Game of Thrones explained

 

     HBO's Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows of the 21st century and many critics consider it a top 5 or 10 show of all time. Based off of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, GoT features extremely well-written characters, intricate plotlines, stunning locations and visuals, and unpredictability. However, for a first-time viewer it can be difficult to grasp everything initially. There's a plethora of characters, families ("Houses"), locations, titles, religions, and plotlines all intertwined and in the beginning it's difficult to see how these all tie together. I myself don't think it made much sense in the beginning when I watched the first 2 seasons as an 18 year old the summer before my sophomore year of college. 

     I ended up continuing and finishing the show and loving it just like everyone else, but what would have been super helpful in the beginning would have been some sort of "cheat-sheet" to help "make it make sense" and give an overview of the major players and landscape of everything going on in Westeros. So that will be the aim of this article. To help you better understand everything I wish someone explained to me before watching the show. I'll cover everything from major families, to major locations, to chain of command, to history before the show, to motivations and plotlines. It may be complex, but it's a fascinating world that Martin has built. Here are the basic but essential sparknotes:

Who ruled before the events of Game of Thrones?

     The show begins with Robert Baratheon as King and Cersei Lannister as Queen, however it was actually House Targaryen who ruled for nearly 300 years before Robert's rebellion. The prequel/spin-off series "House of the Dragon" covers this era.

     This reign began with Aegon the Conqueror and lasted nearly 300 years. During this time, the Targaryen's procreated with one-another to preserve a pure-blood bloodline. This dynasty lasted until Aerys Targaryen II, AKA the "Mad King". The Targaryen's had a history of "madness" which allegedly was caused by the incestuous lineage, and Aerys was the worst of the bunch as his reign became increasingly erratic, obsessive, and murderous.

     As things worsened, others finally felt it was time for action to be taken against the Targaryen's, and a successful rebellion was led by Robert and Ned Stark to overthrow and usurp the Mad King and the Targaryen's. The Lannister's also played a part in aiding this cause. Tywin Lannister, who was Hand of the King at the time, double-crossed the Mad King by requesting an army under false pretenses and then using said army to sack the city, and then Jaime Lannister, who was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard at the time, ended up stabbing the Mad King in the back and killing him at the time, earning him the nickname "Kingslayer".

     In the aftermath of the uprising, Robert is made king and agrees to take Cersei as Queen for the Lannister's assistance in the rebellion. Ned eventually becomes Hand of the King (a position he does not want, but accepts to help protect Robert) when Jon Arryn is murdered.

And what about during/after Season 1?

     Since we have completed season 1, we can also update to this point. Robert was slain by a wild boar while on a hunting trip, something framed to look like an accident, but was helped along by Lancel Lannister, Robert's squire, frequently serving him wine that was much stronger than Robert believed. A more sober Robert may have been able to better defend himself from the boar, but the King was to inebriated to save himself, which is what the Lannister's wanted.

     On his deathbed, Robert, still believing Joffrey to be his true born son, appoints Ned to rule until Joffrey is of age. But Ned knows the truth about Joffrey's lineage and ensures the fine print specifies that the "rightful heir" will be next to rule.

     But who is the rightful heir? The way this works is Game of Thrones is that if the king has one or more "trueborn" sons, meaning a son of two married parents, then the eldest son would be the rightful heir. If a king does not have a trueborn son, then the oldest male sibling would be in line to be the next king. Because he believes Joffrey is his son, Robert believes he is the rightful heir. But Ned knows the rightful heir is Robert's oldest brother, Stannis.

     The Lannister's know the truth as well (for obvious reasons lol), but knowing they will no longer be in power if Stannis takes over, they maintain this lie. They believe if Joffrey king they can use him to do their bidding and rule through him. But this new claim to the Throne gives Joffrey a sense of entitlement and power, and his personal insanity and erratic tendencies make him not as easy to manage and manipulate as the Lannister's had hoped. This is most evident in Ned's beheading, where Joffrey's bloodthirst and bitterness wins out over the family's preferred plan of showing mercy by banishing Ned to The Wall.

So entering Season 2, who all is claiming the Throne and why?

     For starters, Joffrey and Stannis, both of whom legitimately believe it is rightfully theirs. Joffrey is aware there are rumors of his lineage, but the Lannister's reassure him these are fabricated by others who seek the Throne.

     Renley Baratheon, younger brother of Stannis, also wants to throw his name into the ring. Renley knows legally it's his brother's, but he believes he would make a better king and that the Realm should do what is in the best interest of the people rather than what the law says. Renley believes his popularity, charisma, and alliances with other powerful houses, would make him a more suitable ruler than his brother who lacks the same personality and charm and fails to inspire and bring others together.

     And then across the Narrow Sea we have Daenarys Targaryen, who still feels the Throne is her family's birthright since it was unfairly stripped from them via Robert's Rebellion. She sees it as her duty to reclaim her family's lost power and legacy and what was rightfully theirs before being overthrown and betrayed.

     At the end of season 1, following the execution of Ned, the notable houses of the North secede (mainly House Stark and their loyal allies and followers) to become an independent kingdom and appoint Robb Stark as the "King of the North". The others don't see it this way, and still see the north as part of the 7 Kingdoms.

After the King/Queen who else is in power?

     Just underneath the King/Queen are the members of the Small Council. Think of this as similar to the members of the President's Cabinet, a small group of individuals whose expertise in various areas help advise the King with his decision making. This includes the following

Hand of the King - Essentially 2nd in command to the King, similar to a Vice President

Master of Coin - Similar to a Treasurer, in charge of the kingdom's economy and financial matters.

Master of Whispers - Head of spy networks across the Realm, an inside information gatherer.

Master of Ships - Head of the Realm's Naval fleet.

Master of Laws - Legal advisor and head of law enforcement

Lord Commander of the Kingsguard - Head military advisor. Typically an established soldier or knight. Also leader of the Kingsguard (the knights in gold cloaks who protect the king)

Grand Maester - Unappointed representative of the Maesters (wise elderly people) who provides guidance through wisdom and experience.

     Under Joffrey's rule, Tywin (head of the Lannister family, father of Cersei, Jamie, and Tyrion) is the Hand of the King, however he has sent Tyrion in his place in an effort to better control Joffrey. Jamie is also named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Being retained from Robert's Small Council are Master of Coin Lord Baelish (skinny dark-haired guy who owns the Brothel) and Master of Whispers Lord Varys (chubby bald man known as "The Spider"), and Grand Maester Pycelle (elderly bearded man).

Brief Overview of the Major Houses and Plotlines

House Stark

Sigil: Direwolf

Homebase: Winterfell
Main Characters: Ned, Catelyn, Robb, Jon Snow, Sansa, Arya, Bran

     The main characters of Season 1 and the House that most viewers would probably consider "the good guys". Ned is the main protagonist of season 1, which made his death all the more shocking and set a precedent early on that no character was safe no matter how important. A common theme throughout the series is that the Starks experience a great deal of pain and suffering, but still find ways to carry on and move forward. Jon Snow is Ned's bastard son, whose mother is unknown at this time, while the remaining children are all trueborn offspring of Ned and Catelyn.

     At the end of season 1, the Stark children are all separated from one another. Robb is in the Riverlands fighting Lannister armies. Jon is at The Wall serving in the Night's Watch. Sansa remained in King's Landing initially hoping to marry Joffrey and become Queen but regretting that decision more and more by the day. Arya, now disguised as a boy named Arry, escaped King's Landing during the siege of the city and is headed with a group of recruits to The Wall. And Bran remains in Winterfell, along with less important little brother Rickon, after losing mobility in his legs.

House Lannister

Sigil: Lion

Homebase: Casterly Rock (but currently King's Landing)

Main Characters: Tywin, Cersei, Jamie, Tyrion, Joffrey

     The main house in power at the end of season 1 and the wealthiest house in the 7 kingdoms. With the exception of Tyrion, the members of this house are seen as villains.

     Tywin is the patriarch and the honor and legacy of the house are of the utmost importance to him. Because of this, he favors war-hero Jamie and Queen Cersei to Tyrion, who he has always despised for being born an Imp. Cersei is a ruthless queen and mother who will protect her children and loved ones at all costs. She'll do whatever it takes to remain in power, regardless of how morally wrong her tactics may be. There is a genuine love between Cersei and Jaime, who have brought 3 children into this world (Joffrey, younger brother Tommen, and younger sister Myrcella). Jamie is one of the best swordsman in the 7 kingdoms and as aforementioned was the one ultimately responsible for killing the Mad King by plunging a sword through his back. This earned him the nickname "Kingslayer", a nickname he is not fond of as it symbolizes betrayal and not honoring his oath to protect the king. Tyrion may be small in stature, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in his intelligence and quick wit. He has the same talent for political maneuvering that his father has, and his love of reading gives him extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects. Due to his condition and family issues, he has sympathy for other outcasts. There's no real nice way to describe Joffrey so we might as well just call him what he is, an insufferable little shit. He's inherently bad and cruel, and gaining all the power only exacerbated those traits within him. 

At season 1's conclusion, Joffrey has claimed the throne and rules as a tyrant with Cersei by his side. Tyrion has been sent to King's Landing by Tywin to serve as the Hand and help keep Joffrey in check. Jamie is being help captive as a prisoner by Robb Stark and his army.

House Targaryen

Sigil: Dragon

Homebase: Dragonstone

Main Characters: Daenarys

     As aforementioned, the original house that ruled over everyone before the rebellion, largely thanks to their dragons helping them conquer. But the rebellion wipes out nearly all of them, with the exceptions of Daenarys and Viserys who escape King's Landing and were smuggled to Essos by a loyalist. Technically Aemon Targaryen, an elderly maester of the Night's Watch, counts as well, but he gave up his surname and all inheritance rights when he took his vows. The Targaryen's are all golden-haired and light skinned, they can be ill-tempered and often driven to madness with the reasons largely being attributed to the long line of family incest.

     Season 1 shows Viserys motivated to reclaim what was wrongfully taken from his family. His plan involves marrying sister Daenarys off to Dothraki leader Khal Drogo in exchange for an extremely powerful and skilled Dothraki army to lead into war. But Viserys quickly learns that the Dothraki aren't just going to submit to him and do his bidding. Visery's temper and sense of entitlement ends up being his downfall, resulting in a death by having steaming hot melted gold poured over his head by Khal Drogo.

     On the contrary, Daenarys is able to earn the respect of the Dothraki through her kinder ways and her willingness to connect with her people and partake in their culture and traditions. She's able to win over the more influential members of the group like Drogo and Jorah, but after surviving the evening in a burning pyre unharmed and with 3 new dragon hatchlings (the first in over a century), all are willing to bend the knee.  

House Baratheon

Sigil: Stag

Homebase: Storm's End

Main Characters: Robert, Stannis, Renley, Gendry

     The main names to know here are Robert, Stannis, and Renley, but only two of them are still alive after Season 1. In hindsight, Robert was an average king. He wasn't unhinged or evil like the Mad King or Joffrey, but the majority of his time is spent drinking wine, banging whores, and reminiscing on his glory days as a warrior.

     Though referenced in Season 1, Stannis doesn't actually appear until Season 2, but it's clear he intends to come after what is rightfully his. He's a proven soldier, but he has a cool exterior and a lifeless personality. Renley is not a military badass like his older brothers, but he's more charming and personable and believes this would better help him unify the kingdoms.

      In the closing minutes of Season 2 Episode 1, we see the City Watch murdering all of King Robert's bastard children, whom the Lannister's wish to eliminate before any of them can claim the throne. However they discover too late that one of them, Gendry, has already left the city and is travelling to the Wall as part of the same caravan as Arya.

The Wall/Castle Black

     A literal gigantic wall of ice that serves as a northern border for the 7 kingdoms. The Wall is manned by the members of the Night's Watch, who serve a lifetime guarding and protecting it from outsiders. The members take sacred vows, which include celibacy and never marrying or fathering children, and breaking them is punishable by death. The humans who live beyond the Wall are known as "Wildlings". The viewers know that White Walkers, blue-eyed ice zombies, are out there as well, though the main characters of the show are skeptical of this as none have been seen for thousands of years.

     Jon Snow and his companions are the focal point of this storyline. The most important of these companions is Sam, a chubby unskilled boy who joins the watch to avoid being hunted by his ashamed father who forms a friendship with Jon and becomes his right hand man. It's evident that Jon is the most skilled in combat among the new recruits. This causes the others recruits to resent him in the beginning, however his humility, fair treatment, and genuine camaraderie ultimately earn their respect.

     Season 1 concludes with Jon fleeing the wall to join half-brother Robb in his war to avenge Ned's death, but his friends track him down and are able to convince him to return. Despite knowing this, his mentor Jeor Mormont orders him to join him on an expedition beyond the Wall. The goals of this expedition are to counter the threats of the Wildlings, explore the rumors of the White Walkers further, and look for Jon's uncle Benjen Stark, who has gone missing. In the beginning of Season 2, the expedition visits Craster's Keep, where Craster informs them that Wildling leader Mance Rayder is amassing an army to move south towards the Wall.

In Conclusion

     Hopefully all of this backstory is helpful. It's definitely been easier to follow watching it the second time around, but understanding the history and how every family/location/plot-line interconnects can be difficult in the beginning when we're meeting so many characters and only spending a small handful of moments with them each episode. Once it all makes sense, it's easy to see why GoT was so popular and well-liked. Very few shows have so many well written morally ambiguous characters and so many different motivations and strategies all intertwined in this creative world. Enjoy watching!