(The fact that we had to put [REDACTED] in the headline means that major plot points for last night’s episode of Game Of Thrones are discussed below. Duh.)
Last night’s season finale of Game Of Thrones was even more of a bloodbath than usual as fans mourned the tragic, unexpected death of not only Cersei’s hair, but also Meryn Trant, that creepy knight whose identity Arya helpfully clarified before slitting his throat. (What? There are a lot of characters on this show.)
Just kidding—everyone was freaking out about the death of Jon Snow, one of the most popular characters on Game Of Thrones and also the only one with any White Walker killing experience besides Samwell Tarly, who, let’s be honest, got pretty lucky there. There are those who insist this can’t be the end for Jon, because of a popular fan theory that holds that the dragon has three heads and king’s blood and probably something about wine.
But Kit Harington, who plays Jon on the show, insists that his character is actually dead, and won’t be coming back. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he says, “I’ve been told I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m not coming back next season. So that’s all I can tell you, really.” Showrunner Dan Weiss supports this statement, saying simply, “Dead is dead.”
But the zombie Mountain that carried Cersei to safety after her literal walk of shame casts doubts on this statement, as does George R. R. Martin himself, who recently told EW, “If there’s one thing we know in A Song Of Ice And Fire is that death is not necessarily permanent.” Then there’s the fact that Harington was one of the principal cast members who received pay raises last fall—raises that applied to the fifth and sixth seasons, with options for a seventh. However, that may have just been for one season in Harington’s case, and while he initially signed on for six seasons when he joined Game Of Thrones, contracts can be changed.
So, in other words, we don’t know if Jon Snow is actually dead. But we do know that he won’t warg into his beloved direwolf, Ghost: “No Ghost!,” Harington tells Vulture with a laugh, adding that he’s had a “little cry” for Jon Snow, and that he’s actually relieved that he’s dead (or “dead,” as the case may be): “It’s like I’ve been sitting on this big fucking secret. I’ve had to watch what I say, but it’s a big moment, it’s a beautiful ending, and it’s how I wanted to go.”
And now he can go drinking with Sean Bean without worrying about getting up for work the next morning.