In the recap for Sunday’s eye-opening (and very good) episode of Game of Thrones, I wrote about how even though Jon Snow was resurrected by Melisandre, “everyone who’s been brought back to life on this show has come back [a bit less].” Look at the Lord of Light’s biggest fan, Beric Dondarrion, who told Arya that “pieces of you get chipped away.” Jon Snow’s back from the abyss, but he’s not the same Jon Snow. Death will do that to you.
But don’t take my word for it. Kit Harington told Entertainment Weekly:
“At first, I was worried that he’ll wake up and he’s the same, back to normal — then there’s no point in that death. He needs to change. There’s a brilliant line when Melisandre asks: ‘What did you see?’ And he says: ‘Nothing, there was nothing at all.’ 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 honorable 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.” (Via Entertainment Weekly)
“He doesn’t want to die ever again. But if he does, he doesn’t want to be brought back.” Jon Snow has gone full Buffy the Vampire Slayer, circa season five. Anyway, the main takeaways here are: Jon’s a more cautious, God-fearing man, and if he dies again, he doesn’t want to be resurrected. That’s a necessary development, because if Melisandre could bring him to life, Evanescence-style, every time he gets stabbed, there’s no dramatic tension. Jon might think twice before traveling to a place like Hardhome, or taking on an entire wight army. Or maybe Harington’s lying? He’s good at that.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
