Amidst news of many Game of Thrones spin-offs, news broke in June 2022 that the hit HBO series would be getting its first sequel based on the character of Jon Snow. Author of the novels George R. R. Martin confirmed via his blog that a sequel was indeed in the works and that the “working title for the show is SNOW.”
The idea for the series was reportedly brought to the table by Jon Snow actor Kit Harington himself. Many of the original Game of Thrones cast members were excited by the news, with Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark, praising Harington’s work and stating that she is “excited to see what it’s going to be.”
The final season of the popular fantasy drama Game of Thrones was not very well received by a majority of fans. Many were disappointed with the ending given to Jon Snow. Despite Jon discovering his true identity was Aegon Targaryen, making him a legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, he was exiled from Westeros and journeyed back to the north of the Wall. Fans who wanted a more substantial and meaningful ending to Jon’s character were left in the dust.
Now that a spin-off series based on the character appears in the works, fans have been quite excited and had a lot to say about the newly announced Snow.
Excited for Jon Snow
The most common reaction to the announcement of the sequel has been varying forms of excitement. Since The Hollywood Reporter publicized the news last month, fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts and emotions. A fan, unable to believe the news of a sequel, reacted on Twitter:
“I hope so I love the Character Jon snow!”
Another, unable to contain their excitement, and paying homage to the emblem of the Stark family, tweeted:
“HOLYS*** SEQUEL SERIES JON SNOW🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺”
Twitter user @madhav_kwatra also expressed similar sentiments. Commenting on the character as well as the storyline the sequel might follow, they wrote:
“Jon snow was my favourite 😍 character. Excited 😆 to see where they'll take his journey.”
Hopeful For a Better Narrative
The less-than-stellar ending of Game of Thrones left many fans feeling let down and disappointed. Given this, the news of a sequel centered on a character who was loved by many fans led to rejuvenated hopes. Fans were especially hopeful for a better story and arc for Jon Snow. Twitter user @Siphe_Sithole said:
“Jon Snow's story arc is one of the few redeemable things to come out of GOT. I'm looking forward to JS getting his own sequel.”
The fact that George R. R. Martin is set to be an active part of the sequel also gave fans a reason to hold on to hope for a better narrative. Twitter user @MGDuckyyyyy wrote:
"Genuinely excited at the prospects of the Jon Snow Sequel show and the Fallout Amazon show.
George is in on it, Meaning it will have at least the guiding hands that the best seasons of GoT had."
Where Will Snow's Story Head?
Many were also curious to see where the series' plot might head. With the dubious ending from season eight of Game of Thrones, the sequel has left itself open to many options. Picking up on certain aspects of the main series, fans speculated where Snow might go. Expressing their thoughts, @itsmukil tweeted:
“I wonder what Snow, the Jon Snow sequel to Game of Thrones, will be about. I'm assuming they might delve a bit more into White Walker lore because they can't have written off such an interesting and mysterious civilization as mere machines gone wrong”
A Daenerys fan also took to Twitter to express their opinion on what they thought the show should explore:
“Rewatching selected Khaleesi moments. If there's going to be a Jon Snow sequel they're going to have to address the Unsullied and a Khalasar who are fiercely loyal to Daenerys.”
Not So Positive About a Sequel for Snow
However, justifiably, not every reaction to the sequel’s announcement was positive. A few fans carried the opinion that the final season of Game of Thrones rendered the character arc of Jon Snow irredeemable. Twitter user @CyJosh5 said:
"The whole hype of Jon Snow’s Arc really died the entire Season 8. He definitely wasn’t the prince that was promised. They reduced his character to Mr goody 2 shoes and very dumbed down version we all saw from S1. I don’t know what hype his character has left to carry this sequel."
Similar sentiments were expressed by @RJ23ii, who didn’t have high hopes for the sequel. They took to Twitter to say:
“After how they ruined his character arc in S8 not really sure about this new Jon Snow sequel. Might be a bust.”
The reactions to news of Snow have been mixed. However, the hopes of fans have clearly been rekindled. Given the fact that the sequel is still in the early stages of development, no release date has been confirmed. However, until then, fans can get their Game of Thrones fix from the prequel House of the Dragon, which is set to premiere on August 21, 2022.