No, I'm Not OK After That Jorah Scene In This Week's 'GOT,' Thanks For Asking

The group who have survived from the Game of Thrones pilot until now has been a remarkably robust one. Four Starks are still living, even if one is technically a Targaryen. Daenerys has also survived, which is no mean feat, considering all that's happened to her. Even Theon Greyjoy has made it this far, despite some reduced circumstances. But the most remarkable character to come this far is Jorah Mormont. Sadly, Jorah didn't survive the Battle of Winterfell, but he died with honor. Warning: Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 episode 3 follow.

Jorah's death during the Battle of Winterfell in episode 3 was extra hard because he wasn't the only Mormont to fall in the episode. Lyanna Mormont, a proud girl, unwilling to hide underground, insisted on leading her men to face the Army of the Dead and found herself face to face with more than she bargained for. As fans will remember, when the dead came marching through at the top of Season 7, they had a giant in their midst. Said giant was still part of the Army upon reaching Winterfell, and changed right through the gate, smashing the little pipsqueak Lady of Bear Island out of his way.

Lady Mormont at least gave back as good as she got, taking the giant down with her as she died. But without her, Jorah was now once again the future of their house. Too bad he didn't survive either.

Jorah has, from the beginning, been Daenerys' loyal servant. Even when he was still telling himself he was working for a pardon from King Robert Baratheon, he was already too in love with the Targaryen girl to go through with it. Once she unbanished him and took him back into her service, it was only a matter of time before he laid down his life for hers. The Battle of Winterfell seemed the most logical moment for it to come.

But the battle didn't go well from the beginning. Neither Jon Snow nor Daenerys really considered the weather that accompanies the Night King wherever he goes in Westeros, or at least if they did, it didn't occur to them it would make flying conditions very dangerous. Both also knew, logically, that the Night King had Viserion. But once again, there seemed to be a joint failure of imagination of how dragon-to-dragon combat would go. By the end of the battle, Daenerys no longer had a mount and wound up picking up a sword to go into hand-to-hand combat.

No one can fault the Queen for her bravery, certainly. But like Sam, swords are not really Daenerys' thing. Flying dragons is. Once Jorah saw how badly the situation had deteriorated, he was like glue to her side.

That fear kept Jorah going too. He hadn't fared well from the first. He'd ridden out with the Dothraki on that first charge and was one of the only ones to return. Jorah fought hand-to-hand outside the castle walls and then hand-to-hand inside them as well. He was hurt in several places, but the adrenaline kept him going, right up until the moment when the Night King fell and the Army of the Dead collapsed. Then Jorah collapsed too, his mission, and his life, over.