Every so often HBO releases a new show that becomes a TV sensation. Game of Thrones was definitely in that category, with plenty of fans re-watching the series with a Max subscription. Following that controversial GoT series finale, a number of plans were made to continue the story of Westeros on the small screen. That includes a spinoff for Jon Snow, which has unfortunately been dropped according to Kit Harington himself. But as a Game of Thrones fan, I'm honestly a little relieved the network dropped the show when it did. Let's break it all down.
Fans are currently anticipating Season 2 of House of the Dragon, but there were a number of other GoT spinoffs announced. Given the wild popularity of Kit Harington's Jon Snow, he seemed like a prime choice for his own show. But while speaking with Variety, the Eternals actor revealed that plans have halted, saying:
And currently, it’s not. Currently, it’s off the table, because we all couldn’t find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough. So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being. There may be a time in the future where we return to it, but at the moment, no. It’s firmly on the shelf.
While this might be a disappointing update for fans of Thrones who want to return to where the main timeline left off in the show's final season, I'm actually not bothered. Because as Harington explained, they struggled with finding the right story to tell. And I'd rather the project be DOA rather than starting strong and not having concrete direction for the show's overall narrative.
My feelings about the scrapped Jon Snow show are likely influenced by how things went down during Game of Thrones' last few seasons. When the show started it closely followed George R.R. Martin's novels. But the author takes a long time to write each novel, and the series eventually surpassed the story in the books. And as such, the show had to make some bold choices to keep the story going.
Another reason why the loss of the Jon Snow series isn't too painful is because we've already gotten to return to the franchise. House of the Dragon has been super popular, and the show's second season will air starting this June. The series has already been a wild ride, especially with various Dragons flying around Westeros.
That spinoff is scratching the itch for Game of Thrones fans like myself, who are happy to be back in the brutal franchise. And as such, the Jon Snow show feels less essential. What's more, another GOT series is also coming down the line: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is expected to premiere as soon as 2025.
House of the Dragon will return to HBO on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
