Winter is Coming Back: Jon Snow Sequel Series in Development

It cannot be understated just how much of an impact Game of Thrones made in the world of television. On the plus side, it was part of a new golden age of high-budget, high-concept television. It proved that R-rated fantasy could dominate the ratings and audiences around the world. And then, just like Icarus, the showrunners flew too close to the sun and brought the entire show crashing down to earth. It’s debatable when the wax began to melt, but most people agreed that the eighth and final season was the true disaster. The overwhelmingly negative response to that season was the disappointed which trumped all previous controversial endings like Lost, Dexter, even How I Met Your Mother.

And yet, despite all that, it seems that HBO wants to salvage something from that last season. Even as a brand new prequel series - House of the Dragon - is building up steam, there’s also talk of a sequel series being developed. This as-yet untitled series would focus on Jon Snow, one of the primary protagonists of Game of Thrones, and yes, Kit Harrington is due to reprise his iconic role if the series gets HBO’s seal of approval. In case you’ve successfully blocked that last season from your memory, Jon Snow was last seen leaving the Seven Kingdoms in exile after murdering Daenerys Targaryen, his erstwhile lover. And it turned out she was also his aunt, since Jon was the secret son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. While one might reason that he could have sat the Iron Throne with those credentials, he’s instead going to live beyond the Wall with what’s left of the Free Folk.

Granted, we could be jumping the gun, here. Very little is known about this potential series; we don’t know when it will take place, what will happen, or even what the series would be called. And even if we do learn more, HBO could always change their minds and axe the project. For proof, consider the cancelled prequel series The Long Night which would have starred Naomi Watts. All the same, the fact that HBO is confident enough to even attempt a sequel to that eighth season will doubtlessly cause the internet to, at the very least, raise a collective eyebrow. Something must have persuaded them to give this a try, and Harington seems willing to juggle his new Marvel responsibilities with a reprisal of the role which netted him two Emmy nominations. Will this be HBO’s next big folly, or will they be able to redeem Jon Snow for his many fans? Only time will tell.