'Game of Thrones' returns with big moves, cruel death

(CNN)The game is afoot.

"Game of Thrones'" season premiere put events in motion that will have big implications for the rest of the year — and likely the rest of the series.

Here are biggest moves from Sunday's episode:

Jon Snow disrespects Stannis. Jon (Kit Harington) gives Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds) a merciful death by shooting him with an arrow rather than letting him burn. It's an incredibly risky move, because it's a public act of defiance against King Stannis (Stephen Dillane), who does not take such things lightly. Jon is seriously risking his life with this act.

Tyrion and Daenerys are on a collision course. Varys (Conleth Hill) reveals he and his associates have been plotting to put a Targaryen back on the throne dating back to the days of King Robert (Mark Addy). Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) agrees to seek out Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and possibly help put her on the Iron Throne.

Varys reveals they are hiding out at the Pentos home of Illyrio Mopatis (Roger Allam) who has not been seen since season one, when he brokered the deal for Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) to marry Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). At their wedding, Illyrio gave Dani three dragon eggs that eventually hatched into her beloved dragons. Also in season one, Arya (Maise Williams) overheard Varys and Illyrio plotting to have Khal Drogo's army invade Westeros. Thrones has never been skiddish about reintroducing plot elements from years earlier, and this is an example of that to the extreme.

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Daenerys will unleash the dragons. Can Daenerys be a dragon queen without any dragons? The answer, is no — as her lover Daario (Michiel Huisman) points out. Dani goes to where her dragons are being held and has no luck communicating with them. But that can't last forever, as Clarke has called season five "a dragon season." It's only a matter of time before they are put front and center. As Daario says: "A dragon queen with no dragons? That's not a queen." The Mother of Dragons has other problems brewing, with parts of Meereen in clandestine defiance of her rule.

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Sansa is heading far, far away. Littlefinger's (Aidan Gillen) plan for Sansa (Sophie Turner) is getting even more complicated, as he spirits her away from her Aunt's home, The Ayrie, to an unknown location. Whatever happens, Sansa is learning how to play the game from LIttlefinger, and seems to be a willing participant in his plans — but perhaps because it's her only play at this point. Remember, with Robb dead, Sansa is the key to the North — and the rightful heir to Winterfell, so she is a valuable piece in the game.

Margaery may kill Cersei. Game of Thrones had its first flashback ever, with a young Cersei (Nell Williams) being told a younger, more beautiful queen would replace her. Does that sound like Margaery (Natalie Dormer) to anyone else? Flash forward, and Margaery suggests to her brother Loras (Finn Jones) that "perhaps" Cersei will only be a temporary headache for her in King's Landing. Keep in mind that she's learning from grandmother Olenna (Dianna Rigg), who helped plot Joffrey's (Jack Gleeson) death.