HBO's Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 8
Daenerys: So you want to advise me? Very well. What would you have me do with him? I swore I would kill him if he ever returned.
Tyrion: I know.
D: Why should the people trust a queen who can't keep her promises?
T: Whomever Ser Jorah was when he started informing on you, he is no longer that man. I can't remember ever seeing a sane man as devoted to anything as he is to serving you. He claims he would kill for you and die for you and nothing I ever witnessed gives me reason to doubt him.
And yet, he did betray you.
Did he have an opportunity to confess his betrayal?
D: Yes. Many opportunities.
T: And did he?
D: No, not until forced to do so.
T: He worships you.
He is in love with you, I think.
But he did not trust you with the truth. An unpleasant truth, to be sure, but one of great significance to you. He did not trust that you would be wise enough to forgive him.
D: So, I should kill him?
T: A ruler who kills those devoted to her is not a ruler who inspires devotion. And you're going to need to inspire devotion, a lot of it, if you're ever going to rule across the Narrow Sea.
But you cannot have him by your side when you do.
D: Remove Ser Jorah from the city.
[Cut to Ser Jorah being escorted out of Meereen]
My father-in-law returns over and over again to the theme that human beings are fallible. That what my husband did was wrong, surely, but as much of literature and poetry and art highlights, his failure is a common one.
One of the other women once comforted my husband with a similar line.
I was reminded of this recently, while watching the latest Game of Thrones episode. Dany and Tyrion discuss what she should do with Jorah, who has quite literally risked everything in the attempt to return to her service. He had been banished last season, on pain of death, after she learned that he had once informed on her.
Right about when Tyrion is noting Jorah's love for Dany but his failure to trust her with his confession, I had to pause the episode. I just looked at my husband. He made a surprised face and responded, "What? I don't see any parallels to anything in our life." At which I had to laugh - a bemused, bitter laugh. Then he said, "It's what humans do. It's part of the human condition." Or words to that effect.
I rolled my eyes and hit the play button. Then, while Jorah was being escorted out, I turned back to my husband. "So is that." After a beat, he nodded.
It's certainly true that at times we all make poor choices, want to hide what we're ashamed of, and fail to step up and be our better selves.
And, when we do so, we must accept the consequences of our actions.
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