‘Game of Thrones’: Dramatic Stakes Die With Big Jon Snow Twist

Damian Holbrook May 2, 2016, 11:40 am

Game of Thrones - Season 5 - Jon Snow death — HBO

"I'll be back."

Warning! Spoilers from Sunday night’s second episode of Game of Thrones are ahead!

For anyone who wasn’t spoiled by the devil’s minions and (ewww) certain websites on Twitter last night, it’s time to talk about TV’s worst-kept secret: Yes, Jon Snow is alive. Although in actor Kit Harington’s defense, he was also dead, just as the handsome fell declared in every interview since last season’s finale. Like dead dead. Like bled-out, on-a-slab dead. Deader than our interest in anything having to do with the Dorne storyline.

Stabbed by a mob of his own and headed for necrotic rot, the Knight’s Watch lord commander was resurrected by Red Priestesss Melisandre (Carise Van Houten), who employed some black magic and manscaping at the urging of Snow’s loyal pal Davos (Liam Cunningham). It was done in a suitably creepy, fire-lit ceremony. It was in the final seconds of the episode. It was kind of thrilling.

And it was kind of toothless. Because even though this season is the first to be produced without a previously published novel as its source material, fans of the books know that author George R.R. Martin always intended for Snow to survive. He even detailed the list of characters meant to make it through the series back in 1993! There were also sightings of the actor on set after his on-screen demise and what a lot of folks believe to be a shot of Snow in battle buried into the season’s big trailer. We had enough reasons to think this guy was not down for the count, beside the refusal to accept that HBO would axe their most-sellable cover boy.

Pictured: Kit Harington as Jon Snow

So if we wanted Snow to live so much, why does it feel like a hollow victory? Perhaps it’s because the decision to let Snow return from the dead undoes the idea of “anyone can die,” a trope a lot of shows have been relying on these days but one GoT all but revels in.

Major characters like Ned, Catelyn, Robb and Joffrey have all been sliced off the canvas in shocking moments and we have accepted those losses (in the case of Joffrey, we effin’ celebrated it). Now, we can just say “Well, they can bring him back,” or “Just get a witch to revive them.” If Stannis really did meet his maker at the end of Brienne’s sword last season, maybe he can come back too! And why not just have Roose Bolton rise again and haunt that bastard son, Ramsay? If anyone can die, then anyone can un-die, right?

It’s the same sort of storyline escape hatch that has dulled the stakes on other dramas. The Vampire Diaries has habitually unkilled half of its cast, who were undead in the first place. The Walking Dead let us think Glenn had perished for weeks, only to reveal that he’d escaped a zombie attack by hiding under a dumpster. Arrow can dip someone into the Lazarus Pit if the fans scream loud enough. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham can bring in a mad scientist or an alien to re-animated villain we thought were dead for months. Hell, none of us are even buying the death of Liz (Megan Boone) on The Blacklist at this point.

I’m not saying that Game of Thrones won’t do something awesome with their newly alive Jon. He’s a key figure in the series and it will be great to have Harrington back in action. It’s just that it feels like cheating death on TV is becoming the biggest storyline cheat of all. Maybe we should start calling them Snow jobs.

Game of Thrones, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO.

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OrangeBottle
May 2, 2016
I understand the point you are trying to make but I have to disagree. Before last night's episode, how many major characters in GoT have been brought back to life? None. I believe only one other character that has appeared in the show has been able to cheat death. The other shows you mentioned have used that cheat countless times over across many seasons. This is the first time in 6 seasons it's been used on Game of Thrones for a main character. I don't think it cheapens the show or any other character deaths that we have been given. Now, of it starts happening more frequently (which I highly doubt) then it's a problem. Let's wait and see how this effects the story before we say it cheapens the moment. And if it's always been a part of the plan then that is a little different than shows who decide to kill off characters for shock value and bring them back just because.

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GreenToast
May 2, 2016
I definitely agree with his points. I know Game of Thrones fans are probably ecstatic over this plot but HOW many times can television shows continue to say this or that character is dead and then poof 4 to 6 months or one year later all of a sudden is alive. There has to be something more to good television than playing with fans with this trope and expecting fans to stick around. Luckily I doubt this plot is going to hurt Thrones but if a regular network drama did this( besides the supernatural dramas) on a consistent basis fans would leave. Just look at TV LINE'S death list for May and how many are going to stick. My guess would be not many. Sick of this plot point just my opinion
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  GoldTeepee
  May 2, 2016
  Sorry, but if you were watching closely, it was clear they set up too much with Jon's s/l for it to be over. The writing all but spelled it out, which is why so many GoT fans thought he would come back. It didn't come out of nowhere. Whereas with Robb, no one thought he would come back because his s/l was setting up his death. It was final, no dangling threads. No foreshadowing.
  
  On the other hand, If Jon stayed dead, it would leave too many loose ends and simply be bad writing. There was the mystery of his origins, the way the Night King was eyeballing him when he killed the white walker, the fact that Jon managed to get the Wildlings on his side, his siblings still being alive out there somewhere, the fact that he's the only major player that's tied to the Wall, Melissandre's fixation on him, etc.
  
  Jon's resurrection has been foreshadowed for YEARS. I say this as someone who hasn't read the books. Since we saw that guy that followed the red woman's religion (forget his name) be resurrected when Arya was with the Hound.
  
  This didn't come out of nowhere, it wasn't for shock value, and it wasn't to please fans (since when do they care about that?) And as the show runners know the book ending, they wouldn't resurrect Jon if GRRM didn't intend to also do it himself.
  
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  GreenToast
  May 2, 2016
  I understand but like I said this works for shows like Thrones it was just my opinion that tv in general does too much dead or not dead plots