'Game of Thrones' Fans Lash out After Jon Snow Spinoff Announced

By Michael Hein

HBO may be developing its first Game of Thrones sequel following one of the original series characters, and fans have mixed responses. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new live-action series would follow Jon Snow's life after the series finale and would star Kit Harington in his iconic role. On social media some fans love the idea, some fans hate it, and some simply don't believe this report at all.

Fair warning: there are spoilers for Game of Thrones ahead! Game of Thrones had one of the most contentious endings of any TV show ever made – largely because the early seasons were so popular and critically acclaimed. Many fans took solace in the hope that author George R.R. Martin will finish his books with a different ending – or at least a more fleshed-out version of the events we saw on screen. Meanwhile, HBO has been developing new TV shows based on Martin's writing including prequels and spinoffs set in other parts of his vast fantasy world. Fans never expected the network to release a direct sequel to the main series, figuring all of the main characters' stories were told.

Some fans still don't believe it. HBO and Harington have not confirmed THR's report, and many speculate that it is an exaggeration to say this idea was "in development." Commenters have accused THR of blowing a whispered idea out of proportion to generate this story. Others simply hated the idea on sight, saying that it would cheapen the ending of the main story to push further and that material for such a series would have to be sparse.

Still, THR's James Hibberd argues that a sequel series could do some course correction for this franchise after the reviled series finale. Many commenters seem to agree, and they already have high hopes for the kinds of storylines a Jon Snow spinoff would explore.

There's still no confirmation from HBO, Harington, Martin or anyone else involved that this series is in development. Even if it is, many shows go into development without ever reaching our screens. Still, here's a look at how fans have reacted to the possibility of a Game of Thrones sequel series starring Jon Snow.

'I Don't Want It'

First and foremost, fans who are uninterested in this idea made liberal use of the old "I don't want it" screencaps. Many reviewers have pointed out how frequently and dramatically Jon Snow denied the Iron Throne in the final season of Game of Thrones, and fans felt the same way about this series.

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Ghost

One thing that fans felt this show could get right was the prominence of Jon Snow's direwolf, Ghost, and other skinchanger animals in The North. Fans hoped that a sequel like this would dedicate plenty of time and money to correctly portraying the wolves, wargs and other magical aspects of the far-northern culture from Martin's books.

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Tormund

Fans also hoped that this theoretical show would bring back Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane – in fact, many fans who were otherwise skeptical of the pitch felt like Tormund would make the whole thing worth it. There were many ideas for the format of the show, from a buddy comedy to a political thriller.

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Sitcom

Along those lines, fans pitched their ideas for the Jon Snow sequel with a huge range of creativity. Many were hoping for a sitcom centering around Jon and Tormund. Most suggestions had a far lighter tone than Game of Thrones since the threat of the White Walkers would now be gone.

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Unconfirmed

Meanwhile, some fans tried to temper these conversations by reminding each other that this news is still unconfirmed. They also pointed out that even if it is in development, there's no guarantee it will get picked up for broadcast.

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Arya

Many fans who were opposed to the idea of a sequel in the first place posted that, if HBO insisted on doing one, they should do one about Arya Stark rather than Jon Snow. They felt that Arya's journey into the unknown Sunset Sea was more interesting than Jon's ambiguous return to The Wall and perhaps to the lands beyond it.

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Alternate Pitches

HBO is currently developing several shows set in Martin's fantasy world, yet fans had many more ideas for them to explore instead of a Jon Snow sequel. Among them were episodes from Martin's fictional histories and explorations of obscure locations in Westeros and beyond.

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Money

Finally, many, many fans joked about the real reason behind a development like this – money. They figured that HBO, Harington, Martin and everyone else involved must be confident that they stand to make a lot of money to consider an idea like this one.

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