This week’s Game of Thrones was a massive episode, so jam-packed with plot, action and death that you’d be forgiven for not noticing any more subtle filming decisions.

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So we don’t feel too bad that we completely missed out on one intriguing callback in the middle of last night’s Battle of the Bastards, where Jon Snow’s crush to death looked rather familiar…

Yep, that’s right – Jon’s near-death low point seems to be a deliberate reference to a previous Daenerys high point, as star Kit Harington pointed out in a behind-the-scenes video.

“That moment where he comes up and he gasps for breath, reborn again in a way, I found weirdly reflective of the moment of Dany being held aloft at the end of season three,” he said.

So what could this mean? Well interestingly, the palettes of the two similar shots – bright, warm colours for Emilia Clarke's Daenerys and darker blues for Jon – reflect the name of George RR Martin’s source A Song of Ice and Fire, which fans have long theorised refers specifically to Jon and Daenerys as the two 'true’ heroes of the Game of Thrones story (an idea hinted at a few times throughout the series itself, like in the pair's "not-dying while naked" moments this year).

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Fire and ice...

In fact, if certain fan theories are to believed (specifically the one where Jon is actually the son of Daenerys’ long-deceased brother Prince Rhaegar and Ned Stark’s sister Lyanna), the pair may even be related, with Jon set to join Daenerys and one mystery third party as the “Three heads of the dragon” who will save the world (according to a prophecy in the books).

This direct visual parallel (despite apparently being slightly improvised) would seem to add weight to this theory – though in this episode we also got a solid reminder that Jon’s true affinity is with House Stark.

Do you think we’re talking about his sense of honour, bad decision-making or talent for battle? No – we’re talking about the badass Stark walking away shot, which he, Sansa and Arya have all utilised this season.

Man, these guys know how to make an exit.

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Game of Thrones continues on Sky Atlantic on Monday at 2am and 9.00pm

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