The Mother of Dragons got the mother of all surprises on the last-ever episode of Game of Thrones, and the actress who plays her has got something to say about the show’s final, heartbreaking twist.
Anyway, spoilers from here on out.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Daenerys Targaryen star Emilia Clarke broke her silence on the finale, admitting to the public that she was in a state of total disbelief after reading the scripts for season 8. Clarke had just finished shooting Solo: A Star Wars Story in October of 2017 when she learned that the character she had played for almost a decade would die at the hands of her lover during the show’s final episode. She touched down at Heathrow Airport in London and “completely freaked out” when she received the scripts electronically – nearly leaving her suitcases at Heathrow’s baggage claim because she was so eager to get home and find out what would happen during the show’s final episode.
At that point, Clarke had yet to face the facts of Daenerys’ downfall. When she did, however, she was beside herself. She told Entertainment Weekly:
“I got myself situated. I got my cup of tea. I had to physically prepare the space and then begin reading them.”
Excitement turned to anguish as Clarke learned of the events that led to Dany’s devastating death: her desperate fight against the undead, the deaths of her closest friends and allies, the loss of her second dragon and, eventually, the destruction of King’s Landing at her hand. Having lost nearly everything, Dany finally reaches the Iron Throne – only to lose it all in a moment. It took hours for Clarke to settle back into herself after the revelation. She explained:
“I cried. And I went for a walk. I walked out of the house and took my keys and phone and walked back with blisters on my feet. I didn’t come back for five hours. I’m like, ‘How am I going to do this? Because it comes out of f—ing nowhere.”
Learning that Daenerys would turn dark during the final two episodes of Game of Thrones, then be killed by a man she truly loved, did a number on Clarke – whose emotions ran high as she tried to process everything. She said:
“I called my mom and [said] ‘I read the scripts and I don’t want to tell you what happens but can you just talk me off this ledge? It really messed me up.”
Despite being shocked out of her mind about the events of the show’s finale, Clarke noted that the ending Dany got was the one that made the most sense for her character. She explained:
“After 10 years of working on this show, it’s logical. Where else can she go? I tried to think what the ending will be. It’s not like she’s suddenly going to go, ‘Okay, I’m gonna put a kettle on and put cookies in the oven and we’ll just sit down and have a lovely time and pop a few kids out.’ That was never going to happen. She’s a Targaryen.”
Clarke added that she felt Dany’s conclusion served as a full-circle moment for the naive young woman viewers met on the first season of Game of Thrones. She said:
“It’s a very beautiful and touching ending. Hopefully, what you’ll see in that last moment as she’s dying is: There’s the vulnerability – there’s the little girl you met in season 1. See? She’s right there. And now, she’s not there anymore.”
Game of Thrones’ final season will likely go down in history as incredibly divisive, and hugely disappointing to some. But no matter whether you loved how Game of Thrones ended or not, there’s no denying that the end of the show’s journey – as well as Dany’s – won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Watch the video to see how Emilia Clarke Breaks Silence On The Dany Twist In GoT!
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