i understand why they only speak once in season four but to circumvent that impossibility of a face to face meeting because jon would pry his secrets out of him, elias really should've sent jon statements as a means of communication (i mean. he's done it before). season four jon has been abandoned by his maker after he made him (which is both beholding and elias, because elias is the only one that understands what's happening to him and the only one who will tell him to not kill himself about it). contrast it with season three where elias is at least somewhat of a guiding presence, jon is frustratingly out of his depth once again. even the beholding won't let him Know anything useful because after stopping the unknowing jon's interests no longer align with elias's (I am the avatar of awful knowledge and revealed secrets, so what does it not want me to know? - MAG 154). and most crucial detail of all, he's so very lonely. they should've done something with this! not that elias has ever been a repository of particularly helpful advice but he would've managed to say something that would simultaneously reassure jon (no you can't stop, this is what you're meant to do) and fuck him up enormously (this is good! this is a promising development, i'm proud of you) because is this what he's doing he's seeking absolution from elias of all people. that's how i would write it. establish a pattern with two or three statements masquerading as conversational letters, and then break jon's (and in turn, the audience's) trust with the 160 statement. so like. where's the episode of jon learning he's received a note from elias in prison and it begins like this