The Night Lands

"The Night Lands"
Game of Thrones episode
Theon Greyjoy with his father Balon.
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 2
Directed by	Alan Taylor
Written by	David Benioff D. B. Weiss
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Kramer Morgenthau
Editing by	Frances Parker
Original air date	April 8, 2012 (2012-04-08)
Running time	54 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Robert Pugh as Craster Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy Francis Magee as Yoren Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar Joe Dempsie as Gendry Mark Stanley as Grenn Ben Crompton as Edd Tollet Roxanne McKee as Doreah Amrita Acharia as Irri Steven Cole as Kovarro Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie Eros Vlahos as Lommy Greenhands Esmé Bianco as Ros Andy Beckwith as Rorge Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy Kerr Logan as Matthos Seaworth Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan Hannah Murray as Gilly Karl Davies as Alton Lannister Amy Dawson as the Captain's daughter Sahara Knite as Armeca Jer O'Leary as Lordsport dockhand Gerard Jordan as Biter Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne Ian Whyte as a White Walker Sam Callis as a Goldcloak on the Kingsroad Derek Reid as Ros's dissatisfied customer Josephine Gillan as a new prostitute Dennis Stokes as a male prostitute
Episode chronology
← Previous "The North Remembers" Next → "What Is Dead May Never Die"
Game of Thrones (season 2) List of Game of Thrones episodes

"The Night Lands" is the second episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. The episode is written by the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. It was first released on April 2, 2012 via the online service HBO GO in some European countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia. Cable television first broadcast it on April 8, 2012.

The plot continues with some of the storylines from the season premiere: the Night's Watch caravan heading to the Wall is interrupted by a pair of City Watch guards looking for Gendry, the Small Council receives the terms proposed by King in the North Robb Stark, Daenerys waits in the desert for the return of the three riders she had sent out, and Theon Greyjoy returns to his homeland of the Iron Islands.

"The Night Lands" was positively received by critics, who noted the many pivotal character moments as a highlight in the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 3.76 million in its initial broadcast. The episode is titled after the Dothraki language term for death.

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) arrives at his quarters to find his mistress Shae (Sibel Kekilli) and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) conversing. Varys and Tyrion subtly threaten each other: Varys that he could reveal Shae's presence against Tyrion's father's instruction, and Tyrion that he would kill Varys in return. During a Small Council meeting, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) reads Robb Stark's peace terms, ripping up the letter after reading it, as well as a letter from the Night's Watch Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, asking for more men to man the Wall and warning of the Watch's encounters with the undead. With the exception of Tyrion, the Small Council doesn't take Mormont's letter seriously. Later, Tyrion has dinner with City Watch Commander Lord Janos Slynt (Dominic Carter), discussing the purge of King Robert Baratheon's bastard children. When Janos refuses to reveal who ordered the purge, Tyrion has Janos arrested and exiled to the Night's Watch, with Bronn (Jerome Flynn) taking over his position. Cersei later confronts Tyrion about exiling Janos, and Tyrion realizes that it was King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), not Cersei, who ordered the purges. He warns his sister that "it will be difficult to rule over millions who want the Queen dead."