Why I still believe that Jon and Sansa will end up getting married - Part 1/3
It is a truth universally acknowledged that GRRM quizzed D&D on who Jon Snow’s mother is before letting them adapt the books, and yet we have Jimmy Fallon and the rest of the fandom saying this:
Now, the show ending might have hinted at several significant plot developments related to Jon, but none of them really count as ‘payoff’ for RLJ:
A) Jon’s identity crisis - simply a consequence of RLJ, not payoff
B) Jon vs Dany - Once again, it’s too destructive, not really a payoff
C) Bael the Bard - The show ending might have made this theory very convincing, but you don’t really need RLJ for Jon and Sansa to become lovers
So where does RLJ come in as payoff with this ending?
Pre-S8, the Jonsa fandom unanimously agreed on the following plot points as payoff:
A) Have Jon become King of 7K.
B) Resolve a forbidden romance with someone he is related to.
C) Both.
I have Bran related reasons for liking King Bran, but especially as a Jonsa, I like King Bran for two distinct reasons:
1. Now with Bran as King, the only way to pay off RLJ is option B because option A and C are out.
2. Bran as King is even closer to GRRM’s original outline, the same outline that had the famous love triangle with the Stark Girl.
But before discussing the original outline for the millionth time, I wanted to highlight the way GRRM misdirects. Simply stated, it is a lot more sophisticated than D&D. The show packed red herring after red herring that didn’t go anywhere (I’m looking at you boatbaby), but this approach evidently hampered repeatability. It also contradicts what GRRM’s approach of “not being subversive just to subvert”. The way GRRM misdirects is by creating decoys, so on a re-read, the same red-herrings become foreshadowings.
I have this screenshot handy so I’ll use this:
Purple box - King Bran foreshadowing, but initially served as a red herring because we (well, at least I) assumed this was Jon.
Blue box - Girl on grey could have been anyone from Arya to Jeyne to Alys. Turned out this is Sansa.
With that in mind, unlike the show which completely destroyed RLJ, what is evident upon rereading GRRM’s 3 page original outline is that he was always planning on subverting RLJ expectations, not by making Jon King (oh so obvious per GRRM) but by giving Jon something far more personal and true to his heart’s desire - the Stark family.
Now back to the original outline - in the last page of the outline, right below the famous love triangle, we have a redacted ending.
Some poor soul tried to uncover the redacted text back in 2015 (wonder how they reacted to S8)!
And there it is… Iron Throne… Bran sits free AKA King Bran. So, as has been well established by now, GRRM was always planning on Bran becoming King.
So, what was GRRM planning to do with RLJ?
The ONLY time Jon’s parentage is mentioned in the ENTIRE letter is here:
Their passion will continue to torment…UNTIL THE SECRET of RLJ is out… AKA RLJ PAYOFF was intended by resolving a forbidden romance (and resolving the romance in this case inherently refers to marriageability just because of the circumstances involved).
Every time I’m trying to come up with an ASOIAF theory, I always like to imagine what the path of least resistance would be for GRRM, especially given the fact that he has stated multiple times that he cannot change his intended book ending because then his hints would become lies. With that said, I will list the cold hard FACTS that absolutely no one can disagree with and let you draw your own conclusions:
1. GRRM has always said he knows how the story ends
2. GRRM’s original outline has King Bran, which means at least part of the ending of the original outline is his current ending
3. GRRM took on D&D after quizzing them about RLJ
4. GRRM was planning to payoff RLJ by resolving a forbidden romance between Jon and a sister/cousin who goes to the Wall
5. Sister/cousin Sansa goes to the Wall
6. The original outline had a deadly rivalry between Jon and the third leg of the love triangle
7. We got a deadly rivalry between Jon and Dany
At this point, the only thing that is lacking in the show ending from the plot points listed above is the intended payoff for RLJ, which is hilarious to me because GRRM allowed them to make the show based on this very plot point (something which is still a well kept secret in the books, implying that will have plot significance and payoff), and yet seemingly it goes nowhere per the show.
Furthermore, I know a lot has been said about GRRM wanting a “bittersweet” ending, but back in 2012, GRRM is also quoted saying this:
“You can’t please anyone, so you’ve got to please yourself. So I will write the two last books as good as I am capable of and I think the great majority of my readers would be happy with it. Trying to please everyone is a horrible mistake.”
The definition of “bittersweet” may be quite broad but the definition of “happy” is much narrower, which is why I have so much trouble with Bloodraven Bran and Bael the Bard ending, why, show? Why?. And, yes, I am willing to give GRRM, someone who has been writing for a long time, the benefit of the doubt and presume he knows what a happy-ish ending might entail.
And don’t even get me started on
When you’re old enough, I will make you a match with a high lord who’s worthy of you, someone brave and gentle and strong,
or, Glory to your betrothed…He is the dragon’s heir,
or, She found his cloak on the floor, twisted up tight, the white wool stained by blood and fire.
What are these if not wedding foreshadowings?
GRRM’s 2012 interview doesn’t match the show ending we got for Jon…..
GRRM’s original outline doesn’t match the show ending we got for Jon…..
GRRM’s criteria for letting D&D adapt the books doesn’t match the show ending we got for Jon…..
And somehow I’m supposed to believe that this is GRRM’s planned book ending for Jon?
I’ll end this post with this very well-known transition from AGOT, Eddard I where King Robert proposes Sansa’s betrothal to Joffrey:
This is both early RLJ and Jonsa foreshadowing happening in parallel for a reason. A textbook GRRM move here would be to make Robert’s statement true yet not in the way he means it, i.e. Sansa will do what Lyanna “might once have done”, Lyanna married a Targaryen, so by extension, Sansa will…??
And this is why, despite the show heavily implying Bael the Bard (did they even know what they were doing), I am still very certain that Jon and Sansa’s story will end in marriage, because at this point, RLJ payoff cannot be anything else but Jonsa.
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