Despite the disappointment of the final seasons of Game of Thrones and the steep decline in audience interest that has followed in the years since, HBO is determined to keep the realm of Westeros and the stories of George R. R. Martin alive on the small screen. There are numerous spin-off series based in the world of Game of Thrones currently in development, the first of which is a Targaryen-based prequel series titled House of the Dragon, set to premiere this fall. Other prequel shows on the horizon include 10,000 Ships, 9 Voyages, and Dunk and Egg, all of which are some form of prequel based on preexisting stories that Martin has baked into the series lore.
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The newest Game of Thrones spin-off that HBO has reportedly started developing is based around the fan-favorite character of Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington. The show would serve as a sequel series of sorts to the original series, as it would depict Snow in his exile north of the Wall, following the 2019 series finale. This new series has the potential to revive much of the fan interest that has been lost over the years, but it could also make things much worse for this would-be franchise. Here are a few different pros and cons regarding this new show.
Pro: The Return of Kit Harington
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Harington as Jon Snow was one of the core aspects of the Game of Thrones series that kept fans coming back for so long. Though the character may have become a bit stale in the final seasons, Harington always brought his all to the role and did the best he could do with what he was given. Jon Snow was one of the most popular protagonists of any property, movie, or series, in the 2010s. That doesn’t happen by accident. The character was consistently one of the most interesting and dynamic of the entire series, largely due to a mix of Harington’s performance, the strength of the source material, and the constant speculation about his true heritage. Snow, alongside many other characters, anchored Game of Thrones as a series with genuine stakes and character growth. He came from humble roots and grew to become the character with the most critical role in the story. In that sense, Jon Snow was basically the Game of Thrones equivalent to a character like Luke Skywalker.
Though there may not be any literary material to pull from for this new chapter in Snow’s story, the Game of Thrones finale firmly establishes that there is more story to be told with the bastard who famously knows knowing. The current entertainment landscape is one that is constantly relying on nostalgia and preexisting properties to drive audience interest. Even though it has only been a few years since fans have seen Harington’s Jon Snow on-screen, it’s no surprise that HBO and the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery would want to give the character another shot, as they aren’t too keen to let the legacy of Game of Thrones be one of disappointment.
Con: Reliving the Flaws of Game of Thrones’ Final Seasons
A worrisome aspect of this new show is that it will face many of the same issues as the final seasons of Game of Thrones. The largest hurdle was the lack of published source material from Martin. As fans will know, the HBO series surpassed the published story of A Song of Fire and Ice in its final few seasons, which caused showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to pull solely from outlines and other details provided to them by Martin in addition to taking much of the story into their own creative hands. This resulted in parts of the story’s conclusion feeling more like fan-fiction than a genuine story, as characters and storylines were streamlined and simplified in order to wrap the series up seemingly as quick as possible.
By directly following the final seasons of Game of Thrones, this new show would be thoroughly tied to that story. Considering how divisive those seasons were, and how unsatisfied fans were by the show’s conclusion, it might not be the best idea for HBO to jump right back on that train.
Pro: Freedom From the Books
Though the lack of source material for this new show can be a cause for concern, considering how that turned out for Game of Thrones, it also could make this Jon Snow series much more interesting to watch. The creative freedom that comes with creating an entirely new story might just be exactly what this franchise needs. If Warner Bros. and HBO really want to make turn the world of Westeros into a reliable property, then they need to be willing to move beyond where Martin has developed the story and explore new avenues that are yet unexplored.
Martin is famously interested in the smaller details that often follow an epic story. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he applied this philosophy to The Lord of the Rings by asking “What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine?” and more. By following Snow in a post-Game of Thrones world, this new show could explore many similar ideas. What did Jon Snow do in his exile? Did he maintain a good relationship with the Free Folk? How is the far north of Westeros different now without the Wall and the White Walkers?
Con: Shrinking the World
As potentially freeing as it could be to create an entirely new story in the world of Game of Thrones, centering that show around Jon Snow does feel a bit restricting. It keeps the overall story tied directly to what we already know exists in this world, instead of developing and fleshing out an entirely new corner of Westeros and the people that inhabit its land. It’s the same issue many have taken with Disney’s expansion of the Star Wars universe. By almost exclusively telling stories about or related to characters and places we already know, it feels like the opportunity to truly expand the franchise with new stories is being wasted.
Pro: Return to the North
Though the original Game of Thrones series balanced dozens of different plot lines with various characters in both Westeros and Essos, many of the show’s most iconic moments came from following Jon Snow, the Night’s Watch, and the Wildlings beyond the Wall. A new series like this would likely bring much of the same excitement that came with those stories. Numerous fan-favorite characters and elements could make a return; most notably is Kristofer Hivju’s rugged, red-haired Wildling Tormund and Snow’s Dire wolf companion, Ghost.
As of now, there’s no telling what further dangers still lie in the lands beyond the Wall. But there are a lot of potential thrills to be had in seeing what Snow, Tormund and the rest of the Free Folk face in the years following the defeat of the White Walkers and Bran Stark’s coronation. With that said, that does bring up another con about this show.
Con: No More White Walkers
Though much of what happened north of the Wall made for some of the best moments in Game of Thrones, that is largely because the White Walkers and their wights were a truly terrifying antagonistic force. With the death of the Night King and thereby the rest of the army of the dead, that overwhelming horror is now gone from the world. While there are likely many dangerous forces that still exist beyond the Wall, it is hard to believe that any of them are as compelling or as visually-interesting as the White Walkers were for the duration of Game of Thrones.
There’s always the possibility that some form of the White Walkers still exists in the far north, as an ancient threat like that surely wouldn’t be as swiftly defeated as it was in the Thrones final season. However, making up some narrative excuse to bring back the living dead would both undercut the entire conclusion of the original series and likely just end up feeling like a retread of much of the same material that has already been presented.
Pro: The Legacy of Aegon Targaryen
This is the final pro being presented because it is the biggest one. One of the most disappointing aspects of Game of Thrones’ final season was how it handled the revelations of Jon’s true Targaryen heritage. Considering the speculation over Jon’s parentage and the “R+L=J” theories were a massive driving force behind much of the character throughout the series, it was immensely dissatisfying to see that story treated as an afterthought in the final season. One might assume the reveal of Jon’s parents being Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and that his birth name is actually Aegon Targaryen would be a big deal. But at the end of the series, much of that twist ultimately ended up feeling inconsequential.
By revisiting Jon Snow in the years following the events of Thrones, there is the potential for a much deeper exploration into Jon’s lineage and how he is grappling with it. Now that he knows he’s not just some bastard from the North, an entirely new chapter for the character could unfold in this show. This new Jon Snow series could revisit and even mend many of the mistakes that were made with Jon and the North in the final seasons of Game of Thrones. If it’s done well, this show could reignite a passion in what was one of the most passionate fanbases in entertainment only five years ago.
