Jonsa hints in Season 8 so far
So I have some people expressing concern to me since the Jonsa content seemed to have dropped off after episode one. So I just wanted to jot down just a few things off the top of my head to say “don’t fret, my lovelies.”
So, episode 1 was a motherload. We have Jon and Sansa hugging, happy to see each other (and Jon’s face shot was suspiciously missing from the show, but was in a teaser trailer), and Sansa acting more than just upset that Daenerys is in WF, she full on hates her. Sansa gives Daenerys contemplative side eye several times, with obvious camera time devoted to showing us not only a love-triangle dynamic, but cat-fight like tension between the two women.
“Your brother has told me much of your beauty.”
In almost every Jon scene, Sansa comes up. She’s living rent free in everyone’s heads, and in effect the audiences as well. Dany low-key threatens Sansa for not respecting her and before Jon can react we move on. The scene with Arya pissed a few people off, but I think it’s not only an attempt at bonding between Arya and Jon, but Jon also knows how important it is for Sansa not to get on the Dragon Queen’s bad side, and he’s trying to recruit Arya to tell Sansa to cool it.
Then we have a private Tent 2.0 scene with Jon and Sansa where she straight up asks him if he loves Dany with vulnerability in her voice. Sansa not only was sharp enough to catch on that there might be something there, but she’s also afraid of it. Jon tries once again to convince Sansa to cool it, but when she asks if he loves Dany, he’s shocked and surprised and left speechless.
And the episode ends with Jon learning he is not Ned’s son, and also that he and Sansa are cousins, not siblings.
In episode 2 I loved seeing the addition of Sansa’s leather chest armor before news of the WW coming even happens. Symbolically, she’s protecting her heart and shielding her emotions from everyone.
Jon is also shielding his emotions by avoiding Dany, and it appears avoiding Sansa as well. Bolting from the Great Hall after siding with Sansa over Dany, avoiding any touch or eye contact. He’s got a lot on his mind.
“Who manipulated whom?”
Pretty blatant reveal that Jon did what he had to to get Dany’s help up North. I’m taking this as Political!Jon confirmed. And we have pushed in face shots of Dany revealing the info, and Sansa realizing what Jon is doing. Once the pieces fall together in Sansa’s head, she changed her tone. She softens and acts complimentary, almost as if saying “oooh, Jon. I get it now. You’re not as dumb as I thought you were. Good idea.”
Sansa stands next to Jon in the war planning room, but there’s no eye contact, no speaking to each other and no touching. But it’s interesting that they were placed so close together in the scene.
The Theon scene was controversial in the fandom, but it is important to Jonsa because it establishes that Sansa is a queen who would be loved. “I’ll make them love me.” And she has Theon’s support from something other than using fear or power, like Dany chooses to garner support. Dany seems unsettled by Theon, who has sworn to her and calls her “queen”, showing preference for Sansa. It establishes Sansa as a rival for ruling the people. And Sansa rushes forward to hug him to show she has a heart.
Which might come in handy later, since this episode ends with Dany learning Jon’s the rightful heir and her being very, very angry at the news. (Cue chanting of “Dark Dany. Dark Dany. Dark Dany.”)
Episode 3 lacked the most “Jonsa” content so far, but I’m giving it a pass since they kind of had other fish to fry. Sansa goes to the crypts at Arya’s insistence, where she shares all her scenes with Tyrion from then on.
While the Sanrion ship seems to have risen from the dead because of this episode, I’m not as worried because Sansa literally spells it out to the audience that, yeah, it wouldn’t work. She still doesn’t like Dany, or respect her (and I wonder if her little minion will go running to Dany with this news).
I think there is a mutual respect between Tyrion and Sansa, and just how everyone understood the history and bond with Sansa and Theon, why can’t there be a similar understanding between Sansa and Tyrion’s history? He was kind to her (her own words) and they’ve both come a long way since season 1. Platonic is fine with me. And I got that reaction from the show - it came across very platonic.
Now, let’s see in a few hours what happens in episode 4. The last two episodes were low on the blatant Jonsa content, but I still don’t think that means it’s not happening. All the setups, subtle or not, are leading towards a result here.