“Baelor” (Season 1, Episode 9)

is is the big one. Game of Thrones is now known for I-can’t-believe-they-just-did-that shocks, and the unexpected death of Ned Stark is the daddy of them all. Killing off the undisputed main character of the series — played by Sean Bean, the show’s best-known, top-billed actor, seen on every promotional poster HBO produced — was the unmistakable sign that Game of Thrones would play for keeps.