Ice & Fire: Dany & Jon -GoT/ASoIaF Parallels & Foreshadowing
Jun 22, 2016 7:47:41 GMT -5
Envie, sercreighton, and 2 more like this
Post by moiaf on Jun 22, 2016 7:47:41 GMT -5
Hello all!
Here we can discuss the GoT paralles between Dany and Jon. The show has been very consistent in showing the parallels between both of these characters. We have seen these parallels through themes and imagery.
Where is it going? What does it all mean?
Let's figure it out!
Season 1
Episode 1 - "Winter is Coming"
- We see that both Dany and Jon feel disconnected from their family. Jon of course because he’s a bastard and Dany because she feels powerless against Viserys.
- In contrast, Jon is kept away from the celebration welcoming King Robert, this angers him because he is once again being ostracized for being a bastard. Dany on the other hand is forced to attend the celebration of her wedding even as she begged Viserys to not make her marry.
- Both receive/find their animal companion:Jon finds Ghost and Dany is given the dragon eggs.
Episode 2 - "The King's Road"
- While Drogo is rapping Dany she is looking at her dragon eggs which are surrounded by candles, as she looks into their fire we transition to Jon looking at the campfire. This is a clear connection between these two characters and probably a hint of Jon’s Targaryen heritage.
- The parallel here is the both lament the situation they find themselves in. Dany suffering in her marriage and Jon realizing that the Night’s Watch is nothing like he had imagined.
Episode 3 - “Lord Snow”
-We see the scene transition from Dany to Jon. In Dany’s scene she is learning to assert herself as a khaleesi, earning the respect of her followers (Dothraki as well as Jorah). In Jon’s scene with Benjen, he tells him, “a man gets what he earns when he earns it.” Later in the episode we see Jon working with the other recruits teaching them what he knows, and beginning to earn their respect.
-Tyrion is meeting with the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and Maester Aemon, when the conversation is almost to an end Maester Aemon says: “When winter comes, gods help us all if we are not ready.” The scene then transitions to Dany’s dragon eggs. We then see Dany telling Drogo that they are having a boy, then we transition back to the Wall and Tyrion and Jon.
Episode 4 - “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things”
-We begin with The scene in which Jon meets Sam, the coward, this scene then transitions to Dany riding alongside Jorah into Vaes Dothrak. Jorah complains about Ned Stark driving him from his land, to which Dany reminds him that he sold slaves.
-Second transition: Ser Allister is talking to Jon and Sam about winter and says to them “When you are out there beyond the Wall do you want a man at your back or a sniveling boy?” This then transitions into Viserys dragging Doreah into Dany’s tent, he attacks Dany but she hits him back, showing him to be a sniveling boy.
-We then transition back to Jon and Sam, Jon tells Sam that he almost had sex with the red-headed Ros! Ser Allister then comes in and after throwing some more insults says to Jon “Mance Rayder’s men are hard men, harder than Jon will ever be. Not quite true Ser Allister. Finally, we transition back to Dany and Jorah, they are both taking about going home. Dany confesses to Jorah that she doesn’t believe Viserys will ever be able to take her home.
NOTE: In this episode we see both Dany and Jon stand up for some else and confront a bully. Jon stands up for Sam and confronts Ser Allister and Ralf while Dany on the other hand stands up to Viserys and defends Doreah.
Episode 7 “You win or You die”
- The first transition goes from the assassination attempt against Dany to Jon being selected as Stewart to the Lord Commander.
- Second transition from Jon to Dany. Jon takes his oath in front of the Heart-tree this transitions to Dany talking to Jorah about punishing the wine seller and Drogo makes his speech promising his son the Iron Throne.
The symbolism going on in their scenes this episode was about being given a ‘gift’ that they don’t really understand the magnitude of yet. In both cases they are coming close to their future leadership roles but not in the way they expect. Jon is put out and sulky to be assigned a steward without realizing the leadership potential of being LC Mormont’s direct assistant. Daenerys on the other hand is given the gift of what she wants most from Drogo, to take back the Iron Throne. She expects fully expects this will happen and has no idea it will in fact be herself that follows through with Drogo’s promise much later.
Episode 8 “The Pointy End”
- Ser Alliser taunts Jon about being a traitor’s bastard, Jon responds by lunging on his with a knife and Ser Alliser tells him, you will hang for this. Not really, but you will Ser Alliser, for being a traitor. Oh the irony. Later on Ghost senses the Wight and Jon burns his hand with a lamp while burning the Wight.
- We then transition to Dany who is in the Lhazareen village as the Dothraki are pillaging it. As Dany looks as the mayhem around her she asks Jorah to make the Dothraki stop raping and abusing the women. Jorah looks at her and tells her that she has a kind heart but this is how things have always been. Dany denies this but demands that Jorah make the men stop. I think this touches on an important theme in Dany’s story, which is that she doesn’t believe in maintaining the status quo. If something doesn’t seem right to her, she will do her best to improve it, no matter if it’s been done that way for hundreds or thousands of years.
After Jorah stops the men he tells Dany “You can’t save them all” to which Dany answers “I can and I will.” This will later be manifested in her campaign against Slaver’s Bay.
An interesting part of a parallel occurred in this episode or at least part of it. In this episode Theon asks Robb if he’s afraid (after he tells Maester Luwin to call his banners after Ned is arrested) to which Robb says “I must be” while he looks at his shacking hand. Theon says “good” and Robb asks “why’s that good?” to which Theon answers “ because it means you’re not stupid.”
This conversation is eerily similar to the one Dany has with Tyrion at the end of season 6x10, where Tyrion asks her if she’s afraid of entering the “Great Game” and Dany nods yes, to which Tyrion answers “Good, only mad men like your father are not afraid.”
Bringing this full circle Jon’s selection as King in the North in episode 6x10 is almost identical to Robb’s selection as KITN.
So, in the season finally of season 6 the show tied in both Dany and Jon to Robb, another young leader and monarch. Let’s hope that they at least end their lives in a better way than poor Robb’s.
Episode 9 “Baelor”
- We only have one transition between the two this episode. We go from Jon and Aemon discussing choice to Dany in the Dothraki sea choosing to fight for her husband even though it’s clear he is dying. While Jon is being given the philosophical view of what it is to choose between love and duty, Dany is force to make that decision at that very moment.
Episode 10: “Fire and Blood”
- We transition from Dany to Jon. First Dany wakes from her miscarriage to find out her child is dead, that her husband is a shell without a spirit and that MMD has betrayed her. Then we transition to Jon who is running away to join Robb. Then we have Jon’s friends stop him and recite the oath he made. We then transition back to Dany who is washing khal Drogo before smothering him. I’m not sure if there are any connection between these scenes.
-Finally the season ends with a transition between Dany and Jon. First Jon goes beyond the Wall with Lord Commander Mormont and the Night’s Watch. Then, we transition to Dany who is preparing the pyre for khal Drogo, gives her speech to her newly formed little khalsar, burns the pyre with MMD in it, enters pyre wakes up with dragons. The connection between the two being that they are about to embark in life-changing adventures. Neither of their lives will ever been the same after this.
General Parallels: Both Dany and Jon deal with the grief of loosing someone they love, Dany with Drogo and Jon with Ned. Also, Dany’s first scene lead’s into Jon’s first scene. Jon’s second scene lead’s into Dany’s second scene. Jon’s final scene lead’s into Dany’s final scene.
Season 2
Episode 1: “The North Remembers”
-We find Dany in the Red Waste with the comet above her in the sky. Dany is talking to Doreah and says that no one will take her dragons. Yet, we will see that in Qarth they are taken from her by the warlock at the House of the Undying. Dany looks up at the sky and sees the comet and this transitions to Jon in the North at Crasters. Jon mouths off at Craster and Lord Commander pulls him aside. He asks Jon, “Do you want to lead one day?” to which Jon nods to which Lord Commander says “then you must learn how to follow.” It is important to note that Jon does want to be a leader, I think he wants that respect and acceptance, to earn it on his own right. We see him smile when he is elected Lord Commander, although, with a little trepidation. However, when we get into the King in the North scene he accepts but with a lot more trepidation. Now realizing how truly hard it is to be a leader.
- We have another scene with Dany in the Red Waste. Her people are starving and she doesn’t know what to do. She questions herself as a leader, because she cannot help her people, she cannot feed them or give them water. Jorah tells her that she must be their strength, and Dany asks Jorah to be her strength.
The scenes between Jon and Dany are both about learning to lead but in different ways. Jon needs to learn how to follow, being part of a military order before he can learn how to lead men. Dany having found herself leading already needs to learn how to take on the sorrows of her people, to be their strength, to give them hope when their is none.
Episode 2: “The Night Lands”
-There was a great Jon and Daenerys book-ended set of scenes - and a potential parallel between Jorah/Jon that I feel will later come full circle in both loving Daenerys also.
At the end of the scene with Sam and Gilly … We see Jon reflect on his feeling of helplessness in doing what’s right for people. His honor is warring with his sense of duty and keeping peace with Craster. The scene then transitions to Jorah sighing the same as Jon was … only now it’s he who feels helpless as Daenerys and the Dothraki are suffering (no water or shelter). I liked this parallel between the honorable men and the people they love. Jorah’s love for Dany and Jon’s love for Sam. Both are honorable men who will later do anything to save those they love.
Episode 3: “What is Dead May Never Die” -No parallel this episode as Dany doesn’t appear in it.
Episode 4: “Garden of Bones”- No parallels as Jon doesn’t appear in this episode.
Episode 10 "Valar Morghulis":
-In Dany's visions in the House of the Undying she goes through the red keep to the Wall.
Season 3
Episode 10 "Mhysa" :Both Dany and Jon are carried. Dany by the newly freed slaves of Yunkai and Jon by his fellows brothers from the Nights Watch.
Season 4
Episode 9 "The Watchers on the Wall" and Episode 10 "The Children": Dany and Jon are left grieving and walking into an uncertain future. Dany chains away her dragons, afraid that they will harm another child. Jon buries Ygritte after the event at castle Black.
Season 5
General - both are trying to incorporate a formerly persecuted group into the larger society. Facing opposition from the status quo, neither can seem to get both sides together.
Episode 2 "The House of Black and White" and Episode 3 "High Sparrow": Dany and Jon execute members of their "organizations". Dany beheads Mossador for defying her orders and Jon beheads Slynt for defying his orders.
Episode 5 "Kill the Boy": Jon seeks out Maester Aemon's advice regarding what he should do about a difficult situation, this is paralleled but Dany seeking out Missandei's advice about what she should do about a difficult situation. Both of their advices advice the, to follow their instincts. Additionally, both Dany and Jon release their prisoners in order to use them as allies. Also, there is the parallel of Sam and Missandei. Both of them are the "right-hand man" of each character and they are both in the mist of unorthodox romantic relationships.
Season 6
Episode 9 & 10 - "The Batlle of the Bastards" & "The Winds of Winter": In episode 9 while Dany is speaking with the slavr masters she tells the "My reign has jus began" . In episode 10 Jon is selected as King in the North, effectively the beginning of his reign.
I found this really nice (and concise) list of parallels between Dany and Jon base on the books. Here is the source. I've added it under the tag because it's gotten quite long.
Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, parallels.
• Both are orphans. Both lost their fathers before their birth, during Robert’s Rebellion, and both mothers died bringing them into the world.
• They were smuggled away from their place of birth - Daenerys went in exile to Essos, Jon was carried to Winterfell. They both suffered abuse: Jon by Catelyn, and Daenerys by Viserys (Daenerys case is much worse of course). Dany was in the shadow of Viserys; Jon was in the shadow of Robb.
• As Daenerys is sold to Drogo and starts her life with the strange culture of the Dothraki, Jon joins the Night’s Watch and struggles to adapt to the law standards of the life at the Wall. Later Jon has to join the Wildlings, the “savages of Westeros”, just as the Dothraki are the “savages of Essos”.
• misslalwen also pointed that both Jon’s and Daenerys’ journeys in ASOIAF start with a feast: Jon’s very first chapter is the feast at Winterfell, when he takes the crucial life-changing decision of joining the Night’s Watch. Daenerys’s very first chapter is the preparation for her wedding feast with Khal Drogo; her second chapter is the feast itself. It happens at the same time as Jon’s story.
• Their first love relation: Daenerys was sold and raped by Khal Drogo; just as Jon was forced into his relation with Ygritte - he had to sleep with her under threat on his life. Mance made it clear that if Jon doesn’t sleep with Ygritte, he would kill him (as it would mean that Jon remains true to his Night’s Watch vows and therefore is a Crow).
• Both Jon and Daenerys develop affection to their companions.
When Drogo and Ygritte die, it’s in the hands of Daenerys and Jon.
• Both Jon and Daenerys feel guilty about their lost first loves, and mourn them.
• Both Daenerys and Jon rose to power quickly, and at a very young age. Daenerys is Queen of Meereen at 15, Jon is made Lord Commander at 16. Note that it happens at the same time: Daenerys takes up residence in Meereen and becomes Queen, while Jon becomes Lord Commander, both at the end of Storm of Swords.
• They are the two best examples of young leaders in the novels. How they rule, the difficulties they are facing, the trials they undergo. Their stories illustrate the battle against their inexperiences and will to move forward “kill the boy and let the man be born” “if I look back, I’m lost”.
• Daenerys was offered the chance to return to Westeros, but she decied to stay in Meereen to rule and help her people. Jon was offered to be made a Stark of Winterfell, but he refused because he knows he has a duty to the Night’s Watch, and because he feels that as a bastard, he doesn’t have morally the right to be Lord of Winterfell.
• Both want the best for all the sides, and both struggle to be accepted by those they rule. They both turn their attention to the outcasts of the society,to those other people refused: Jon cares for the Wildling, and is the first Lord Commander in history to make peace with them and allow them to cross the Wall; while Daenerys releases thousands of enslaved people and does everything she can to keep them alive.
• Both faced assassination attempts, by those who disagreed with their ways of ruling. While Daenerys escaped her poisoned locusts by luck, Jon is stabbed by his Brothers. And again, these events happens at the same time, at the end of A Dance with Dragons.
• Both are connected to magical legendary beasts: a direwolf for Jon, and 3 dragons for Daenerys.
• Both think of their family they never knew: Jon quite a lot of his mother, and Daenerys of Rhaegar and Aerys, and her ancestors.
• Daenerys feels the need to carry her Targaryen lineage and fulfill the duty to her House, Jon also want to impress his (adoptive) father Eddard.
• Daenerys tries to think of Rhaegar as her idol, while Jon’s idol was Daeron Targaryen the Young Dragon.
• Both are gentle and kind people. And both are very melancholic
• Finally, Daenerys’ prophecy from the House of the Undying:
The obvious reference to Jon (blue flower in a Wall of ice) is part of the prophecy concerning Daenerys’ love interests, symbolised by the word “bride”.
And there are subtle foreshadowings when Jon and Daenerys think of the magical beast of the other (unbeknown to them of course)
Additional thoughts:
• Both have Mormonts has mentors, Jon has Jeor and Dany has Jorah. Also, Jon wields the Mormont family sword Longclaw which once belonged to Jorah
• While Jon wants to be like his father Ned, Dany is the opposite, she doesn't want to be anything like her father Aerys.
Here we can discuss the GoT paralles between Dany and Jon. The show has been very consistent in showing the parallels between both of these characters. We have seen these parallels through themes and imagery.
Where is it going? What does it all mean?
Let's figure it out!
Game of Thrones
Season 1
Episode 1 - "Winter is Coming"
- We see that both Dany and Jon feel disconnected from their family. Jon of course because he’s a bastard and Dany because she feels powerless against Viserys.
- In contrast, Jon is kept away from the celebration welcoming King Robert, this angers him because he is once again being ostracized for being a bastard. Dany on the other hand is forced to attend the celebration of her wedding even as she begged Viserys to not make her marry.
- Both receive/find their animal companion:Jon finds Ghost and Dany is given the dragon eggs.
Episode 2 - "The King's Road"
- While Drogo is rapping Dany she is looking at her dragon eggs which are surrounded by candles, as she looks into their fire we transition to Jon looking at the campfire. This is a clear connection between these two characters and probably a hint of Jon’s Targaryen heritage.
- The parallel here is the both lament the situation they find themselves in. Dany suffering in her marriage and Jon realizing that the Night’s Watch is nothing like he had imagined.
Episode 3 - “Lord Snow”
-We see the scene transition from Dany to Jon. In Dany’s scene she is learning to assert herself as a khaleesi, earning the respect of her followers (Dothraki as well as Jorah). In Jon’s scene with Benjen, he tells him, “a man gets what he earns when he earns it.” Later in the episode we see Jon working with the other recruits teaching them what he knows, and beginning to earn their respect.
-Tyrion is meeting with the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and Maester Aemon, when the conversation is almost to an end Maester Aemon says: “When winter comes, gods help us all if we are not ready.” The scene then transitions to Dany’s dragon eggs. We then see Dany telling Drogo that they are having a boy, then we transition back to the Wall and Tyrion and Jon.
Episode 4 - “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things”
-We begin with The scene in which Jon meets Sam, the coward, this scene then transitions to Dany riding alongside Jorah into Vaes Dothrak. Jorah complains about Ned Stark driving him from his land, to which Dany reminds him that he sold slaves.
-Second transition: Ser Allister is talking to Jon and Sam about winter and says to them “When you are out there beyond the Wall do you want a man at your back or a sniveling boy?” This then transitions into Viserys dragging Doreah into Dany’s tent, he attacks Dany but she hits him back, showing him to be a sniveling boy.
-We then transition back to Jon and Sam, Jon tells Sam that he almost had sex with the red-headed Ros! Ser Allister then comes in and after throwing some more insults says to Jon “Mance Rayder’s men are hard men, harder than Jon will ever be. Not quite true Ser Allister. Finally, we transition back to Dany and Jorah, they are both taking about going home. Dany confesses to Jorah that she doesn’t believe Viserys will ever be able to take her home.
NOTE: In this episode we see both Dany and Jon stand up for some else and confront a bully. Jon stands up for Sam and confronts Ser Allister and Ralf while Dany on the other hand stands up to Viserys and defends Doreah.
Episode 7 “You win or You die”
- The first transition goes from the assassination attempt against Dany to Jon being selected as Stewart to the Lord Commander.
- Second transition from Jon to Dany. Jon takes his oath in front of the Heart-tree this transitions to Dany talking to Jorah about punishing the wine seller and Drogo makes his speech promising his son the Iron Throne.
The symbolism going on in their scenes this episode was about being given a ‘gift’ that they don’t really understand the magnitude of yet. In both cases they are coming close to their future leadership roles but not in the way they expect. Jon is put out and sulky to be assigned a steward without realizing the leadership potential of being LC Mormont’s direct assistant. Daenerys on the other hand is given the gift of what she wants most from Drogo, to take back the Iron Throne. She expects fully expects this will happen and has no idea it will in fact be herself that follows through with Drogo’s promise much later.
Episode 8 “The Pointy End”
- Ser Alliser taunts Jon about being a traitor’s bastard, Jon responds by lunging on his with a knife and Ser Alliser tells him, you will hang for this. Not really, but you will Ser Alliser, for being a traitor. Oh the irony. Later on Ghost senses the Wight and Jon burns his hand with a lamp while burning the Wight.
- We then transition to Dany who is in the Lhazareen village as the Dothraki are pillaging it. As Dany looks as the mayhem around her she asks Jorah to make the Dothraki stop raping and abusing the women. Jorah looks at her and tells her that she has a kind heart but this is how things have always been. Dany denies this but demands that Jorah make the men stop. I think this touches on an important theme in Dany’s story, which is that she doesn’t believe in maintaining the status quo. If something doesn’t seem right to her, she will do her best to improve it, no matter if it’s been done that way for hundreds or thousands of years.
After Jorah stops the men he tells Dany “You can’t save them all” to which Dany answers “I can and I will.” This will later be manifested in her campaign against Slaver’s Bay.
An interesting part of a parallel occurred in this episode or at least part of it. In this episode Theon asks Robb if he’s afraid (after he tells Maester Luwin to call his banners after Ned is arrested) to which Robb says “I must be” while he looks at his shacking hand. Theon says “good” and Robb asks “why’s that good?” to which Theon answers “ because it means you’re not stupid.”
This conversation is eerily similar to the one Dany has with Tyrion at the end of season 6x10, where Tyrion asks her if she’s afraid of entering the “Great Game” and Dany nods yes, to which Tyrion answers “Good, only mad men like your father are not afraid.”
Bringing this full circle Jon’s selection as King in the North in episode 6x10 is almost identical to Robb’s selection as KITN.
So, in the season finally of season 6 the show tied in both Dany and Jon to Robb, another young leader and monarch. Let’s hope that they at least end their lives in a better way than poor Robb’s.
Episode 9 “Baelor”
- We only have one transition between the two this episode. We go from Jon and Aemon discussing choice to Dany in the Dothraki sea choosing to fight for her husband even though it’s clear he is dying. While Jon is being given the philosophical view of what it is to choose between love and duty, Dany is force to make that decision at that very moment.
Episode 10: “Fire and Blood”
- We transition from Dany to Jon. First Dany wakes from her miscarriage to find out her child is dead, that her husband is a shell without a spirit and that MMD has betrayed her. Then we transition to Jon who is running away to join Robb. Then we have Jon’s friends stop him and recite the oath he made. We then transition back to Dany who is washing khal Drogo before smothering him. I’m not sure if there are any connection between these scenes.
-Finally the season ends with a transition between Dany and Jon. First Jon goes beyond the Wall with Lord Commander Mormont and the Night’s Watch. Then, we transition to Dany who is preparing the pyre for khal Drogo, gives her speech to her newly formed little khalsar, burns the pyre with MMD in it, enters pyre wakes up with dragons. The connection between the two being that they are about to embark in life-changing adventures. Neither of their lives will ever been the same after this.
General Parallels: Both Dany and Jon deal with the grief of loosing someone they love, Dany with Drogo and Jon with Ned. Also, Dany’s first scene lead’s into Jon’s first scene. Jon’s second scene lead’s into Dany’s second scene. Jon’s final scene lead’s into Dany’s final scene.
Season 2
Episode 1: “The North Remembers”
-We find Dany in the Red Waste with the comet above her in the sky. Dany is talking to Doreah and says that no one will take her dragons. Yet, we will see that in Qarth they are taken from her by the warlock at the House of the Undying. Dany looks up at the sky and sees the comet and this transitions to Jon in the North at Crasters. Jon mouths off at Craster and Lord Commander pulls him aside. He asks Jon, “Do you want to lead one day?” to which Jon nods to which Lord Commander says “then you must learn how to follow.” It is important to note that Jon does want to be a leader, I think he wants that respect and acceptance, to earn it on his own right. We see him smile when he is elected Lord Commander, although, with a little trepidation. However, when we get into the King in the North scene he accepts but with a lot more trepidation. Now realizing how truly hard it is to be a leader.
- We have another scene with Dany in the Red Waste. Her people are starving and she doesn’t know what to do. She questions herself as a leader, because she cannot help her people, she cannot feed them or give them water. Jorah tells her that she must be their strength, and Dany asks Jorah to be her strength.
The scenes between Jon and Dany are both about learning to lead but in different ways. Jon needs to learn how to follow, being part of a military order before he can learn how to lead men. Dany having found herself leading already needs to learn how to take on the sorrows of her people, to be their strength, to give them hope when their is none.
Episode 2: “The Night Lands”
-There was a great Jon and Daenerys book-ended set of scenes - and a potential parallel between Jorah/Jon that I feel will later come full circle in both loving Daenerys also.
At the end of the scene with Sam and Gilly … We see Jon reflect on his feeling of helplessness in doing what’s right for people. His honor is warring with his sense of duty and keeping peace with Craster. The scene then transitions to Jorah sighing the same as Jon was … only now it’s he who feels helpless as Daenerys and the Dothraki are suffering (no water or shelter). I liked this parallel between the honorable men and the people they love. Jorah’s love for Dany and Jon’s love for Sam. Both are honorable men who will later do anything to save those they love.
Episode 3: “What is Dead May Never Die” -No parallel this episode as Dany doesn’t appear in it.
Episode 4: “Garden of Bones”- No parallels as Jon doesn’t appear in this episode.
Episode 10 "Valar Morghulis":
-In Dany's visions in the House of the Undying she goes through the red keep to the Wall.
Season 3
Episode 10 "Mhysa" :Both Dany and Jon are carried. Dany by the newly freed slaves of Yunkai and Jon by his fellows brothers from the Nights Watch.
Season 4
Episode 9 "The Watchers on the Wall" and Episode 10 "The Children": Dany and Jon are left grieving and walking into an uncertain future. Dany chains away her dragons, afraid that they will harm another child. Jon buries Ygritte after the event at castle Black.
Season 5
General - both are trying to incorporate a formerly persecuted group into the larger society. Facing opposition from the status quo, neither can seem to get both sides together.
Episode 2 "The House of Black and White" and Episode 3 "High Sparrow": Dany and Jon execute members of their "organizations". Dany beheads Mossador for defying her orders and Jon beheads Slynt for defying his orders.
Episode 5 "Kill the Boy": Jon seeks out Maester Aemon's advice regarding what he should do about a difficult situation, this is paralleled but Dany seeking out Missandei's advice about what she should do about a difficult situation. Both of their advices advice the, to follow their instincts. Additionally, both Dany and Jon release their prisoners in order to use them as allies. Also, there is the parallel of Sam and Missandei. Both of them are the "right-hand man" of each character and they are both in the mist of unorthodox romantic relationships.
Season 6
Episode 9 & 10 - "The Batlle of the Bastards" & "The Winds of Winter": In episode 9 while Dany is speaking with the slavr masters she tells the "My reign has jus began" . In episode 10 Jon is selected as King in the North, effectively the beginning of his reign.
A Song of Ice and Fire
I found this really nice (and concise) list of parallels between Dany and Jon base on the books. Here is the source. I've added it under the tag because it's gotten quite long.
Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, parallels.
• Both are orphans. Both lost their fathers before their birth, during Robert’s Rebellion, and both mothers died bringing them into the world.
• They were smuggled away from their place of birth - Daenerys went in exile to Essos, Jon was carried to Winterfell. They both suffered abuse: Jon by Catelyn, and Daenerys by Viserys (Daenerys case is much worse of course). Dany was in the shadow of Viserys; Jon was in the shadow of Robb.
• As Daenerys is sold to Drogo and starts her life with the strange culture of the Dothraki, Jon joins the Night’s Watch and struggles to adapt to the law standards of the life at the Wall. Later Jon has to join the Wildlings, the “savages of Westeros”, just as the Dothraki are the “savages of Essos”.
• misslalwen also pointed that both Jon’s and Daenerys’ journeys in ASOIAF start with a feast: Jon’s very first chapter is the feast at Winterfell, when he takes the crucial life-changing decision of joining the Night’s Watch. Daenerys’s very first chapter is the preparation for her wedding feast with Khal Drogo; her second chapter is the feast itself. It happens at the same time as Jon’s story.
• Their first love relation: Daenerys was sold and raped by Khal Drogo; just as Jon was forced into his relation with Ygritte - he had to sleep with her under threat on his life. Mance made it clear that if Jon doesn’t sleep with Ygritte, he would kill him (as it would mean that Jon remains true to his Night’s Watch vows and therefore is a Crow).
Yet every night, some time before the dawn, Drogo would come to her tent and wake her in the dark, to ride her as relentlessly as he rode his stallion. He always took her from behind, Dothraki fashion, for which Dany was grateful; that way her lord husband could not see the tears that wet her face, and she could use her pillow to muffle her cries of pain. When he was done, he would close his eyes and begin to snore softly and Dany would lie beside him, her body bruised and sore, hurting too much for sleep.
“I never asked you to lie for me.”
“I never did,” she said. “I left out part, is all.”
“You said - ”
“ - that we fuck beneath your cloak many a night. I never said when we started, though.” The smile she gave him was almost shy. “Find another place for Ghost to sleep tonight, Jon Snow. It’s like Mance said. Deeds is truer than words.”
“I never did,” she said. “I left out part, is all.”
“You said - ”
“ - that we fuck beneath your cloak many a night. I never said when we started, though.” The smile she gave him was almost shy. “Find another place for Ghost to sleep tonight, Jon Snow. It’s like Mance said. Deeds is truer than words.”
• Both Jon and Daenerys develop affection to their companions.
When Drogo and Ygritte die, it’s in the hands of Daenerys and Jon.
• Both Jon and Daenerys feel guilty about their lost first loves, and mourn them.
• Both Daenerys and Jon rose to power quickly, and at a very young age. Daenerys is Queen of Meereen at 15, Jon is made Lord Commander at 16. Note that it happens at the same time: Daenerys takes up residence in Meereen and becomes Queen, while Jon becomes Lord Commander, both at the end of Storm of Swords.
• They are the two best examples of young leaders in the novels. How they rule, the difficulties they are facing, the trials they undergo. Their stories illustrate the battle against their inexperiences and will to move forward “kill the boy and let the man be born” “if I look back, I’m lost”.
• Daenerys was offered the chance to return to Westeros, but she decied to stay in Meereen to rule and help her people. Jon was offered to be made a Stark of Winterfell, but he refused because he knows he has a duty to the Night’s Watch, and because he feels that as a bastard, he doesn’t have morally the right to be Lord of Winterfell.
• Both want the best for all the sides, and both struggle to be accepted by those they rule. They both turn their attention to the outcasts of the society,to those other people refused: Jon cares for the Wildling, and is the first Lord Commander in history to make peace with them and allow them to cross the Wall; while Daenerys releases thousands of enslaved people and does everything she can to keep them alive.
• Both faced assassination attempts, by those who disagreed with their ways of ruling. While Daenerys escaped her poisoned locusts by luck, Jon is stabbed by his Brothers. And again, these events happens at the same time, at the end of A Dance with Dragons.
• Both are connected to magical legendary beasts: a direwolf for Jon, and 3 dragons for Daenerys.
• Both think of their family they never knew: Jon quite a lot of his mother, and Daenerys of Rhaegar and Aerys, and her ancestors.
• Daenerys feels the need to carry her Targaryen lineage and fulfill the duty to her House, Jon also want to impress his (adoptive) father Eddard.
He was no true Stark, had never been one … but he could die like one. Let them say that Eddard Stark had fathered four sons, not three.
“Remember who you are, Daenerys,” the stars whispered in a woman’s voice. “The dragons know. Do you?”
• Daenerys tries to think of Rhaegar as her idol, while Jon’s idol was Daeron Targaryen the Young Dragon.
That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse.
When Jon had been a boy at Winterfell, his hero had been the Young Dragon, the boy king who had conquered Dorne at the age of fourteen. Despite his bastard birth, or perhaps because of it, Jon Snow had dreamed of leading men to glory just as King Daeron had, of growing up to be a conqueror
• Both are gentle and kind people. And both are very melancholic
• Finally, Daenerys’ prophecy from the House of the Undying:
A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness. … mother of dragons, bride of fire …
The obvious reference to Jon (blue flower in a Wall of ice) is part of the prophecy concerning Daenerys’ love interests, symbolised by the word “bride”.
And there are subtle foreshadowings when Jon and Daenerys think of the magical beast of the other (unbeknown to them of course)
He might as well wish for another thousand men, and maybe a dragon or three. - Jon, A Storm of Swords
Off in the distance, a wolf howled. The sound made her feel sad and lonely, but no less hungry. - Daenerys, A Dance with Dragons
Additional thoughts:
• Both have Mormonts has mentors, Jon has Jeor and Dany has Jorah. Also, Jon wields the Mormont family sword Longclaw which once belonged to Jorah
• While Jon wants to be like his father Ned, Dany is the opposite, she doesn't want to be anything like her father Aerys.