The first time I watched the episode I was so scared for Jonsa, specially because of the amount of Jonerys. Can you enlighten us about the hints of political Jon at this episode?
Oooh okay. I honestly donāt even remember the episode anymore and I really should rewatch it but there were a few moments of pol!Jon in this episode that I recall.Ā
Frankly, the entire argument between Jon and Sansa seemed to imply it. Like I said in my previous post, he asked her to have faith in him. He asked her to believe that he knows what heās doing and that he is being smarter than Ned and Robb because that was what worried Sansa. Their conversation from Season 7, she expressed the need for Jon to not make the same mistakes as Ned and Robb. And what mistakes were those? Ned was too honourableĀ and ultimately could notĀ play the game of politics. Robb was too short-sighted and married a foreign woman instead of honouring his promise to Lord Frey. Jon asking Sansa to have faith in him and believe he is smarter than that suggests that he isĀ playing the game of politics and he is not putting āloveā above his duty to the North, whom he promised to lead.Ā
There is also the part where Sansa asks him if he bent the knee for an alliance or if it was for love. I think the fact that they cut off his answer and switched to a new scene suggests his answer is something Jon canāt reveal to the audience. Why is that? If Jon was truly in love with Dani, why would revealing that be so secretive? Theyāve been so heavy-handed with the JonericeĀ narrative that having him admit thatĀ āyes, this is for love and the allianceā wouldnāt be that surprising for the general audience. Cutting that scene there suggests that actually his answer isnāt so black and white. Jonās answer would be divulging too much information. Why though? What information could he be hiding that we arenāt allowed to know yet? That no heās not in love with Dani and this is all a ploy to secure an alliance?Ā
In terms of Pol!Jon, Iām inclined to believe that Jon isnāt simply manipulating Dani for his own gain, only to throw her away once he gets what he wants. No, I think he wants marriage. He knows the North wonāt accept her but if he marries her, they could. To him, this is a political move not a romantic one but he needs Dani to want it romantically because not to be crass but Dani is a hot commodity as a single female rule. Men will want to offer marriage for political gain and Jon might consider sacrificing himself in order for the North to be taken care of post-war. Or I believe Jon doesnāt see himself surviving the war and he believes if Dani is in love with him, she would be more willing to look after his family/the North post-war.Ā
Either reason (or maybe itās something else entirely), Jon canāt reveal that to us yet because weāre not supposed to know. I also think that scene was so heated because of the implied romance between Jon and Sansa. The vulnerability in Sansaās question, her self-deprecatingĀ āmuch prettier than meā line, all suggests jealousy of the romantic kind. And Jon not being able to answer the question on screen could also suggest his feelings in turn.Ā
Another case for Pol!Jon was his conversation with Sam. When Sam reveals that Dani was the one who executed his father and brother, Jonās response sounds like someone floundering. He basically says they need her for the alliance. Heās not trying to make excuses for her or that he believes in her good heart but that they need her. That doesnāt sound like a man in love. If he was in love with her, he would maybe try to defend her or apologise on her behalf but Jon is thinking only of why they canāt afford to alienate Dani right now. After the reveal as well, there was a point when Jon saysĀ āitās treasonā to suggest Dani isnāt the true heir but when Sam tells him that sheās not, he is, Jon looks like he just realised something awful. I think itās that he realises his very existence is a threat to Dani and that he canāt have her as an enemy, not now. Again, this doesnāt seem like the reaction of a man in love but a man realising his plans (and entire world) have just been shattered. It doesnāt seem like Jon trusts Dani at all to truly care about his people and that the only tentative tether between Dani and the North is him and now that could be destroyed too.
Those are the ones I remember of Pol!Jon and of course itās subjective. Itās up to interpretation until we finally get more explicit evidence for it. But I still do believe in the theory.Ā