This is quite the scene. This is even more relevant with respect to their earlier dialogue in the same scene.
Just before this moment, Jorah tells her that when he found out that she named Tyrion her Hand, it broke his heart. He’s telling her straight to her face that his role as her most trusted advisor meant a lot to him. When you take into account that he’s confessed his love and Daenerys is aware of it… his words basically translate to ‘I love you, but I know that I will not be your lover so being your most trusted advisor was the next best thing I had, and it hurts me deeply to know that I don’t have that anymore’. Daenerys hears that, her reaction proves it. She immediately moves closer to reassure him… she’s worried that he’s feeling hurt by her choice. She doesn’t brush off what he’s feeling, she silently acknowledges his pain, and gives him the reason she chose Tyrion. Daenerys doesn’t tell him that Tyrion was the best for the role or anything like that- she says that when she appointed him, she thought that Jorah had gone away forever. She practically says in not so many words, that had Jorah not had to leave due to Greyscale, the position of Hand was his and no one else’s, and Tyrion has always been second best to him.
Which is why Dany is shocked that minutes later, Jorah, the man who has every reason to be happy about Tyrion’s loss of credibility, is actually the one defending him and arguing about his worth.
She outright asks him, “You’re advising me to forgive the man who stole your position?”
She emphasises ‘stole’ because that’s how it should be from Jorah’s perspective- Tyrion is only their because Jorah wasn’t. But it’s not how it is.
His expression in the second gif: he looks down for a moment and his lips press together as if he’s in deep thought, but his expression is such that we can hear him say, with mock innocence: ‘Oh, is that what I’m doing?’ and then he looks her in the eye and says “I am.” He lets her know, clearly, so that there absolutely no doubt about it, that he knows exactly what he’s saying, and what it means for his own role on her small council.
At hearing response, Daenerys looks so stunned. After all, how easy would it have been for Jorah to insult Tyrion and have him removed as Hand… a small payback for advising for his second banishment. But he doesn’t.
It truly drives home the point that despite everything, even if it means giving up a place that should be his, he will always advise her for her benefit.
He says that Tyrion is a good hand, and when Dany tries to make him realise what forgiving Tyrion would mean for him… he’s just… completely unconcerned and one could even say comfortable with it. Because as much as the position meant to him, what matters more to him is that Daenerys succeed.
Then he says, very humbly, that he would like her to do one more thing, if she would allow him to make the suggestion. He asks for permission, he doesn’t attempt to impose on her what he thinks is the best choice that way Tyrion and Varys try. When he wants her to listen, he lovingly coaxes her into listening to his point of view and then let’s her decide, unlike Tyrion who straight up says what she should do.
Which is why when we have the next scene of Dany approaching Sansa with an olive branch… it is brilliant. She did not do it because it occurred to her that having an ally is more valuable than winning some cat fight, but because Jorah asked her to do it.
After their talk, Dany would have most likely agreed to anything that Jorah would have suggested… because that talk proves to her beyond a doubt that among all the men and women around her, Jorah loves her so much that he willingly lets go of what he wants if he feels that it’s best for her. She knows he would sooner die than advise her in a way that would not benefit her.
So, she goes and talks to Sansa, and the next time we see her with Tyrion, she tells him, in front a room full of people, that she named him Hand for his mind, and that she wants him safe so that when this is over he’ll be there to advise her.
And that makes it even more tragic what happened afterwards. Jorah died thinking that Sansa Stark, and the North would respect and accept Daenerys as their Queen. He died thinking that Jon Snow, the man he allowed to keep the sword that was by every right his, would love and protect her. He died thinking that Tyrion would advise her well, and that she would be wise in heeding his council. Jorah died when he knew Daenerys was safe from the wights, and that the Long Night was finally over.
He died believing that she would be safe, loved, respected, accepted, and well advised.
But that’s not what happened. Because no one, I repeat,
no one, knew her, and loved her as much as he did.
(Note: I still stand by my opinion that in attempting to reconcile Dany and Sansa, putting an end to a petty rivalry that should not have there in the first place, Jorah proved himself to be the only man with sense in the shit show that was season 8. For all that D&D fucked up, they more or less managed to right by Jorah.)
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