One of the more aggrevating things about fandom insisting on making everything into a “Jon is stupid” joke is that the actual emotional beats within those scenes just get thrown out the window.
Like that scene where he shakes Jude Perry’s hand, knowing she’s going to hurt him? Within the context of this episode, this is a new low Jon has reached in self-worth. He just learned that some evil eldritch force has “claimed” him and is changing him against his will. He’s afraid, and more afraid of himself than of getting hurt, so he seeks out people he knows are dangerous for the answers Jonah has been withholding from him this entire time.
Jude says “I won’t give you information for free, you have to shake my hand” after giving a statement about how she only finds joy in hurting people. Jon knew before the statement that she wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him. That long, tense silence after she demands the handshake as the price is Jon weighing whether to pay it: is he willing to go through that much pain, possibly lose the use of his hand, so he can learn what sort of monster he’s become? Does it matter if he gets hurt, if a monster is all he is?
This scene also is a bookend to when Jon makes a similar trade to Jared Hopworth: a rib for information, but by then he doesn’t hesitate a moment. He’s used to using his pain as a currency by then, used to seeing himself as expendable.
“loool Jon is such a trusting idiot, thinking she wouldn’t burn his hand, he’s so stupid for believing her” is such a shitty trade-off for this
