Given how many changes Game of Thrones made to its source material, the beloved epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, some tweaks are bound to be improvements to the original story, despite the overall fan consensus that the books are better. The HBO show originally followed the guidelines set by Martin’s books very closely, with Season 1 sometimes feeling like a nearly word-perfect adaptation, but as the show caught up with Martin’s published source material, it deviated further and further the closer it creeped to the series finale, which aired in 2019. Given that Martin’s sixth and seventh novels in the series, The Winds of Winter and The Dream of Spring, remain unpublished to this day, it would have been impossible to adapt them perfectly for the show, so the writers were forced to fill in the blanks for the final seasons of Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, this led to a fairly underwhelming ending to an otherwise superb series, in the eyes of many fans.
Jorah and Daenerys in A Song of Ice and Fire
Jorah first crosses paths with Daenerys in Martin’s first book, A Game of Thrones. The two meet at Dany’s wedding to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), arranged by Illyrio Mopatis (Roger Allam) and Dany’s abusive brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd). Jorah, as a Westeroi, catches Daenerys’ attention, since she knows few people from her home continent. Though Jorah swears his sword to Viserys, he quickly comes to realize that he’s nothing more than an arrogant fool and can never take the Seven Kingdoms, and after Viserys’ death, Jorah’s loyalty shifts to Daenerys. Once Daenerys emerges from Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre with three dragons, Jorah becomes a key member of her Queensguard.
In Martin’s second novel, A Clash of Kings, Jorah tells Daenerys the story of his exile from Westeros. His second wife, Lynesse Hightower, needed to live a lavish life, so Jorah sold slaves in order to afford her tastes. As such, Eddard “Ned” Stark (Sean Bean) sent Jorah into exile. When Jorah tells Daenerys that Lynesse looked like her, she realizes Jorah is in love with her. This realization changes the nature of their dynamic. With Jorah being several years Dany’s senior, and repeatedly described as “not a handsome man,” she is not interested in him, yet she still appreciates his guidance and camaraderie. However, Daenerys now notices how Jorah will stare at her, and it makes her a little uncomfortable.
Dany and Jorah’s relationship is further complicated in Martin’s third novel, A Storm of Swords. After suggesting that Daenerys buy a slave army from Astapor, Jorah kisses Daenerys. This upsets her, as she didn’t want to kiss him, and she now views much of his perceived respect for her as simple lust. It also puts into perspective why he may be skeptical of other men serving Daenerys, such as the mysterious Arstan Whitebeard and Strong Belwas. From this moment on, Daenerys never feels comfortable alone around Jorah.
Later, Arstan Whitebeard reveals himself as the great Westerosi knight Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney), and tells Daenerys that someone has been spying on her since her wedding to Khal Drogo. This causes Jorah to confess, revealing that he had been the informant, hoping for a royal pardon from King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), but he stopped after falling in love with her. Daenerys then exiles Jorah from her newly conquered city of Meereen. At this moment, the reader wholeheartedly supports Daenerys. Jorah has acted like nothing more than a lust-filled traitor, so his banishment makes for a cathartic conclusion to his time at Dany’s side.
Game of Thrones portrays Jorah, especially in regard to his relationship with Daenerys, in a much more sympathetic light than A Song of Ice and Fire. His story plays out similarly to the books throughout Season 1. However, due to the difference in how the show is structured, the audience sees a few scenes from Jorah’s point-of-view, including the moment when he is offered a pardon by a messenger for Robert. Here, viewers can see Jorah actively deciding to devote himself to Daenerys, as he makes the choice to protect her from her would-be assassins.
Jorah also never kisses Daenerys in the show. She, and just about everyone who pays attention, can still tell how he feels about her, but he never makes any unwanted advances. His crush remains his own, and he never acts on it. This also allows show Jorah to treat Daenerys as his queen and friend first, and the woman he loves second. Because their friendship is never tarnished on the show, Jorah’s banishment hits much harder. Instead of rooting for Daenerys to punish Jorah for his betrayal, fans watch as she sends away her closest and most loyal friend. Toning down Jorah’s creepier moments, and cutting his lowest point altogether, allows the show to increase the tragedy of this scene for both Jorah and Daenerys.
Jorah’s Confession of Love on the Show
While it was never a secret, Jorah eventually confesses his feelings for Daenerys on Game of Thrones, doing so without kissing her. In the show, Jorah contracts the deadly disease greyscale while traveling to present a captive Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) hoping Daenerys will forgive him. At first, he keeps the disease a secret, but he eventually shows Daenerys how the disease is progressing. Thinking he will die, Jorah tells Daenerys he loves her, but never touches her and does not linger on his feelings.
Daenerys then commands Jorah to find the cure to Greyscale, since she’ll need him by her side when she retakes the Seven Kingdoms. This leads Jorah to the Citadel at Oldtown, where Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) can fully cure him. Jorah then plays a key part in Daenerys’ Westerosi conquest, but sadly dies defending her in battle against the forces of the undead. Jorah gets to die a hero in the eyes of his beloved Khaleesi, before seeing her go mad, so despite his untimely demise, this is how Jorah would have wanted to go.
Unlike book Jorah, show Jorah can prioritize Dany’s happiness to his own, even with her relationships. Though show Jorah still mistrusts Daario Naharis (Ed Skrien in Season 3, and Michiel Huisman from Season 4 and beyond), a sellsword who seduces Daenerys, he makes peace with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), Daenerys’ love interest in the final two seasons of Game of Thrones. Jorah even encourages Jon to keep Longclaw, the ancestral sword of House Mormont that Jorah’s father Jeor presented to him, as a sign of good faith. In this way, show Jorah is a much more loyal servant and kind friend to Daenerys than book Jorah could ever hope to become.
In the dark and deadly world of Westeros, there are few genuinely touching relationships and friendships, yet despite everything, the show makes audiences root for Jorah to return to Daenerys’ side, even if not in the way he hopes. Their friendship being less based on his desire for her also allows for tragic moments on screen, such as Jorah’s banishment, greyscale, and eventual death, to become even sadder. There are enough disgusting creeps in Martin’s story already, so giving Jorah more nuance for the show creates an entirely unique character.
