Spoilers ahead for last week’s episode of Game of Thrones.
Last week’s episode of Game of Thrones has been one of the most talked about in the series’ history. Since last season’s finale saw Jon Snow being betrayed by members of the Night’s Watch and stabbed a billion times, the fandom has been wondering if Jon would be revived by Melisandre’s magic. In the latest episode, The Red Woman finally did the deed, and brought Jon back from the dead the way that we had basically all predicted she would. This plot twist that wasn’t actually a shocker was spoofed on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, to hilarious results. Check it out.
Seriously, this sketch is great. And it works for a few reasons.
First, this sketch voices the concerns and opinions of the Game of Thrones fandom. While the fans aren’t going anywhere, and will continue to make Game of Thrones the biggest series on television, the production and time management of certain episodes can be maddening. In the SNL clip, Cecily Strong and host Brie Larson lament how long it’s taking for Jon Snow to finally be resurrected.
When Melisandre, played hilariously by Kate Mckinnon, starts bathing, grooming, and slowly attempting to bring Jon back to life, she maintains that it’s ok because the show will likely switch over to some scenes from King’s Landing while she continues her process. But no, this editing choice doesn’t happen. Just like the real scene, it’s just a ton of her touching Jon.
Cecily Strong and Brie Larson’s perspective perfectly echoes some of the concerns of Game of Thrones fans. While waiting around for Jon to come back to life, they complain about how the show only gives fans 10 hours of footage per year, so pacing issues can really be frustrating.
I’ve personally had this issue a few times throughout Game of Thrones’ tenure. While it was awesome, I didn’t want a full hour of that battle at Castle Black in Season 4. I have so many favorite characters across the universe that I get frustrated when certain ones are neglected. Margaery is barely in the show at all anymore, which makes me crazy.
SNL’s sketch perfectly continues to up the stakes and get more ridiculous as it goes on. While Jon Snow comes back to life immediately, Melisandre insists that he lay back down so she can continue her long and arduous process of resurrection. As Davos (who thinks that his plot of learning to read was pure action) and the other characters continue to be frustrated with how long it’s taking for Jon to come back to life, Kenan Thompson enters because he thought Jon was already back. Kenan gets the most angry at the situation, before yelling “Pick up the pace woman!”, which almost gets Kate Mckinnon to break character and laugh.
What do you think of this sketch? Did it speak to your frustration with Game of Thrones? Sound off in the comments below.
