lannister sibling. Regardless, Peter Dinklage stole the show with his humor. His interaction with the guard, Mort was fun, but the best part is when he "confessed his crime." His stories about his brothel adventures is nothing short of hilarious, and I loved the reaction of Lysa's son, Robin. He also enlists Bronn to fight for his freedom, and we see how scary the Eyrie's moon door can be.

Back in King's Landing, King Robert forgives Ned (who survived the fight with Jaime), much to Cersei's displeasure. As Robert is about to go hunting, he gives the throne to Ned. Ned uses his fatherly instincts to protect his daughters and sends them back to King Landing. The bratty Sansa doesn't want to go because she "wants to make blond babies with Joffrey." Arya also has some good moments with Silvio.

Back in Winterfell, there are some great brotherly scenes between Robb, Bran, and Theon. We see how great Robb handles the sword and we learn about Bran's vision of the three-eyed raven.

This was another great episode, and this episode should end the world-building and the character development for now because I have a feeling that crazy things are going to happen in droves as we send the first season! Fantastic acting is found aplenty, thanks to the likes of Sean Bean, and especially Peter Dinklage. There is some really awesome and somethings disgusting things to behold but prepare to be laughing thanks to Tyrion's hijinks.

My Grade: A

Not the full potential, but still really great

[stillworkingfortheknife · 31 May 2013]

The previous episode was awesome and so my expectations in this "A Golden Crown" were pretty high. As it turns out, it totally manages to hold up the pace of its predecessor and contains a couple of important things happening. I was extremely looking forward to see how things will be after Ned's and Jaime's fight and it already began in a superb way when Ned awoke with a furious Cersei and a King Robert who has finally calmed down after his uproar in "The Wolf and the Lion" standing in his room. The episode didn't get any worse after that, but I'd say it was already one of the best moments.

The continuation of the storyline of Catelyn and Tyrion proved to be hilarious with once again, a marvelous monologue by Peter Dinklage and great performances by all other actors involved. The sword fighting in this episode was too really well-made and the fight scene in which we first meet Bronn was incredibly cool.

Ned's discovery in this episode was great as well and really blew my mind because I'm completely unaware of the plot of this series. Sean Bean continually improves in his role and is amazing when he gets to be the regent while reminding the audience that he is clearly the most likable character on this show. It was also really nice to see Isaac Hempstead Wright doing something again and I think it's really interesting how Theon Greyjoy gets more and more important.

Clearly the best part about "A Golden Crown" is the story part of Viserys, Daenerys, and the Dothrakis who return to the screen after their short absence in the previous episode. There are some major things happening with those characters and we really get to see how the characters progress - all of this is staged perfectly and has a really dark and captivating look to it since all of their scenes are set indoors. The final scene of this episode may just be the best Game of Thrones moment yet and I was so freaked out because of how fantastic this was.

I'm completely intrigued in the plot (except for the one at the Night's Watch. Seriously, I didn't miss Jon Snow and all his colleagues at all in this and the last episode - I almost forgot that those characters existed when I was watching these two awesome episodes) and technically, it's extremely well-made. But I can't help myself but to think that Game of Thrones still has a tad more potential to it than it shows us at the moment with supernatural stuff and really big fight scenes still stashed away from the audiences. I'm hoping that the season finale will provide me with the scenes I expect and for now I just stay with loving all the amazing characters and visuals.

Entertaining parallel stories revolving around a wonderful and dark Daenerys but sharp editing and greedy writing

[igoatabase · 8/10 · 23 May 2011]

The previous installment Stark versus Lannister driven story was thrilling but it had a drawback. Indeed it revealed one flaw of the show, its editing. I just found the numerous switches between arcs a little annoying because the transitions weren't smooth enough. Compared to Lost's season 6 for example it lacked some creativity, original ideas to link them instead of sharp cuts. I love Arya and her dancing session in Lord Snow was fantastic but here it felt slightly misplaced or at least not well staged. It's probably the issue when dealing with so many parallel stories, they just can't be all properly covered in one single episode. In my opinion their mistake was to even tell the anecdotic ones like the prostitute flying away or the king hunting. Of course their purpose was to feed the more important ones but I can't help thinking that they should have better arranged them. Or maybe I was just disappointed that it wasn't a special Daenerys installment. I mean she's such a fascinating and ambivalent character ! The Queen of Dothraki literally stole the screen and her few scenes were both shocking and intriguing. One reference that stroke my mind ? Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ! Yes because Lady Stark, her strange sister and the dwarf were back too. The dungeon is apparently full of surprises and as a roleplayer I'm already dreaming of giant dragons and wicked pitfalls ! If only the show's format was more elegant, like in Fringe's season 3 for instance. Still it didn't change the fact that most story arcs, because I was a bit disappointed by Ned's one, were excellent. As for the ending it confirmed again that Game of Thrones is not for the faint of heart. Long live the King !

Another great episode that features non-stop entertainment

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 9/10 · 13 April 2016]

A Golden Crown is another great episode that features non-stop entertainment. The interactions from the characters are great including Ned Stark and the King and the trial sequence is really interesting. Even the story arc for the Lannister family shines and the interactions between them (and sorry for forgetting to mention that name) are also interesting. My only quibble is that it did drag a bit long.

Still, the acting's still great with the performances continuing to shine, the scenery remains gorgeous, the script is smart, the story is good, the dialog is fresh, and the music score continues to have an atmosphere. So, overall, another great episode. Thumbs up! :)

Goodbye

[hmoudd · 10/10 · 17 May 2019]

I can't believe we will bid farewell the best series in the history, I'm really sad and my heart is broken 💔 Thanks for everything it was an amazing days 👋🏻💔

A Crown Fit For A Mad Prince

[Deadlyknights · 9/10 · 7 November 2022]

Robert goes hunting and Ned must take over as king for the time he is gone. Viserys increasingly is becoming fed up with Drogo not keeping his end of the "deal" and losing more and more control of Daenerys. A trial is held for the captive Tyrion, and the epic quote "I DEMAND A TRIAL BY COMBAT". Viserys loses his mind.

By far the most eventful episode so far. So much is packed into 1 hour that you wonder how none of the plots feel rushed. The pacing is absolutely stellar throughout the episode and leaves pretty much nothing to be desired more. It's not the most perfect episode of TV i've seen. But it stands as a thrilling ride of heart pumping action scenes, amazing dialogue, glowing set pieces and masterful directing.

A Little Slower But Really Good

[Rainey-Dawn · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

Season 1, episode 6. I found a little slower than the first 5 BUT it's really good. We finally get to see the trial of Tyrion, Ned finds out more information on the Lannisters and of Jon Arryn's murder and Viserys' Golden Crown will leave you shocked!

9.5/10

Shines like gold

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 21 November 2017]

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

'Game of Thrones' first season continues to keep going from strength to strength. There is not a bad episode for me in the first season and "A Golden Crown" is among its better ones. "A Golden Crown" is closer to the more focused and tightly paced sort of stories than to the quieter in action and more reflective ones, the latter's been actually very well on 'Game of Thrones' but the richer and more layered storytelling and characterisation do fare a little better for me.

"A Golden Crown" is particularly noteworthy for the parts dealing with the Dothraki and also the moral dilemma of the way of ruling and fighting for honour and justice. The episode is also worth seeing for the powerful ending alone. Note of warning, "A Golden Crown" is not for the easily squeamish, definitely watch it before eating anything.

Visually, "A Golden Crown" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "A Golden Crown" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The monologues, Peter Dinklage has a particularly great one, and exchanges all add hugely to the character development. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.

Helped by the superb character and multi-layered writing throughout, the acting is hard to find faults. Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean are as always marvellous. Harry Lloyd provides a masterclass in how to humanise a villain and do it superbly, while Emilia Clarke shows that the more her role further expands and gets more interesting the more maturity there is.

In conclusion, another wonderful episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Not a Dragon

[AvionPrince16 · 8/10 · 26 April 2022]

Tyrion finally won the fight and become free of charges against him, Daenerys see her brother get killed in front of her eyes. And the relationship between Stark and Lannister families degrade a lot. Gregor Clegane is considered as a traitor. The Stark compell her daughters to go back to winterfell but they dont want because of marriage. Bran also get attacked by savages and finally get rescued and a woman name Osha is being prisoner. An interesting episode with some consequences: the attack by the lannister, the trial of Tyrion, Daenerys being less slave from her brother's desires. Maybe a war is coming. Need to see more.

A Golden Crown, S1 EP6 review

[mohammedadallawati · 9/10 · 1 November 2022]

Soundtrack : (9/10) Dialogue : (9.5/10) Story : (9.4/10) Cinematography : (9.1/10) Character development : (9.3/10) Conflict : (9.4/10) Excitement : (9.3/10) Reasonableness : (9.3/10) Overall : (9.3/10)

Pros :

• A solid beginning to the episode. Ned's honor in protecting his wife although he didn't give the command of arresting Tyrion. Robert slapping Cersei. The dialogue. Ooof everything is great in this scene.

• we meet Osha. The fight was good.

• I love Tyrion using his wits to save himself. Him mocking the whole audience is gold. We get introduced to the law of a trial by combat. The duel was breath taking and really well done. We see Bronn's skill and and the start of his relationship with Tyrion.

• Gosh I love Serio. He lessons are so important to Arya. We can tell how she looks up to him.

• Jorah challenging Viserys was amazing. Their talk is so good.

• I loved the scene where Ned sentences The Mountain to death. The only justice to ever come from the Iron Throne.

• Joffrey seems kind.... He he he...

• Ned figures the truth about Cersei and Jaime. Arya is hilarious with her smirk and replies.

• the ending is perfect. Nothing more to say. A perfect end to a great character.

Cons :

• Daenerys eating the horse's heart is gross and pointless. It doesn't add a lot to the plot or the character. I feel they could've cut this scene.

• Renly for some reason which I don't understand gets mad. The hunting scene could love been done better.

• I didn't care for the scene between Ros and Theon. A bit pointless.

Game of Thrones - A Golden Crown

[Scarecrow-88 · 9/10 · 20 August 2018]

Well, Viserys Targaryen receives his golden crown, and Khal Drogo gives it to him...in the form of gold melted in a pot over a boiling fire! Good reddens to bad rubbish, even if he was blond and called himself some dragon. And while Viserys receives the crown, his sister-very pregnant and unwilling to look away no matter how much voice of reason, the loyal Jorah Mormont, requests-Daenerys holds her head high, declaring him as no dragon. This comes after Viserys tried to snatch the dragon eggs to pay for *another* army and supplies, with Jorah standing in his way and Daenerys impressively gobbles up an entire horse heart without vomit! Clearly Daenerys has surpassed her bossy, demanding brother, allowing him to die before her without argument. Daenerys is now officially Khaleesi and she has named her child, Rhaegar

Tyrion was in quite a pickle. Captured and imprisoned at Lysa's castle prison, designed to tilt slightly in order to potentially dump those who sleep to their doom, Tyrion seriously needs to escape this situation pronto, doing so when he appeals to his captors for a trial by combat. Lucky for Tyrion, Bronn will happily oblige while Lysa firmly considers her supposedly greatest, honorable knight, Vardis Egen, quite capable of finishing this without much concern. However, Bronn doesn't fight honorable, or even with shield, and uses whatever sneaky tactics he needs to in order to survive and vanquish Egen. Cat and Lysa have no choice but to watch as Tyrion is freed of his shackles, Bronn agreeably satisfied with his victory. Certainly for Bronn, helping a Lannister has its rewards.

It is all going to hell at King's Landing, though. The Lannisters sending out The Mountain and soldiers to attack Cat's Tully people, Ned Stark investigating Joffrey who is the "blond prince" when all of the Baratheons are black-haired, Ned condemning The Mountain and stripping him of his title and prestige while also demanding Tywin's (Cersei's father, who husband Robert is deeply in debt to) presence at the throne, Cersei demanding Ned pay for his temporary combat with her brother, Robert striking Cersei for her harsh words towards him (questioning the manhood of Robert Baratheon, telling him perhaps she should wear the crown and him the gown!), Ned preparing his daughters (Arya doesn't wish to quit her sword lessons while Sansa has patched things up with Joffrey and wishes to marry only him) for a return to Winterfell, and Jaime currently gone from his post due to engaging with Ned; all of these developments leading us to the inevitable doom of both Ned and Robert.

With marauders attempting to take Bran's horse (and trying to remove him from it!) as Robb attempts to interfere, with Greyjoy ultimately assisting with his bow/arrow; the Starks are scattered and often facing surrounding peril/tensions within the Seven Kingdoms. While Theon Greyjoy tries and fails to keep his favorite prostitute from leaving Winterfell, his attempts to convince Robb to wage war on the Lannisters also proves unsuccessful.

All of this intrigue continues to build towards the first season finale, but Ned and Robert's time in King's Landing is drawing to a close. Robert unable to halt the efforts of his Hand from stirring up the Lannisters (who often get their way because of the depths they are willing to sink) will not end well for either of them. While all of this is building towards Joffrey securing the crown, Daenerys has strengthened herself into a Queen.

The little ironies: Joffrey "apologies" and "recommits" to Sansa, as Septa Mordane looks on. Sansa is essentially the Stark version of Joffrey, speaking down to Mordane, disregarding her history and presence. That Tyrion was responsible for the design of the saddle that Bran uses to ride his white horse and yet stand trial for the assassin using his dagger. Robert brags about being a great soldier, missing the battles and combat, taken to task by his younger brother, Renly, for celebrating a time where many died, dragons attacked cities, and the Mad King burned alive innocent people. Arya given sage advice from Syrio, her sword trainer, to remember that the only god to fear is death...and she does often avoid this god despite death's efforts to have her. Littlefinger's influence during a small council meeting on Ned, resulting in further estrangement of the Lannisters...the results of this leading to "off with his head!"

Solid Gold Standard

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 15 June 2019]

Following on from the exciting and shocking confrontation between Jaime and Ned at the end of the previous episode we begin this episode with Ned, injured and recovering in bed overlooked by King Robert and the vile Cersei. A really good scene between the three culminates in Robert demanding Ned continues as Hand of the King and takes care of matters while he goes on a hunt to 'clear his mind'. The drama is intense with Ned and Cersei at loggerheads, a wounded Ned making a big decision to clash with Tywin Lannister and his bannerman Gregor (The Mountain) Clegane and Robert's hunt bringing about a serious mishap that throws everything into chaos. Meanwhile Tyrion hilariously confronts Lysa Arryn and demands trial by combat in the Eyrie.

Alongside all the Kings Landing events we also have things developing dramatically across the Narrow Sea with Dany, Viserys and Drogo which climaxes with a tremendous final scene that is thrilling and satisfyingly shocking. It features a silly aspect of gold appearing to melt very quickly in a hot cooking pot (which would not happen) but is acted out so thrillingly and has such an amazing visual moment of horror that I have to forgive the little 'mistake' of the too easily melting gold.

This all brings a fantastic mixture of excitement, tension, intrigue and thrills with some great humour thrown in. As well as the amusement from Tyrion, we get a lovely funny scene with Sansa and Arya with Ned when Sansa talks of her love for Joffrey.

The acting, dialogue and action are all top notch and it all looks a visual treat. There are so many nice scenes of dialogue, including a beautiful scene between Arya and the wonderful Syrio Forel. This aspect is far better in the series than in the books.

This is a superb episode. 10/10.

AKA: The one where we get a true sense of how justice in Westeros functions

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 28 September 2020]

Grade: A-

A Golden Crown is an episode primarily concerned with justice in Westeros. It shouldn't be a surprise by this point that the justice systems contained within this fantastical/medieval realm are different from our own, but it is still shocking how violent it can get.

That being said, in King's Landings, things are more civilised... for now, at least. It is most reminiscent of what we currently have in our real world, with numerous people behind the scenes pulling the strings, everyday people being given a more symbolic sense of power, often quite empty in nature, and every now and then, the system gets somebody like Ned Stark, trying to do the best they can to uphold good values within a system that lets less moral people thrive more and more.

In The Vale, things are a lot less balanced, and perhaps unfortunately for those directly involved, a whole lot more exciting. Tyrion is not given a fair chance to defend himself initially, with a presumption of guilt rather than innocence, but is allowed to request a trial by combat. Luckily for him, it works, and once Bronn kills the knight appointed by the other side, Tyrion is allowed to walk off as a free man. Honestly, this sequence is one of the highlights of the season- it's a scrappy, awkward, but still very engaging one-on-one fight, and the visual of the other guy getting pushed out of the moon door is a pretty cool one.

Then we get to the Dothraki, and their sense of justice is even more out there and brutal. Viserys believes himself to have the upper hand, staging something of a one-man coup within a sacred site, where the Dothraki are not permitted to shed any blood. Khal Drogo, however, taking a zero-tolerance approach to Viserys threatening his new bride, finds a way to brutally and violently execute Viserys for his crimes without shedding blood in a literal sense, pouring some boiling, liquid metal over his head. The metallic thud his head makes, after the metal solidifies and burns him to death, will probably never leave my mind. Viserys made for a very good villain, but with so many other characters, there was certainly an opportunity here to kill him off in a satisfying yet surprising fashion here. No one expected Viserys to ever end up on the throne, but I don't think many people expected him to last just over half a season. It's a warning to villainous characters that they're just as expendable within this world, and that death does not discriminate.

This is another very strong episode that builds things up more, pushes everything forward, and provides a couple of very memorable moments that really help define the season, and the show going forward. As is usually the case for an episode in season 1: it's absolutely fantastic stuff.

GOT Binge...

[jcbsn · 9/10 · 18 June 2016]

The queen sucks and is super manipulative. Still cant believe she is banging her brother and we're on the sixth episode. At the same time the king also sucks. Hopefully these winter people actually know how to run shiz, because I'll be surprised if they don't take things over with next to no effort. That is if they can get past Jon Snow. Or at least the Targaryans will. Speaking, OH SEVEN HELLS YEAH WE'RE GETTING SOME DRAGONS!

Bran finally makes Robb prove his worth. Targaryen is becoming pretty hardcore. If you ask me, if she can tame Drogo she can train a dragon. Her brother realizes he's screwed, but is also pretty hopeless. I'll add him to the list of people I won't feel bad about if they die, along with all of the Lannister's except Tyrion, who can talk his way out of anything. Probably even death by dragon.

And what is it with all these young princes being obnoxiously psychotic? Maybe because the kings are crazy drunkards. Another reason Jon Snow should be the rightful king. If this were made by Disney he would probably be king by now. Although, Stark has some good potential, and is spitting some hot fire against the Lannister's.

Nice to see Drogo do something hard-core. Really hoping for a Drogo vs the The Mountain showdown.

Real Dragon?

[inefableataraxia · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

Daenerys put a Dragon's egg into the fire and then take it out with her hands but didn't get burn marks like Irri did when she was helping her. Robb had a discussion with Theon and he says to him that he is not from this house. After Bran is cornered by some thieves. Robb comes to his saving taking off one of them. But then his brother is taking hostage to which Theon kills him and not a single thanks from Robb. And where is everyone else? Shouldn't they be more guarded? Daenerys eats a heart and names his son Rhoan in honor to his uncle. Tyrion asks for an opportunity to confess his "crimes" to which he don't talk about trying to kill Bran, of course, he didn't do it. Instead he asks for a fight trial. And ask for someone to fight for him. Bronn fights for him and kill the man unhonorably. I knew he couldn't fight like he said so I suppose this should be what a man in his position should probably do. And yet asking for someone to him is asking for lady luck message because he can't know if the fighter will be capable or would sacrifice himself so he die. There should be other way, unless he had some sort of agreement with Bronn beforehand. Joffrey ask for forgivness to Sansa, she says that she doesn't need to apologize he for nothing and then he says that he will never be cruel or disrespect her again. And like a Disney movie they kiss. Except this is not a Disney world. Sansa is inside a fairy tale delusion and she might be used by the Lannister for their own benefit. And she will be caught in the cross fire. Eddard sees some old book about the Baratheon house lineage and all of them have black hair but Joffrey. And yet the data is too small and the mother genes are important too. So I get what they tried to do here and as such I will let it pass. Viserys has gone mad and now threats Daenerys unborn child to get a crown and so Khal accepts but is a crown made with fire. And so he dies at contact. And no real Dragon can die from fire. So he was not a Dragon. Daenerys is the real Dragon.

Story goes on

[kevinaguirre-47730 · 8/10 · 16 June 2021]

Entertaining episode, although not excellent. Funny how the King called Tyron Lannister "imp little s***". The King has changed his humor and goes to a hunting trip. Ned does things that surprise the Royal Council. Finally, Tyron is freed by the matriarch Lady Arryn. Interesting depiction of that kingdom.