Last night’s Game of Thrones season finale was a doozy. Many people are as freaked out about the ending as I was. But, I have some encouragement.
I will put my thoughts below the fold.
Ever since Ned Stark was killed, we’ve gotten used to beloved characters being killed off. But in this case, I think we’re in store for a switcharoo. It’s probably an overstatement to say Jon Snow can’t be gone. But I think narratively it makes very little sense. Who will lead the wildlings to take back Winterfell?
Here’s my theory. The Red Priestess returned to Castle Black for a reason. If you recall practitioners of her fire god faith can revive the dead if they get to them in time. That’s what happened with the leader of the Brotherhood without Banners in season 3 when he was killed by the Hound. Melisandre, a.k.a. the Red Priestess, clearly had designs on Jon Snow and I doubt she’d let a little Julius Caesar action stop her.
When we last seem him, he’s not even dead yet, just bleeding out. My hunch is she comes to the rescue with the hocus pocus. Once revived, maybe he reclaims leadership of the Nights Watch or maybe he says “screw you guys” and heads out to lead the Wildlings in reclaiming Winterfell. The message boards have all sorts of other theories about Jon putting his consciousness in his Direwolf and other warging whatnot. Maybe they’ll do that, though I doubt it. I haven’t read the books, but it’s worth remembering the show is now diverging from the books anyway.
Anyway, that’s my theory. The only thing I’m sure about: It’s going to be a long wait for next season.