Scripting Episode 4

As promised, here is the Fire And Blooded script outline for Episode 4. This will likely differ in more than a few ways from the episode Bryan Cogman will actually write; he’s a pro, and I expect his to be even better. But hey, in the meantime, I’d watch this!

EPISODE FOUR

Encompassing Bran 4, Eddard 5, Jon 4, Eddard 6, Catelyn 5, and Sansa 2 from A Game of Thrones; 28 scenes; 62 pages

We open with Ned at KING’S LANDING as he continues in his investigation of Jon Arryn’s death. Pycelle implicates Varys, and Ned is forced to recruit Littlefinger, who ends the scene with his famous line, “Distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you climbed down from your horse.”

Fade to the OPENING SEQUENCE.

The first half of the episode could be subtitled “Brothers.” We begin at CASTLE BLACK with the introduction of Sam to the Night’s Watch, and Jon’s defense of him. We then switch to WINTERFELL, where Tyrion has returned; Robb treats him rudely, but Tyrion offers his vision of a saddle for Bran nonetheless. Later, we learn Benjen is missing. Back at CASTLE BLACK, Jon gets to know Sam, and soon initiates a plan for his protection; “We’re not friends. We’re brothers,” Jon says to him. The first half ends at WINTERFELL, where Robb speaks with Bran alone in his room, confiding his worries. Robb breaks down.

Our middle chunk is a sort of intermission where we return to KING’S LANDING. Ned continues his ongoing investigation, ending with the discovery of Gendry.

We stay in KING’S LANDING to begin the episode’s second half, and witness the whirlwind of spectacle that is the Hand’s Tourney; chivalrous pageantry is marred by Gregor’s brutality. Meanwhile, to the north, Catelyn and Ser Rodrik go unrecognized as they arrive at the CROSSROADS INN. Back at KING’S LANDING and the Hand’s Tourney feast, Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the next day’s melee, and the scene turns ugly. Joffrey has the Hound escort Sansa to her room; the Hound tells his tale to her, then threatens Sansa’s life if she dares to ever repeat it to anyone. We end the episode back at the CROSSROADS INN: Catelyn’s identity is revealed, and she takes Tyrion captive.

Notes:

Plenty of action. Jon’s furious fight in defense of Sam, as well as a midnight beatdown of Rast; Shaggydog attacks Tyrion at Winterfell; jousting action and THE GREGOR incident at the Hand’s Tourney. Robert puts Jaime on his backside at the feast.

A plethora of new but important characters are introduced (SAM, HODOR, JANOS SLYNT, GENDRY, BERIC DONDARRION, LORAS TYRELL, MARILLION), as well as many “unnamed” knights we-the-fans will likely recognize (THOROS OF MYR, BRONZE YOHN ROYCE, and more), packing this episode chock full of new faces. Fortunately, most of them come with their own color-coding, and Hodor comes with “Hodor.”

Changes: Mostly I just sliced up some the chapters into smaller bits. By my best guestimations there will only be six chapters from A Game of Thrones in episode 4, compared to the ten chapters in the leaked pilot script. I’m not sure if they will choose to tell the chapters in thicker chunks or not.

I had Catelyn’s roadside encounter with Lord Jason Mallister happen after the Hand’s Tourney actually starts (making Jason extremely late – blame the weather) so that I could cut between Catelyn 5 and Sansa 2 with impunity.

A lack of Dany: Unless they add more scenes for Daenerys, I don’t see us leaving Westeros for the eastern continent this episode. I personally don’t think she needs to be in every episode, but there are obviously different opinions as to that. My script would also have more lines for Jaime, Cersei, and Robert during the tourney feast, getting more productivity out of the star power we have on hand for those roles.

I’m interesting in seeing what the rest of y’all come up with for this. Give us your versions, or just your thoughts and suggested changes!

Here’s the outline in full:

INT. RED KEEP – MAESTER’S CHAMBER – DAY [2 pages]

Ned questions Grand Maester Pycelle about Jon Arryn’s death, and about the book Jon Arryn left behind: a tome regarding the histories of various lineages in the Seven Kingdoms. Ned remarks that Jon Arryn might have been poisoned; Pycelle offhandedly implicates Varys, suggesting poison is the weapon of “women, cravens, and eunuchs.”

INT. RED KEEP – STAIRWELL – DAY [1 pages]

Ned encounters Arya practicing her balance techniques on the stair. Ned jestingly suggests that one day she might marry a king and keep his castle. Arya makes a face and says, “No, that’s Sansa.”

INT. TOWER OF THE HAND – SOLAR – DAY [4 pages]

Ned meets with Littlefinger, who promises to help investigate John Arryn’s death; Ned has thus far turned up no leads, and clearly needs help. Littlefinger offers up the location of four servants who may very well know something. Ned grudgingly thanks him, but Littlefinger replies, “Distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you climbed down from your horse.”

OPENING CREDITS [1 page]

EXT. CASTLE BLACK – PRACTICE YARD – DAY [3 pages]

The introduction of shy, fat SAMWELL TARLEY to Jon and the other trainees. Ser Alliser Thorne immediately sets in to abuse him, but Jon leads a spirited defense against the trainees Ser Alliser throws at Sam; Jon, Pyp, and Grenn fight off Halder and others. A frustrated Ser Alliser can only watch and scream at them.

INT. WINTERFELL – BRAN’S ROOM – DAY [2.5 pages]

Bran watches Rickon and others play in the yard while OLD NAN tries to tell him a few of her old tales; Bran is resistant at first, until Old Nan begins speaking of the Others. Just as it starts to get good, the door bangs open and Maester Luwin enters with HODOR. “We have visitors,” the Maester says. “Hodor,” says Hodor.

INT. WINTERFELL – GREAT HALL – DAY [2.5 pages]

Bran is carried to the hall by Hodor to watch Robb treat with the guests; Tyrion Lannister has returned from the Wall, and with him is Yoren from the Night’s Watch. Robb speaks with cold discourtesy to Tyrion. Despite Robb’s veiled hostility, Tyrion gives them his design for a new saddle for Bran. Tyrion declines an invitation to stay and makes to leave, but he is attacked by Rickon’s direwolf Shaggydog. The wolf is pulled off before Tyrion is truly injured, and Tyrion leaves with all but his pride intact.

INT. WINTERFELL – GREAT HALL – DUSK [1.5 pages]

Robb and Bran dine with Yoren, who had traveled south with Tyrion; Yoren reveals that Benjen Stark is missing and presumed lost.

INT. CASTLE BLACK – COMMON HALL – NIGHT [2 pages]

Sam, a self-admitted coward, is being shunned at dinner by most of the other trainees. Jon befriends him, introducing him to Ghost.

EXT. CASTLE BLACK – GROUNDS – NIGHT [3.5 pages]

Jon and Sam walk the grounds, talking and bonding. Sam reveals his abused past: his father, Lord Randyl Tarley, was so ashamed of his craven son that he named Sam’s younger brother Dickon as his heir, and threatened to murder Sam if he did not leave their home at Horn Hill, saying, “Nothing would please me more than to hunt you down like the pig you are.”

INT. CASTLE BLACK – COMMON ROOM – NIGHT [2 pages]

Jon gathers with Pyp, Grenn, Halder, Toad, and other Night Watch trainees. They talk about Sam, and the probability of Ser Alliser abusing him literally to death. Jon says he has a plan for that, however. Only the bully RAST refuses to go along with Jon’s plan. Transition to:

INT. CASTLE BLACK – RAST’S SLEEPING CELL – NIGHT [half page]

While Rast snores, Jon, Pyp, Grenn, Halder, and Toad sneak in. Rast opens his eyes when Halder cracks his knuckles. Cut to:

EXT. CASTLE BLACK – TRAINING YARD – DAY [half page]

Rast stands in formation with the rest of the trainees, his lip crusted in dried blood, one eye swollen shut. When Ser Alliser Thorne orders the inevitable attack on Sam, Rast joins all the others in fighting with the barest effort; no one hurts Sam at all. Ser Alliser can only rant in helpless frustration. Afterwards, Jon puts his arm around Sam. “We’re not friends,” Jon says to him. “We’re brothers.”

INT. WINTERFELL – BRAN’S ROOM – NIGHT [2 pages]

Robb and Bran talk quietly; Robb confides his worries to the only brother he has left at Winterfell. Bran is hopefully optimistic their lives may soon return to normal; he speaks of their mother’s return, and how he hopes they can both ride north to visit Jon at the Wall. Bran remains positive despite his crippling injury. Robb, touched by his brother and clearly feeling the pressure of expectations, breaks down and quietly sobs.

INT. RED KEEP – COUNCIL CHAMBER – DAY [5 pages]

Ned meets with the Small Council again; Littlefinger, Varys, Pycelle, and Renly are all present. JANOS SLYNT is introduced, reprimanded for his City Watch being unable to keep the peace. Stannis Baratheon is mentioned as missing from the council; Stannis is said to be unresponsive to all requests to leave Dragonstone and return to King’s Landing. Ned leaves, irritated, following more senseless discussion regarding the upcoming Hand’s tourney.

INT. TOWER OF THE HAND – SOLAR – DAY [2.5 pages]

Ned flips through the book Jon Arryn left behind, and speaks with Jory; they are still no closer to finding any of the possible witnesses Littlefinger suggested they find, save for perhaps one…

EXT. RED KEEP – KING’S GATE – DAY [quarter page]

Ned rides out with two of his personal guard.

EXT. KING’S LANDING – MUD GATE – DAY [1 pages]

Ned witnesses LORD BERIC DONDARRION enter the city to a show of fanfare. “Here to win the Hand’s tourney!” Beric shouts at the crowd.

EXT. KING’S LANDING – MOTT’S SMITHY – DAY [quarter page]

Ned arrives. The smithy is high-end and clearly made to service the well-to-do.

INT. MOTT’S SMITHY – DAY [3 pages]

Ned questions the smith, TOBHO MOTT, about Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon’s visit. The lead seems to be a dead end until the surprise introduction of GENDRY, King Robert’s bastard son.

EXT. THE HAND’S TOURNEY GROUNDS – DAY [7 pages]

A hundred colorful pavilions have been raised along the river outside the walls of King’s Landing for the tourney, and Sansa’s breath is taken by the pageantry. SER GREGOR “THE MOUNTAIN” CLEGANE is introduced, as well as BRONZE YOHN ROYCE, THOROS OF MYR, SER BALON SWANN, SER HORACE and SER HOBBER REDWYNE, and JALABHAR XHO. Lord Beric Dondarrion is also here, as well as a host of Freys, men from Dorne and the Marches, and more. Ser Gregor kills SER HUGH OF THE VALE in a jousting “accident.” Jeyne Poole is so distraught she is taken away by Septa Mordane. Jaime Lannister and The Hound both acquit themselves well in the day’s joust, but most eyes are on the dashing young SER LORAS TYRELL, who gives Sansa a red rose.

EXT. KINGSROAD – DAY [1.5 pages]

Catelyn and Ser Rodrik ride north as a dreary rain falls. They encounter LORD JASON MALLISTER and his retinue riding south for King’s Landing, already too late for the Hand’s tourney, slowed by the abysmal weather. Catelyn does not make herself known and Lord Jason does not recognize her.

EXT. CROSSROADS INN – DAY [quarter page]

Catelyn and Ser Rodrik arrive.

INT. CROSSROADS INN – COMMON ROOM – DAY [1 page]

Catelyn and Ser Rodrik enter. The innkeeper MASHA HEDDLE does not even recognize Catelyn as the young Tully girl she used to serve.

INT. CROSSROADS INN – CATELYN’S ROOM – DAY [quarter page]

Ser Rodrik, in keeping with secrecy, agrees to pretend to be Catelyn’s father.

EXT. RIVERSIDE FEAST – NIGHT [2.5 pages]

Sansa is seated next to Prince Joffrey and could not be more pleased. A drunk King Robert fights with Cersei, who has forbidden him from participating in tomorrow’s melee. Jaime tries to intervene and gets knocked on his arse. Joffrey summons the Hound to escort Sansa back to her rooms.

EXT. THE HAND’S TOURNEY GROUNDS – CONTINUOUS [3.5 pages]

The Hound walks with Sansa back toward the city gates. He is drunk, and he stops in the middle of the field and bitterly retells to her the story of his horrifying childhood; Gregor burned his face in a brazier for stealing a toy he did not even care to have.

INT. TOWER OF THE HAND – SANSA’S ROOM – NIGHT [1 page]

As he leaves Sansa at the door to her bedchamber, the Hound tells her, “The things I told you tonight … If you ever tell Joffrey, your father, your sister … If you ever tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

INT. CROSSROADS INN – COMMON ROOM – NIGHT [5 pages]

Catelyn and Ser Rodrik eat a meal in relative obscurity, bothered only by the singer MARILLION … that is until the surprise arrival of Tyrion Lannister, Yoren, and a handful of Lannister men. Marillion accidentally draws Tyrion’s attention to Catelyn, who then has no choice but to reveal herself. She quickly ensures the loyalty of SER WILLIS WODE of HARRENHAL, as well as some Bracken and Frey men. Catelyn then orders the immediate seizure of Tyrion for the attempted murder of her son.

• Published on 04/26/2010 at 3:53 AM CDT
• Last updated on 04/26/2010 at 3:53 AM CDT