Okay, so beloved Game of Thrones character Jon Snow was horribly betrayed and killed. Then, after a short period of time, our bearded hero was revealed to have risen from the dead.
If this didn’t sound very Christ-like before, consider that “Home,” the Game of Thrones episode featuring Jon’s “miraculous” recovery, aired on Orthodox Easter Sunday . That the showrunners didn’t know this seems almost unfathomable; it would have to be one heck of a hilarious coincidence.
That aside, many have been quick to point out how the revival of Snow on Game of Thrones must make him a supernatural character of destiny. Fan theorists believe this revival is proof Jon is the prophesied Azor Ahai — a.k.a. “The Prince That Was Promised.”
#GameOfThrones finally reveals whether Jon Snow is dead or alive https://t.co/Sgb0eTiUd9 pic.twitter.com/L8d76DPGmf
— Variety (@Variety) May 2, 2016
According to Bustle , this alleged reference was made via the last words of Maester Aemon, and something that supposedly spoils the series’ ending.
“A popular fan theory holds that both Melisandre and Aemon are wrong — that neither Stannis nor Dany are Azor Ahai, but that Jon Snow is the Prince That Was Promised. (This is due to events from A Dance With Dragons that haven’t yet happened on the show. I won’t spoil them here, but if you want to read up on the theory, be my guest.)”
The cat is apparently out of the bag with Jon Snow’s revival officially putting the show absolutely in front of the books. What is it about Snow that makes him such a strong candidate for the “Prince that was Promised” position? According to Melisandre herself, her visions do not show her Azor Ahai, but “only snow .” While this puzzles the Red Woman, it seems to be a pretty strong clue to some fans.
#GameOfThrones Director Pulls Back the Curtain on the Jon Snow Twist https://t.co/NqcEIQUUwl @GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/iXgMTggCXQ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 3, 2016
Something interesting about the entire Jon Snow “is he dead or not?” phenomenon is that upon review of fan reaction to his death and revival reminded me of children reacting to the fate of the character Tinker Bell in the J. M. Barrie classic, Peter Pan .
“Peter flung out his arms. There were no children there, and it was night time; but he addressed all who might be dreaming of the Neverland, and who were therefore nearer to him than you think: boys and girls in their nighties, and naked papooses in their baskets hung from trees.”
“‘Do you believe?’ he cried.”
“Tink sat up in bed almost briskly to listen to her fate.”
“She fancied she heard answers in the affirmative, and then again she wasn’t sure.”
“‘What do you think?’ she asked Peter.”
“‘If you believe,’ he shouted to them, ‘clap your hands; don’t let Tink die.’”
“Many clapped.”
With no new book in sight thanks to author George R.R. Martin’s deadline struggle, there was no definite answer to the question of Snow’s fate. Fans refused to accept anything the Game of Thrones showrunners, cast members, and even actor Kit Harrington himself had to say about Jon Show’s untimely demise.
Kit Harington lied to his coworkers about Jon Snow — but at least one didn’t believe him: https://t.co/TL4fKbQmGf pic.twitter.com/k5leGkehjg
— Mashable (@mashable) May 3, 2016
There was a blind, child-like faith that prevented many fans from accepting that Jon Snow had died in the books and on the show. They were like the children who believed that their clapping hands could save a tiny fairy they weren’t supposed to know existed.
In the case of Jon Snow, it represented the first time the show had taken away a beloved character and then restored him to life. Did the “hand claps” play a role? It’s hard to tell. Also, given how determined people were to lie about his fate, it’s hard to trust anyone’s word, right?
https://youtu.be/O-ruqsCnpsQ
Also, if you go on YouTube and see the giddy reactions to Jon Snow coming back to life, the reaction doesn’t exactly resemble the awe of seeing a “risen Christ-like” figure. Instead, you see the clapping and joyousness comparable to happy kids who got their way against all odds.
Of course, this being Game of Thrones , no one is truly safe. That includes Jon Snow. We can only hope his revival today doesn’t bring about an even bigger gut-punch event down the road.
[Image via HBO]
