Fan Theory Corner: The Northern Fool Fallacy and Jon Snow’s Motivations in season 7

The red herring romance

Throughout Game of Thrones, the showrunners have demonstrated an especial aptitude for writing a variety of romances, from unrequited to forbidden, tragic to healthy, dysfunctional to stable, including Ned/Cat, Robb/Talisa, Jon/Ygritte, Jaime/Cersei, Jaime/Brienne, Jorah/Daenerys, Drogo/Daenerys, Sam/Gilly, and Missandei/Grey Worm, to name some of the most notable pairings.

Keeping this in mind, why is Jon and Daenerys’ relationship so lacking? Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx observed that the chemistry between the two in “Beyond the Wall” seemed off “despite [Emilia Clarke’s] best efforts,” but what if the “something off” comes down to the attraction between them being one-sided, with Daenerys having fallen for Jon but the not the other way around? Harington may be performing as he’s meant to, showcasing that this romance is disingenuous on Jon’s part, feigned mainly to secure Dany’s cooperation — and her dragons and armies — in the upcoming fight against the White Walkers.

Whenever we get a scene that might be interpreted as romantic, like the one in the cave in “The Spoils of War,” it’s undercut by the overhanging issue: that Daenerys demands Jon bend the knee in exchange for her help, or by Jon’s attempts at mollifying her. We can see this at work after the wight hunt, when Jon wakes up on the ship and immediately apologizes to Daenerys for the loss of Viserion, despite the fact that Jon lost men on that mission, as well as his uncle Benjen.

One moment the showrunners could have used to convey mutual affection is when Jon leaves Dragonstone for Eastwatch, by means of the tried-and-true “looking back at someone longingly” trope. It’s been used to good effect on the show before, in farewell scenes between Ned and Catelyn, Jaime and Brienne, and Robb and Talisa. If Jon had spared Daenerys a glance over his shoulder as he pushes his boat into the water, then we might have had something. But instead that direction is given to Jorah — a man we know for a fact is in love with Daenerys — drawing a distinction between Jorah’s feeling for Daenerys and Jon’s feelings for her.

The shows eschews other romantic tropes, as well. For example, there’s no romantic tension between Jon and Jorah; instead, the two have a respectful conversation where Jon offers to give Jorah Longclaw, and Jorah insists he keep it. Contrast that with the rivalry between Jon Snow and Orell the wildling in season 3. Orell was clearly interested in Ygritte, and tried to undermine Jon’s relationship with her by telling Jon he’d “never hold onto her” and offering himself to Ygritte as an alternative. With Jon and Daenerys, we don’t have the “jealous lover” trope.

In general, the show gives us far more romantic cues about Jon and Ygritte than it does about Jon and Daenerys, from the way Jon smiles and jokes around Ygritte to the moment they share once they reach the top of the wall, complete with sweeping music and a scenic vista spread out in front of them as they share a passionate kiss. Meanwhile, the most intimate scene Jon and Dany share — their love scene on the boat — is more about the reveal of Jon’s parentage than it is about their relationship. And that reveal establishes Jon as a legitimate contender to the Iron Throne, which means he could be Daenerys’ enemy, rather than her lover, by the series’ conclusion.***

Season 7 only lasted seven episodes — the show didn’t have the time to develop a relationship between Jon and Daenerys that they did for a couple like Jon and Ygritte, but that’s no excuse for this “romance” being so lackluster. The showrunners know what they’re doing; if they wanted the time to develop a proper romance, then they would have asked for it. Grey Worm and Missandei only had one scene together this season — a love scene — and it was more intimate than anything Jon and Dany shared.

All things considered, a rivalry seems more likely than a romance. What’s the point of revealing Jon’s secret Targaryen parentage if it doesn’t provide conflict? If Jon and Daenerys were meant to fall in love and end the series as rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, then Jon actually being Ned Stark’s bastard would serve the story better; that would create a true alliance between North and South. But as the audience now knows, Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne, not the Kingship in the North. If this doesn’t cause enmity between Jon and Daenerys — the latter of whom believes she is the last of the dragons, and the rightful successor to the Iron Throne — then all the hype surrounding the secret of Jon’s origins is anticlimactic.

That’s unless you believe that a Targaryen restoration is upon us, in which case there’s nothing left to debate. But recall that the original title for the final book in the Song of Ice and Fire series was A Time for Wolves — something tells me that, when all is said and done, the wolves will be triumphant.