Game of Thrones finale outrages fans with main character's death
WARNING: This story contains spoilers
Season 5 of Game of Thrones, HBO's hugely popular fantasy series, came to a bloody conclusion Sunday night with the gruesome death of one of the show's main characters, prompting fans to look for clues of a possible resurrection.
Warning: There are major spoilers beyond this point.
Jon Snow, lord commander of the Night's Watch and defender of The Wall, was slaughtered by mutinous men of Night's Watch at the episode's conclusion.
Tensions between Snow and his brothers in black had been building, especially after he brought an army of Wildlings to protect The Wall from the terrifying White Walkers.
Fans of George R. R. Martin's fantasy novels, which inspired the series, weren't surprised, because Snow meets his end in the fifth novel, A Dance With Dragons. But Harrington, who didn't read the book, admits his demise came as a bit of a shocker.
Harrington 'not coming back'
"I had an inkling [Snow's death] should be this season," the 28-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly. "I didn't realize it would be the final shot of the season."
As for whether Jon Snow is really done for good, Harrington says producers have confirmed he's finished.
"I've been told I'm dead. I'm dead," said Harrington. "I'm not coming back next season."
Game of Thrones show runner Dan Weiss says fans should accept the fact that Snow, and actor Harrington, will not be resurrected.
"Dead is dead," Weiss told Entertainment Weekly.
"We would hope that after seeing the scene and the way it's shot that the answer to that will be unambiguous in the minds of the people watching it."
Fans regret watching
The fantasy saga, which follows the rise and fall of families in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, is one of the most-watched shows on television.
But some viewers who loyally followed the show feel so betrayed by the latest plot turn, they say they'll never watch again.
After last night's episode, I'm not sure I even want to keep watching Game of Thrones.
—@zcannon130One true commander in all kingdoms is dead and here i stop watching the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameofThrones?src=hash">#GameofThrones</a>. U should not have killed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JonSnow?src=hash">#JonSnow</a> morons. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoTS05E10?src=hash">#GoTS05E10</a>
—@skunjusUNLESS THE FIRST SCENE OF THE NEXT SEASON'S FIRST EPISODE IS SOMEONE WAKING UP FROM A DREAM, I'M GONNA SUE <a href="https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones">@GameOfThrones</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoTs05e10?src=hash">#GoTs05e10</a>
—@naomicapulongIt's not the first time fans have threatened to quit Game of Thrones. Many said they were tuning out after the brutal rape of another main character in an episode broadcast last month. Others regret watching the series in the first place.
If I had a time machine and I could only use it once I would legit go back to 2013 and stop myself from watching game of thrones
—@cptnsteverxgersAs for the future of Game of Thrones, grieving Jon Snow fans are hanging on to the words of creator George R.R. Martin.
With a night to sleep on it, I think it's pretty clear that Jon Snow is not really dead.
—@SonarJose"My readers should know better than to take anything as gospel," Martin said in a 2011 interview.
"If there's one thing we know in A Song of Ice and Fire is that death is not necessarily permanent."