Why Did Jon Snow's True Identity Get Away from Him in Season 8?
By Raj Mehta | Why Did Jon Snow’s True Identity Get Away from Him in Season 8?
If you’re anything like me, then you spent countless hours binge-watching Game of Thrones, pouring over every scene, every line, and every decision made by the show’s beloved characters. For many of us, Jon Snow was that character – the brooding, handsome, and honorable bastard son of Ned Stark who captured our hearts with his unwavering commitment to justice and righteousness.
But as we watched Season 8 unfold, something unexpected happened. A crucial piece of information changed hands multiple times, and by the end of the season, Jon Snow was left standing in front of Daenerys Targaryen, holding her beloved dragon, Drogon, unsure if he was still a true member of House Stark or had fully succumbed to the darkness within him.
So, let’s take a step back and reevaluate what went down. How did this happen? Did it have something to do with George R.R. Martin’s masterful storytelling, or was there more to it than meets the eye?
One possible explanation is that the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, got caught up in wrapping up the series’ epic narrative in record time. With only a handful of episodes left, they had to make some tough decisions about which plot threads to prioritize and how to tie everything together. While this led to an exciting conclusion for many fans, it also resulted in some convenient and rushed plot conveniences.
Take, for example, the reveal that Jon Snow was actually Aegon Targaryen, the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Now, I’m not saying this wasn’t an exciting twist – who wouldn’t want to see a revelation like this on screen? But let’s be real, it came out of nowhere, with very little buildup or foreshadowing.
In retrospect, we can see that Benioff and Weiss gave themselves ample opportunity to drop hints throughout the series. For instance, in Season 6, Bran Stark discovers the truth about Jon’s parentage through his visions, but this information is never shared with the rest of the characters until much later. It feels like a missed chance to create more tension or anticipation around Jon’s identity.
Another factor that contributed to the mishandling of Jon Snow’s true identity was the show’s over-reliance on convenient plot devices. Think about it – Daenerys Targaryen, one of the most powerful characters in Westeros, suddenly becomes susceptible to madness and a lust for power after being betrayed by her advisors. Meanwhile, Jon Snow is left struggling with his own destiny, unsure if he’s still a Stark or a Targaryen.
It’s like Benioff and Weiss took the “red wedding” as their cue to ramp up the plot’s absurdity factor. Newsflash: just because something happens in the past doesn’t mean it has to happen again without some logical explanation. In this case, we can see that Daenerys’ descent into madness was always a possibility given her character development throughout Season 7.
Of course, there are also those who will argue that Jon Snow’s true identity is not as big of a deal as fans make it out to be. After all, he’s still the same person at heart – honorable, loyal, and driven by a sense of justice. But what about his connection to Daenerys? Did they really have the chance to explore their complicated feelings for each other in more depth?
In many ways, this is where the show falls short. The pacing on this storyline felt rushed, with very little time dedicated to exploring the emotional fallout of Jon’s true identity revelation. We’re given a few hasty scenes between Jon and Daenerys, but it all feels too convenient, like we’re being fed some sort of convenient narrative bait.
Now, as I sit here reflecting on Game of Thrones, I’m left with more questions than answers. What would have happened if the showrunners had taken their time to develop this plot thread? Would Jon Snow and Daenerys have found a way to make their complicated feelings work? We may never know for sure.
But what’s clear is that our experience as fans matters. When we invest ourselves in a story, we expect some level of agency over the characters’ lives – even if it’s just vicariously through them. In this case, Jon Snow’s true identity feels like an example of how the showrunners took something we cared deeply about and rushed it through without giving us enough to work with.
All I can say is that, as a fan, it’s natural to feel disappointed when our favorite characters get caught up in convenient plot twists. But maybe this experience will lead us to become more discerning viewers – ones who demand more from the stories we love.
As we look back on Game of Thrones, what do you think? Did the showrunners’ decisions about Jon Snow’s true identity feel like a cop-out, or did they serve a larger purpose in the story? Share your thoughts with us!
