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Why Jon and Danys relation is neither forced, rushed nor fanfic. (long post)


MinscS2

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I've seen a lot of comments lately that Jon and Danys romantic relationship is rushed, forced and/or pure fanfiction.
Be it on this forum, in youtube-comments, reddit, etc.

I think these statements are wrong and that their relationship is actually one of the better, if not *the best* written and developed romantic relationship in the entire series.
I'm gonna break down why I think so. Beware: long post incoming.

So, how when exactly does Jon and Dany start having feelings for each other and why? 

First off, it's worth noting that time passes off-screen as well. It can be hard sometimes as a viewer to estimate how much time passes between scenes and episodes, but Sansa tells us in episode 6 that she hasn't "heard from Jon in weeks". This means that Jon has communicated with her sometime after leaving Winterfell, but also stopped, probably after arriving at Dragonstone. This means that it's safe to say that Jon is a "guest" at Dragonstone for quite some time, most likely several weeks. We don't know exactly how many, it could be 3, or 7.
Point is that the show leaves plenty of time for Dany and Jon to actually develop feeling for each other, it's nothing that happens over the course of a few days as some believe.
If you're around someone you like and are attracted to for several weeks, chances are you'll start developing emotions and feelings for said person.
It's worth mentioning that Jon and Ygritte shared screen time for 26 minutes before they slept together.
Meanwhile, Jon and Dany has shared screen time for 35 minutes, and they've only held hands.
 

It's also worth noting that both Jon and Dany are masters of repressing their feelings and hide their thoughts and emotions from onlookers.
Out of the two, Jon is better at this though, which is also shown in the show, by the fact that Dany let's on first.
Jon has a strong sense of duty and purpose, and probably the highest willpower in Westeros, and in his mind, the most important goal is to defeat the Night King.
Unlike Robb, Jon won't let love distract him, even tough Jon technically is single while Robb was promised to another.

We know for a fact that Dany and Jon have romantic feelings for each other by the end of episode 5. By this stage Dany's emotional defense has already started to crack, and she has done two attempts (albeit half-heartedly) to show Jon her feelings for him by this point. Perhaps she doesn't realize it herself yet, except for on a subconscious level.
Jon doesn't reciprocate her advances though, which she wrongly interprets that he doesn't love her. I actually believe that Dany was sincere when she said that "Jon Snow doesn't love me" to Tyrion in episode 6, she truly believed that he didn't at that point.

So how did it all progress?

We start in episode 3 with their first meeting. It doesn't start well, and it shouldn't. Dany does her usual "Submit to me, I'm the rightful Queen"-speech wich usually makes people either threaten or submit to her. Jon does neither, which she finds intriguing. She doesn't like him at this point, but she doesn't dislike him either. If anything, his "well-mannered defiance" makes her curious about him, this man from the north who she probably hasn't heard much about.
Jon on the other hand, shows some seriously bad diplomatic skills, which Tyrion points out later in the episode, but he's never rude or disrespects her. When he asks if he's her prisoner, it has a "matter-of-fact" vibe to it.

In the next scene, they talk alone. Unsurprisingly, they find it easier to talk to each other when there's not a room full of people watching them.
There's some more disagreements, but Dany takes the first step at improving their relationship with the Dragonglass, and Jon can barely hide his surprise that she's willing to give him something he wants without asking for anything in return.
Dany, who's already curious about Jon, get's even more curious by his comment regarding him not liking what he's good at (which is a trowback to what Ser Barristan Selmy told Dany about her brother Rhaegar earlier: He was good at killing, but he never liked it) and throws a curious glance at Jons back when he leaves.
End of episode 3 - They are friendly to each other, and both are curious about the other. Not really any romance worth mentioning going on as of yet.

In episode 4 their relationship improves further. 
Dany trusts Jon enough at this point to leave her guards behind, and why shouldn't she? He's never been hostile to her and only ever treated her with respect (but without being submissive.)
In the cave Dany's resolve weakens somewhat when she see's the paintings. She still wants Jon to submit, but now she's trying to reason with him instead of simply demanding that he submits as she did back in episode 3.
Jon now brings up why he can't bend the knee (fear of loosing the respect of his peers), instead of just saying that he won't.
We also get to see Jon showing some feelings for Dany the first time during this scene, when he eyes her constantly every time she looks away or looks at the wall paintings. 
Davos brings this up later in the episode ("I noticed you staring at her good heart"), and Jon doesn't deflect but freely admits that he is eyeing her out. He also states that there's no time for that kind of relationship with Dany. He's interested, but he doesn't want to be distracted.

After the cave-scene Dany looses her temper with Tyrion when he brings the bad news. It's debatable if she's being unfair to Tyrion, but he is her hand and it was his plans that went to hell.
Surprisingly, Dany turns to Jon for advice. She trusts and respects him enough at this stage to ask for his opinion. Not only does Jon give her advice that she heeds, but he also manages to quickly soothe her fiery temper. Jons ice soothes Danys fire, which is quite beautiful to see. After this, no more attempts at making Jon bend the knee.
End of episode 4 - Relationship improves. They are not only friendly to each other, but they now also trust each other. Both have at this point secretly shown interest in the other. No romance as of yet, but something is definitely growing. 

In episode 5 things are starting to happen, and we get to see Dany show her feelings for Jon during this episode, even if she barely acts on them.
Dany is clearly affected by Drogon and Jon having a moment.  She's surprised and intrigued by what happens, and finds it very attracting.  This has been confirmed by the showwriters as well, Dany found the fact that Jon could bond with her dragons extremely attractive. Like a single mother who brings home a new man to meet her kids for the first time, and find that they get along very well. During their small-talk later, Jon is eying Dany out again when she's not looking, and what could've been a somewhat intimate moment about Jon having been killed and reborn is halted by Ser Jorah Friendzone, first of his name.

In their next scene together, Dany is for the first time, albeit not intentionally, open about her feelings for Jon. Both Tyrion and Jorah picks up on this. 
She clearly doesn't want Jon to leave, especially not on what is essentially a suicide mission. 
She does a half-hearted attempt at preventing his departure. In episode 3, she would've forcefully prevented him from leaving, but now in episode 5, her feelings for Jon have changed drastically.  If anything, she seems to approve of Jon telling her that he doesn't need her permission to do anything. She's a Queen, but he's a King.
We know that Dany is attracted to strong men who treat her with respect and as an equal.

During the third and last scene in episode 5, Dany actually opens up to Jon about how she likes having him around and how her feelings for him have changed since they first met.
Jon does not reciprocate her feelings however (he probably wants to, but as we know, he's telling himself that he doesn't have time for a romance right now) and she wrongly interprets this as a sign that he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her. She still gives Jon a longing gaze when he leaves.
Again, I think Dany was 100% sincere in episode 6 when she told Tyrion that "Jon Snow isn't in love with me". Up to this point, Jon has only shown his romantic feelings for Daenerys when she isn't looking. She's also used to the fact that people who are attracted to her let her know very early on, but Jon hasn't even mentioned her appearance. How can she know?
End of Episode 5 - Friendly and trusting relationship has grown into the start of a romantic relationship. Dany is clearly having romantic feelings for Jon at this point and can barely repress them. Jon has feelings for Dany as well, but unlike her, he can still repress them and hasn't shown them yet.

Now, I'm not gonna delve deep into episode 6, since with all that's happened during episode 3,4,5 and that happens during episode 6, I'd say the emotional development between Dany an Jon makes 100% sense by now.
Dany's feelings are obvious at this point (even if she tries to deny them when Tyrion prods her about Jon actually being in love with her), and when she flies north she is totally in love with Jon. 
Jon likewise finally cracks down in the end of the episode, not only by metaphorically kneeling, but also when he doesn't let go of her hand. Amazing what another near-death experience can do to your emotions right?

Their feelings for eachother at this point also makes sense; they have a lot of things in common (que mandatory "including genes"-joke).
They've both had a long and arduous journey to get to this point.
Both have followers who follow them, not out of fear, but out of respect and love.
Both have roughly the same view on how a ruler should rule for the betterment of the people.
Both believe that a ruler should lead from the front, and fight for their people, and not just expect their people to do all the fighting.
Both have been reborn in a way, and both have suffered greatly but managed to come back.
Both are considered special by the people around them, and in each other they meet a person who treats them like no one else has ever done before.

In addition to these similarities, they have further reasons for falling for each other.
Why does Jon fall for Dany?

Jon finds Daenerys to be beautiful, so the physical attraction is there. Jon hasn't exactly been around that many women, and no other woman like Daenerys. She's clean, well dressed, does her hair and looks amazing in general. Jon's expression when he see's Dany for the first time in episode 3 is literally " :o "
Jon also likes strong women, and Dany is the strongest woman Jon has ever met, both in terms of willpower, determination and actual power. Despite this, she humbles herself early on by asking for Jon's advice on how she should proceed in her war against Cersei, and she listens to him. She also gave him something he wanted (Dragonglass) without asking for anything in return.
He notices quickly, that Danys followers follow her out of respect and love, and not just because of a title. Just like Jon, she has earned her followers loyalty, she hasn't demanded it.
He also quickly take notice that Dany, like him, is willing to do things the hard way, if it's the right way. He mentions straight away that he's curious about why she hasn't stormed Kings Landing, and he concludes that she doesn't want innocent to die, just like him.
Lastly, and most importantly, since this is the thing that ultimately makes Jon bend the knee and more or less give in to his bottled romantic feelings in the end: Jon is the kind of ruler who "leads from the front", and who thinks that other rulers likewise should do the same: fight for their people, and not just expect the people to fight for them. Already in episode 4 Dany asks (or rather yells at) Tyrion "What kind of queen am I if I'm not willing to risk my life to fight them?" (her enemies). Jon picks up on this, because he has the exact same mindset. This is a huge plus for Dany in Jon's book. This mentality is cemented in episode 6, where Dany puts herself and her most priced possessions in danger when she flies of to save Jon and his crew. She proved that she's not just a fancy title and all talk (as he suspected in their first meeting in episode 3), but that she will be a good ruler with a lot of integrity, and right after this Jon bent the knee (metaphorically) and showed his feelings for Dany for the first time.


Why does Dany fall for Jon?

Dany is used to the fact that most powerful men she meets either try to trample on her, take advantage of her or simply only care about her for her power and/or beauty. Many men are enthralled by her, and Daario is the perfect example of this; He fell for her power and beauty instantly, and killed his own captains for her sake, before he actually got to know her.
Que Jon Snow, elected King in the North who isn't afraid to stand up to her, who treats her as an equal instead of submitting to her, and who doesn't seem to care about her title or her looks.
Unlike most other men in Danys life, Jon isn't desperate for her approval, and doesn't constantly seek her attention. This turns Jon into a challenge for her in a way that she is not used to. Today we'd say that Jon was playing hard to get, and she's never had anyone do that to her before. She finds it intriguing and attractive.
Dany is also attracted to "heroes" and brave men, despite her trying to act that she's not.
Furthermore, Jon bonding with Drogon is the first time she's seen anyone except her self be able to be that near, let alone touch Drogon. I did the "single mom brings home new husband to meet her children"-metaphor earlier, and it fits. She doesn't fully understand why Jon can pet Drogon, but she definitely approves.
 

The culmination of their relation as of episode 6, and in my opinion the most beautiful thing in their relation so far, is how Jon metaphorically bends the knee in a situation where it's pointless for him to do so. Alot of people are annoyed by him bending the knee at this point, but to me that's what make the entire difference.
He doesn't bend the knee out of a strategical advantage, or in order to get her support anymore.
He bends the knee out of respect, trust and love. By flying north and putting herself and her dragons in danger for the sake of him and his crew, she ultimately proved to him that she isn't just a fancy name and all talk, but that she is a woman of integrity, who put her money where her mouth is, and who is worthy of his service.

By the end of epsiode 6, their love is mutual, beautiful, logical and not a single bit foced or rushed. By far the best and most believable romantic relationship portrayed in the show so far.
Jon is Ice, Dany is Fire, and this is the Song of Ice and Fire.

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On 8/24/2017 at 2:56 PM, MinscS2 said:

I've seen a lot of comments lately that Jon and Danys romantic relationship is rushed, forced and/or pure fanfiction.
Be it on this forum, in youtube-comments, reddit, etc.

I think these statements are wrong and that their relationship is actually one of the better, if not *the best* written and developed romantic relationship in the entire series.
I'm gonna break down why I think so. Beware: long post incoming.

So, how when exactly does Jon and Dany start having feelings for each other and why? 

First off, it's worth noting that time passes off-screen as well. It can be hard sometimes as a viewer to estimate how much time passes between scenes and episodes, but Sansa tells us in episode 6 that she hasn't "heard from Jon in weeks". This means that Jon has communicated with her sometime after leaving Winterfell, but also stopped, probably after arriving at Dragonstone. This means that it's safe to say that Jon is a "guest" at Dragonstone for quite some time, most likely several weeks. We don't know exactly how many, it could be 3, or 7.
Point is that the show leaves plenty of time for Dany and Jon to actually develop feeling for each other, it's nothing that happens over the course of a few days as some believe.
If you're around someone you like and are attracted to for several weeks, chances are you'll start developing emotions and feelings for said person.
It's worth mentioning that Jon and Ygritte shared screen time for 26 minutes before they slept together.
Meanwhile, Jon and Dany has shared screen time for 35 minutes, and they've only held hands.
 

It's also worth noting that both Jon and Dany are masters of repressing their feelings and hide their thoughts and emotions from onlookers.
Out of the two, Jon is better at this though, which is also shown in the show, by the fact that Dany let's on first.
Jon has a strong sense of duty and purpose, and probably the highest willpower in Westeros, and in his mind, the most important goal is to defeat the Night King.
Unlike Robb, Jon won't let love distract him, even tough Jon technically is single while Robb was promised to another.

We know for a fact that Dany and Jon have romantic feelings for each other by the end of episode 5. By this stage Dany's emotional defense has already started to crack, and she has done two attempts (albeit half-heartedly) to show Jon her feelings for him by this point. Perhaps she doesn't realize it herself yet, except for on a subconscious level.
Jon doesn't reciprocate her advances though, which she wrongly interprets that he doesn't love her. I actually believe that Dany was sincere when she said that "Jon Snow doesn't love me" to Tyrion in episode 6, she truly believed that he didn't at that point.

So how did it all progress?

We start in episode 3 with their first meeting. It doesn't start well, and it shouldn't. Dany does her usual "Submit to me, I'm the rightful Queen"-speech wich usually makes people either threaten or submit to her. Jon does neither, which she finds intriguing. She doesn't like him at this point, but she doesn't dislike him either. If anything, his "well-mannered defiance" makes her curious about him, this man from the north who she probably hasn't heard much about.
Jon on the other hand, shows some seriously bad diplomatic skills, which Tyrion points out later in the episode, but he's never rude or disrespects her. When he asks if he's her prisoner, it has a "matter-of-fact" vibe to it.

In the next scene, they talk alone. Unsurprisingly, they find it easier to talk to each other when there's not a room full of people watching them.
There's some more disagreements, but Dany takes the first step at improving their relationship with the Dragonglass, and Jon can barely hide his surprise that she's willing to give him something he wants without asking for anything in return.
Dany, who's already curious about Jon, get's even more curious by his comment regarding him not liking what he's good at (which is a trowback to what Ser Barristan Selmy told Dany about her brother Rhaegar earlier: He was good at killing, but he never liked it) and throws a curious glance at Jons back when he leaves.
End of episode 3 - They are friendly to each other, and both are curious about the other. Not really any romance worth mentioning going on as of yet.

In episode 4 their relationship improves further. 
Dany trusts Jon enough at this point to leave her guards behind, and why shouldn't she? He's never been hostile to her and only ever treated her with respect (but without being submissive.)
In the cave Dany's resolve weakens somewhat when she see's the paintings. She still wants Jon to submit, but now she's trying to reason with him instead of simply demanding that he submits as she did back in episode 3.
Jon now brings up why he can't bend the knee (fear of loosing the respect of his peers), instead of just saying that he won't.
We also get to see Jon showing some feelings for Dany the first time during this scene, when he eyes her constantly every time she looks away or looks at the wall paintings. 
Davos brings this up later in the episode ("I noticed you staring at her good heart"), and Jon doesn't deflect but freely admits that he is eyeing her out. He also states that there's no time for that kind of relationship with Dany. He's interested, but he doesn't want to be distracted.

After the cave-scene Dany looses her temper with Tyrion when he brings the bad news. It's debatable if she's being unfair to Tyrion, but he is her hand and it was his plans that went to hell.
Surprisingly, Dany turns to Jon for advice. She trusts and respects him enough at this stage to ask for his opinion. Not only does Jon give her advice that she heeds, but he also manages to quickly soothe her fiery temper. Jons ice soothes Danys fire, which is quite beautiful to see. After this, no more attempts at making Jon bend the knee.
End of episode 4 - Relationship improves. They are not only friendly to each other, but they now also trust each other. Both have at this point secretly shown interest in the other. No romance as of yet, but something is definitely growing. 

In episode 5 things are starting to happen, and we get to see Dany show her feelings for Jon during this episode, even if she barely acts on them.
Dany is clearly affected by Drogon and Jon having a moment.  She's surprised and intrigued by what happens, and finds it very attracting.  This has been confirmed by the showwriters as well, Dany found the fact that Jon could bond with her dragons extremely attractive. Like a single mother who brings home a new man to meet her kids for the first time, and find that they get along very well. During their small-talk later, Jon is eying Dany out again when she's not looking, and what could've been a somewhat intimate moment about Jon having been killed and reborn is halted by Ser Jorah Friendzone, first of his name.

In their next scene together, Dany is for the first time, albeit not intentionally, open about her feelings for Jon. Both Tyrion and Jorah picks up on this. 
She clearly doesn't want Jon to leave, especially not on what is essentially a suicide mission. 
She does a half-hearted attempt at preventing his departure. In episode 3, she would've forcefully prevented him from leaving, but now in episode 5, her feelings for Jon have changed drastically.  If anything, she seems to approve of Jon telling her that he doesn't need her permission to do anything. She's a Queen, but he's a King.
We know that Dany is attracted to strong men who treat her with respect and as an equal.

During the third and last scene in episode 5, Dany actually opens up to Jon about how she likes having him around and how her feelings for him have changed since they first met.
Jon does not reciprocate her feelings however (he probably wants to, but as we know, he's telling himself that he doesn't have time for a romance right now) and she wrongly interprets this as a sign that he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her. She still gives Jon a longing gaze when he leaves.
Again, I think Dany was 100% sincere in episode 6 when she told Tyrion that "Jon Snow isn't in love with me". Up to this point, Jon has only shown his romantic feelings for Daenerys when she isn't looking. She's also used to the fact that people who are attracted to her let her know very early on, but Jon hasn't even mentioned her appearance. How can she know?
End of Episode 5 - Friendly and trusting relationship has grown into the start of a romantic relationship. Dany is clearly having romantic feelings for Jon at this point and can barely repress them. Jon has feelings for Dany as well, but unlike her, he can still repress them and hasn't shown them yet.

Now, I'm not gonna delve deep into episode 6, since with all that's happened during episode 3,4,5 and that happens during episode 6, I'd say the emotional development between Dany an Jon makes 100% sense by now.
Dany's feelings are obvious at this point (even if she tries to deny them when Tyrion prods her about Jon actually being in love with her), and when she flies north she is totally in love with Jon. 
Jon likewise finally cracks down in the end of the episode, not only by metaphorically kneeling, but also when he doesn't let go of her hand. Amazing what another near-death experience can do to your emotions right?

Their feelings for eachother at this point also makes sense; they have a lot of things in common (que mandatory "including genes"-joke).
They've both had a long and arduous journey to get to this point.
Both have followers who follow them, not out of fear, but out of respect and love.
Both have roughly the same view on how a ruler should rule for the betterment of the people.
Both believe that a ruler should lead from the front, and fight for their people, and not just expect their people to do all the fighting.
Both have been reborn in a way, and both have suffered greatly but managed to come back.
Both are considered special by the people around them, and in each other they meet a person who treats them like no one else has ever done before.

In addition to these similarities, they have further reasons for falling for each other.
Why does Jon fall for Dany?

Jon finds Daenerys to be beautiful, so the physical attraction is there. Jon hasn't exactly been around that many women, and no other woman like Daenerys. She's clean, well dressed, does her hair and looks amazing in general. Jon's expression when he see's Dany for the first time in episode 3 is literally " :o "
Jon also likes strong women, and Dany is the strongest woman Jon has ever met, both in terms of willpower, determination and actual power. Despite this, she humbles herself early on by asking for Jon's advice on how she should proceed in her war against Cersei, and she listens to him. She also gave him something he wanted (Dragonglass) without asking for anything in return.
He notices quickly, that Danys followers follow her out of respect and love, and not just because of a title. Just like Jon, she has earned her followers loyalty, she hasn't demanded it.
He also quickly take notice that Dany, like him, is willing to do things the hard way, if it's the right way. He mentions straight away that he's curious about why she hasn't stormed Kings Landing, and he concludes that she doesn't want innocent to die, just like him.
Lastly, and most importantly, since this is the thing that ultimately makes Jon bend the knee and more or less give in to his bottled romantic feelings in the end: Jon is the kind of ruler who "leads from the front", and who thinks that other rulers likewise should do the same: fight for their people, and not just expect the people to fight for them. Already in episode 4 Dany asks (or rather yells at) Tyrion "What kind of queen am I if I'm not willing to risk my life to fight them?" (her enemies). Jon picks up on this, because he has the exact same mindset. This is a huge plus for Dany in Jon's book. This mentality is cemented in episode 6, where Dany puts herself and her most priced possessions in danger when she flies of to save Jon and his crew. She proved that she's not just a fancy title and all talk (as he suspected in their first meeting in episode 3), but that she will be a good ruler with a lot of integrity, and right after this Jon bent the knee (metaphorically) and showed his feelings for Dany for the first time.


Why does Dany fall for Jon?

Dany is used to the fact that most powerful men she meets either try to trample on her, take advantage of her or simply only care about her for her power and/or beauty. Many men are enthralled by her, and Daario is the perfect example of this; He fell for her power and beauty instantly, and killed his own captains for her sake, before he actually got to know her.
Que Jon Snow, elected King in the North who isn't afraid to stand up to her, who treats her as an equal instead of submitting to her, and who doesn't seem to care about her title or her looks.
Unlike most other men in Danys life, Jon isn't desperate for her approval, and doesn't constantly seek her attention. This turns Jon into a challenge for her in a way that she is not used to. Today we'd say that Jon was playing hard to get, and she's never had anyone do that to her before. She finds it intriguing and attractive.
Dany is also attracted to "heroes" and brave men, despite her trying to act that she's not.
Furthermore, Jon bonding with Drogon is the first time she's seen anyone except her self be able to be that near, let alone touch Drogon. I did the "single mom brings home new husband to meet her children"-metaphor earlier, and it fits. She doesn't fully understand why Jon can pet Drogon, but she definitely approves.
 

The culmination of their relation as of episode 6, and in my opinion the most beautiful thing in their relation so far, is how Jon metaphorically bends the knee in a situation where it's pointless for him to do so. Alot of people are annoyed by him bending the knee at this point, but to me that's what make the entire difference.
He doesn't bend the knee out of a strategical advantage, or in order to get her support anymore.
He bends the knee out of respect, trust and love. By flying north and putting herself and her dragons in danger for the sake of him and his crew, she ultimately proved to him that she isn't just a fancy name and all talk, but that she is a woman of integrity, who put her money where her mouth is, and who is worthy of his service.

By the end of epsiode 6, their love is mutual, beautiful, logical and not a single bit foced or rushed. By far the best and most believable romantic relationship portrayed in the show so far.
Jon is Ice, Dany is Fire, and this is the Song of Ice and Fire.

Wow. Talk about delusional.

That total screen time count is irrelevant, because the overwhelming majority of Dany and Jon's shared screen time was with other characters present, discussing politics, the war, and bending the knee. Their first meeting was like a 15 minute scene.

Most of Jon and Ygritte's shared screen time only featured the two of them, building a relationship progressively and believably.

Second, counting the minutes Jon and Ygritte shared before fucking is irrelevant. Jon and Ygritte could have had sex in Season 2 and there would have been no issue, if it was just sex. Sex and love are not the same thing. Sexual attraction can be immediate, love happens progressively. The second half of Season 3 continued to develop their relationship after they had sex, showing us that they were still in the process of falling in love.

Dany and Jon are already "in love", after only 4 episodes. Jon and Ygritte had been together for 9 episodes before they had sex, and had lived together as Wildlings for weeks, if not months. Jon and Dany have known each other for a week or ten days tops (I go into this in detail later).

Dany and Jon have only had 3 scenes alone together prior to Episode 6. None of those scenes established any sort of personal or emotional bond. Their scene in Episode 3 was all about business, so to speak. Mining the glass, bending the knee, etc... No personal connection at all.

Their scene in Episode 4 showed that they were sexually attracted to each other, but that's it. The conversation was strictly about the war. Their scene in Episode 5 was also all about the war. Yes, Dany saw him pet Drogon, but once again, no bond between her and Jon was directly established.

The writers didn't even make any effort to give them a scene where they could discuss what they have in common, going from nothing to being monarchs, being outcasts, struggling to find their place in the world, Jon not knowing his mother VS Dany not knowing anyone in her family beyond Viserys, etc... We didn't see them really get to know each other. There's nothing for them to "love" about the other.

All they know about each other is what the other looks like and certain aspects of what sort of ruler they are. That's nothing.

Beyond that, if you think about things logically, they can't have known each other for more than a week or so, as I said earlier. Jon receives permission to mine the glass in Episode 3, yet in Episode 4, he specifically says he hasn't begun yet. This tells us very little time has passed, probably only 2 or 3 days maximum. Dany then leaves to ambush Jaime immediately after they exit the cave.

She returns in Episode 5, right before Jon receives word from Winterfell and decides to leave for Eastwatch. He presumably leaves a couple days later, once Tyrion and Davos return from KL.

Basically they barely know each other. You can't compare that with Jon and Ygritte traveling and living together for weeks.

The proof of how forced it is is that they have to have Davos and Tyrion telling us that Jon and Dany have feelings for each other, as opposed to the show actually building that relationship.

it is the epitome of a forced relationship.

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On 8/24/2017 at 2:56 PM, MinscS2 said:

I've seen a lot of comments lately that Jon and Danys romantic relationship is rushed, forced and/or pure fanfiction.
Be it on this forum, in youtube-comments, reddit, etc.

I think these statements are wrong and that their relationship is actually one of the better, if not *the best* written and developed romantic relationship in the entire series.
I'm gonna break down why I think so. Beware: long post incoming.

So, how when exactly does Jon and Dany start having feelings for each other and why? 

First off, it's worth noting that time passes off-screen as well. It can be hard sometimes as a viewer to estimate how much time passes between scenes and episodes, but Sansa tells us in episode 6 that she hasn't "heard from Jon in weeks". This means that Jon has communicated with her sometime after leaving Winterfell, but also stopped, probably after arriving at Dragonstone. This means that it's safe to say that Jon is a "guest" at Dragonstone for quite some time, most likely several weeks. We don't know exactly how many, it could be 3, or 7.
Point is that the show leaves plenty of time for Dany and Jon to actually develop feeling for each other, it's nothing that happens over the course of a few days as some believe.
If you're around someone you like and are attracted to for several weeks, chances are you'll start developing emotions and feelings for said person.
It's worth mentioning that Jon and Ygritte shared screen time for 26 minutes before they slept together.
Meanwhile, Jon and Dany has shared screen time for 35 minutes, and they've only held hands.
 

It's also worth noting that both Jon and Dany are masters of repressing their feelings and hide their thoughts and emotions from onlookers.
Out of the two, Jon is better at this though, which is also shown in the show, by the fact that Dany let's on first.
Jon has a strong sense of duty and purpose, and probably the highest willpower in Westeros, and in his mind, the most important goal is to defeat the Night King.
Unlike Robb, Jon won't let love distract him, even tough Jon technically is single while Robb was promised to another.

We know for a fact that Dany and Jon have romantic feelings for each other by the end of episode 5. By this stage Dany's emotional defense has already started to crack, and she has done two attempts (albeit half-heartedly) to show Jon her feelings for him by this point. Perhaps she doesn't realize it herself yet, except for on a subconscious level.
Jon doesn't reciprocate her advances though, which she wrongly interprets that he doesn't love her. I actually believe that Dany was sincere when she said that "Jon Snow doesn't love me" to Tyrion in episode 6, she truly believed that he didn't at that point.

So how did it all progress?

We start in episode 3 with their first meeting. It doesn't start well, and it shouldn't. Dany does her usual "Submit to me, I'm the rightful Queen"-speech wich usually makes people either threaten or submit to her. Jon does neither, which she finds intriguing. She doesn't like him at this point, but she doesn't dislike him either. If anything, his "well-mannered defiance" makes her curious about him, this man from the north who she probably hasn't heard much about.
Jon on the other hand, shows some seriously bad diplomatic skills, which Tyrion points out later in the episode, but he's never rude or disrespects her. When he asks if he's her prisoner, it has a "matter-of-fact" vibe to it.

In the next scene, they talk alone. Unsurprisingly, they find it easier to talk to each other when there's not a room full of people watching them.
There's some more disagreements, but Dany takes the first step at improving their relationship with the Dragonglass, and Jon can barely hide his surprise that she's willing to give him something he wants without asking for anything in return.
Dany, who's already curious about Jon, get's even more curious by his comment regarding him not liking what he's good at (which is a trowback to what Ser Barristan Selmy told Dany about her brother Rhaegar earlier: He was good at killing, but he never liked it) and throws a curious glance at Jons back when he leaves.
End of episode 3 - They are friendly to each other, and both are curious about the other. Not really any romance worth mentioning going on as of yet.

In episode 4 their relationship improves further. 
Dany trusts Jon enough at this point to leave her guards behind, and why shouldn't she? He's never been hostile to her and only ever treated her with respect (but without being submissive.)
In the cave Dany's resolve weakens somewhat when she see's the paintings. She still wants Jon to submit, but now she's trying to reason with him instead of simply demanding that he submits as she did back in episode 3.
Jon now brings up why he can't bend the knee (fear of loosing the respect of his peers), instead of just saying that he won't.
We also get to see Jon showing some feelings for Dany the first time during this scene, when he eyes her constantly every time she looks away or looks at the wall paintings. 
Davos brings this up later in the episode ("I noticed you staring at her good heart"), and Jon doesn't deflect but freely admits that he is eyeing her out. He also states that there's no time for that kind of relationship with Dany. He's interested, but he doesn't want to be distracted.

After the cave-scene Dany looses her temper with Tyrion when he brings the bad news. It's debatable if she's being unfair to Tyrion, but he is her hand and it was his plans that went to hell.
Surprisingly, Dany turns to Jon for advice. She trusts and respects him enough at this stage to ask for his opinion. Not only does Jon give her advice that she heeds, but he also manages to quickly soothe her fiery temper. Jons ice soothes Danys fire, which is quite beautiful to see. After this, no more attempts at making Jon bend the knee.
End of episode 4 - Relationship improves. They are not only friendly to each other, but they now also trust each other. Both have at this point secretly shown interest in the other. No romance as of yet, but something is definitely growing. 

In episode 5 things are starting to happen, and we get to see Dany show her feelings for Jon during this episode, even if she barely acts on them.
Dany is clearly affected by Drogon and Jon having a moment.  She's surprised and intrigued by what happens, and finds it very attracting.  This has been confirmed by the showwriters as well, Dany found the fact that Jon could bond with her dragons extremely attractive. Like a single mother who brings home a new man to meet her kids for the first time, and find that they get along very well. During their small-talk later, Jon is eying Dany out again when she's not looking, and what could've been a somewhat intimate moment about Jon having been killed and reborn is halted by Ser Jorah Friendzone, first of his name.

In their next scene together, Dany is for the first time, albeit not intentionally, open about her feelings for Jon. Both Tyrion and Jorah picks up on this. 
She clearly doesn't want Jon to leave, especially not on what is essentially a suicide mission. 
She does a half-hearted attempt at preventing his departure. In episode 3, she would've forcefully prevented him from leaving, but now in episode 5, her feelings for Jon have changed drastically.  If anything, she seems to approve of Jon telling her that he doesn't need her permission to do anything. She's a Queen, but he's a King.
We know that Dany is attracted to strong men who treat her with respect and as an equal.

During the third and last scene in episode 5, Dany actually opens up to Jon about how she likes having him around and how her feelings for him have changed since they first met.
Jon does not reciprocate her feelings however (he probably wants to, but as we know, he's telling himself that he doesn't have time for a romance right now) and she wrongly interprets this as a sign that he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her. She still gives Jon a longing gaze when he leaves.
Again, I think Dany was 100% sincere in episode 6 when she told Tyrion that "Jon Snow isn't in love with me". Up to this point, Jon has only shown his romantic feelings for Daenerys when she isn't looking. She's also used to the fact that people who are attracted to her let her know very early on, but Jon hasn't even mentioned her appearance. How can she know?
End of Episode 5 - Friendly and trusting relationship has grown into the start of a romantic relationship. Dany is clearly having romantic feelings for Jon at this point and can barely repress them. Jon has feelings for Dany as well, but unlike her, he can still repress them and hasn't shown them yet.

Now, I'm not gonna delve deep into episode 6, since with all that's happened during episode 3,4,5 and that happens during episode 6, I'd say the emotional development between Dany an Jon makes 100% sense by now.
Dany's feelings are obvious at this point (even if she tries to deny them when Tyrion prods her about Jon actually being in love with her), and when she flies north she is totally in love with Jon. 
Jon likewise finally cracks down in the end of the episode, not only by metaphorically kneeling, but also when he doesn't let go of her hand. Amazing what another near-death experience can do to your emotions right?

Their feelings for eachother at this point also makes sense; they have a lot of things in common (que mandatory "including genes"-joke).
They've both had a long and arduous journey to get to this point.
Both have followers who follow them, not out of fear, but out of respect and love.
Both have roughly the same view on how a ruler should rule for the betterment of the people.
Both believe that a ruler should lead from the front, and fight for their people, and not just expect their people to do all the fighting.
Both have been reborn in a way, and both have suffered greatly but managed to come back.
Both are considered special by the people around them, and in each other they meet a person who treats them like no one else has ever done before.

In addition to these similarities, they have further reasons for falling for each other.
Why does Jon fall for Dany?

Jon finds Daenerys to be beautiful, so the physical attraction is there. Jon hasn't exactly been around that many women, and no other woman like Daenerys. She's clean, well dressed, does her hair and looks amazing in general. Jon's expression when he see's Dany for the first time in episode 3 is literally " :o "
Jon also likes strong women, and Dany is the strongest woman Jon has ever met, both in terms of willpower, determination and actual power. Despite this, she humbles herself early on by asking for Jon's advice on how she should proceed in her war against Cersei, and she listens to him. She also gave him something he wanted (Dragonglass) without asking for anything in return.
He notices quickly, that Danys followers follow her out of respect and love, and not just because of a title. Just like Jon, she has earned her followers loyalty, she hasn't demanded it.
He also quickly take notice that Dany, like him, is willing to do things the hard way, if it's the right way. He mentions straight away that he's curious about why she hasn't stormed Kings Landing, and he concludes that she doesn't want innocent to die, just like him.
Lastly, and most importantly, since this is the thing that ultimately makes Jon bend the knee and more or less give in to his bottled romantic feelings in the end: Jon is the kind of ruler who "leads from the front", and who thinks that other rulers likewise should do the same: fight for their people, and not just expect the people to fight for them. Already in episode 4 Dany asks (or rather yells at) Tyrion "What kind of queen am I if I'm not willing to risk my life to fight them?" (her enemies). Jon picks up on this, because he has the exact same mindset. This is a huge plus for Dany in Jon's book. This mentality is cemented in episode 6, where Dany puts herself and her most priced possessions in danger when she flies of to save Jon and his crew. She proved that she's not just a fancy title and all talk (as he suspected in their first meeting in episode 3), but that she will be a good ruler with a lot of integrity, and right after this Jon bent the knee (metaphorically) and showed his feelings for Dany for the first time.


Why does Dany fall for Jon?

Dany is used to the fact that most powerful men she meets either try to trample on her, take advantage of her or simply only care about her for her power and/or beauty. Many men are enthralled by her, and Daario is the perfect example of this; He fell for her power and beauty instantly, and killed his own captains for her sake, before he actually got to know her.
Que Jon Snow, elected King in the North who isn't afraid to stand up to her, who treats her as an equal instead of submitting to her, and who doesn't seem to care about her title or her looks.
Unlike most other men in Danys life, Jon isn't desperate for her approval, and doesn't constantly seek her attention. This turns Jon into a challenge for her in a way that she is not used to. Today we'd say that Jon was playing hard to get, and she's never had anyone do that to her before. She finds it intriguing and attractive.
Dany is also attracted to "heroes" and brave men, despite her trying to act that she's not.
Furthermore, Jon bonding with Drogon is the first time she's seen anyone except her self be able to be that near, let alone touch Drogon. I did the "single mom brings home new husband to meet her children"-metaphor earlier, and it fits. She doesn't fully understand why Jon can pet Drogon, but she definitely approves.
 

The culmination of their relation as of episode 6, and in my opinion the most beautiful thing in their relation so far, is how Jon metaphorically bends the knee in a situation where it's pointless for him to do so. Alot of people are annoyed by him bending the knee at this point, but to me that's what make the entire difference.
He doesn't bend the knee out of a strategical advantage, or in order to get her support anymore.
He bends the knee out of respect, trust and love. By flying north and putting herself and her dragons in danger for the sake of him and his crew, she ultimately proved to him that she isn't just a fancy name and all talk, but that she is a woman of integrity, who put her money where her mouth is, and who is worthy of his service.

By the end of epsiode 6, their love is mutual, beautiful, logical and not a single bit foced or rushed. By far the best and most believable romantic relationship portrayed in the show so far.
Jon is Ice, Dany is Fire, and this is the Song of Ice and Fire.

I have to chuckle at you saying that Dany wants to save innocents by not storming KL. This is one of the most tortured bits of logic used by the show.

Her alternative to storming the city is to besiege it and starve them out. I don't know if you know, but that also leads to thousands of innocents dying.

A precision attack on the Red Keep with her dragons would have spared far more lives. We've seen that she's capable of controlling her dragons and using them with extreme precision (burning only 2 or 3 ships in Meereen last year, targeting only her enemies, burning only the Tarlys, etc...).

The idea that Tyrion presents that they should instead starve out the city is absurd. Dany even burns all the food that the Lannisters had with them. So now yes, thousands will starve to death because of her.

So the argument that she's sparing lives is completely thrown out the window.

Second thing I have to chuckle at, is the idea that her going North is somehow an amazingly noble act that would make Jon bend the knee. It's the bare minimum.

Jorah is her top adviser next to Tyrion. Jon is an important ally. The mission they're on is a plan Tyrion came up with. Dany going North to save her friends and allies and to salvage a plan that her Hand came up with (and that is by extension, a mission that she is responsible for), is not some extraordinary act of selflessness.

It's good yes, but it's not like the fight against the WW doesn't concern her. It fucking concerns everyone. It's not like she's helping Jon out with something that has no bearing on her plans. His mission is core to her plans at this point.

She should be putting herself at risk not for Jon specifically, but for the entire fucking Kingdom. The Kingdom she claims to be the Protector of. If she is the Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, then it is her duty to protect those Seven Kingdoms. She doesn't get brownie points for finally realizing that doing your duty is more important than acting like an entitled brat, a realization that Stannis came to in Season 4.

Once again, doing your duty as ruler is the bare minimum.

Finally, it is absurd in my opinion to say that they have "by far the best and most believable" romance of the show, when they didn't have a single personal scene together before Episode 6. They have only ever discussed politics and the war. Sexual attraction + political discussions doesn't equal love.

It is rushed and forced because it didn't happen organically, and they are now supposed to be completely in love despite barely knowing each other.

 

Also, Song of Ice and Fire refers to Jon. He is Ice and Fire.

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It isn't forced or rushed. It's just boring, predictable, cringe-inducing, and in general just a waste of screen time.

I don't like Chosen One characters in any genre of entertainment, so the idea of two of them coming together in some daytime soap opera romance plot to make a baby who is even more Chosen than they are just fills my throat with bile. 

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Your giant analysis is addressing all the wrong points. I don't think the issue for most people is that the characters Jon and Danaeyrs don't have any reason to like each other or be romantically interested, which is what you basically defended.

The problems is that the onscreen chemistry isn't there for three reasons

1. The acting. They're both too wooden and expressionless. Neither has the range to play subtle flirt and banter beneath a mask of stubborn indifference. Instead everything feels wooden and forced by the actors (again not the characters).

2. The temperaments being portrayed. (This is a combination of acting and writing) It worked with Ygritte  and Jon because fiery extrovert plays well off of introverted and angsty.

Similarly, naive girl learning to become headstrong and independent played well against older, more confident man (Drogo, Jorah, and that other useless guy).

3 The script and directing don't help. Again it's not about seconds on screen or amount on time in world. This issue is related closely to the others, but basically we have to be told by other characters that they're looking at each other. We don't see the looks, the smiles or the time together with sparks flying. We are told about them directly on screen by supporting characters. That doesn't happen with any other romance in the show.

The characters might be perfect for each other. But the portrayal is too forced.

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Episode 3 Scene 1: Jon refuses to pledge to Dany, Jon wants dragonglass without offering something in return, Dany insults Robb by ignoring his claim, insults Ned after saying they aren't responsible for their parents' actions, ignores the reasoning behind Robert's Rebellion and holds Jon and Davos prisoner. 

Episode 3 Scene 2: Dany allows Jon to mine dragonglass to keep him distracted, and both eyefuck each other. 

Episode 4 Scene 1: Jon tells Dany about the threat beyond the Wall, Dany says she believes him but won't help unless he bends the knee. If not, then his people can die for all she cares. Jon talks about Dany's good heart after this and Davos points out he's noticed his infatuation.

Episode 4 Scene 2: Dany for some reason asks for Jon's advice and she listens to him.

Episode 5: Jon pets Drogon. Dany says she won't fight the NK unless Cersei does as well. Jorah wants to head North, Dany barely has a reaction. Jon wants to head North and Dany gets super worried and doesn't want him to go.

Episode 6: Tyrion talks about Dany being in love with Jon, Dany abandons her conquest to save Jon's life. Dany is more broken up about Jon's possible death than her dragon's. Jon calls Daenerys Dany out of the blue and gives away his kingdom against the will of his family and people because "my people will come to realize how special you are like I have" after she's already agreed to fight the WWs.

It's a joke and I'm convinced they're rushing this because it's gonna end in heartbreak next season once Jon finds out about R+L=J.

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It could have worked if these two were good actors. Currently, it is just boring to watch. For that matter show had been boring to me since middle of season 4.  I don't watch the whole episodes - hadn't watched a single episode since season 4 - just clips on YouTube, and most of them not enjoyable at all. Couple that with horrible dialogs, nonsensical plotting and there is nothing much to see here.

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I have no interest in it. I find it disgusting!! I hate the Lannister insest and to put these two great characters in an insest storyline would ruin them for me. The only reason I can see them together is for Jon to put a knife in her heart and fulfil the prophecy. 

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On 8/25/2017 at 5:12 PM, NickStark2494 said:

The proof of how forced it is is that they have to have Davos and Tyrion telling us that Jon and Dany have feelings for each other, as opposed to the show actually building that relationship.

it is the epitome of a forced relationship.

I agree. Noted that Jorah also sees Jon's love for Dany instantly! Not only that, we witness Missandei about to talk about Greyworm's night with her and then it's then when Jon arrives to have their first scene together, that, in theory is the scene when Jon starts falling in love wih her, judging by the forced looks. (I was reading the OP and the Inside the Episodes, because I saw nothing related to love or lust in fact in the caves).

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1 hour ago, Firefly11 said:

I have no interest in it. I find it disgusting!! I hate the Lannister insest and to put these two great characters in an insest storyline would ruin them for me. The only reason I can see them together is for Jon to put a knife in her heart and fulfil the prophecy. 

Imagine Lightbringer, the sword that will bring forth the dawn is... just a knife. :)

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to all who hate this relationship i say that you are looking at this from the our own modern viewpoints, and you really cant. if you hate this, then go on and hate nearly every noble marriage in our own history of the middle ages. look at it from inside the viewpoint of their world. and fromt he position of jon and dany's family. remember that as targaryen's they are valyrian, whose primary marriage practice was to partner brothers to sisters. compared to this, dany and jon are quite tame. and even outside the targs, it is common practice to marry first cousins to each other, to preserve properties, wealth, and claims within a family. tywin and his wife joanna were first cousins.

now, once jon finds out who he really is, he might balk or feel uncomfortable about his relationship with dany. but from daenerys's perspective, this might actually make her even more amenable to their partnership, given that she would have been raised on the all the stories and histories of their house while living with viserys. indeed, she might have even spent much of her childhood expecting that she would have to marry viserys when he became king. jon being related to her can only be a pro from a targaryen stand point.

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On 8/26/2017 at 8:46 PM, Zombies That Were Promised said:

Anyone who's been paying attention to the show since S1 has noted the chemistry between the two actors in real life, even in photoshoots (esp for S2).  You would know these two were always planned as a couple.

Two real life people having chemistry has fuck all to do with whether characters they portray have chemistry. Happens all the time that real life friends/couples have zero on screen chemistry. This was all rushed, forced and not believable because there was no nuance to it. Why am I being told these two are falling instead of seeing it? I don't know if they would have had chemistry if this had been played out longer or was written better. But right now the entire thing is telegraphed and I'm supposed to believe they're in love because people say so, not because it's what I see. 

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On 8/27/2017 at 2:23 AM, Firefly11 said:

I have no interest in it. I find it disgusting!! I hate the Lannister insest and to put these two great characters in an insest storyline would ruin them for me. The only reason I can see them together is for Jon to put a knife in her heart and fulfil the prophecy. 

you will be stoked if one of the spin off shows is on the Targs then

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On 8/24/2017 at 2:56 PM, MinscS2 said:

I've seen a lot of comments lately that Jon and Danys romantic relationship is rushed, forced and/or pure fanfiction.
Be it on this forum, in youtube-comments, reddit, etc.

I think these statements are wrong and that their relationship is actually one of the better, if not *the best* written and developed romantic relationship in the entire series.
I'm gonna break down why I think so. Beware: long post incoming.

So, how when exactly does Jon and Dany start having feelings for each other and why? 

First off, it's worth noting that time passes off-screen as well. It can be hard sometimes as a viewer to estimate how much time passes between scenes and episodes, but Sansa tells us in episode 6 that she hasn't "heard from Jon in weeks". This means that Jon has communicated with her sometime after leaving Winterfell, but also stopped, probably after arriving at Dragonstone. This means that it's safe to say that Jon is a "guest" at Dragonstone for quite some time, most likely several weeks. We don't know exactly how many, it could be 3, or 7.
Point is that the show leaves plenty of time for Dany and Jon to actually develop feeling for each other, it's nothing that happens over the course of a few days as some believe.
If you're around someone you like and are attracted to for several weeks, chances are you'll start developing emotions and feelings for said person.
It's worth mentioning that Jon and Ygritte shared screen time for 26 minutes before they slept together.
Meanwhile, Jon and Dany has shared screen time for 35 minutes, and they've only held hands.
 

It's also worth noting that both Jon and Dany are masters of repressing their feelings and hide their thoughts and emotions from onlookers.
Out of the two, Jon is better at this though, which is also shown in the show, by the fact that Dany let's on first.
Jon has a strong sense of duty and purpose, and probably the highest willpower in Westeros, and in his mind, the most important goal is to defeat the Night King.
Unlike Robb, Jon won't let love distract him, even tough Jon technically is single while Robb was promised to another.

We know for a fact that Dany and Jon have romantic feelings for each other by the end of episode 5. By this stage Dany's emotional defense has already started to crack, and she has done two attempts (albeit half-heartedly) to show Jon her feelings for him by this point. Perhaps she doesn't realize it herself yet, except for on a subconscious level.
Jon doesn't reciprocate her advances though, which she wrongly interprets that he doesn't love her. I actually believe that Dany was sincere when she said that "Jon Snow doesn't love me" to Tyrion in episode 6, she truly believed that he didn't at that point.

So how did it all progress?

We start in episode 3 with their first meeting. It doesn't start well, and it shouldn't. Dany does her usual "Submit to me, I'm the rightful Queen"-speech wich usually makes people either threaten or submit to her. Jon does neither, which she finds intriguing. She doesn't like him at this point, but she doesn't dislike him either. If anything, his "well-mannered defiance" makes her curious about him, this man from the north who she probably hasn't heard much about.
Jon on the other hand, shows some seriously bad diplomatic skills, which Tyrion points out later in the episode, but he's never rude or disrespects her. When he asks if he's her prisoner, it has a "matter-of-fact" vibe to it.

In the next scene, they talk alone. Unsurprisingly, they find it easier to talk to each other when there's not a room full of people watching them.
There's some more disagreements, but Dany takes the first step at improving their relationship with the Dragonglass, and Jon can barely hide his surprise that she's willing to give him something he wants without asking for anything in return.
Dany, who's already curious about Jon, get's even more curious by his comment regarding him not liking what he's good at (which is a trowback to what Ser Barristan Selmy told Dany about her brother Rhaegar earlier: He was good at killing, but he never liked it) and throws a curious glance at Jons back when he leaves.
End of episode 3 - They are friendly to each other, and both are curious about the other. Not really any romance worth mentioning going on as of yet.

In episode 4 their relationship improves further. 
Dany trusts Jon enough at this point to leave her guards behind, and why shouldn't she? He's never been hostile to her and only ever treated her with respect (but without being submissive.)
In the cave Dany's resolve weakens somewhat when she see's the paintings. She still wants Jon to submit, but now she's trying to reason with him instead of simply demanding that he submits as she did back in episode 3.
Jon now brings up why he can't bend the knee (fear of loosing the respect of his peers), instead of just saying that he won't.
We also get to see Jon showing some feelings for Dany the first time during this scene, when he eyes her constantly every time she looks away or looks at the wall paintings. 
Davos brings this up later in the episode ("I noticed you staring at her good heart"), and Jon doesn't deflect but freely admits that he is eyeing her out. He also states that there's no time for that kind of relationship with Dany. He's interested, but he doesn't want to be distracted.

After the cave-scene Dany looses her temper with Tyrion when he brings the bad news. It's debatable if she's being unfair to Tyrion, but he is her hand and it was his plans that went to hell.
Surprisingly, Dany turns to Jon for advice. She trusts and respects him enough at this stage to ask for his opinion. Not only does Jon give her advice that she heeds, but he also manages to quickly soothe her fiery temper. Jons ice soothes Danys fire, which is quite beautiful to see. After this, no more attempts at making Jon bend the knee.
End of episode 4 - Relationship improves. They are not only friendly to each other, but they now also trust each other. Both have at this point secretly shown interest in the other. No romance as of yet, but something is definitely growing. 

In episode 5 things are starting to happen, and we get to see Dany show her feelings for Jon during this episode, even if she barely acts on them.
Dany is clearly affected by Drogon and Jon having a moment.  She's surprised and intrigued by what happens, and finds it very attracting.  This has been confirmed by the showwriters as well, Dany found the fact that Jon could bond with her dragons extremely attractive. Like a single mother who brings home a new man to meet her kids for the first time, and find that they get along very well. During their small-talk later, Jon is eying Dany out again when she's not looking, and what could've been a somewhat intimate moment about Jon having been killed and reborn is halted by Ser Jorah Friendzone, first of his name.

In their next scene together, Dany is for the first time, albeit not intentionally, open about her feelings for Jon. Both Tyrion and Jorah picks up on this. 
She clearly doesn't want Jon to leave, especially not on what is essentially a suicide mission. 
She does a half-hearted attempt at preventing his departure. In episode 3, she would've forcefully prevented him from leaving, but now in episode 5, her feelings for Jon have changed drastically.  If anything, she seems to approve of Jon telling her that he doesn't need her permission to do anything. She's a Queen, but he's a King.
We know that Dany is attracted to strong men who treat her with respect and as an equal.

During the third and last scene in episode 5, Dany actually opens up to Jon about how she likes having him around and how her feelings for him have changed since they first met.
Jon does not reciprocate her feelings however (he probably wants to, but as we know, he's telling himself that he doesn't have time for a romance right now) and she wrongly interprets this as a sign that he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her. She still gives Jon a longing gaze when he leaves.
Again, I think Dany was 100% sincere in episode 6 when she told Tyrion that "Jon Snow isn't in love with me". Up to this point, Jon has only shown his romantic feelings for Daenerys when she isn't looking. She's also used to the fact that people who are attracted to her let her know very early on, but Jon hasn't even mentioned her appearance. How can she know?
End of Episode 5 - Friendly and trusting relationship has grown into the start of a romantic relationship. Dany is clearly having romantic feelings for Jon at this point and can barely repress them. Jon has feelings for Dany as well, but unlike her, he can still repress them and hasn't shown them yet.

Now, I'm not gonna delve deep into episode 6, since with all that's happened during episode 3,4,5 and that happens during episode 6, I'd say the emotional development between Dany an Jon makes 100% sense by now.
Dany's feelings are obvious at this point (even if she tries to deny them when Tyrion prods her about Jon actually being in love with her), and when she flies north she is totally in love with Jon. 
Jon likewise finally cracks down in the end of the episode, not only by metaphorically kneeling, but also when he doesn't let go of her hand. Amazing what another near-death experience can do to your emotions right?

Their feelings for eachother at this point also makes sense; they have a lot of things in common (que mandatory "including genes"-joke).
They've both had a long and arduous journey to get to this point.
Both have followers who follow them, not out of fear, but out of respect and love.
Both have roughly the same view on how a ruler should rule for the betterment of the people.
Both believe that a ruler should lead from the front, and fight for their people, and not just expect their people to do all the fighting.
Both have been reborn in a way, and both have suffered greatly but managed to come back.
Both are considered special by the people around them, and in each other they meet a person who treats them like no one else has ever done before.

In addition to these similarities, they have further reasons for falling for each other.
Why does Jon fall for Dany?

Jon finds Daenerys to be beautiful, so the physical attraction is there. Jon hasn't exactly been around that many women, and no other woman like Daenerys. She's clean, well dressed, does her hair and looks amazing in general. Jon's expression when he see's Dany for the first time in episode 3 is literally " :o "
Jon also likes strong women, and Dany is the strongest woman Jon has ever met, both in terms of willpower, determination and actual power. Despite this, she humbles herself early on by asking for Jon's advice on how she should proceed in her war against Cersei, and she listens to him. She also gave him something he wanted (Dragonglass) without asking for anything in return.
He notices quickly, that Danys followers follow her out of respect and love, and not just because of a title. Just like Jon, she has earned her followers loyalty, she hasn't demanded it.
He also quickly take notice that Dany, like him, is willing to do things the hard way, if it's the right way. He mentions straight away that he's curious about why she hasn't stormed Kings Landing, and he concludes that she doesn't want innocent to die, just like him.
Lastly, and most importantly, since this is the thing that ultimately makes Jon bend the knee and more or less give in to his bottled romantic feelings in the end: Jon is the kind of ruler who "leads from the front", and who thinks that other rulers likewise should do the same: fight for their people, and not just expect the people to fight for them. Already in episode 4 Dany asks (or rather yells at) Tyrion "What kind of queen am I if I'm not willing to risk my life to fight them?" (her enemies). Jon picks up on this, because he has the exact same mindset. This is a huge plus for Dany in Jon's book. This mentality is cemented in episode 6, where Dany puts herself and her most priced possessions in danger when she flies of to save Jon and his crew. She proved that she's not just a fancy title and all talk (as he suspected in their first meeting in episode 3), but that she will be a good ruler with a lot of integrity, and right after this Jon bent the knee (metaphorically) and showed his feelings for Dany for the first time.


Why does Dany fall for Jon?

Dany is used to the fact that most powerful men she meets either try to trample on her, take advantage of her or simply only care about her for her power and/or beauty. Many men are enthralled by her, and Daario is the perfect example of this; He fell for her power and beauty instantly, and killed his own captains for her sake, before he actually got to know her.
Que Jon Snow, elected King in the North who isn't afraid to stand up to her, who treats her as an equal instead of submitting to her, and who doesn't seem to care about her title or her looks.
Unlike most other men in Danys life, Jon isn't desperate for her approval, and doesn't constantly seek her attention. This turns Jon into a challenge for her in a way that she is not used to. Today we'd say that Jon was playing hard to get, and she's never had anyone do that to her before. She finds it intriguing and attractive.
Dany is also attracted to "heroes" and brave men, despite her trying to act that she's not.
Furthermore, Jon bonding with Drogon is the first time she's seen anyone except her self be able to be that near, let alone touch Drogon. I did the "single mom brings home new husband to meet her children"-metaphor earlier, and it fits. She doesn't fully understand why Jon can pet Drogon, but she definitely approves.
 

The culmination of their relation as of episode 6, and in my opinion the most beautiful thing in their relation so far, is how Jon metaphorically bends the knee in a situation where it's pointless for him to do so. Alot of people are annoyed by him bending the knee at this point, but to me that's what make the entire difference.
He doesn't bend the knee out of a strategical advantage, or in order to get her support anymore.
He bends the knee out of respect, trust and love. By flying north and putting herself and her dragons in danger for the sake of him and his crew, she ultimately proved to him that she isn't just a fancy name and all talk, but that she is a woman of integrity, who put her money where her mouth is, and who is worthy of his service.

By the end of epsiode 6, their love is mutual, beautiful, logical and not a single bit foced or rushed. By far the best and most believable romantic relationship portrayed in the show so far.
Jon is Ice, Dany is Fire, and this is the Song of Ice and Fire.

Bravo.

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Not reading the post because it IS forced and rushed. Not to mention Jon is acting completely out of character. I have no issue with Jon finding her hot; that's in character, Jon is interested in women. What I have an issue with is Jon selling out the North so he can have sex with someone he finds hot. Completely out of character. Maybe it would make sense if this was Robb. It would definitely make sense for Theon. But not Jon. He has barely interacted with Dany, and she has been a stuck-up jerk to him most of the time he's known her. I can see Jon secretly having sexual fantasies about her for sure (as many men would, Dany is hot obviously), but there is no way in hell he would be embarrassing himself and begging for her like a lost puppy the way he is. It's an insult to Jon's character and I hate seeing him be made into a pathetic joke. 

 

If they wanted Jon to fall in love with her, they should have established a rapport like he did with Ygritte. Jon is not a sex hungry idiot and I resent him being portrayed as such. 

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38 minutes ago, Snormund said:

Not reading the post because it IS forced and rushed. Not to mention Jon is acting completely out of character. I have no issue with Jon finding her hot; that's in character, Jon is interested in women. What I have an issue with is Jon selling out the North so he can have sex with someone he finds hot. Completely out of character. Maybe it would make sense if this was Robb. It would definitely make sense for Theon. But not Jon. He has barely interacted with Dany, and she has been a stuck-up jerk to him most of the time he's known her. I can see Jon secretly having sexual fantasies about her for sure (as many men would, Dany is hot obviously), but there is no way in hell he would be embarrassing himself and begging for her like a lost puppy the way he is. It's an insult to Jon's character and I hate seeing him be made into a pathetic joke. 

 

If they wanted Jon to fall in love with her, they should have established a rapport like he did with Ygritte. Jon is not a sex hungry idiot and I resent him being portrayed as such. 

agree with the bolded...

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