I’m a big Game of Thrones fan, I’m an even bigger “A Song of Ice and Fire” fan. Jon Snow has been my favourite (as well as other characters) since I read the first book – before watching the first season.
Like many other people I didn’t like the last season, I wasn’t a fan of season 7 either but on a different scale. I felt, above it all, my favourite characters weren’t being portrayed fairly. Tyrion wasn’t his smart witted self for about 2 or 3 seasons; and Jon was more mysterious and quiet by each episode. Of course all of this comes from the lack of knowing what Jon is thinking the last two seasons, the lack of the books.
I felt manly angry, angry that the show had so much potential and it did so little in the end, it felt ridiculous, almost like a joke at times. I don’t like being a hater, I tried and tried seeing the creators point of view. I never voiced how I felt about the show online. In general I’m very careful about what I post on social media and I didn’t want to do or show another angry post about GoT or another meme.
The saddest thing of all this it isn’t how the show was a let down at the end. It even isn’t the possibility of the books never being published (I mean, George RR Martin isn’t getting any younger, we never know). The worst thing, the saddest and the most heartbreaking situation of all this was the news that Kit Harrington (the actor who plays Jon Snow) had checked in into a wellness clinic due to stress, exhaustion and abuse of alcohol. It’s devastating for me that the actor who gave life to my favourite character has been dealing with mental health issues.
Everything else becomes irrelevant with these news. Of course I’m glad he’s getting help, that’s amazing, and I hope he will get better. But I know the pain of dealing with mental health issues. I know enough pain and heartbreak not to wish it on anyone, let alone someone I think so dearly off like Kit.
I hope he gets the help he needs and I hope the internet calms down about GoT. And as always with these stories, at least it brings more light into how important mental health is.