Entertainment

Wait, What Was Going On With Jon Snow's Eyes?

by Kristie Rohwedder

Here I thought I had a fairly keen eye (pun not intended, but I welcome accidental puns with open arms) for detail. I thought wrong. When I saw the last scene of the Game of Thrones Season 5 finale, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about Jon Snow’s eyes. I didn't give the glassy eyes of the maybe-dead hero of Westeros a second thought. *Rings bell* Shame. *Rings bell* Shame on me, because those peepers might've left behind a potentially important clue. Thanks to Josh Wigler’s Jon Snow eyeball deep-dive over at MTV.com, my own eyes have been opened.

Many GoT fans have turned their attention to one subtle detail from the final moments of the episode: Jon Snow's eyes seem to change in appearance. And this observation has fueled a number of already-existing resurrection theories: Some viewers are sure the irises turned purple, which could mean he's part Targaryen; some are convinced his eyes became lighter, which could mean he's joined Team White Walker or warged with Ghost; some are confident the pupils simply dilated, as pupils are wont to do in death, which could mean he's dead after all.

After I re-watched the scene a few times (and yes, staring at Kit Harrington's beautiful face for 15 minutes straight is as tough as it sounds), I believe I've reached a conclusion: I'm pretty sure his eyes turn purple. No, wait. Wait wait wait. They're lighter. No no no. I take it all back. They're just dilated. Actually, they do look lighter. And purple. And dilated. And— Eh, let's just say the jury's still out and move on, cool?

Though I cannot decide what actually happened to Jon Snow's eyes, that didn't stop me from hypothesizing what all of it could mean. And yes, all of my hypotheses are reasonable, not-bonkers hypotheses. Legitimate, supported-by-science hypotheses.

What lighter eyes could mean:

  • Jon Snow's colored contacts disintegrated.
  • Earlier that day, Jon Snow unknowingly drank a serum that turned his eyes into mood rings. Their greenish-brown hue means he's distressed.
  • Jon Snow's eyes get lighter whenever he plays dead. It's his poker tell.

What purple eyes could mean:

  • Jon Snow's eyes reflected a silent purple firework that fired off at that very moment.
  • Jon Snow will become Barney the purple dinosaur.
  • Jon Snow will become Grimace.
  • Jon Snow will become a one-eyed, one-horned, flying Purple People Eater.
  • Jon Snow's eyes are frostbitten.
  • Jon Snow's aura is purple.

What dilated eyes could mean:

OK, OK. You got me, Jon Snow. Eye know nothing, Jon Snow.

Image: Helen Sloan/HBO; yourreactiongifs/tumblr