His Watch Has Ended: Jon Snow
Kit Harington as Jon Snow.
Game of Thrones has entered its final season and that means it’s time to take stock of the show as a whole. But rather than do a set of episode reviews, we decided to take a little inspiration from the books for our post-mortem. George R.R. Martin’s still unfinished series features chapters based on the point of view of its characters, so each of these posts will review their individual journeys in the show as they come to their end, whether peacefully or violently - this is Thrones, after all.
We’ll ask the same set of questions for each character, reflect on where they came from, where the events of the series took them, and where we leave them. How effective was the show’s approach to the character, and is their ending satisfying? What purpose did each character serve throughout the series?
If it isn’t already obvious, this is MEGA-SPOILER territory, so beware if you’re not fully caught up on the show.
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Jon Snow
Where Did He Come From?
Jon has been with us since the first episode, and in almost every one since. He’s the (theoretical) bastard son of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), who was brought back to Winterfell as a baby after the events of Robert’s Rebellion. Naturally, this led to friction between Jon and his step-mother, Catelyn Stark, and a persistent sense within Jon that he isn’t a true Stark.
Where Did The Show Take Him?
Jon spends much of his time in the North, though he still travels quite a bit throughout the show. As a member of the Night’s Watch, he’s tasked to guard the northern border of Westeros from the forces of the White Walkers, and this makes him one of the first characters to realize the true danger of the Night King and his armies of the dead. He spends time with Wildlings, and as the Lord Commander of the Watch, and later as a reluctant King in the North. He eventually encounters Daenerys Targaryen and persuades her to join his fight against the Night King, but not without falling in love with her and ultimately following her on her conquest of Westeros.
Where Does His Story End?
In a classic (and maybe groan-inducing) example of an ending that mirrors a beginning, Jon ultimately kills Daenerys in the wrecked throne room at King’s Landing, when it becomes clear to him that she intends to continue her wars of conquest, even after defeating Cersei. Jon escapes with his life, but is imprisoned by the Unsullied. As a compromise arranged by Tyrion, he’s banished back to the Night’s Watch as punishment, and the show concludes with Jon leading the Free Folk back to their homelands, north of the Wall.
Does The Character Redeem Himself?
Arguably, Jon is the most pure-of-heart character on the show, so he hasn’t done much in need of redemption. In fact, he’s often made wildly bone-headed decisions in some sort of crazy quest to be the most loyal and righteous person in Westeros. If we had to pick something to list here, it would be that his decision to kill Daenerys was redemption for him following her up until the sack of King’s Landing, even when it became clear she was losing her mind.
Is Jon’s Ending Satisfying?
If you’re a die-hard fan of Jon, maybe you always hoped he’d eventually reign on the Iron Throne under his true Targaryen name, acting as the sort of reluctant, noble king that the Seven Kingdoms have long needed. But there’s no way the various factions left standing at the end of the show would allow that after Daenerys is killed, so Jon’s fate is ultimately a true compromise; as Tyrion says, “No one ends up very happy”. Jon’s return to the Night’s Watch basically restores him to his fate in Season 1, although one would hope he’s learned a thing or two about leadership since the last time he was sent to the Wall.
What Role Did This Character Play In The Overall Storytelling?
Jon is one of the show’s heroes, and the closest thing it has to a Tolkienian or Lewisian protagonist. He’s an uncorrupted proxy for the audience, and even when he makes silly decisions, part of us still wants to root for him, even if that’s the cheesy or convenient thing to do. If we’re being honest, very few of us believed that he would ever do well as the king of an entire country, since politics really isn’t his thing. Jon therefore becomes a symbol of how the corruptive nature of politics - which drives much of Thrones - often wins out over noble intentions.
Best Moment On The Show
Jon’s usually the most fun when he’s on the battlefield, and so his appearances at Hardhome and the Battle of the Bastards are probably my favourites.