Warning: This article contains spoilers from Game of Thrones season 1 episode 2 “Home.”
Within the first few second of the opening sequence, Kit Harington’s name was listed in the credits. Dare we hope that this fan-favorite character might still have a chance of coming back from the dead?
We should definitely hope because Jon Snow lives!
After months of waiting in agony, we finally saw the resolution of one of TV’s biggest, and most excruciating cliffhangers.
The expectation from fans was that we would have learned Jon Snow’s fate by the end of the season 6 premiere. While we saw plenty of Snow, we only saw his very dead-looking corpse. And this week we saw even more of Jon Snow looking lifeless, but not for long.
After last week’s episode, we hoped the reveal that Melisandre was really over 200 years old might give some indication as to how Jon Snow might be resurrected. If Melisandre is powerful enough to have stayed alive (and looking that young) this long, then maybe she has the power to bring someone back from the dead. If you were a fan who was convinced Melisandre would be the one to bring back Jon Snow, then you were right.
And we weren’t the only ones who thought Melisandre could bring Jon Snow back from the dead. Davos, who I think was speaking for all of, us goes to Melisandre and asks if Jon Snow doesn’t have to be the former Lord Commander. “There are some with this power,” Melisandre replies. Davos eventually convinces Melisandre to try. “I saw you give birth to a demon made of shadows,” he says, which is apparently all the proof he needs of the Red Woman’s power.
In the next scene, Melisandre places her hands on Jon Snow’s dead body and begins the spell to bring him back. I think I speak for everyone when I say we were all holding our breath.
She tries once. And a second time. And again. But it doesn’t work. Davos and the Wildlings look on, and you can see in their expressions they are trying to will Jon Snow back to life.
Melisandre gives up, looking completely defeated. Everyone empties the room, leaving Jon Snow alone with Ghost, his dire wolf.
The camera lingers over Jon Snow’s body, looking dead but cleaner than before.
And then his eyes open.
Jon Snow lives!