Warning!! — MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD FOR JON, GAME OF THRONES SEASON 5 & 6 —
It was possibly one of the biggest moments in geek TV history when Game of Thrones featured a bloody Jon Snow, on his back, while his traitors stood over his bleeding body in the final episode of season 5. Fans of the show reacted in disgrace and some with anger while the show ended with one of its prominent characters drenched in blood. Geeks following GOT should be well accustomed to big character deaths, but seeing Jon Snow sent to his death by the hands of his own brothers of the Night’s Watch was shocking to say the least. In the bigger scheme of things, GOT hasn’t branched out the storyline yet, and to see Jon die so soon was a huge let down for most TV geeks not acquainted with the bestselling books. The identity of Jon’s mother is still a mystery, although some believe his true parents to be Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. These two characters are a major talking point in Season 6, and if it pans out to be true, Jon will be related to Daenerys Targaryen! Anyway, only time will tell!
SEASON SIX SPOILER AHEAD!
Some geeks predicted that Jon is not done with his journey in GOT just yet, and many questions arose from discussions about how he will be brought back from the dead if that is the way forward for this character. As fate has it, taking into account that Roose Bolton and his bastard Ramsay has taken charge of the North, who else is left to stand against the brutal likes of Bolton and his blood thirsty son? Well…..Jon obviously….or so we hope! So now we were left with Jon’s fate in season 5 and the way forward without everyone’s favorite bastard leading The Crows while winter is creeping in.
Season 6 kicked off with a very dead Jon Snow drenched in blood from multiple stab wounds, while Ser Davos discovered his body with a wooden sign that reads, “Traitor”. Needless to say at this point we all rooted for the unsung hero to take a big gasp of air, but one look at his pale blue complexion and big pool of blood, it was obvious that he is gone for good.
…for good, for real….?
In a dramatic twist, Ser Davos relies on the diabolical skills of the Red Priestess Melisandre to perform a resurrection. The ritual was successful with Jon waking up right at the end of episode 2! This is as far as I got in the new season which leaves me extremely excited to see what else is in store. Is Jon’s resurrection a means of satisfying reads/audiences need to see him back, or is there more to the story? George R. R. Martin’s plans for GOT has never been random or without purpose, so why would bringing back Jon be any different in the bigger scheme of things?! We have some “insiders” in the geek community that are avid followers of the story and if you are one of the few that have read the books, you will know that Jon’s fate has been hinted to be far more interesting than a quick dishonourable death in the snow.
Now what about that resurrection, how was it possible if not just another cheap trick to get back a leading character? Most of you will remember the episode with Jon’s sister Arya Stark spending some time with The Brotherhood while she was the Hound’s prisoner in Season 3 episode 5. The Hound killed Lord Beric Dondarrion, the leader of The Brotherhood, only to find him resurrected again by Thoros, a red priest from Myr. The Lord of Light empowers his followers to perform such rituals, however Melisandre needed to gain the knowledge from Thoros whom she met in Season 3. She also said to him that he shouldn’t have that kind of power but now that power has enabled her to bring Jon back.
There is also talks of Ghost’s (direwolf) influence in Jon’s resurrection. Jon could have used the power of warging to escape his body to allow his consciousness to enter Ghost before he was stabbed. Some geeks refer to the once-off story of wildling warg, Varamyr Sixskins as a point to consider. His consciousness “entered” his wolf right before he died. This is very plausible in the case of Jon’s death, considering that in the books, Jon possesses the power to enter the consciousness of Ghost in his dreams. As you recall, his brother Bran is well versed in the art of warging as well.
Speculation aside, the fact is Jon is back but in what capacity? Will Jon Snow be the same or is there sinister reasons why he was brought back? As I’ve mentioned, it will be great to see Jon leading the charge against Ramsay and reclaim the North. All that is left now is for us to sit back and enjoy what is set out to be a very exciting and bumpy ride!!