Podcast: How Many Crimes Were Committed in Game of Thrones’ “The Long Night”?

How long would your favorite Game of Thrones characters be in jail for their crimes committed during “The Long Night”?

Jesse and Andrew from Mary Sue sister site Law&Crime’s podcast, Guys Who Law, broke down each crime that was committed during GoT’s massive showstopper episode three. What kind of jail time and/or fines would be applicable under relevant U.S. and international laws if the cast of characters were subject to such restrictions? Here’s a breakdown of some of the highlights and topics covered on the podcast:

Animal Cruelty

Why was Jon’s direwolf, Ghost, fighting? And why was he in the front lines?? That has to count as animal cruelty, specifically dogfighting, for which punishments differ in each state. Federal laws make organizing a dogfight a felony, which is punishable by up to three years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for each offense. Jon’s going to need to cough up a pretty penny.

Incest (technically before episode 3)

This one seems like a gray area, since Jon and Daenerys didn’t actually know they were related. In New York, people who commit incest and know of their relation can be jailed for 10-25 years. Since it seems like they didn’t know though, they might be legally off the hook.

Murder

Obviously. A lot of people are going to jail for a long time.

Necromancy

Okay, this one technically isn’t illegal, but back in Puritan colonial days, you would definitely have been labeled a witch and burned at the stake for raising the dead. Although it might not have worked on the Night King …

Arson

That Night King … lighting Winterfell up with his dragon’s blue flames. “Mr. King” could be guilty of felony arson, which can be punishable by anywhere from one year to life, depending on the degree of arson. It’s also illegal to set your own property on fire, even if it’s to avoid White Walkers. The Starks are looking at up to a year in jail, as well as possible fines.

Of course, justice works a little differently in Winterfell. Still, learning about all the laws Game of Thrones is breaking all the time is

For the full breakdown, listen to the episode here!

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(image: HBO)

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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