Jon Snow Returns: Why HBO should put George RR Martin's fantasy world to rest

They say he knows nothing - but it seems like he was the smartest one out of all the folks in Westeros. Why you ask? Because he is the only one who got his own spinoff out of all the worthy characters in the beloved HBO fantasy show ‘ Game of Thrones ’. Over the weekend, HBO announced that a Jon Snow spinoff series is in the works with Kit Harington likely to reprise his role. There is, of course, ‘ House of the Dragon ’ prequel too, which is based on the Targaryen civil war.

While some GoT fans were excited to see the King of the North and their favourite Wildling back on screen, others were skeptical. And then, there were some who were highly anxious and worried about the fate of the show. These fans (including yours truly) are the ones who have read and devoured George RR Martin ’s ‘ A Song of Ice and Fire ’ and are worried that the spinoff, well, might not go as planned. Here’s why we think HBO should let George RR Martin’s fantasy world rest.

A Tall Order To Live Up To

When asked why she isn’t too keen on greenlighting a new season of the cult sitcom ‘ Friends ’, show runner Marta Kauffman, in 2013, said, “I’d rather people go, ‘Oh, please! Please!’ than ‘I can’t believe you did that. It was horrible.’” Kaufmann, of course, was implying that the 1994-2004 run of ‘Friends’ was so incredibly stellar that any attempt to recreate the magic of the beloved sitcom would not only be a tall order to live up to, but it would also leave a sour taste in the mouth of fans of the show if it failed to sweep them off their feet.

It is, of course, worth noting that the ‘Friends’ cast did reunite for a special in 2021 but it wasn’t a follow-up season to the final one that aired in 2004. Kaufmann’s statement rings true especially in the light of how poorly the attempts of remaking successful shows have fared in the past.

With ‘Game of Thrones’ being loved dearly by the fans across the globe - the comparisons of the untitled Jon Snow sequel to the original show are inevitable. Needless to say, if it fails to outdo its predecessor in terms of the popularity and critical acclaim, it would leave a sour taste in not just GoT watchers but those who love GRRM’s ‘A Song Of Ice And Fire’.

GoT Series Finale Debacle

Amid the sequel chatter, the elephant in the room that hardly anyone is talking about is the historical upset and a massive disappointment that the final season of GoT was. Plenty of logical inconsistencies, continuity errors, plot holes and a disappointing ending that left fans furious marred the legacy of arguably the most loved fantasy show, so much so, that the show makers D&D (Benioff and Weiss) decided to ‘stay far away from the Internet’ and ‘drown themselves in bottles of alcohol) before the finale episode aired.

The backlash, no points for guessing, was severe and ironically, it was the GoT fans who were found drowning themselves in bottles of alcohol to get over the disappointment.

Given the fans’ disappointment, one can argue that it isn’t a wise decision to go ahead with not just a Jon Snow spinoff, but any show which has to do with GRRM’s fantasy world. Why, you ask? Because if the spinoffs fail to impress the viewers, it would be the final nail in the coffin. That is when the disappointment that the viewers feel will turn into resentment and anger - and no amount of alcohol will help them overcome it.

Do Spin Offs Really Work?

In popular culture, spin-offs haven’t really fared well, with some commentators describing them as an attempt to cash on the popularity of the original show. While there is, of course, nothing wrong with exploring the backstories of the characters and giving in to the demands of the fans every now and then - the success rate of spinoff shows, in general, hasn’t been off the charts.

Did you know that the ‘Friends’ had a spinoff called ‘ Joey ’ which explored his adventures post-Friends? No? That might be because the show was cancelled after a couple of seasons due to declining ratings. The ‘Doctor Who’ spinoff, ‘The Pretty Little Liars’ spinoff and of course, the ‘Smallville’ spinoff - all had the same fate.

As a GRRM stan and someone who loved GoT (the last season excluded), I can’t help but wish the Jon Snow spinoff doesn’t happen in the near future. Jon Snow sure doesn’t know anything. Here’s hoping that the makers do, and put the spinoff to rest.

Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75. 

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