Jon Snow may be the biggest cliffhanger on TV since CBS’s 1980 record-smashing “Who Shot J.R.?”
Snow’s murder under normal circumstances would be a no-brainer, since he was stabbed repeatedly in the heart by Night’s Watch miscreants during the nail-biting finale of Game of Thrones Season 5.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_6RjULaiw
But, let’s face it: There is magic afoot. Sick, twisted magic, but magic nonetheless. The prevalence of ice zombies and dragons and crows, oh, my, leads one to believe that Jon Snow’s resurrection, if there is one, will be gut-wrenching. Maybe appalling. Will we wish he had just stayed dead?
Or is Jon Snow truly sliding into the golden halls of GOT legacy along with his father, Ned Stark, half-brother, Rob, and tragic lover, Ygritte?
All these questions, and more, were addressed at the glitzy, red carpet premiere of Season 6 in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The absence of Kit Harington ( Jon Snow ) was duly noted, but as USA Today pointed out, that didn’t stop his castmates from being bombarded with questions about the fate of the best-loved Watcher on the Wall.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays the conflicted-but-mostly-evil Jaime Lannister, gives the question a verbal shrug.
“He’s stabbed 40 times in the heart. He’s dead.”
#NikolajCosterWaldau doesn’t mince words when asked about the fate of @GameofThrones #JonSnow . pic.twitter.com/HmfTJwSjt2
— Bill Keveney (@billkev) April 11, 2016
Kristofer Hivju, who plays roughened wildling Tormund Giantsbane, has high praise for Harington’s acting abilities.
“Kit Harington is the best corpse player ever. He can just lay down totally still and is so good at it.”
Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) is much more blunt.
“I don’t care. Get over it. The dude is dead. There’s plenty more characters in Game of Thrones . Please. Let him rest in peace.”
#GameofThrones #FinnJones offers a bold response to the often-asked question about #JonSnow ‘s fate: “Get over it!” pic.twitter.com/rudoH0zOok
— Bill Keveney (@billkev) April 11, 2016
John Bradley, who plays Jon’s friend, the doe-eyed Samwell Tarly, takes the “be careful what you wish for” approach.
“I get very aggressive. I say, ‘Listen. Do you want to see the answer to that question played out with an HBO budget; with some of the best actors (and) directors working in TV; all the visual thrill, all the design elements? Do you want them to tell you the story or do you want me to tell you the story with my voice on a cold street somewhere in Manchester?’ Chances are they want the story to be told the way the show is designed to tell it.”
#GameofThrones #JohnBradley explains how he answers when fans ask him to tell them about #JonSnow ‘s fate. pic.twitter.com/5sheJb0oWf — Bill Keveney (@billkev) April 11, 2016
The presence of press was strictly limited at this Game of Thrones world premiere , according to the Telegraph .
“… Those of us that were, were given a stern warning: anyone revealing spoilers or plot points would face excommunication, or, worse, be married off to Ramsay Bolton.”
The first episode of Season 6 is heavy on violence and brutality, the article states, which is not unexpected for fans who have been riveted to the escalating narrative of battling kingdoms.
#GameofThrones #EmiliaClarke talks Khals, dragons on #HBO red carpet before season premiere. pic.twitter.com/bseL36K2h0 — Bill Keveney (@billkev) April 11, 2016
Sansa Stark’s character will “take command,” Sophie Turner had promised, and it looks as if that will come to fruition.
But Maisie Williams, who plays the tough, embittered Arya, has said that fans will “hate” Season 6. The Telegraph , indeed, confirms that the first hour is “not an easy watch.”
The first episode will see the women rising to power, some in ways that are “terrifying.”
But the burning question about Jon Snow remains to be answered. Kit Harington was reportedly seen filming on the Game of Thrones set in Northern Ireland, but that rumor is unconfirmed by studio execs.
Therefore, it is probably safest to say that at this point, we “know nothing.”
Game of Thrones Season 6 opens April 24 (9 p.m. ET/PT).
[Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP]
