#also i think the irony of sam potentially ending up in a very similar situation a few years later is. fun.

[hyperfixation-or-death]

A series of headcanons:

Victor Deslandes was a Gifted Child™ in elementary school, and hit burnout in middle school.

Sam Deslandes was a Gifted Child™ in middle school, and hit burnout in high school.

Bilal Belkebirs was canonically highly academically and professionally successful before time traveling back to save his friends. However, in the post-canon timeline, he experiences burnout in university due to feeling somewhat directionless.

Romane Berthauds, in the timeline she and Victor traveled back from, had no friends and decided to focus most of her time and effort into academic success. The Romane from Bilal's timeline also put a lot of effort into schoolwork, but after her mom died, her studying habits became really unhealthy and excessive as she tried to cope with the loss. Post-canon Romane does not experience academic burnout (she has sooo many other problems, though). However, the Romane from Bilal's timeline (who the show unfortunately doesn't acknowledge again) will have a midlife crisis at some point.

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 10 - SJS - Shoot

These back-to-back games against the Sharks marked the first time the Sabres have had a home-and-home series with a Western Conference team since 1995. They are now 5-0, UNDEFEATED, at home at Key Bank Center to start the season for the first time since the President’s Trophy winning season of 2006-2007. The Overtime winner also marked Jack Eichel’s sixth career OT game-winning-goal. That ties him with Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek for the most in franchise history (That stat courtesy of @SabresPR). There is some irony to that fact and Eichel’s two total goals this game considering the first period was a story of the Captain refusing to shoot the puck. We all know the stereotype of shoot guy. You high class folks down in the 100 level seem to act like it doesn’t happen down there but it does. There’s always someone yelling shoot, often times when it may not be wisest to shoot the puck. Tonight I was shoot guy. Tonight we all were shoot guy. Tonight was the right night to be shoot guy and I think Jacky boy knew it as he giggled at receiving the question about it in postgame. We’ll get back to that point. It’s worth discussing the way this team plays in tough situations. San Jose came out upset with themselves. They haven’t had a great start and Saturday night in NorCal Buffalo won the chest match. I don’t think it’s off-base to say the Sharks are a better team than the Sabres. Sure, they skew older these days, but they have the horses to win a Stanley Cup and all you can really do is get within striking distance of that chalice in this league. The other thing about this league is any team can win any night and for two games in a row on different coasts of the continent this Sabres team won. They’ve decided to keep that barn a fortress. Do I think they’re going to win the President’s Trophy like that last time they started 5-0 at home? No, but now they’re playing to their potential and that on a consistent basis might change the Spring narrative. Enough hype though, let’s look at the reality of this game.

They did not start hot like they have lately. In fact, they did a lot of flubbing out of the gate. Captain Jack was more-or-less one-on-one with a Martin Jones who WE KNOW is not so hot right now from three days ago less than a minute into the game. He passed the puck to Victor Olofsson who took an ill-fated shot in one of the more memeable moments of this season so far. This is not a new thing. Jack Eichel is a hungry boy for as long as he’s played organized sports. He plays to win but he also minds the team. Going all the way back to his rookie season we’ve seen this conflict between to pass or to shoot. In the early years he didn’t have great wingers so shoot please, Jack. More recently he has had good wingers and still he could shoot more. Like some kind of prophet the guys on this Sabres media team emphasized Eichel’s comments that he needed to shoot more. Ok: Coach says shoot more, your teammates say shoot more, YOU say shoot more, How about you shoot more, Jack? He did and it paid off but first we had to sit through a first period where the home team took more shots but it seemed like the Sharks got all the good chances. Dylan Gambrell scored his first goal on a redirect originating with Erik Karlsson on the blueline. It’s 1-0 Sharks a shade over five minutes in. It was hot and cold for the rest of the period. They got a powerplay and the Conor Sheary line, which was fire tonight, got a couple beautiful chances. As much as that powerplay looked hot again it yielded nothing. Want something else familiar? Marco Scandella gave up an ugly turnover in the defensive zone and nearly gave old pal Evander Kane a goal. I don’t care how well Henri Jokiharju is rehabilitating Scandella, bench him once Lawrence Pilut comes back! Tic-Tac-Toe Marc-Edouard Vlasic collected a Patrick Marleau assist to put the visitors up 2-0. It was not a fun first period.

Buffalo gets outshot in the second period mind you, but this segment they looked much more like the Kruger, connected, high-press team we’ve gotten used to this month. This was Jimmy Vesey’s best game as a Sabre so far, he and that Sheary-Mittelstadt pair were pushing hard. Vesey specifically had an expected goals and a corsi that was off the charts. The poor kid can’t buy a goal and he’ll continue to have to put up with punks like me until he does. The Sabres got a powerplay off a trip on Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Eichel shot to kill this time. The King of the Castle ripped a slapper from the circle, and it hit Martin Jones in the armpit. Luckily it had the power to keep going and so Buffalo got on the board. There was palpable relief in Eichel’s celebration looking heavenward. Had he not scored after the first period he had or worse, the team lost, that would have haunted him. You can tell because after a few missed chances in the first Ralph Krueger patted him on the back as if to tell him to keep his head up. The home team push picked up and Krueger made a strategic choice that may stick: he slid Jeff Skinner up to Eichel’s wing like last season. There was an immediate chemistry like old times. But the next decisive moment in this game came from Eichel’s other winger Sam Reinhart who tipped in a Rasmus Ristolainen rocket. The Captain’s super puck handling kept the puck in the zone just before the goal. Tie game 2-2. You could see Erik Karlsson was pissed as he went into the visiting locker room for the second intermission. With how the third period went in San Jose you knew this team was going to come back to win in the final frame.

Maybe anticipating similar third period festivities to Saturday night Buffalo picked up where they left off to start that final frame. Jack Eichel fought for the puck behind the San Jose net and got it out to Jeff Skinner in his office, right in front of the net. It was a 2018-2019 classic Jack to Jeff goal. The home side is now up 3-2 looking at a Sharks team they’re not really afraid at this point. While Jeff boy’s stunning smile lit up the Sabres bench Erik Karlsson plotted his revenge. But first we needed to be reminded we were playing one of those West Coast teams with one of those West Coast… styles. Yeah, let’s call boarding fools and starting fights a style. It’s no secret they play heavier hockey out west, but boarding Sam Reinhart is not a type of hockey. For everyone saying this team needs grit, take a look: there was a swarm. There was an ultimately inconsequential powerplay off the situation, but it makes you think what we have in terms of a physical response. Beyond the pugnacious side of Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe is never afraid to lay the hits and punch some faces. With Risto on the trade block Anthony Sciandra pointed out McCabe may not be taking the mantle of the overrated, beloved Sabres tough guy. McCabe does other stuff but the more I thought about Anthony’s sentiment the more it made sense. The Sabres got pushed out of the Ducks game physically. They didn’t fail the punk test this time and as far as I’m concerned that’s all I need them to do as far as the fighting game assuming they don’t lose their momentum from it. The Roaring Twenties line had a rare defensive lapse, particularly with Zemgus Girgensons not covering Karlsson and the Sharks tied the game up at 3. They smelled blood in the water and hemmed Buffalo in their own zone for segments of the remaining time in regulation. Ultimately Ralph Krueger would call a time out and they would hold the line until overtime.

This overtime period was damn near what I always want to see from their 3-on-3 overtimes. They possessed the puck for almost the entire extra frame. It was on a bungled line change when the Sharks got anything of a chance which ultimately got them no shot. It was on another line change when the Sabres registered what would apparently be the only shot on net in OT. Bodies flew at the net and sticks started slapping. The play began with Casey Mittelstadt bombing it in from the defensive zone to Rasmus Ristolainen who took the initial shot. It was a messy goal that originated with Jack Eichel. It looks like he gave the puck the momentum that carried it across the line and yes, before the goal was knocked off its moorings. The goal call would be reviewed but nonetheless the end result was a 4-3 win for the Buffalo Sabres to keep Key Bank Center their perfect home. That was all she wrote and that was it for the season for the San Jose Sharks whom the Sabres far and away have the best all-time record against.

Like, Comment and share this blog. These fun postgame reports are fun when the team is winning but sorry to say, they’re going to regress. I love the fun Sabres, but I don’t see them remaining atop this Atlantic Division. They have five games in ten nights now leading into the games in Stockholm, Sweden for the Global Series. They are setup nicely to fly inter-continental rather content with themselves. The next two games are a road trip to New York Rangers and Detroit, far from the fortress they’ve built down by the river in Buffalo. One of those teams you absolutely HAVE TO beat if you’re going to be taken seriously going forward. I’ll let you guess which one is which there. As we said earlier, any team can win any night in this league. If they’re going to be the team that continues to win on most nights they’ll have to lock down points much like they managed four against the Sharks. Those points are going to look great down the road, but they won’t be worth anything if they get buried in losses. I am a believer this team is for real at about 90% of the clip they’re running at right now. We have two very different tests later this week to see if I’ll be that fool again.

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. Oh, and the Leafs lost to Boston tonight too! Let’s treasure the little things while we got em, eh?

[oadara]

Game of Thrones - Jon and Daenerys Parallels v.2

ETA: I’ve added a few more parallels but Season 3 is sadly lacking. If you’ve noticed any, send them my way. 

Hey guys,

So I wanted to write a post about all the parallels and connections there are between Dany and Jon on Game of Thrones. I started a re-watched but it stalled. As you can see I was really good the first season and a half. I wrote a little summary of each of their scenes (if they appeared in the same episode) and what the connection was.

If any of you guys have noted these things for the episodes I don’t have anything for please send them my way. It would be nice to have a complete list.

Season 1

Episode 1 - “Winter is Coming”

- We see that both Dany and Jon feel disconnected from their family. Jon of course because he’s a bastard and Dany because she feels powerless against Viserys.

- In contrast, Jon is kept away from the celebration welcoming King Robert, this angers him because he is once again being ostracized for being a bastard. Dany on the other hand is forced to attend the celebration of her wedding even as she begged Viserys to not make her marry.

- Both receive/find their animal companion:Jon finds Ghost and Dany is given the dragon eggs.

Episode 2 - “The King’s Road”

- While Drogo is rapping Dany she is looking at her dragon eggs which are surrounded by candles, as she looks into their fire we transition to Jon looking at the campfire. This is a clear connection between these two characters and probably a hint of Jon’s Targaryen heritage.

- The parallel here is the both lament the situation they find themselves in. Dany suffering in her marriage and Jon realizing that the Night’s Watch is nothing like he had imagined.

Episode 3  - “Lord Snow”

-We see the scene transition from Dany to Jon. In Dany’s scene she is learning to assert herself as a khaleesi, earning the respect of her followers (Dothraki as well as Jorah). In Jon’s scene with Benjen, he tells him, “a man gets what he earns when he earns it.” Later in the episode we see Jon working with the other recruits teaching them what he knows, and beginning to earn their respect.

-Tyrion is meeting with the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and Maester Aemon, when the conversation is almost to an end Maester Aemon says: “When winter comes, gods help us all if we are not ready.” The scene then transitions to Dany’s dragon eggs. We then see Dany telling Drogo that they are having a boy, then we transition back to the Wall and Tyrion and Jon.

Episode 4 -  “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things”

-We begin with The scene in which Jon meets Sam, the coward, this scene then transitions to Dany riding alongside Jorah into Vaes Dothrak. Jorah complains about Ned Stark driving him from his land, to which Dany reminds him that he sold slaves.

-Second transition: Ser Allister is talking to Jon and Sam about winter and says to them “When you are out there beyond the Wall do you want a man at your back or a sniveling boy?” This then transitions into Viserys dragging Doreah into Dany’s tent, he attacks Dany but she hits him back, showing him to be a sniveling boy.

-We then transition back to Jon and Sam, Jon tells Sam that he almost had sex with the red-headed Ros! Ser Allister then comes in and after throwing some more insults says to Jon “Mance Rayder’s men are hard men, harder than Jon will ever be. Not quite true Ser Allister. Finally, we transition back to Dany and Jorah, they are both taking about going home. Dany confesses to Jorah that she doesn’t believe Viserys will ever be able to take her home.

NOTE: In this episode we see both Dany and Jon stand up for some else and confront a bully. Jon stands up for Sam and confronts Ser Allister and Ralf while Dany on the other hand stands up to Viserys and defends Doreah.

Episode 7 “You win or You die” - The first transition goes from the assassination attempt against Dany to Jon being selected as Stewart to the Lord Commander. - Second transition from Jon to Dany. Jon takes his oath in front of the Heart-tree this transitions to Dany talking to Jorah about punishing the wine seller and Drogo makes his speech promising his son the Iron Throne. The symbolism going on in their scenes this episode was about being given a ‘gift’ that they don’t really understand the magnitude of yet. In both cases they are coming close to their future leadership roles but not in the way they expect. Jon is put out and sulky to be assigned a steward without realizing the leadership potential of being LC Mormont’s direct assistant. Daenerys on the other hand is given the gift of what she wants most from Drogo, to take back the Iron Throne. She expects fully expects this will happen and has no idea it will in fact be herself that follows through with Drogo’s promise much later. Episode 8 “The Pointy End” - Ser Alliser taunts Jon about being a traitor’s bastard, Jon responds by lunging on his with a knife and Ser Alliser tells him, you will hang for this. Not really, but you will Ser Alliser, for being a traitor. Oh the irony. Later on Ghost senses the Wight and Jon burns his hand with a lamp while burning the Wight. - We then transition to Dany who is in the Lhazareen village as the Dothraki are pillaging it. As Dany looks as the mayhem around her she asks Jorah to make the Dothraki stop raping and abusing the women. Jorah looks at her and tells her that she has a kind heart but this is how things have always been. Dany denies this but demands that Jorah make the men stop. I think this touches on an important theme in Dany’s story, which is that she doesn’t believe in maintaining the status quo. If something doesn’t seem right to her, she will do her best to improve it, no matter if it’s been done that way for hundreds or thousands of years. After Jorah stops the men he tells Dany “You can’t save them all” to which Dany answers “I can and I will.” This will later be manifested in her campaign against Slaver’s Bay. An interesting part of a parallel occurred in this episode or at least part of it. In this episode Theon asks Robb if he’s afraid (after he tells Maester Luwin to call his banners after Ned is arrested) to which Robb says “I must be” while he looks at his shacking hand. Theon says “good” and Robb asks “why’s that good?” to which Theon answers “ because it means you’re not stupid.” This conversation is eerily similar to the one Dany has with Tyrion at the end of season 6x10, where Tyrion asks her if she’s afraid of entering the “Great Game” and Dany nods yes, to which Tyrion answers “Good, only mad men like your father are not afraid.” Bringing this full circle Jon’s selection as King in the North in episode 6x10 is almost identical to Robb’s selection as KITN. So, in the season finally of season 6 the show tied in both Dany and Jon to Robb, another young leader and monarch. Let’s hope that they at least end their lives in a better way than poor Robb’s. Episode 9 “Baelor” - We only have one transition between the two this episode. We go from Jon and Aemon discussing choice to Dany in the Dothraki sea choosing to fight for her husband even though it’s clear he is dying. While Jon is being given the philosophical view of what it is to choose between love and duty, Dany is force to make that decision at that very moment. Episode 10: “Fire and Blood” - We transition from Dany to Jon. First Dany wakes from her miscarriage to find out her child is dead, that her husband is a shell without a spirit and that MMD has betrayed her. Then we transition to Jon who is running away to join Robb. Then we have Jon’s friends stop him and recite the oath he made. We then transition back to Dany who is washing khal Drogo before smothering him. I’m not sure if there are any connection between these scenes. -Finally the season ends with a transition between Dany and Jon. First Jon goes beyond the Wall with Lord Commander Mormont and the Night’s Watch. Then, we transition to Dany who is preparing the pyre for khal Drogo, gives her speech to her newly formed little khalsar, burns the pyre with MMD in it, enters pyre wakes up with dragons. The connection between the two being that they are about to embark in life-changing adventures. Neither of their lives will ever been the same after this. General Parallels: Both Dany and Jon deal with the grief of loosing someone they love, Dany with Drogo and Jon with Ned. Also, Dany’s first scene lead’s into Jon’s first scene. Jon’s second scene lead’s into Dany’s second scene. Jon’s final scene lead’s into Dany’s final scene.

Season 2

Episode 1: “The North Remembers”

-We find Dany in the Red Waste with the comet above her in the sky. Dany is talking to Doreah and says that no one will take her dragons. Yet, we will see that in Qarth they are taken from her by the warlock at the House of the Undying. Dany looks up at the sky and sees the comet and this transitions to Jon in the North at Crasters. Jon mouths off at Craster and Lord Commander pulls him aside. He asks Jon, “Do you want to lead one day?” to which Jon nods to which Lord Commander says “then you must learn how to follow.” It is important to note that Jon does want to be a leader, I think he wants that respect and acceptance, to earn it on his own right. We see him smile when he is elected Lord Commander, although, with a little trepidation. However, when we get into the King in the North scene he accepts but with a lot more trepidation. Now realizing how truly hard it is to be a leader.

- We have another scene with Dany in the Red Waste. Her people are starving and she doesn’t know what to do. She questions herself as a leader, because she cannot help her people, she cannot feed them or give them water. Jorah tells her that she must be their strength, and Dany asks Jorah to be her strength.

The scenes between Jon and Dany are both about learning to lead but in different ways. Jon needs to learn how to follow, being part of a military order before he can learn how to lead men. Dany having found herself leading already needs to learn how to take on the sorrows of her people, to be their strength, to give them hope when their is none.

Episode 2: “The Night Lands”

-There was a great Jon and Daenerys book-ended set of scenes - and a potential parallel between Jorah/Jon that I feel will later come full circle in both loving Daenerys also.

At the end of the scene with Sam and Gilly … We see Jon reflect on his feeling of helplessness in doing what’s right for people. His honor is warring with his sense of duty and keeping peace with Craster. The scene then transitions to Jorah sighing the same as Jon was … only now it’s he who feels helpless as Daenerys and the Dothraki are suffering (no water or shelter). I liked this parallel between the honorable men and the people they love. Jorah’s love for Dany and Jon’s love for Sam. Both are honorable men who will later do anything to save those they love.

Episode 3: “What is Dead May Never Die”

- No parallel this episode as Dany doesn’t appear in it. Episode 4: “Garden of Bones”

- No parallels as Jon doesn’t appear in this episode.

Episode 10 “Valar Morghulis”: -In Dany’s visions in the House of the Undying she goes through the red keep to the Wall.

Season 3

Episode 10 “Mhysa”

- Both Dany and Jon are carried. Dany by the newly freed slaves of Yunkai and Jon by his fellows brothers from the Nights Watch.  

- Dany being at the center of a group of people is mirrored in season 6 episode 9 when Jon is at the center of a group of people. The different is that Dany is surrounded by the living and Jon by the dying. 

Season 4

Episode 1 “Two Swords”

-Daario gives Dany the Bouquet of Symbolism (dusky rose (blue rose) = heals fevers). He also says to her that if he wants the people to follow her she needs to become part of their world.

Episode 3 “Breaker of Chains”

- A small parallel between Dany and Jon. Ser Alliser tells Jon that he is a “champion of the common people.” Then at the end of the episode we see Dany arriving in Meereen and speaking to the slaves about freedom, thus being a champion of the common people.

Episode 4 “Oathkeeper”

 -  Dany and Jon, they both coming up with plans to infiltrate/attack their enemies by surprise.

- They both speak of justice, Dany says “I will answer injustice with justice” and Jon says “ All we can give him [Mormont} is justice”. 

Episode 5 “First of His Name”

 - A small Dany and Jon parallel is Dany’s punishment of the Masters the episode before and Jon’s punishment of the mutineer’s in this episode. Their justice is a sentence of death. 

Episode 9 “The Watchers on the Wall” and Episode 10 “The Children”:

- Dany and Jon are left grieving and walking into an uncertain future. Dany chains away her dragons, afraid that they will harm another child. Jon buries Ygritte after the event at castle Black.\

- Jon holds a dying Ygritte in his arms the way Dany held a dying Drogo. 

Season 5

General - both are trying to incorporate a formerly persecuted group into the larger society. Facing opposition from the status quo, neither can seem to get both sides together.

Episode 1 “The Wars to Come”:

- Jon expresses a similar sentimate this episode that Dany expressed back in Season 1, Episode 4 when Dany says to Viserys regarding the Dothraki: “They are my people now. You shouldn’t call them savages”. In this episodes Jon says about the Wildlings: “They were born on the wrong side of the Wall. That doesn’t make them monsters.”

Episode 2 “The House of Black and White” and Episode 3 “High Sparrow”:

-Dany and Jon execute members of their “organizations”. Dany beheads Mossador for defying her orders and Jon beheads Slynt for defying his orders. 

Episode 5 “Kill the Boy”:

- Jon seeks out Maester Aemon’s advice regarding what he should do about a difficult situation, this is paralleled but Dany seeking out Missandei’s advice about what she should do about a difficult situation. Both of their advices advice the, to follow their instincts.   Additionally, both Dany and Jon release their prisoners in order to use them as allies. Also, there is the parallel of Sam and Missandei. Both  of them are the “right-hand man” of each character and they are both in the mist of unorthodox romantic relationships.

Season 6

Episode 9 & 10 - “The Batlle of the Bastards” & “The Winds of Winter”:

- In episode 9 while Dany is speaking with the slave masters she tells the “My reign has jus began” . In episode 10 Jon is selected as King in the North, effectively the beginning of his reign.  

[oadara]

Game of Thrones - Jon and Daenerys Parallels

Hey guys,

So I wanted to write a post about all the parallels and connections there are between Dany and Jon on Game of Thrones. I started a re-watched but it stalled. As you can see I was really good the first season and a half. I wrote a little summary of each of their scenes (if they appeared in the same episode) and what the connection was. 

If any of you guys have noted these things for the episodes I don’t have anything for please send them my way. It would be nice to have a complete list. 

Season 1

Episode 1 - "Winter is Coming"

- We see that both Dany and Jon feel disconnected from their family. Jon of course because he’s a bastard and Dany because she feels powerless against Viserys.

- In contrast, Jon is kept away from the celebration welcoming King Robert, this angers him because he is once again being ostracized for being a bastard. Dany on the other hand is forced to attend the celebration of her wedding even as she begged Viserys to not make her marry.

- Both receive/find their animal companion:Jon finds Ghost and Dany is given the dragon eggs.

Episode 2 - "The King's Road"

- While Drogo is rapping Dany she is looking at her dragon eggs which are surrounded by candles, as she looks into their fire we transition to Jon looking at the campfire. This is a clear connection between these two characters and probably a hint of Jon’s Targaryen heritage.

- The parallel here is the both lament the situation they find themselves in. Dany suffering in her marriage and Jon realizing that the Night’s Watch is nothing like he had imagined.

Episode 3  - “Lord Snow”

-We see the scene transition from Dany to Jon. In Dany’s scene she is learning to assert herself as a khaleesi, earning the respect of her followers (Dothraki as well as Jorah). In Jon’s scene with Benjen, he tells him, “a man gets what he earns when he earns it.” Later in the episode we see Jon working with the other recruits teaching them what he knows, and beginning to earn their respect.

-Tyrion is meeting with the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and Maester Aemon, when the conversation is almost to an end Maester Aemon says: “When winter comes, gods help us all if we are not ready.” The scene then transitions to Dany’s dragon eggs. We then see Dany telling Drogo that they are having a boy, then we transition back to the Wall and Tyrion and Jon.

Episode 4 -  “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things”

-We begin with The scene in which Jon meets Sam, the coward, this scene then transitions to Dany riding alongside Jorah into Vaes Dothrak. Jorah complains about Ned Stark driving him from his land, to which Dany reminds him that he sold slaves.

-Second transition: Ser Allister is talking to Jon and Sam about winter and says to them “When you are out there beyond the Wall do you want a man at your back or a sniveling boy?” This then transitions into Viserys dragging Doreah into Dany’s tent, he attacks Dany but she hits him back, showing him to be a sniveling boy.

-We then transition back to Jon and Sam, Jon tells Sam that he almost had sex with the red-headed Ros! Ser Allister then comes in and after throwing some more insults says to Jon “Mance Rayder’s men are hard men, harder than Jon will ever be. Not quite true Ser Allister. Finally, we transition back to Dany and Jorah, they are both taking about going home. Dany confesses to Jorah that she doesn’t believe Viserys will ever be able to take her home.

NOTE: In this episode we see both Dany and Jon stand up for some else and confront a bully. Jon stands up for Sam and confronts Ser Allister and Ralf while Dany on the other hand stands up to Viserys and defends Doreah.

Episode 7 “You win or You die” - The first transition goes from the assassination attempt against Dany to Jon being selected as Stewart to the Lord Commander. - Second transition from Jon to Dany. Jon takes his oath in front of the Heart-tree this transitions to Dany talking to Jorah about punishing the wine seller and Drogo makes his speech promising his son the Iron Throne. The symbolism going on in their scenes this episode was about being given a ‘gift’ that they don’t really understand the magnitude of yet. In both cases they are coming close to their future leadership roles but not in the way they expect. Jon is put out and sulky to be assigned a steward without realizing the leadership potential of being LC Mormont’s direct assistant. Daenerys on the other hand is given the gift of what she wants most from Drogo, to take back the Iron Throne. She expects fully expects this will happen and has no idea it will in fact be herself that follows through with Drogo’s promise much later. Episode 8 “The Pointy End” - Ser Alliser taunts Jon about being a traitor’s bastard, Jon responds by lunging on his with a knife and Ser Alliser tells him, you will hang for this. Not really, but you will Ser Alliser, for being a traitor. Oh the irony. Later on Ghost senses the Wight and Jon burns his hand with a lamp while burning the Wight. - We then transition to Dany who is in the Lhazareen village as the Dothraki are pillaging it. As Dany looks as the mayhem around her she asks Jorah to make the Dothraki stop raping and abusing the women. Jorah looks at her and tells her that she has a kind heart but this is how things have always been. Dany denies this but demands that Jorah make the men stop. I think this touches on an important theme in Dany’s story, which is that she doesn’t believe in maintaining the status quo. If something doesn’t seem right to her, she will do her best to improve it, no matter if it’s been done that way for hundreds or thousands of years. After Jorah stops the men he tells Dany “You can’t save them all” to which Dany answers “I can and I will.” This will later be manifested in her campaign against Slaver’s Bay. An interesting part of a parallel occurred in this episode or at least part of it. In this episode Theon asks Robb if he’s afraid (after he tells Maester Luwin to call his banners after Ned is arrested) to which Robb says “I must be” while he looks at his shacking hand. Theon says “good” and Robb asks “why’s that good?” to which Theon answers “ because it means you’re not stupid.” This conversation is eerily similar to the one Dany has with Tyrion at the end of season 6x10, where Tyrion asks her if she’s afraid of entering the “Great Game” and Dany nods yes, to which Tyrion answers “Good, only mad men like your father are not afraid.” Bringing this full circle Jon’s selection as King in the North in episode 6x10 is almost identical to Robb’s selection as KITN. So, in the season finally of season 6 the show tied in both Dany and Jon to Robb, another young leader and monarch. Let’s hope that they at least end their lives in a better way than poor Robb’s. Episode 9 “Baelor” - We only have one transition between the two this episode. We go from Jon and Aemon discussing choice to Dany in the Dothraki sea choosing to fight for her husband even though it’s clear he is dying. While Jon is being given the philosophical view of what it is to choose between love and duty, Dany is force to make that decision at that very moment. Episode 10: “Fire and Blood” - We transition from Dany to Jon. First Dany wakes from her miscarriage to find out her child is dead, that her husband is a shell without a spirit and that MMD has betrayed her. Then we transition to Jon who is running away to join Robb. Then we have Jon’s friends stop him and recite the oath he made. We then transition back to Dany who is washing khal Drogo before smothering him. I’m not sure if there are any connection between these scenes. -Finally the season ends with a transition between Dany and Jon. First Jon goes beyond the Wall with Lord Commander Mormont and the Night’s Watch. Then, we transition to Dany who is preparing the pyre for khal Drogo, gives her speech to her newly formed little khalsar, burns the pyre with MMD in it, enters pyre wakes up with dragons. The connection between the two being that they are about to embark in life-changing adventures. Neither of their lives will ever been the same after this. General Parallels: Both Dany and Jon deal with the grief of loosing someone they love, Dany with Drogo and Jon with Ned. Also, Dany’s first scene lead’s into Jon’s first scene. Jon’s second scene lead’s into Dany’s second scene. Jon’s final scene lead’s into Dany’s final scene.

Season 2

Episode 1: “The North Remembers”

-We find Dany in the Red Waste with the comet above her in the sky. Dany is talking to Doreah and says that no one will take her dragons. Yet, we will see that in Qarth they are taken from her by the warlock at the House of the Undying. Dany looks up at the sky and sees the comet and this transitions to Jon in the North at Crasters. Jon mouths off at Craster and Lord Commander pulls him aside. He asks Jon, “Do you want to lead one day?” to which Jon nods to which Lord Commander says “then you must learn how to follow.” It is important to note that Jon does want to be a leader, I think he wants that respect and acceptance, to earn it on his own right. We see him smile when he is elected Lord Commander, although, with a little trepidation. However, when we get into the King in the North scene he accepts but with a lot more trepidation. Now realizing how truly hard it is to be a leader.

- We have another scene with Dany in the Red Waste. Her people are starving and she doesn’t know what to do. She questions herself as a leader, because she cannot help her people, she cannot feed them or give them water. Jorah tells her that she must be their strength, and Dany asks Jorah to be her strength.

The scenes between Jon and Dany are both about learning to lead but in different ways. Jon needs to learn how to follow, being part of a military order before he can learn how to lead men. Dany having found herself leading already needs to learn how to take on the sorrows of her people, to be their strength, to give them hope when their is none.

Episode 2: “The Night Lands”

-There was a great Jon and Daenerys book-ended set of scenes - and a potential parallel between Jorah/Jon that I feel will later come full circle in both loving Daenerys also.

At the end of the scene with Sam and Gilly … We see Jon reflect on his feeling of helplessness in doing what’s right for people. His honor is warring with his sense of duty and keeping peace with Craster. The scene then transitions to Jorah sighing the same as Jon was … only now it’s he who feels helpless as Daenerys and the Dothraki are suffering (no water or shelter). I liked this parallel between the honorable men and the people they love. Jorah’s love for Dany and Jon’s love for Sam. Both are honorable men who will later do anything to save those they love.

Episode 3: “What is Dead May Never Die” 

- No parallel this episode as Dany doesn’t appear in it. Episode 4: “Garden of Bones”

- No parallels as Jon doesn’t appear in this episode.

Episode 10 "Valar Morghulis": -In Dany's visions in the House of the Undying she goes through the red keep to the Wall.

Season 3

Episode 10 "Mhysa"

:Both Dany and Jon are carried. Dany by the newly freed slaves of Yunkai and Jon by his fellows brothers from the Nights Watch.  

Season 4

Episode 9 "The Watchers on the Wall" and Episode 10 "The Children": 

- Dany and Jon are left grieving and walking into an uncertain future. Dany chains away her dragons, afraid that they will harm another child. Jon buries Ygritte after the event at castle Black.

Season 5

General - both are trying to incorporate a formerly persecuted group into the larger society. Facing opposition from the status quo, neither can seem to get both sides together.

Episode 2 "The House of Black and White" and Episode 3 "High Sparrow":

-Dany and Jon execute members of their "organizations". Dany beheads Mossador for defying her orders and Jon beheads Slynt for defying his orders.

Episode 5 "Kill the Boy":

- Jon seeks out Maester Aemon's advice regarding what he should do about a difficult situation, this is paralleled but Dany seeking out Missandei's advice about what she should do about a difficult situation. Both of their advices advice the, to follow their instincts.   Additionally, both Dany and Jon release their prisoners in order to use them as allies. Also, there is the parallel of Sam and Missandei. Both of them are the "right-hand man" of each character and they are both in the mist of unorthodox romantic relationships.

Season 6

Episode 9 & 10 - "The Batlle of the Bastards" & "The Winds of Winter":

- In episode 9 while Dany is speaking with the slave masters she tells the "My reign has jus began" . In episode 10 Jon is selected as King in the North, effectively the beginning of his reign.