Were you paying attention?
At this stage you know the drill, this post contains spoilers for the latest episode of Game of Thrones… beware.
What about that episode, huh? Some of the most dramatic scenes we’ve seen in Game of Thrones in well… ever. That’s saying something after all the carnage of previous seasons.
The ragtag, merry band of brothers have achieved what they set out to do. They’ve captured a wight and now have proof that the army of the dead is real, and there’s a very real danger facing Westeros.
But they couldn’t have done it without Daenerys and her dragons, and as a result Viserion sadly fell to the Night King’s ice spear. Can we just appreciate that throw from him? A world class javelin thrower if I’ve ever seen one.
While we loved the drama unfolding in the latter part of the episode, one of our favourite parts was the dialogue between the characters as they trekked through the barren wilderness of the north.
Jorah and Jon had a frank conversation about the former Lord Commander, and The Hound and Tormund had an equally frank conversation about Brienne of Tarth, although they had different opinions of the lady.
A conversation that may have somewhat slipped under the radar, or at least pushed to the back of people’s minds following all the drama that unfolded later, is the interactions between Jon and Beric Dondarrion.
But first it’s important to understand the mindset of Jon Snow in this season, and Kit Harrington discussed his character’s mentality in an interview with Entertainment Weekly following his revival last season.
“There’s a brilliant line when Melisandre asks: ‘What did you see?’ And he says: ‘Nothing, there was nothing at all,'” Harington told Entertainment Weekly, refering to what Jon saw when he died at the hands of his brothers in the Night’s Watch. “That cuts right to our deepest fear, that there’s nothing after death. And that’s the most important line in the whole season for me. Jon’s never been afraid of death, and that’s made him a strong and honourable person. He realizes something about his life now: He has to live.
“And that’s the most important line in the whole season for me. Jon’s never been afraid of death, and that’s made him a strong and honourable person. He realizes something about his life now: He has to live it, because that’s all there is. He’s been over the line and there’s nothing there. And that changes him. It literally puts the fear of God into him. He’s seen oblivion and that’s got to change somebody in the most fundamental way there is. He doesn’t want to die ever again. But if he does, he doesn’t want to be brought back,” Harington said.
So therefore, Jon is facing this constant fear. He doesn’t know what his purpose is, and is struggling to come to terms with the fact the Lord of Light obviously has a higher plan for him.
As the discussion between Jon and Beric comes to this, the King in the North reveals that he doesn’t follow the Lord of Light, because he doesn’t know what the Lord wants from him. But Beric has his own thoughts on this matter.
“I don’t think it’s our purpose to understand. Except one thing — we’re soldiers,” Beric said to him. “We have to know what we’re fighting for. I’m not fighting so some man or woman I barely know can sit on a throne made of swords…[I’m fighting for] life. Death is the enemy. The first enemy and the last…The enemy always wins. And we still need to fight him.
“That’s all I know. You and I won’t find much joy while we’re here, but we can keep others alive. We can defend those who can’t defend themselves… Maybe we don’t need to understand any more than that. Maybe that’s enough.”
This moment is almost the reassurance Jon has been waiting for. He hasn’t been able to discuss this with anyone else and has typically, been brooding and burying these feelings deep. But Beric’s response has given him some perspective, an insight from someone who understands what exactly it’s like to die, to take your last breath, to close their eyes one last time.
It prompts Jon to recite his vow to the Night’s Watch, “I am the shield that guards the realms of men,” he said.
It’s likely we’ll see a different Jon from now on, one willing to accept that the Lord of Light has big plans in store for him.
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