While debates regarding the final season of Game of Thrones, just when George RR Martin will complete the next book and whether or not Dany's doom was actually warranted or not will likely rage on for years, at least fans have memes to help dull the multiple stings they feel were inflicted by HBO writers. What would any fandom do without the humor of fellow fans to sustain us through the cold winter when it hits the North?
Night's Watch memes in particular are gut-busting, especially when so much about the men who take the black just doesn't make sense. Even if you loved how GOT turned out, chances are these memes will still make you laugh pretty hard.
Jon's Doom
Poor Jon Snow has always been doomed to service at the wall, even though he didn't do anything to earn it. His first trip there was due to his lineage, which was a complete lie; as the rightful heir to the throne, he should've gone to King's Landing instead.
Now that Jon has taken out his power-hungry aunt/girlfriend for the good of Westeros, or so we're told, rather than being pardoned by his own brother and the new, hotly-contested-by-fans king, he's back to the Night's Watch forever. It's not like Jon's an innocent lil' bean, but Jaime Lannister was pardoned for the same "crime" when it saved the kingdom.
No Hats Allowed
Everyone's freezing and the most basic body heat-preserving garment is out of sight. Where are all the men's hats on the Night's Watch? There is SNOW everywhere. That definitely calls for not just any hat, but a nice, thick, winter hat.
We get that you're not allowed to get married and have kids when you take the black, but where is the fine print about abandoning all hats to ensure that you kick the bucket sooner by freezing with a cold head and ears? We applaud HBO for at least making these lads wear gloves before they go outside to play with their White Walker friends, but they should really enforce the hat rule, too.
Sell It, Uncle Ed
Eddard Stark is a good man--too good to allow his dearly departed sister's reputation to be sullied by a baby. He's not too good to prevent this baby from being treated poorly in his home or to join the cold and miserable Night's Watch, however, and poor Jon Snow grows up believing his own father is condemning him to this fate.
Eddard sure tries to sell the Night's Watch, doesn't he? It's such an honor, it's an important duty... he talks the experience up to poor Jon, completely unaware that he'll never see his nephew again, nor that he's condemning the young man to years of pain and hardship he couldn't even imagine. Best uncle ever.
MAGA Hats On The Wall
If the crows actually did wear hats, those who followed ol' Alliser Thorne and his mutiny might be wearing MAGA ballcaps, according to this hilarious meme. Not only does it allude to Thorne's use of underhanded tactics and desire to return Westeros to the political climate it maintained during the Targaryen years, as he fought on the side of the Targaryens, but also how completely terrible he is as a person and as a politician.
To many people, the MAGA slogan refers to a time when racism, sexism and homophobia ruled, providing only a select group of people with power, and we could definitely see Thorne rallying under this slogan.
Before It Was Cool
One of the best memes the Internet has come up with is the hipster meme. Often directed at Disney princesses, this time it's been applied to Jon Snow and the clothing that he must don in his role on the Night's Watch and it couldn't be more hilarious.
Sure, Jon wore black before he became a Crow, but what's so fabulous about this meme is how pretentious it makes him sound. As Ygritte likes to point out, he really doesn't know anything, including anything about fashion, and he wouldn't even get this joke if it were explained to him (okay, maybe after it was explained a few times).
My Shift Is Over
How many people, particularly those who work in retail, can relate to this meme? The only difference is that in reality, when you take the black, you're like a Supreme Court judge with a lot less power and many more cold nights: you serve for life, bro.
That's why this meme is so funny, especially since Jon did get a taste of leaving the wall before being sent back there where, let's be honest, he really was most comfortable and made the best change. This meme could also work for those times when customers approach you when you're on your break.
Winter's Here
"Winter is coming" is such a common refrain in Game of Thrones that it loses its meaning before we even understand what it means, so when people continue to talk about winter coming, even when it's freezing, characters tend to brush it off like it's nothing to worry about.
This meme is so funny because it not only pokes fun at the whole concept, but it demonstrates how the warning fell on deaf ears to many who serve on the Watch. It's also just funny because it's not from GOT at all, but a still from The Shining, and picturing Stephen King's Jack Torrance on the Wall doesn't really make sense.
Batman's Origins
Some of the funniest memes regarding the Night's Watch involve celebs or characters who would never serve on it in a canon world. Case in point? The Batman himself. After he's lost everything, where does Bruce Wayne turn? To the Night's Watch, of course. That explains all the black, not to mention his "watch" over Gotham every night in the cold darkness.
Bruce actually has it much better than the men of the Night's Watch, given how many ladies he's connected to, the fact that he can retire to the mansion to sleep in the mornings and the fact that he has an elderly caretaker waiting on him hand and foot as he recovers from his injuries.
One Minor Offense
It was only a matter of time before Bad Luck Brian, one of the most popular memes on the Internet, took his turn at the Watch. Why? He stole a single time and it was to feed his family, of course! To rope him in with hardened criminals seems a bit harsh, but that's how the Night's Watch actually works. In fact, it's made up of mostly criminals with fewer people serving on purpose, which is why Alliser Thorne has such disdain for the charges that he trains.
While most of the young men of the Night's Watch aren't as wholesome as awkward Brian here, there are definitely some examples, with Samwell Tarly serving as one of them.
Kim K. On The Wall
It's hilarious to think of Kim Kardashian being sent to the Night's Wall for duty, not only since it would never happen but because Kim K. would have it turned into a reality show within her first two days there. Don the black? Sure, and why not accessorize while she's at it? She makes this gig look good. In a month the entirety of Westeros will be wearing black feathers and attempting to copy her style while she acts like she doesn't care at all.
This almost has to be made, maybe with a Bad Lip Reading mashup. And we thought there was drama at the Wall already.