Actors Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington pose in the press room during The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty
Actors Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington pose in the press room during The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty
The love boat may be rocking right now but don't expect it to stay that way.
There may be a conscious uncoupling between Daenerys and Jon Snow on the cards.
After building up their sexual chemistry over several episodes, Game of Thrones finally threw Dany and Jon together in the previous season finale.
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington as Jon Snow in HBO's Game of Thrones. Photo / Supplied
But for anyone who had been shipping the characters (who consummated that relationship ON A BOAT), it was cruelly revealed they are in fact aunt and nephew. That's too close an incestuous connection — it's not like they're 12th cousins once removed.
It's very reasonable to expect the happy lovers will be heading for a break-up.
In a further sign that we shouldn't expect the union to last, Emilia Clarke revealed there will be "tensions" between Dany and Jon.
She told news.com.au: "Dany and Jon are contemporaries, they are incredibly similar in many, many ways, and he brings out a certain truth in her that you haven't seen since Khal Drogo.
Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington of 'Game of Thrones' attends HBO's Official 2018 Golden Globe Awards After Party. Photo / Getty
"We're at the end of the series, each character is coming into this season with their own needs, with their own goals. Without saying anything, you know that's going to be a tension-filled season".
So, in nutshell, they seem to get on and then their competing goals and agendas will create a schism. Probably.
What could bring this "tension"? Besides the incest thing — it's pretty hard to not want to vom if you find out you've been schtupping your close relative.
As we know, their familial connection is a direct threat to Dany's aspirations because Jon has a stronger claim to the throne than she does.
Jon is the secret, legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen, which puts him higher in the line of succession. Dany is the sister to Rhaegar, so she's only eligible to rule if Rhaegar and Viserys and their heirs were no longer around.
Which is what she thought, and still thinks until the inevitable truth-letting to come.
Dany has spent the past six seasons and a bit in the mindset that she is entitled to the Iron Throne by birthright. What happens when she finds out she's not? Does she cede power to a man who's already bent the knee to her?
Additionally, we've seen that Dany and Jon are pretty different leaders. He tends to be more merciful and conciliatory, whereas she is, usually, not.
If Jon had to punish the Tarlys, he would not have burnt them alive with dragon fire.
Clarke said the series is constantly grappling with how to rule and wield power and remain human — something, in our estimation, Dany hasn't always managed to balance given her propensity for grand displays of might through death by dragon.
"That's the beauty of the show — good and bad, right and wrong, evil and not evil," she said. "Can you be in a position of power, can you truly have power over a body of people and do what is universally as right? Is that possible?
"When you put someone in power, how clouded does that vision become, how selfless can they be?"
