'Game of Thrones' Discussion: Jon Snow is not dead and everything is coming to a (be)head?

As I ranted about inmy review for “Mother’s Mercy” Jon Snow’s death represented larger issues with the main narrative of Game of Thrones, which is still strongly based on the books in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. However, popular theories voiced by Grantland.com’s TV Critic Andy Greenwald in his recap seem to tell a different tale. At face value Jon has died and speculation over what is to come in Game of Thrones is moot considering most of the material remaining for the show has not yet seen its way into Martin’s books. But the Lannisters quickly dwindling power, the popular theory of R J=L among the books’ hardcore readers, and Martin’s delight in playing with typical story tropes all could lead to Jon having not died. And if that’s the case, a discussion about the richness of text for the show as well as the fast approaching end to the show cause some serious questions.

Greenwald believes that Jon Snow is, in fact, not dead for a couple of reasons. His main argument centers around Melisandre’s return to Castle Black and her magical abilities stemming from the Lord of Light in conjunction with the R L=J theory. R L=J is basically the assumption that Jon Snow is the bastard child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Here R L=J is laid out in more detail. And these are some very solid points, especially in regards to the show which naturally must cut a lot of material from the thousands of pages that have so far been written by Martin. But if that is the case, Game of Thrones still has a long way to go in a short amount of time.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have stated they have thus far stuck to their plan on how to unfurl the story and that they are not planning on doing more than seven seasons. That means a mere 20 episodes remain for Game of Thrones. If Jon can be revived/isn’t dead, and is actually the true heir to the Iron Throne, that’s 20 episodes we have for Jon to be revived, realize who he is, and amass whoever he needs to take the Iron Throne -- assuming he wants it. Even if the R J=L theory is untrue we still only have 20 episodes to burn through the thicket of the current plot wilderness we are in to find some sort of conclusion to the stories.

For the R L=J theory to be true, however, it only solidifies the greatest strength and biggest weakness of Game of Thrones on TV: the richness of text. Clearly Game of Thrones is an incredibly deep and fairly nuanced story. R J=L only enhances the depth and nuance. The fact that so much of the past matters, so much of the history of Westeros and Essos matters, is what makes fans of the show and books alike so avid. But the scale and richness can sometimes give the show, and particular character arcs, a rushed feel. If R J=L is true and factors largely into what remains, it could also call into question the amount of onscreen time is devoted to what characters.

“Mother’s Mercy” could easily play into R L=J. Here we’ve been waiting for Daenerys to leave Meereen for her teased assault on King’s Landing when it was really the honorable Jon Snow who needed to be released from the chains of the Night’s Watch. Throwing Daenerys off into the Dothraki lands, back to where she started off, only supports that point. Melisandre’s endgame has always been shrouded and her seemingly random departure back to Castle Black (and her original interest in Jon Snow’s blood and lost virginity) could also hint that Jon Snow is not dead and has a larger purpose than to be the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. And of course Jon’s on the job training as Lord Commander, as well as his intimate knowledge of the imminent white walker threat, make him a perfect candidate to dethrone the Lannisters and defend Westeros.

And the Lannisters, boy oh boy the Lannisters. They have risen to lead the realm only to be torn to shreds by outside plots and mistakes of their own making. Cersei has been shamed and will be more vengeful than ever. Jaime continues to grow a heart and re-identify who he is, especially if he reacts non-violently to the death of Myrcella. Tywin was killed by his own son on the toilet. The once great house that “always pays their debts” are realizing that money is not as powerful as they once believed. Their actions, which has caused incredible civil unrest, may ultimately lead to their own demise as it seems clear that the once great houses of Westeros -- Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, Arryn, and to a lesser extent Tully -- have fallen or are falling into disarray. Instead of maintaining the status quo they have overreached their capabilities and have brought all the great families with them.

But all of this richness in the storylines, and the varying characters mean that the TV Show has to remain focused on getting through the story as opposed to really understanding some of the characters decisions. That’s true for all books; but moments like Stannis’s decision to burn Shireen and Theon “saving” Sansa, the big moments in which characters betray their previous behavior feel rushed. And again it is excusable because of the sheer magnitude of the story and the characters in it.

But once Game of Thrones concludes expect there to be immediate revisionist history on how it all unfolded. Because, really, was it so important to watch Daenerys try to rule Meereen if she decides to just remain a Dothraki queen from here on out? (Though I suspect her to marry Jon Snow if R L=J is true and Jon becomes king because incest is only acceptable in Westeros if you’re a Targaryen.) Or how about the sojourn to Dorne or the upcoming introduction of Theon’s family, which is rumored to be a main plot in Season Six? These all create more depth to the world but, as I argued in my review for “Mother’s Mercy”, it also causes the main narrative thread to be lost. And when the show is so focused on plot it can be very annoying when things are happening in a character’s story with absolutely no context as to how they apply to the overall story.

Game of Thrones is a beast to adapt for TV and Benioff and Weiss have done, for the most part, an incredible job of being equitable between stories, including the most important aspects to the overall narrative, while also not forgetting to add some of the minute details that make the books so beloved. Jon Snow’s death (or “death”) may be necessary to relieve him of his duties to the Night’s Watch, but we have become numb to the deaths of main characters. Season Five makes us feel more lost than ever before, regardless of popular theories. And with only 20 episodes remaining in the TV show Benioff and Weiss’s task becomes even greater as the remaining show time quickly disappears and we seem farther from the end than we ever have -- at least in terms of Daenerys and King’s Landing. If they pull it off without making us feel like a pinball bouncing around from one plot point to the next, it will be an incredible feat.