Ep 1. Valar Dohaeris

As the third season of Game of Thrones opens, the War of the Five Kings is still raging across the Seven Kingdoms. Robb Stark, the King of the North, has been winning battles against the armies of Lannisters and Tyrells, but at a high cost. While he manages to keep control of his kingdom, there are other lands where the armies of the Westeros ruler, King Joffrey Baratheon, and his allies, are causing destruction and chaos.

The story starts where we last left Daenerys Targaryen, who has been traveling across the Narrow Sea to find soldiers to help her take back the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. She arrives in the city of Astapor and finds that the Unsullied, an army made up entirely of eunuchs who are incredibly skilled fighters and bred for battle, are for sale. Daenerys seeks to make a deal with the slave trader, Kraznys mo Nakloz, but finds that he's not willing to give up the Unsullied without a high price.

Meanwhile, on the Wall, Jon Snow has made it back alive and well after his venture north of the wall. He tries to explain to the Night's Watch what he saw beyond the wall and raises concerns about the wildlings and the army of the dead that is following them. However, the Watch's leader, Jeor Mormont, is more focused on the threat of wildlings attacking and tries to persuade Jon to spy on them.

Back in King's Landing, Tyrion Lannister struggles with the aftermath of the Battle of Blackwater. His father, Tywin, is appointed as the new Hand of the King by Joffrey. Tyrion is stripped of his power and status as Hand and realizes the only way to stay alive is to keep Joffrey happy. He also meets with his lover, Shae, and tries to persuade her to leave King's Landing for her own safety.

In his rise to power, Stannis Baratheon has made a new ally with the priestess Melisandre. They arrive at Dragonstone and he seeks advice on what to do next. He's crushed by his recent loss at Blackwater and starts to lose faith in both himself and the Lord of Light, which is Melisandre's god. His demeanor is changed due to the events, and the stakes of his continuance in the war are high.

Lastly, we meet up with Jaime Lannister, who's recently been released after his capture by Robb's forces. He's on his way back to King's Landing, but on his way, he meets an unusual traveling companion, Brienne of Tarth. The two have an intense conversation, and we begin to understand Jaime's motivations better. Jaime's face shows pain and sorrow, making us wonder about the significance of this suffering.

Overall, the first episode of season three is all about setting up the plotlines for the season to come. It introduces us to new characters, reiterates old ones, and begins taking us on a journey that only gets more intense. Even though this episode does not have any battles, we see that there are still tense moments throughout. It's not only an episode of beginning but also a start of many new exciting stories.