Geek Stranger is coming out from under the water here in our super secret (but thankfully not underground!) lair in Houston, Texas, where we managed to still have power and cable long enough to do what we do best- destroy your hopes and dreams!
In tonight’s edition of why you’re wrong and I’m right, we delve into the Season 7 finale of Game of Thrones, and the major reveal of a fan favorite. If you haven’t seen the episode, and are not a fan of being spoiled rotten, go see it (legally- or with your mom’s HBONow password) and come back.
So quick recap. We knew already that R+L really does = J, but we learned that Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen, the bastard legally recognized son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, the former who annulled his marriage and wed the latter before she gave birth and died in Ned Stark’s arms. Go Sam, for being able to pay attention to Gilly’s ramblings even as he makes life altering decisions and travels across the continent. I wonder if he remembers how many steps are in the citadel…
Technically, when Rhaegar’s elder children were killed by the Mountain, Jon, uh, Aegon would have become heir to the Iron Throne (and then Viserys and finally Daenerys).
And we learn this, naturally, whilst Jon and and Daenerys are making sweet sweet Diet-Lannister love. And Tyrion lurks outside, like a… I don’t know… beaten puppy? scorned lover? Dude, that’s a long line and the queue starts over there behind Jorah.
The episode and season pretty much ends (less that last little bit at the Wall) with the statement that Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne.
Keanu Whoa Please.
It’s plain as day in this totally not ambiguously worded and unpunctuated text that I’m sure George R. R. Martin didn’t carefully consider when he plotted this story out back when Bill Clinton was president- yeah, you’ve been reading these books for that long.
Except, no. He’s not. He was, but then he wasn’t. And the reason is pretty obvious. His Night’s Watch oath. The text pretty explicitly states that upon starting his watch, he shall wear no crown. Effectively, he abdicated any claim he had to any titles when he joined. In that moment, though no one was aware of it, Viserys legitimately became the Targaryen heir.
“But, GeekStranger, long time listener, first time caller, Jon’s watch ended with his death!”
This is true, but just because he was rebooted by the Lord of Fire doesn’t mean he effectively regains all his titles and everything he forswore. That would be a maester’s nightmare.
Consider, if he was married before he took the oath, he wouldn’t be while defending the Wall, and if his ex decided to remarry, she wouldn’t suddenly be back married to Jon again once he was resurrected. If you had a candy bar, and decided to give up sugar for the rest of your life (heathen!) and gave me the candy bar, I wouldn’t be obligated to return it to you a few years later when you decided, hey, sugar in moderation is not so bad! Plus, y’know, I already ate it.
This is on you. We both knew this was going to happen.
The same is true here. Jon gave up any claim he had in crowns in taking his oath. His death freed him from the Watch, and the oath’s obligations in his future, but not his past. It’s why becoming King of the North wasn’t an issue because he became it through battle, and was never Ned Stark’s heir anyway, though the association was certainly at play in the minds of the northern lords. When you think about it, his northern crown was just might makes right.
If Daenerys had managed to ascend to the Iron Throne, say back in Season 5, and was crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and peace had come to the land, would she be expected to step down for Jon’s resurgent claim? No. And if she chose to do so, she’d first have to find a way to make Jon her heir so he could rightfully ascend after her.
Fixed it! I mean, every single one of the other titles is correct. Every. Single. One.
Understanding that Jon renounced his birthrights, regardless of whether his death was permanent, is important, because the only other possibility is that his resurrection without that clean slate would mean that just as his claim to the throne was restored, so was his obligation to the Night’s Watch, meaning he would still be a crow.
Unfortunately for those rooting for the patriarchy, it can’t be both. He’s either free of all connections and obligations of his first life, or none of them.
Next week, I’ll ruin Glow! (but not really, that’s the best…)
