Axe takes a spontaneous trip to see Metallica with his childhood friends and meets a woman who makes him face the limits of his own freedom. He also must fend off a short squeeze – an attack on one of his important holdings – led by Chuck’s father. Back in New York, Chuck learns about the inner workings of Axe Capital, but he must also take action against his father for stock manipulation. Plus, Axe reckons with a betrayal and upon his return makes a momentous decision about the direction of his firm.
Chuck discovers that while he pursued Steven Birch, the rival Eastern District has made inroads in the Axe case and that he needs to get it back. Chuck horse-trades to regain control of a key witness, Pete Decker, a hedge fund manager with ties to Axelrod. At the same time, Axe makes an activist play for YumTime, a family owned bakery corporation. This move reverberates back to Chuck by way of a very personal connection between his father and YumTime. Wendy is thrown into a moral dilemma when she discovers via a confidential session that one of the few female Portfolio Managers at Axe Capital is going to have her career sabotaged. And Lara Axelrod tries to protect Axe’s reputation from a potentially damaging “tell all” book.
Axe installs rigorous compliance measures to gird the company against the investigation by Chuck and the US Attorney’s office. When Wendy questions Axe’s methods, he compels her to prove her loyalty to the firm. Chuck’s investigation is temporarily derailed when he has to divert resources to a case against an Axe rival, billionaire Steven Birch. Axe’s black bag man and fixer, Hall, develops a mole inside the US Attorney’s office, while Axe makes an aggressive move under the guise of a charitable contribution to the symphony in order to settle an old score.
With Sansa’s life in danger, Ned makes a fateful decision. Catelyn brokers an unsavory deal with the slippery Walder Frey. Tyrion acquires a mistress and is forced by his father to fight on the front lines. Robb wins his first major victory and captures a prized prisoner. Jon is rewarded for his valor and discovers a dark secret about Maester Aemon. As Drogo’s wound festers, Dany defies her bloodrider Qotho and puts her trust in the enslaved witch Mirri Maz Duur.
In the aftermath of Ned’s capture, Syrio and Arya face off against Lannister guards, while Cersei manipulates Sansa to her own ends. Robb rallies his father’s northern allies against Tywin Lannister and heads south to war. Tyrion forms an uneasy alliance with the hill tribes and reunites with his father. Jon lashes out at Ser Alliser Thorne and battles a mysterious attacker from beyond the Wall. Dany is forced to reconcile her desire to conquer Westeros with Drogo’s savagery after the Dothraki raid a peaceful village.
Explaining that the future of the Lannisters is at stake, Tywin presses Jaime to “be the man you were meant to be” as they prepare for battle. Ned confronts Cersei about the secrets that killed Jon Arryn. With the fate of the missing Benjen very much on his mind, Jon takes his Night’s Watch vows, though not with the assignment he coveted. After Ser Jorah saves Daenerys from treachery, an enraged Drogo vows to lead the Dothraki where they’ve never gone before. An injured Robert takes pains to ensure an orderly transition at King’s Landing.
Reinstated as the Hand, Ned sits for the King while Robert is on a hunt. Ned issues a decree that could have long-term consequences throughout the Seven Kingdoms. At the Eyrie, Tyrion confesses to his “crimes,” and demands that Lysa give him a trial by combat. Joffrey apologizes to Sansa. Viserys receives his final payment for Daenerys from Drogo.
Incensed over news of Daenerys’ alliance with the Dothrakis, Robert orders a preemptive strike on the Targaryens that drives a wedge in his relationship with Ned. A captive Tyrion helps Catelyn, but receives a cold reception at the Eyrie from her sister, Jon Arryn’s widow Lysa. Sansa is charmed by the dashing Ser Loras Tyrell, a.k.a. the Knight of Flowers. Arya overhears a plot against her father.
Ned looks for clues to the death of his predecessor, and uncovers one of King Robert’s bastards. Robert and his guests witness a tournament honoring Ned. Jon takes measures to protect Sam from further abuse at Castle Black; a frustrated Viserys clashes with Daenerys in Vaes Dothrak; Sansa imagines her future as a queen, while Arya envisions a far different future. Catelyn rallies her husband’s allies to make a point, while Tyrion finds himself caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Arriving at King’s Landing, Ned is shocked to learn of the Crown’s profligacy from his new advisors. At Castle Black, Jon Snow impresses Tyrion at the expense of greener recruits. Suspecting the Lannisters had a hand in Bran’s fall, Catelyn covertly follows her husband to King’s Landing, where she is intercepted by Petyr Baelish, a.k.a. “Littlefinger,” a shrewd longtime ally and brothel owner. Cersei and Jaime ponder the implications of Bran’s recovery; Arya studies swordsmanship. On the road to Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys finds herself at odds with Viserys.
