Baelor

"Baelor"
Game of Thrones episode
Arya witnesses Eddard's judgment while hiding behind the statue of Baelor Targaryen.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 9
Directed by	Alan Taylor
Written by	David Benioff D. B. Weiss
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Alik Sakharov
Editing by	Frances Parker
Original air date	June 12, 2011 (2011-06-12)
Running time	56 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Conleth Hill as Lord Varys Jerome Flynn as Bronn James Cosmo as Ser Jeor Mormont Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister Francis Magee as Yoren John Bradley as Samwell Tarly Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon Sibel Kekilli as Shae David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey Clive Mantle as Lord Jon "Greatjon" Umber Wilko Johnson as Ser Ilyn Payne Mark Stanley as Grenn Josef Altin as Pypar Luke McEwan as Rast Mark Lewis Jones as Shagga Mia Soteriou as Mirri Maz Duur Amrita Acharia as Irri Roxanne McKee as Doreah Elyes Gabel as Rakharo Dar Salim as Qotho Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Pointy End" Next → "Fire and Blood"
Game of Thrones (season 1) List of Game of Thrones episodes

"Baelor" is the ninth episode of the HBO medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. First aired on June 12, 2011, it was written by the show's creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor, his directorial debut for the series.

The plot depicts Eddard Stark, imprisoned and accused of high treason, struggling with the decision whether to falsely confess to save his daughters, and he is ultimately beheaded by King Joffrey. His wife Catelyn negotiates with Lord Walder Frey for the use of a strategic river crossing and his son Robb fights his first battle in the war against the Lannisters. Meanwhile, Jon Snow discovers a secret about Maester Aemon, and Daenerys stands up to Qotho and challenges Dothraki traditions to care for Khal Drogo.

The episode received great acclaim among critics, who cited the final scene with Eddard Stark's beheading as a highlight for the series, calling it a "daring, tragic finish." In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.66 million in its initial broadcast. The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.

At dinner, Lord Tywin (Charles Dance) tells his son Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) that Tyrion and his barbarian allies will fight in the vanguard of the army. Tyrion suspects his father is trying to get him killed. Tyrion returns to his camp and finds the prostitute Shae (Sibel Kekilli) whom Bronn (Jerome Flynn) found for him at Tyrion's request. As the three of them swap stories, Tyrion reveals that, when he was 16, he married a woman named Tysha whom Jaime and he had rescued. When his father Tywin learned of this, he made Jaime confess that Tysha was actually a hired prostitute. Tywin then made Tyrion watch as Lannister guardsmen all had sex with her, each paying her one silver coin provided by Lord Tywin.