 " You Win or You Die " marks the first appearance of Charles Dance as Lord Tywin , the patriarch of the Lannister household . Cast in the role shortly after the production began , Dance had been the first choice of the producers and one of the fan favorites for the role . Author George R. R. Martin commented that " his commanding screen presence and steely charisma should make him the perfect Lord Tywin . " The deer that is field dressed by Tywin in the opening scene was a real dead stag . Dance had no previous experience with skinning and gutting , and before filming the scene practiced for an hour with a butcher . 
