Game Of Thrones: Do You Need A Sequel On Jon Snow (Kit Harington)? What We Know
The news in recent days, according to which HBO is thinking of a sequel to Game of Thrones starring Kit Harington’s Jon Snow, has divided not just the curious and fans of the show linked to the works of George RR Martin. With six Game of Thrones spin-offs in the works and the House of the Dragon prequel series coming in August, it seems like HBO is leaving nothing to chance and is determined to make the most of Westeros and his stories. According to the first information in our possession, the production should already be in its initial stages, and it seems that Harington has already given his consent to play the role of the beloved GOT character.
Unlike all the other projects in development, this looks like the only series announced so far to carry on the story of a Song of Ice and Fire by moving beyond the events narrated in the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones. The idea of re-emerging in a context that has been largely resized and negatively re-evaluated by the fandom, especially after the last cycle of incongruent and patched-up episodes, inevitably brings with it numerous doubts about the goodness of the operation. We, therefore, try to analyze as much as possible the importance of a similar project for HBO and the risks involved in its development.
Game Of Thrones: Jon Snow (Kit Harington)
The project in question intends to focus its attention on Snow, giving a weight never obtained by the character during the flagship series. Sure, fan-favorite Kit Harington was one of the main protagonists of Game of Thrones. Still, she has never enjoyed a lot of screen time to exploit Jon’s full potential, and especially in recent seasons, the feeling of many viewers is that the character has been relegated to a secondary and almost peckish role compared to the expectations initially placed in him.
Thinking back to inconclusive prophecies and legacies never properly exploited, the show should therefore take us back to the north of the Wall, with the character of Jon (aware of being Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark) exiled after contributing to the first person to change hierarchies within the Iron Throne. As many will recall, the management of plots and characters in the last few episodes of Game of Thrones has left many with a bad taste in their mouths, highlighting the desire on the part of the authors to conclude the show as soon as possible – despite Martin himself hoping for a well-developed construction. more careful with at least another couple of seasons after the eighth.
Having witnessed the public pillory reserved for showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss, who not only missed the opportunity to work on Star Wars but will not even be involved by HBO in these new productions, it is very difficult to trust the leaders of the giant. TV More specifically, which tales worthy of attention could come out of the same minds that have approved certain narrative choices in the past? How much grip could the account of an exile’s life north of the Wall have? The ambiguity and decadent mono-expressiveness of the character shown in the last seasons of GOT only increase the doubts, thanks to the less than excellent qualities that Harington has managed to demonstrate.
The Perspective Of The Giants
If needed, this latest announcement is yet another proof of HBO’s plans, which as in many other similar cases intend to squeeze every penny from a hugely successful fantasy franchise to the bone. A bit like it happens for Disney with Star Wars or Netflix with The Witcher, most of the productions related to the reference work or distant from it find it all too easy to achieve satisfactory quality, even in the face of excellent results in terms of audience.
From a perspective that rewards palatability over quality, it will be interesting to observe what will happen in a few weeks with the first of these parallel projects. Following similar premises, House of the Dragon will be the real test bed for all operations related to the world of Martin and its impact on the public will most likely decide the future of the franchise. The planning of HBO plays with cunning in this sense, given that the work can give a clear indication of the curiosity of the fans: on the one hand, a production set in the past and with a strong reference base, but with new characters; on the other, a production that can leverage a strong character rather than a solid narrative. Only time will give clear answers on both, but what reassures us about the work of many other majors is that HBO has already shown that it can understand the moments and the usefulness of certain operations.
As happened with the spin-off on the first Long Night, canceled despite a pilot already ready to launch, it would not be strange to imagine a similar ending with some of these projects, if they prove to be invalid or with a story worth committing to. Precisely by this, we have one more reason to be confident in the success of House of the Dragon, thanks to the collaboration of Martin: after the negative comments and after the flop of the Game of Thrones finale, the bar set by HBO seems to be set to a very specific standard. This also automatically affects the project linked to Jon Snow: being still in the embryonic stages of development, it is too early to think of nefarious prospects, so we can focus our attention on what the series could offer – net of doubts about the operation in general.
The greatest merit of Game of Thrones, and consequently of Martin’s works, lies in the variety of its universe and in the infinity of details that prudent worldbuilding has been able to offer, making every context dense and full of activities or details. interesting. Beyond the numerous fan theories about a plot that would see Jon as the new King beyond the Wall or that will lead him to fight a new threat (between White Walkers’ rebirths and Dragon hunts), what is certain is that this series will be the most unpredictable project of all, not having any kind of source material to draw from. A huge risk on the one hand, and a great opportunity on the other.
Glimpses on The Horizon
Recovering from a romance that ended in tragedy and from having upset the fate of Westeros, the idea of a path of healing and redemption for Jon would be an intriguing plot, but perhaps not enough to dominate the scene. The possible addition of already known characters will help to make everything more engaging, perhaps the writing will give a luster so far never had by the character, but it is impossible not to think that the only motivation behind this project is to make money. Of course, the best thing to do if the project hits the screen will be to start with zero expectations, carefully observing how events unfold.
There is little point in playing remedial action because it rarely pays. At the same time, there is no reason to create a product to show your regrets to the public. If there is no need for a product like this, great curiosity must still be confirmed in observing any decisions and perspectives on the future of Jon and Westeros. From a purely commercial point of view, it certainly reflects the spasmodic pursuit of the majors in milking their leading products as much as possible, pursuing (rightly) the commercial logic but too often neglecting the quality of their works. In light of these considerations, anyone will be able to see it exclusively in their way, from this or that side of the Barrier. What are your thoughts on HBO’s operation? Are you happy with the return of Jon Snow? Let us know in the comments!
