When Game of Thrones wrapped up its eight-season run in 2019, it left a bad taste in the mouth of many fans.
After years of build-up, the series came to a grinding halt, with many developments feeling accelerated to bring the series to a close quicker than planned.
George R.R. Martin has been vocal about wanting the fantasy hit to run 10 seasons, and if you watch Game of Thrones online, you can’t deny that many aspects didn’t feel rushed.
The backlash to Game of Thrones Season 8 was fast and furious, but future projects were inevitable given the stratospheric success of the series around the world.
While many projects were in various stages of development, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that none of them would feature any of the Game of Thrones cast.
Until now.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news this week that a sequel series with Kit Harington reprising his Jon Snow role is in the works.
It’s hard to be excited about a sequel series this soon after the way Jon’s arc wrapped up on the original series.
His decision to kill Daenerys aside, his storyline had run its course by the time Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 aired.
He was banished from Westeros to live beyond the wall, presumably to live out the rest of his days.
Realistically, what kind of storyline would be worthwhile to continue that character’s arc?
There is an element of ambiguity about what became of Jon after watching the series finale of Game of Thrones, so it feels like a bit of a copout to now be working on a series to chart what he did next.
Jon was undoubtedly a fan favorite for much of the original run, but his actions in the final season were some that were maligned by fans and critics alike.
Surely, it would be better to tell a sequel tale with another less polarizing person who still has many stories to tell.
I can think of some characters who would be better served in their own series.
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark following the map in a direction many didn’t believe existed would be intriguing because there would at least be an element of mystery.
Then again, maybe the intent is to bring the Starks back into the mix in some capacity in this new series.
It could be a part of why HBO wants to bring this series to the masses.
As a character, the original didn’t tell Jon’s arc in a way that was synonymous with the books.
There was always that feeling with him that the writing never really allowed him to reach his full potential.
Granted, that could be resolved in the sequel series, but instead of being excited about the project, I’m thinking about all the ways it could go wrong.
HBO wants to milk the franchise for all its worth, and when you consider the number of projects set in the GOT-verse in the works, the cabler is banking big on fans still interested in the franchise.
The only good thing about this is that HBO might stop it in its tracks if it doesn’t come together the way they expected.
The network previously filmed a pilot for a prequel series focusing on the Long Night and canceled it after realizing the project didn’t have the legs they thought it did.
It shows that HBO has a bar for projects set in this universe, presumably after the reaction to the final season and series finale.
House of the Dragon, a prequel set over 200 years before Game of Thrones, is set to premiere on August 21.
That show got a straight-to-series order because it was deemed a worthy storyline to follow.
The Targaryens were a pivotal part of Game of Thrones, and they have a legion of fans so that one is poised to have a lot of complicated drama.
That’s not to say Jon Snow doesn’t have fans. He has plenty, but it’s hard to care about a sequel series after the very definitive ending of the original series.
Fans understandably have theories about what became of him after his final scene in the original series, but it’s hard to imagine anyone being satisfied if this potential series gets to chart it.
This project is still in very early development, so it could be nixed or reworked, but for now, it’s hard to believe something like this is even on the table.
The positive is that it will take the franchise into uncharted territory, potentially paving the way for a show that no one will be able to predict because there’s no source material to follow, assuming George R.R. Martin doesn’t miraculously finish the rest of the novels in the series beforehand.
Okay, Game of Thrones Fanatics.
What are your thoughts on a sequel series with Jon Snow?
Do you think it’s the best direction in terms of a sequel, or do you think HBO should be more selective about shows set in this universe?
Hit the comments with your thoughts!
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
