The Atlantic

<em>Game of Thrones</em>: The Sins of Ned Stark

A look at how the patriarch's choices have affected his family members
Source: HBO

“I remember the day you came into this world, red-faced and squalling. And now I find you leading a host to war.”

–Lady Catelyn Stark

Last night’s Game of Thrones, “The Pointy End,” picks up immediately after last week’s stunning cliffhanger, which saw Ned Stark betrayed by Littlefinger as Joffrey Lannister took the iron throne. The Starks have lost this round of the game, and Ned's imprisonment sets in motion a conflict between the Starks and the Lannisters that threatens to tear all of Westeros apart.

With every week that passes, I become less and less convinced that Ned is the hero of . As Ned is finally realizing, he was vastly out of his depth from the moment he arrived in King's Landing. It's hard to fault Ned for having too much virtue, but it's even

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