The last time we saw Jon Snow (Kit Harington), he was headed to the North with the Night's Watch after the brutal execution of his father, and when "Game of Thrones" Season 2 premieres on Sunday, April 1, we'll find out what exactly lies for Jon beyond The Wall.
But despite heading due North, Jon hasn't forgotten about his family in the South. "He does want to avenge his father," Harington told HuffPost TV. "He does want to join his brother eventually, and he wants to tie his position in the Night's Watch into being able to do those things, to take his revenge on Joffrey (Jack Gleeson)."
Fans of the book series know that Jon meets a Wildling -- a name for the free people who live beyond The Wall -- named Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and Harington can confirm that Jon and Ygritte meet in Season 2. "I found the whole storyline between Jon and Ygritte to be very exciting. It's kind of like Jon's been so kept away from women -- and so has Kit," Harington said with a laugh.
HuffPost TV caught up with Harington to talk in depth about the Night's Watch, avenging his father's death, the beautiful Wildling Ygritte and more about the highly anticipated new season of "Game of Thrones."
At the end of Season 1, we see Jon continue on with the Night's Watch instead of going back to his family after his father's death. Does this mean that Jon is 100 percent loyal the Night's Watch?
In Jon's head, he is very loyal to the Night's Watch. To forsake his family, his brothers and sisters down South and after all that's happened in the first season, his position now lies with the Night's Watch. He has to be 100 percent loyal to them because if it was anything less, he would have gone South.
Are we going to see him regret that decision? Will he eventually go south to avenge his father?
I think in Jon's head -- and this is where I've had to piece it together myself -- as to what his future plans are, I think he does want to avenge his father. He does want to join his brother eventually, and he wants to tie his position in the Night's Watch into being able to do those things, to take his revenge on Joffrey. How he's going to do that, I don't think he knows yet, but he's adamant that he will, sometime in the future. His main priority at the moment has to be with his commander and his mission North of The Wall. He hides from everyone, but he has a burning ambition to go South and to join his brother's war, but he can't do that yet.
What lies beyond The Wall for Jon in Season 2?
At the beginning of Season 1, we see a glimpse of what could be lying ahead for him -- the threat of the White Walkers, and it's a threat that no one can predict or knows anything about. Now, he doesn't really believe that these things could exist, but he has seen a man rise from the dead, so he knows that these supernatural elements exist. I think, like Commander Mormont (James Cosmo) says, that going into the unknown, it's not unprecedented. They think they're going, mainly, to tackle the threat of the Wildlings, but what they find is that and other things.
We know that one thing that lies for Jon beyond The Wall is Ygritte. She's a very anticipated character, but she came toward the end of the second book, so how big of a part is she going to have this season?
Ygritte is a part of Season 2, but other than saying that she is a Wildling who Jon encounters, I can't really reveal too much more. My lips are sealed over that storyline. [Laughs.]
So we can't talk about Jon's potential love interest?
It's not necessarily a love interest. It's more complicated than that. Jon meets a Wildling, and it's great for me as an actor, and for Jon as a character, to be able to encounter someone of the opposite sex, whether anything happens romantically, we don't know.
Of course, there are a lot of fans of the show who can't wait to see Jon have a love interest. Is there any desire on your end?
There is. I love Jon as a character, and I love where he goes in his storylines, but I think you want to have both sexes involved in any acting that you're doing, and usually, you do. It's quite unusual to be surrounded by just males, but it makes it more exciting when you do encounter a female voice. I found the whole storyline between Jon and Ygritte to be very exciting. It's kind of like Jon's been so kept away from women -- and so has Kit. [Laughs.]
Does her presence bring out another side of Jon?
It does. What side? Again, you'll have to wait and see. She's a Wildling; she's the enemy. I have to say, Rose [Leslie] is just brilliant, and what she brings to Season 2 and Jon's storyline is just amazing.
Well, now I have to ask if you're a "Downton Abbey" fan.
You know what? I've never watched "Downton Abbey." It's one of those things that has completely passed me by. I knew Rose had been in "Downton Abbey," and I knew of Rose from around London's actor circuit, but I have never seen "Downton Abbey." I keep meaning to watch it, especially for Rose's bits, but it's one of those series that has slipped through the net for me. It's big in America, right?
It's completely blown up over here. Everyone watches it!
It's an interesting one. It's big over here as well. It's not necessarily my cup of tea, but maybe I should give it a go.
Now, back to Westeros. One of my favorite aspects of Season 1 was the friendship that evolved between Jon and Samwell (John Bradley-West). Are we going to see more of that in Season 2?
Jon and Samwell's relationship from the first season is tested in the second season, and it's something that me and John Bradley felt very strongly about. We wanted to experiment with their friendship in the second season. It's a funny one because me and John are very close off-set. We spend a lot of time together, so it's weird looking at their relationship in the series and then looking at ours off-screen. There are lots of similarities.
Oh really? What are some of the similarities?
Well, John's hilarious. He's one of the funniest guys I know, and like Samwell does to Jon in the books and in the series, he kind of lightens me up sometimes.
Is Jon going to come any closer to finding out who his mother is in Season 2?
I'm desperate to know. Me, Kit Harington, is desperate to know who Jon's mother is. I think as much, if not more than any fan of the books. I think it may be a while before he finds out. Maybe he'll get clues along the way, but it's one of those questions that hangs over him. He has to forget about; he has to let it go. As far as he knows, his father is dead, and his mother had died along with him. That's a big reason why he goes North. There's nothing lying for him in the South, other than his brother's war. The question of who his mother is will plague him, as far as he's concerned, until he dies. For all he knows, she could be dead, unless she comes running to find him, which could happen. She could be anyone!
There are a lot of fans who love the idea of Jon and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) together, but they've never even met. Would you want to have some screen time with Dany?
I would love it, but I don't quite think it's going to happen. I mean, who wouldn't want to be with Daenerys, right? I'd always had it in my head that they'll meet one day. I think it would be really exciting if they did. "A Song of Ice and Fire" is what the whole series is called, and Jon seems to be in the icy part, and Daenerys is in the fire, so it seems like it may happen.
We know that this season there's going to be a fight for the throne. The tagline is "War is Coming," so it's obviously looming over everyone at the moment. If Jon were fighting for the throne, who do you think is his biggest threat?
Jon's biggest threat for the throne, not that Jon wants it right now -- but obviously, I want to sit on the throne -- would have to be those dragons. Once those are grown, it's going to be pretty hard to take that girl down. I think she has a good shot. I also think Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) would be the best king. It's the people who want it for the right things, hopefully. Tyrion doesn't want that throne, and there's an old saying that goes, "Those who are best suited for power are the ones who don't want it." Daenerys wants it for the right things, and she wants to liberate people. So I think I would put Daenerys on the throne and give Tyrion's hand to the Queen.
"Game of Thrones" Season 2 premieres Sunday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. Check out official images from Season 2 below.
