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Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” season seven.
“Game of Thrones” is a fantasy story with magic and dragons and terrifying ice zombies — but the strength of the show and George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” lies in the realistic characters.
This might be why the show seems to have so quickly glossed over Jon Snow’s murder and subsequent rebirth thanks to the Lord of Light. This incredible moment in Jon’s life has been seemingly swept aside — as if it’s just another crazy magic event that happened on “Game of Thrones.”
But the seventh season’s third episode brought this oversight into sharp relief when Davos spoke on behalf of Jon in front of Daenerys.
“He risked his life for his people,” Davos told the Mother of Dragons. “He took a knife in the heart for his people. He gave his own —”
But Jon stopped him from revealing that he was actually once a dead man. Later Daenerys asked Tyrion what he thought that exchange was all about, but they both dismissed it as a “flight of fancy.”
Helen Sloan/HBO
When are we finally going to see someone react to Jon’s death and resurrection? Why is the show holding back from this huge plot point?
I can understand Jon not wanting his death and rebirth brought up during his first conversation with Daenerys, especially when she already seemed doubtful of his sanity. For some reason, Daenerys and Tyrion found it hard to believe the Night King and his army of wights are a real threat — even though Daenerys is literally immune to fire and hatched dragons when everyone told her that was impossible.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/891830300002717696
Jon Snow during Danny’s soliloquy #DemThrones #GameOfThones7 pic.twitter.com/OU4qPq0uNH
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Davos: “He took a knife to the heart…”
Jon: pic.twitter.com/kHLmvcwalT
So Jon not wanting to pile on the “crazy” makes sense, but the hesitation speaks to a larger pattern. It’s not just Jon — nobody other than Davos seems interested in speaking about Jon’s death.
Even Melisandre, when pointedly asked on the second episode of season seven why she thinks Jon Snow is a prophesied hero, made no mention of his death and rebirth. You’d think that would be her biggest talking point when trying to convince people of Jon’s destiny, but no. She mentions his leadership abilities and bringing the Wildlings and the Northmen together.
HBO
We know Sansa knows about his death, because Tormund spoke with the Wildlings about Jon sacrificing his life for them in front of her on season six. But we haven’t seen any conversations between Jon and Sansa about this huge event.
The show also skipped over Sam Tarly’s reaction to Jon’s death and choice to leave the Night’s Watch. Sam sent a raven from Oldtown to Winterfell, which means he knows Jon is no longer Lord Commander and instead is King in the North.
Of course, all of these moments probably just happened off screen. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss can’t possibly write every little conversation into the series, so the audience has to accept that certain things happen between episodes.
HBO
But I expected Jon Snow’s resurrection to have more of an impact on the realm at large. Nearly everyone knows Jon was the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, including Cersei Lannister. Which means people should either be questioning why he abandoned the Night’s Watch (an action punishable by death), or they should be making a fuss about the fact that the man now named King in the North is actually a resurrected ex-Lord Commander.
Granted, word hasn’t seemed to spread about Beric Dondarrion’s multiple resurrections, but he’s part of a semi-underground gang of outcasts — not the King in the North who is leading an army. Also, we have many instances of Sandor Clegane bringing up Beric’s resurrection because it clearly unsettles him.
I’d expect similar behavior from the men and women around Jon, but so far Davos is the only person who seems to think it’s worth having a conversation about.
Fingers crossed we see Jon address this traumatic part of his past soon, and hopefully in front of Daenerys. If anyone should understand, it’s the woman who walked into a fiery funeral pyre and emerged naked, unhurt, and with three newborn baby dragons everyone thought were fossils.
“Game of Thrones” season seven continues on Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO. In the meantime, catch up with 11 details you might have missed on the latest episode.
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