Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown

"You will find little joy in your command, but with luck you will the strength to do what needs to be done. Kill the boy Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy, and let the man be born." — Maester Aemon, "Game of Thrones"

One of my favorite movies is "Gettysburg," the docudrama about the pivotal battle in the Civil War. The film is nearly five hours long, which gives plenty of time to explore who the men that fought the war were — what they believed, what they struggled with, and what they sought to gain.

There is a moment in the film when Gen. Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen), commander of the Confederate Army, is riding near the front and talks about the "great trap" for men of his ilk, those who lead men into battle. He says, "To be a great soldier you have to love the Army, but to be a great commander, you have to be willing to order the death of the thing you love." It was the struggle he wrestled with each day when he ordered troops forward into battle.

General Lee was beloved by many, but he was viewed bitterly by some because of the decisions he had to make. When you're in command, you can be liked or you can be effective, but you can't be both. That's a lesson Jon Snow and Daenerys are learning this season. Both took command with noble aims, and both want to make life better for those they command. They feel burdened with responsibility toward those they lead, and that burden pushes them to make decisions that, at times, will make them unpopular.

Last night Jon saw a way forward with the Wildlings, a way that would provided needed soldiers to fight the White Walkers and make peace. It wasn't a popular decision, but it seems to be the right decision. Now he must live with the consequences. Jon has quickly learned being in charge isn't a picnic — he's had to make plenty of tough decisions, from executing Janos Slynt to asking Roose Bolton for help. Now he must prove that this decision is for the good of everyone, not about him. And that might be a tall order, even among his most fervent supporters.

In Mereen, Daenerys faces similar challenges. She came in as the breaker of chains, a liberator who brought in a new era. But freeing people and ruling are two different things, something she's learned the hard way. She's used to being beloved, and now she has people in the streets turning on her soldiers and trusted advisors.

Last night she, at first, responded with brutality. But, soon, she realized that a good leader must sacrifice pride and the love of the people to make peace.

Both Daenerys and Jon Snow are being tested as leaders, and these next five episodes will see how well they learn their lessons.