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What is the purpose of the show giving Jorah greyscale? Debatable, right? Some suspect – no purpose, as he is even not the one with greyscale in the books. I suggest looking not on the illness itself but rather who gives Jorah the order to heal and how.
(Daenerys)I banished you – twice. You came back – twice. And you saved my life.
(Jorah) … All I’ve ever wanted to serve you. Tyrion Lannister was right. I love you. I’ll always love you.
(Daenerys) … You pledged yourself to me. You swore to obey my commands for the rest of your life. Well, I command you to find the cure… I command you to heal yourself (pause) and then return to me. When I take the Seven Kingdoms, I need you by my side.
There are fairly significant statements in this dialog. For instance, “Tyrion Lannister was right”. Tyrion said Jorah loves Dany. What else did Tyrion said at that moment (somewhere at the end of S5):
He would kill for you.
So, who would Jorah kill for Daenerys? As I discuss later, the last Dany’s words in the above dialogue probably doomed Jon. When I watched that scene in Ep 5, Sn 6, I saw it as Dany – Jorah storyline. Only. Naturally, because these are the two talking. Things look very different, though, if we are to remember the scene when Jorah returns to Daenerys. He comes back and finds Daenerys in the company of Jon. And the dragon. And Jon just having demonstrated a link with dragons. Think how Jorah would feel. His life has been all about Daenerys for many years now. He was dreaming of healing and returning to Daenerys for months. Now he finally returns to Daenerys, as she commanded, only to find what? A man in her company. Young, mysterious, possessing dragon powers. How does he feel?
Before continuing with the scene, let me put the suggestion plainly. Compare two names: Jorah and Judah (Judas). J = J, a = a, h = h, o and a are both vowels, r and d – consonants (not sure if r is consonant, but in most languages it would be). Five letters in both. Emphasis on the first syllable. Why? When googling for Judas and love I found an article describing interest in Judas – why is he relevant now? Quote: ‘He represents the love that begins to sicken and decay’ and ‘love that turns to hate then makes but a small step to betrayal’ (by Alexander Lucie-Smith at Catholic Herald). Some novels with Judas involve him being in love with somebody (a woman) and somehow connecting the betrayal with his love. Maybe I am confusing it with something else, perhaps elements of Salome by Wilde. Ignore that and continue.
First, let’s discuss whether GRRM is risking too much by giving Jorah the name that is so similar to Judah. Wouldn’t people suspect something? Then also his writing style involves giving us hints. The names and the hints of Jorah’s treachery, betrayal (we will discuss how to call it later) – surely it will give away the plan? GRRM handles the issue rather brilliantly. He lets Jorah commit the first betrayal rather early in the books. This way if readers pick up some hint of betrayal they would think his past betrayal, and not the one he is about to commit.
three treasons will you know . . . once for blood and once for gold and once for love . . .
Many assume that one of those (most likely ‘for gold’) is Jorah. Therefore, we conclude, naturally, that the other two must be somebody else. It doesn’t have to be somebody else. Jorah is quite capable of two betrayals. Look back at the dialogue and see how Daenerys says ‘twice’ – and how many times? Right, twice.
Remark: Is the first ‘betrayal’ by Jorah even a betrayal, though?
“I shall wish to speak with Ser Jorah before the night is done,” her brother said. Dany found herself looking at the knight curiously.
The exile had offered her brother his sword the night Dany had been sold to Khal Drogo; Viserys had accepted eagerly. Mormont had been their constant companion ever since.
Offered his sword to Viserys – not to Daenerys, obviously, but also no mentions of any vows given to either.
The scene of departure in Sn 5 actually involves three characters: Jorah, Dany, and Daario. Here is the link to the web-page I am trying to maintain where you could find the relevant screenshots: https://fractal-affinity.com/got/c18/JorahAndJon.html . Or you can just re-watch the scenes yourself and see if you are convinced; ultimately, no amount of quotes and screenshots would convince us – only our own eyes and mind. Jorah comes back in Sn 6 and what does he find? That instead of one lover, Daenerys is now with a potentially another one. It is again Jorah, Dany, and Dany’s love – and it is not Jorah. It is same episode number, Five, exactly one season later. Ep 5, Sn 7.
(Daenerys) This is Ser Jorah Mormont, an old friend.
Notice the ‘friend’ – used three times in that short dialogue about Jorah. Keep in mind that he wants to be more than a friend. Instead of a passionate embrace from Dany, Jorah gets introduced to Jon Snow. Somehow I don’t think that’s what he had in mind when he pictured his return to Daenerys.
(Jon) I served with your father.
Jorah’s queen introduces a person to Ser Jorah. And Jorah doesn’t say anything to him – not a word, only a look. A very meaningful and, later, menacing look.
Long implications in that scene. Whatever a ‘Ser’ feels about another noble, the code probably should be preserved, no? By using ‘Ser’ and ‘Mormont’ Daenerys puts Jorah into the framework of medieval relation – liege lord and a noble. Jon just happens to be the King in the North. With House Mormont swearing allegiance to Starks and Jon in particular. Reaction from Jorah? Not a word. The Queen is saying, in a sense: ‘Meet your liege lord’. No matter. Just give him a dirty look. But may be things will be different when Jon speaks of Jorah’s father?
(Jon) I served with your father. He was a great man.
Jorah’s response? Not a word. Another look. There is everything in this look: Jorah understands now that Daenerys is probably gone. That he wouldn’t be able to compete with Jon as equal. That while he, Jorah, was away, another took the place at Daenerys’ side that should have been his. He thinks. It is a rivalry forever, till death. And Jorah is not going to speak niceties. Despite being just called a ‘Mormont’, he doesn’t care to hear about his father from a man who served with him. Not a word. He just slightly nods and lowers his eyes. Daenerys continues as nothing happened and the conversation switches to greyscale.
(Jorah) I return to your service, my queen,
Directly referring to Daenerys’ promise. He implies: You promised to take me at your side when I return. Well, I have returned. And then there is a hug. Less than passionate to say the least.
And when the hug ends notice where Jorah looks – straight at Jon. Remember this look. I guarantee you we will see it again in ‘Previously on A Game of Thrones’. And with no word to Jon, the scene ends.
Remark. There is one maddening serious issue with Season 7: it is not Season 8. It is not the last season. And in this scene, the necessity of postponing things manifests itself perfectly. First, we see Jon communicating with Drogo somehow. Jon looks puzzled. Daenerys looks very surprised, too. Normal reaction: discuss it? Jon would say: I felt something. Or Daenerys would ask: What was it? Instead they merely and merrily talk about something else. As if Jon’s response would have been: Sorry, we can’t talk about it now, wait till Season 8. Then, Jorah is introduced by his Queen to his liege lord. And Jorah’s reaction: f*** you, boy. Not a single word. Daenerys is happily smiling: That’s totally normal reaction, apparently. Not ‘Please to meet you’. Not ‘My Lord’. The show is torn between importance of the scenes in its Season 7 narrative and its inability to discuss their significance till Season 8. When I re-watch Sn 7, I am stunned by how seemingly absurd scenes and conversations start making sense if we take them not at their face value, but as hints of things to come in Sn 8.
Another element I picked up in those Sn 6 and 7 scenes: Jorah is serving the Queen. (Overall the theme of ‘service’ is somehow there.) As in ‘not anybody else’:
You pledged yourself to me. You swore to obey my command. (emphasis is mine, FA)
What would he say if Daenerys is to marry Jon Snow? He may kill Jon and feel justified because he promised loyalty to the Queen and not the King.
I will add the discussion of the scene when the party goes beyond the Wall. Again, on the first watch I mostly picked up the interaction between Jorah and Dany. But having formulated the hypothesis on Jorah’s jealousy, I re-watched and was surprised with how directly that rivalry is depicted. Just when Jorah is about to say something important to Daenerys ...
... guess who shows up? Right: Jon Snow.
Jorah looks at Jon … It is “I am going to kill you, boy” kind of look.
Jon doesn't suspect much as he goes to the boat.
And then there is a scene, beyond the Wall, where Jon and Jorah finally talk. Here is what I take from it. I consider it a proof that Jorah has made up his mind: he will hide his jealousy till an opportune time comes. For anybody who would hope that Jorah would deal with his feelings that, yes, he loves Dany but would never go against her or her choice in marriage, well, that scene proves the hope wrong. Why not be open to Jon? Why not to say: You love her, I love her, when the war is over let her choose? Instead, in Eps 5 and 6 we see Jorah not speaking with Jon and giving him very menacing looks. And then suddenly Jorah is like ‘we are cool’ and it is great that you have my father’s sword? No jealousy, no hard feelings? Exactly because Jorah doesn’t show any obvious signs of aggression, I am very fearful for Jon.
It is possible. After all, she implied that Jorah ‘would be at her side’ if he finds the cure. They kissed (Jorah and Daenerys) in the past. Jorah might think that Daenerys ‘promised’ him. So, when the marriage between Jon and Dany is discussed, Jorah might feel like that it is Dany who betrayed him and turn against her, and not Jon. It is conceivable, but a) I don’t really like that turn; b) other considerations, later this week hopefully, point at Jon being, sort of, dead, c) the conversation between Jorah and Jon makes it rather implausible. After two scenes where Jorah doesn’t speak with Jon at all and looks at him as he would like to kill him (he would), he speaks with Jon about Mormont’s sword as there is nothing troubling him. No hints of anger, jealousy – nothing. For me it is a sign that Jorah has made up his mind. He is attacking Jon whenever the ‘war is won’. Right now he might feel it is his duty to serve Daenerys.
How would Jorah attack Jon? Would it be a stab in the back? (Connections with Siegfried in Wagner’s operas – something we will discuss later.) Would it be a ‘fair fight’? Would it be a challenge for a ‘duel’? I served our queen for longer than you, I love her more than you do, so let’s fight for her hand. Impossible to say. I do have a theory on how Jorah – Jon fight would go, but that would have to wait.
Ultimately, Jorah is not a dirty, plotting, evil traitor. He is a man in love. From all the range of human emotions, and GRRM does state clearly that it is all about ‘human heart’, there is a major one that is suspiciously absent from the books: Jealousy. (Another J for our Jorah collection: Jealous Jorah.) You may argue that it is implied in Rhaegar – Robert rivalry. And it was, and it would be sadly fitting if Jon’s demise would echo his birth – the theme of man’s jealousy and revenge and killing. Jaime is hurt by Cersei’s infidelities, but it is a very different feeling – he is hurt and he responds by expelling Cersei from his heart. Not an act of violence. He doesn’t care about killing those men she slept with. They don’t matter. Their relation does, at least for Jaime. Their love is betrayed and Jaime lets it die. Jorah’s feeling and, I presume, actions are quite different.
Plot-wise there are several touches of brilliance I recognize, if Jorah indeed kills or wounds Jon. How would Dany feel? She knew Jorah was a traitor once. She knew she should have sent him away (and she did – twice, but let him come back). She should have known how madly and dangerously in love he is. But for her it was just a dear old friend, her knight, a protector – not somebody to run away from. There will be scenes in Sn 8 with Daenerys reminiscing and realizing she should have seen Jorah’s actions coming. The man whose entire life before he met Dany – or after that – is best described as: being madly in love to the point of betraying everything else. Then, there is Sam’s line. How would Sam feel when the man he healed would kill his best friend? And this is good time to wrap it up and think about where we started. With greyscale. How the illness might not have mattered. But who commanded Jorah to heal (and how) – does matter. Daenerys did and told Jorah to return to her ‘to be at her side’. Sam heals the man who would kill his best and only friend. Would he regret it?
TLDR. Jorah kills or wounds Jon because of jealousy for Daenerys.
The links discussing philosophy of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer in the context of Valyrian steel and its implications for Targaryens and Jon-Jorah-Daenerys are: