 The episode furthers the story line of deterioration of the political balance of the Seven Kingdoms , with Eddard Stark revealing what he has discovered to Cersei Lannister while King Robert is still away on a hunt . The title of the episode is part of a quote from Cersei Lannister during the final confrontation with Eddard : " When you play the game of thrones , you win or you die . There is no middle ground . " The catchphrase has been frequently used during the promotion of both the books and the TV series . 
