Lena Headey has weighed in on the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, titled "The Bells," revealing exactly how she felt about her character's latest development.
This post will definitely contain major spoilers. You have been properly notified.
As was expected, Cersei Lannister met her end on Sunday night's episode of Thrones, though it wasn't in the manner people would've hoped for — something gruesome no doubt. Instead, the impressively evil villain died in the arms of her brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the man she loved most in the world, as the Red Keep's castle toppled on them as they embraced.
Headey, who has played Cersei for the past eight seasons, like many viewers, initially had "mixed" feelings about the character's death.
“I wanted her to have some big piece or fight with somebody,” the actor said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
But after a few conversations with her costar Coster-Waldau, Heady came around and became more comfortable with Cersei's final moments.
“The more we talked about it the more it seemed like the perfect end for her,” she said. “They came into the world together and now they leave together.”
On Twitter, reactions to Cersei's death were varied.
Some joked at how her demented son Joffrey, who was poisoned in Season 4 of the series, "got a better death."
Joffrey got a better death than Cersei LMFAO
Others were pretty peeved about how the "Valonqar" prophecy in the books alluding to Cersei's death wasn't fulfilled.
what did this episode accomplish? ⚪️ giving cersei a death scene worthy of her character ⚪️ a great buildup to cleganebowl ⚪️ developing daenerys’s descent to madness well enough to make it believable 🔘 destroying every prophecy, plot development, and character arc on the show
On the flip side, there were some who thought the queen got "a proper death."
"Cersei died hopeless and afraid, after all that stuff about power and choosing violence," one person said.
Cersei died hopeless and afraid, after all that stuff about power and choosing violence. literally watched her descend to denial, delusion and fear. that is a proper death for her
That was echoed by others who felt similarly.
She died "cowering in fear and admitting she didn't want to die," another said.
"Her final moments were amazing, not every death has to be graphic."
I think the way Cersei went out, cowering in fear and admitting she didn’t want to die (when she’s been infuriatingly smug and arrogant the whole series) with nobody to protect her is so cruel and great. Her final moments were amazing, not every death has to be graphic
Headey offered additional insight about her character’s last moments. One moment that surprised Cersei, she said, was that Jaime came back to her after fleeing their home together to fight with their enemies.
"Cersei realizes just how she loves him and just how much he loves her. It’s the most authentic connection she’s ever had. Ultimately they belong together," she said.
“It’s maybe the first time that Cersei has been at peace.”
CORRECTION
Lena Headey's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post.