Butterfly effect: Now Jon knows... (Huge Spoilers)

[kephv]

This show left logic and plausibility behind long ago. I doubt him knowing about Bran will change anything.

[metr0man]

I hope Jon actually meets and talks with Bran. I got tired of GRRMs snail pace long ago. I want interactions between characters I like!

Also remember this is a seven season show most likely. So whatever happens in S6 needs buildup. I can imagine Jon wanting to go after Bran eventually and having a big battle with the Others.

[TheBadboy]

This show left logic and plausibility behind long ago. I doubt him knowing about Bran will change anything.

I think they are handling the north plot better than the books till now.

Seriously a best friend promise to a dead Wight not to tell Jon that his crippled brother was alive seemed like a really easy way GRRM took out just to make sure the Starks are isolated.

Plus Bran has always been the most illogical one. Not remembering who pushed him out of the window was again an easy way out that Martin took.

[Mr. Sven]

One interesting possible thread here is Locke. It's kind of weird in ADWD that Ramsey has a particular hard on for Jon with that letter. Could the show be setting up a reason for that hate with a potential Jon killing Locke and sending his head to the dreadfort as LC?

Ramsey had a reason Jon was pretty openly helping Stannis.

[Mr. Sven]

I think it's highly possible that even if Jon and Bran do meet (and let's be honest, that would be quite an emotional and cathartic moment for show and book readers) ... Bran and Jojen would still tell Jon that Bran can't go back with him. There's the bigger picture to think about.

But who knows? It really depends on how it all plays out.

I'm okay with this change for the time being.

Jon's always been kind of bad at looking at the big picture though...

[intheswamp]

Jon's always been kind of bad at looking at the big picture though...

??? One of the reasons Jon stays in the Night's Watch is because he believes in the big picture. He understood the use of the wildlings in defending the realm and also understood the need to secure funds from the Iron Bank to feed the Watch. Jon is probably the only man of the Night's Watch left at the Wall at the end of Dance that sees the big picture.

[Mr. Sven]

??? One of the reasons Jon stays in the Night's Watch is because he believes in the big picture. He understood the use of the wildlings in defending the realm and also understood the need to secure funds from the Iron Bank to feed the Watch. Jon is probably the only man of the Night's Watch left at the Wall at the end of Dance that sees the big picture.

He does there but he loses sight of it quite a few times. For one helping Stannis only prolongs the war which probably isn't too good for the big picture. Sending a bunch of people to hardhome wasn't too bright since they'll be of much more use on the wall (and then trying to lead an even bigger expedition there once he's learned that everything is far worse than he expected is sheer stupidity).

[ambi76]

Well, now Jon will have even more of a reason to say no, when Stannis offers him Winterfell. (Unsullied would have flipped out and called Jon a dumbass or something.)

[Denam_Pavel]

Bran convincing Jon to let him go and keep his survival a secret, I can see that. Bran not telling him where Rickon is and that information not being offered up when Stannis is communicating with the Northern Lords and wanting to make Jon Snow, still quite stupid.

[Pod The Impaler]

Everything happening at or near the Wall in this episode has me reeling. What in the ice blue hell has happened to the story now ?

Jon knowing Bran is something other than dead is HUGE. And they just casually toss it off in a conversation between Jon and Sam , that Jon was already told ! What was that conversation like: "Hey pass the salt, oh by the way, Bran Stark [heir to Robb's crown and your only non-Sansa kin left] is alive and headed north of the Wall."

I mean, I can see Roose wringing this info out of Ramsay who squeezed it out of Theon, but they only knew the boys were alive, not where.

And now Locke shows up at the Wall ? First of all, holy crap - Locke at the Wall is bad enough news. (I had hoped he'd be headed for some eventual conflict with Brienne, replacing Shagwell.)

On top of that, Sam and Jon happen to be discussing that very Bran issue when guess who shows up at the edge of the room.

And oh, Bran and friends also got captured by the deserters, and both their direwolves somehow too. And Bran tells them who he is, even though this makes it the second time he's been held hostage by NW deserters now.

Jojen - no greensight about this, bro?

[The Anti-Targ]

Butterfly effect? We're in full on tornado territory here. Dumb move I reckon. Why not have the episode set up with Jon going to Crasters not knowing that Bran is still alive, and just before Jon gets to Crasters Bran Wargs into Hodor they make good their escape (killing most of the deserters in the process) and Jon arrives just after Bran and co disappear from sight. Better dramatic tension in general than Having Jon know about Bran.

Of course they needed to give Locke something to do other than hang out as Castle Black with nothing to do and eventually wind up empty handed. That's far more important for the overall progress of the story than fundamentally changing the dynamics of Jon's character Arc. Maybe Locke is really the 2nd head of the Dragon, not Jon.

Well they also needed to give Bran something to do. They've caught up to aDWD with Bran's story line, while mostly everyone else's is still hanging around in ASoS. Perhaps by the end of this season Bran will encounter cold hands and next season most plot lines will have caught up with Bran.

[Bear Island]

At first I thought that it was likely they would just miss crossing paths, like they did earlier in the story. However, with Summer trapped and Hodor shackled that kind of eliminates the possibility of Bran warging them to kill off the mutineers so they can leave before Jon arrives.

I have a kind of crackpot theory that Coldhands will show up and free them and they'll leave together with all of the mutineers dead just before Jon and his party arrive.That way Coldhands could be introduced and Jon wouldn't have to know Bran was still alive, which preserves the Stannis plot.

I can't help but think that if D&D are happy to change the timeline significantly, it means they have an endgame in mind and they know what sideplots will and will not figure into the bigger picture. That said, they do seem to like neglecting Stannis so it wouldn't shock me if they massively change this so Davos can head off on the quest to find Rickon sooner and they can cut out the Jon Stark bargaining chip.
I suppose it's not such a huge plot point, since Jon rejects the offer.

[Batman]

Agreed, this is going to have consequences for the adaptation, both this season and far into the future. Hopefully nothing too bad. I dont care about the Jon Stark thing. It was obvious to me that was never really gonna happen.

It was obvious he was never going to truly betray the watch and stay with Ygritte, but I still liked the story line (books not TV). There are so few characters who do something for the common good that I will take whatever I can get. It was cool to see Jon decline the power and status of a Stark to remain and fight the white walkers.

[Hippocras]

I don't know it depends how this whole Craster scenario plays out, maybe it'll end with Jon thinking Bran is dead or something. I can't see Jon letting Bran go deeper north willingly so their going to have to handle it all somehow. D&D hate Stannis anyway so I always assume any cool part of his story will get cut out anyway.

I think the whole farya thing will play out because of the fact that D&D seem to be really into the whole Theon story and it wouldn't be really all that hard to introduce some girl as farya later on. They could even wait till Ramsays wedding for that matter.

Anyone else think Ramsay's girlfriend will play "fArya"?

As for the OP there are certainly some big changes going on. But I actually like that because it means that even though I have read the books, more than once, and discussed them here a lot as well, I still have no clue what will happen on TV. I like being surprised.

So Jon knows about Bran, and clearly at Craster's is when he will be reunited with Ghost. He also had Locke with him, whose actual mission is to kill Jon on behalf of Bolton.

So my guess is they are compressing Jon's heroism defending the wall and his building popularity there with hints of the later mutiny against him. The fight at Craster's will lead directly to him being made Lord Commander, and ther will be no first wildling attack where Ygritte gets killed as in the books.

Instead, there will only be one wildling attack, and it will also be the one where Stannis makes his surprise attack from behind. His selection as Lord Commander will most likely happen then before Stannis arrives.

I am also pretty excited that this TV scenario means we will se Jon meet Meera and Jojen. That hasn't happened in the books.

[Dilshan Muthalib]

have a feeling very soon Jon's parentage will be revealed

[Gimli son of Gloin]

this probably have alot to say in the future plots of Jon and Bran. Will Jon go north and meet Bran? Will Jonn do some sort of hostage rescue mission when he finds out Bran is captured? Or will Bran escape and then Jon comes too late. Bran takes Summer and Ghost with him north?

Shiiieeeet, this is a lot different from the books, but I'm not saying it's negative. I like the show-twist. Yep!

[JesterX]

Speaking of Locke, wasn't he established as a LORD when he was first introduced? I got the feeling he was one of Roose's bannermen. This season, they have him as a sellsword type.

And also, forget what Roose promised him. Once he takes the oath, he's completely screwed. Even if he succeeds in retrieving Bran, he can't ever leave the NW.

I really think this storyline is completely screwed up.

[White Harbors Wrath]

I don't remember him ever being referred to as a Lord in any way. I'm sure the 'Warden of the North' can easily pardon one NW deserter.

He deserted us! - NW

Heres 5 prisoners in his place - Roose

OK -NW

Granted it'll be interesting seeing where this goes...but this is one of the least serious plot deviations.

[JesterX]

I don't remember him ever being referred to as a Lord in any way. I'm sure the 'Warden of the North' can easily pardon one NW deserter.

He deserted us! - NW

Heres 5 prisoners in his place - Roose

OK -NW

Granted it'll be interesting seeing where this goes...but this is one of the least serious plot deviations.

They DEFINITELY referred to him as "My Lord". I have all the episodes.

There's NEVER been a precedent for a NW deserter being pardoned and I'm pretty sure only a Lord Commander has that power, not any warden of the north or even the king.

[~DarkHorse~]

I think Jon and Bran will briefly interact...just spot each other, really.

Jon will probably give Bran the chance to escape, telling him to get away from the 'danger zone' and then Bran will be on his way North again....and Jon will be upset because he could have stopped him but was too distracted.

Although, Karl and the mutineers know Bran is Jon's brother so could they use him against Jon? Also, Locke will be there!?

I dismissed the chances of Jon becoming lord of Winterfell or King in the North when Robb's Will scene was ruled out so I'm not too bothered by the legitimacy problems this poses.