Greetings all ye great and loyal Watchers of the Internet Wall of Ice and Rock, and thank you for joining us at your growing corner of internet bliss.
A man’s name is Oz. And it’s off-season Looking Forward time which means Unsullied speculation at its worst.
Many of us are well aware (spoilers) that the title of this fine article is highly unlikely due to this, this, this, this, and this. *Unsullied beware… All relatable spoilery links inserted by Sue the Fury.
But because it would make so much sense, and the fact that we have a considerable amount of time to kill, let’s pretend, just for the hell of it, that Snow stays dead…
It’s been mulled over, discussed, analyzed, dissected, theorized, prophesized, and verbalized by everyone and their respective grandmothers. And a man is not going to introduce or rock flip any valuable evidence that has not yet been overturned.
This chapter in the Looking Forward anthology attempts to make sense of the possibility that Jon, in elementary terms, simply never gets back up.
Disclaimer for all of you Wall newbies (Wallbies?): You have entered the realm of the Unsullied; where show fact and written fiction are separated by a man with only a television and a pricey, yet worthy, subscription to Home Box Office. My oath states that no books may be read until the conclusion of the show, and a man is nothing if he is not an oathkeeper.
As Unsullied, we must dine on what is served by buffet curators David and Dan only.
Disclaimer #2: Sue of the House Fury does NOT allow a man to read any spoilery content produced, written and reported on this here fine site. This sucks a hierarchal big one yet remains justified. The Sullied/spoiler reading contributors even have their own communication channel that yours truly was strategically left out of.
So, in short, she doesn’t let me read shit.
However, what I am aware of I will trustfully disclose to you. Watchers did break the story of Kit arriving in Belfast and avoiding that was an impossible task.
Fun Fact and Final Notice: Jon is undeniably dead. You saw it as well as I did. The viewing masses witnessed the 248½ stabbings (Olly gets credit for the ½) Jon suffered. Even a bastard hottie with a man-bun losing pools of dark blood can’t sustain life (at least not without the immediate help of Rapunzel and her glowing locks, and she ain’t in this show).
There is also the faction of protectors of the secret story: The show runners and Kit himself have attempted to put all doubt to rest by saying, on multiple occasions (and to the POTUS), that Jon is indeed dead. I have no reason to believe they are lying.
In my logically minded yet uneducated Unsullied opinion, there has never been any doubt that Jon is dead. The popular inquiry, “is Jon Snow really dead?” continues to be the wrong question… an ineffective smokescreen question that the mass show-viewing audience has been led to believe is the appropriate inquisition.
The correct inquiry is, “will Jon be resurrected?” Let’s pretend the answer is NO and try to make sense of it…
The Obvious
Event: Red Velvet’s Return to the Wall: Velvet figures, “Well, I thought I had my man. But my man was not THE man. So I guess I’ll go back to the Wall and hang with the neighborhood rapists until I figure it all out.”
Indisputably, this idea was conceived and written in as a set-up for Davos to finally give in to the advances of Melisandre.
Dead Jon Logic: Dav and Mel have always held a love/hate relationship for one another since they first appeared on screen together in Season 2. The two were indeed destined for a long-term relationship from the beginning.
Subsequent Groundbreaking Story Arc of Season 6: Davos tells Mel to talk to the hand but mistakenly raises his Stannis punished extremity in lieu of the full five-fingered one and is overcome by her heat as the cold winter winds blow in.
Shadow Davos is born soon thereafter and becomes the champion that saves Westeros from the White Walkers with “Lord of Light” powered negotiation skills.
Event: “He Always Comes Back”: Spoken by Sam to Olly during Season 5.
Dead Jon Logic: Obviously, this had nothing to do with death and/or resurrection, but was said in reference to Jon’s off-screen developing drinking problem and the potential filling of his cup multiple times at the newly planned (and soon to be famous) Night’s Watch White Walker Saloon (or as the locals will call it, The NW3).
Wha???
Soon thereafter, Jon would croak anyway leaving this statement as unproductive as the idea we all shared when we thought it held a deeper significance.
Event: “Kill the Boy”: spoken by Maester Aemon to Jon Snow.
Dead Jon Logic: This was an obvious recommendation to Jon to give Olly the business before Olly made the decision to give Jon the business. Jon failed to act, thus this dialogue holds no further meaning, you know, since Jon will remain dead.
Event: The White Walker Destruction: Jon disintegrates a Walker with his Valyrian steel sword while being observed closely (and gaining special notice) by the King of the Frozen Dead.
Dead Jon Logic: This event simply depicted a show of gratitude by the Night’s King in admiration of the impressive swordsmanship demonstrated by Jon. But mostly, it was an apparent sign of envy and desire of the Night’s King for Jon’s lovely black flowing locks of man hair. The bounce itself is mesmerizing:
The ridiculous is now staring you in the face.
The Not-So-Obvious
Event: The Seduction Scene S5E4: Melisandre says to Jon, “In our joining there is power. Power to make life, power to make light.”
Dead Jon Logic: This was evidently included to support the origins of the invention of electricity in Westeros. Of course, candles will have to suffice since Jon will remain a corpse.
Event: The Inclusion of the Brotherhood Without Banners
Dead Jon Logic: The presumably “still hunting Lannister soldiers in the forest” company of men lacking pledge were included not for evidence of potential resurrection, but rather to reemphasize that Beric Dondarrion was still alive and to begin the process of Gendry’s story arc building to the climax of the longest boat ride in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. And it gave the Mountain someone to joust with. And Anguy.
Oh, and it was also an excuse to get Paul Kaye a part in the show.
Event: Halfhand and Snow share dialogue about Jon’s future.
In Season 2 Episode 6, Qhorin Halfhand tells Jon that his death will be a gift for those south of the Wall.
Dead Jon Logic: As Jon Snow presumably knew nothing, apparently Qhorin Halfhand knew something. Or did he?
If the situation remains the same, you would have to assume the Walkers are headed south to a Wall lightly guarded by a few Crows which would mean that “the Gift” that Qhorin referred to would consist of the frozen dead knocking on everyone in the south’s front door and singing Christmas carols.
Thanks Qhorin. Merry Christmas, Mother F******rs.
Event: The Stare-Down Between Jon and the Night’s King
Dead Jon Logic: In an attempt by the show runners to pay homage to the greatest Old Spice commercial ever, Jon and the Night’s King took part in an epic stare down on the banks of Hardhome. The “Come at me Bro” thing was a cute meme, but the true intention here escaped many now that we know Jon indeed remains a corpse.
Night’s King: “Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me. Sadly he isn’t me, and will be dead before this ad is over.”
Two things can be assumed from this inclusion… 1. David and Dan at times do inconspicuously include product placement in the show and 2. The Night’s King smells good. The only justifiable reason to include Jon in the scene was to demonstrate that Frozen Maul can in fact, raise the dead. But we already knew that.
Since Jon remains deceased, it would have made abundantly more sense to depict the stare down between Maul and say, maybe Wun Wun. After all, Wun Wun is still alive.
Event: The Burning of Shireen
Initially done to help Stannis in his battle against the renowned hockey franchise, the “Northern Flayers,” the heinous act of torching his own daughter had little to no effect other than clearing a little snow off of the road.
Dead Jon Logic: The only comprehensible reason for this to be done considering the fate of Stannis was to potentially assist someone else. Many of us presumed that to be Jon.
But since he stays dead, Shireen’s “Kum ba Yah” death scene was included for pure shock value and to enrage what was left of the few GoT viewers following the infamous Ramsay/Sansa wedding/bedding.
And I can assure you that if this beautiful, smart, wonderful actress and fandom-loving person died for nothing more than that, there will be hell to pay for someone.
Event: Aemon’s statement to Sam in the library.
Just before the “Kill the Boy” speech, Aemon is speaking to Sam in the library and says, “A Targaryen alone in the world… a terrible thing” just as Jon enters the scene.
Dead Jon Logic: Historically in television, this is an old Jedi mind trick used to show affiliation by way of misdirection. In this case, the inference is that Jon may have some Targaryen heritage.
But since ManBun remains kaput, the significance (if any) would apply only to Dany, which is who the two were speaking about in the first place. Maybe Sam joins up with her later, as his potential return to the Wall now looks unlikely. Because, you know, Jon stays dead.
Which leads us to this…
Event: All the talk about that other Targaryen guy.
Dead Jon Logic: To the “casual” viewer, these mentions could be assessed as simple backstory to Dany’s claim to the throne and the type of ruler she would eventually want to become. Some viewers may not even perceive the mentions as anything other than filler dialogue (think about it… the President can’t even remember Tyrion’s name).
Full disclosure: I am aware of the theory. And to all the Unsullied that have no clue what I am talking about, do not anguish. Be surprised (and/or disappointed, depending on your POV).
But this is the thing…
For the most part, everything that has transpired thus far in the show has some sort of purpose (sans Pod’s lovemaking abilities, and maybe all of the Snake scenes). The inclusion of the Targaryen story holds significance without Jon in the picture. But it potentially holds a hell of a lot more with him in it.
But because it coheres to the colossal amount of backstory and the escalation of Jon’s story arc, the entirety of the production harmonizes now that we take as fact that Snow, shall forever, remain a corpse.
Right?
Right.
Now they’re just fucking with us.
And it’s still better than the Three-Eyed Raven “visions.”
Can the show go on without him? Sure. Can all of the loose ends that the death of Jon left dangling be mended? Absolutely.
Maybe he won’t be resurrected. Maybe all of the events listed above have some other quintessential significance that we are either ignoring or haven’t been exposed to. Maybe I’ve unknowingly joined the Dead Jon Denial club.
One thing is almost certain… if Jon is gone forever, then the show runners arguably have more questions to answer than if he were to be revived. And maybe that could explain why we are already aware that the series has been extended to eight seasons.
Of all things, at least that would somewhat make sense.
That’s a rap for the Oz today, boys and girls. A man hopes that you have all been good this year and are currently listed on the page entitled “nice.” I am quite certain that other evidence-laden events were left out, so feel free to let me know what I missed. And also, who’s next for Looking Forward?
To all my Sullied friends, it’s becoming painfully obvious that the Jolly Fat Man will not be putting a book in your stocking this year. For at least one more Christmas, you’ll have to settle for Santa Claus.
Melikalikimaka. And may there always be peace in your realm. -Oz
“Unbowed. Unbent. Unsullied.”
**SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leaks) are not allowed in Unsullied posts. This includes spoilers covered by code or otherwise. No spoilers at all! Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse or filming leaks. However, spoiler coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thank you for the co-op. -Oz
The post Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Season 6 Part 1: Jon Snow… Let’s Pretend He Stays Dead appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.
No comments:
Post a Comment