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Game of Thrones: What Emilia Clarke Really Thinks About Daenerys' Ending
Daenerys Targaryen's story in Game of Thrones ended with her becoming the so-called "Mad Queen" before dying at the hands of Jon Snow, so what does actress Emilia Clarke think of her character's fate? Game of Thrones season 8 proved to be extremely controversial, and a big factor in that was how the final run of episodes handled Daenerys' arc, as she turned from the heroic would-be Queen into a murderous tyrant, and was then killed off in the series finale, "The Iron Throne".
That such a shocking turn happened - or at least, happened so quickly - was commonly cited as an example of Game of Thrones losing its way by the end. What's more, critical fans liked to point to interviews given by cast members to seemingly back up the notion that even they didn't think the ending was good enough, although these were usually taken out of context and ignored the actors' personalities.
One such example was Clarke, who was frequently raised as an example of an actor clearly thinking something was amiss with Game of Thrones' ending thanks to her facial expressions in select interviews, but what does she really think? In truth, Clarke has been more a little more positive when she has spoken about it, but also honest and defensive of the character she played for so long. In James Hibberd's book Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series, Clarke discusses Daenerys' turn into becoming the "Mad Queen":
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"I cried when I read the scripts. It was a f**king struggle. My first thought was a gut reaction, and my second thought, which was milliseconds after, was, 'What are people going to think of this?' I had my own feelings about it that were peppered with my feelings about Emilia. You have the growth of the character and the growth of me running along with it. It had gotten to that point where people were like 'They're not talking about you, Emilia, they're talking about the character.' I went for a walk and didn't come back for hours because I'm like: 'How am I going to do this?'"
It's understandable that Clarke had such a strong reaction to Daenerys' turn in Game of Thrones season 8, having played the character for several years and forming a strong bond with her, while also going through her own struggles while in the role. That goes for the audience too, because while there were hints to Dany's descent into becoming more like the Targaryens seen through history and less like the noble, benevolent leader she hoped to be, it was still a shock for fans many characters believed in. As mentioned in Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Clarke was given certain directions on how to play the character over the years, although she wasn't exactly sure why she was being asked to do so or where it was headed. Clarke notes that she always tried to infuse Daenerys with some humanity, even when she was supposed to be cold and void of expression - something that did come across in her performance in season 8, even if there could have been more of those moments to better get inside her head.
Clarke also discusses that she spoke to her mom and brother, asking them questions about Daenerys without trying to give away any spoilers, such as "Is there anything she could do that would make you hate her?" Again, it comes back to the idea of Clarke being protective of her character, which is a fair stance to take. That also comes back when talking about Daenerys' death, as she's killed by Jon Snow following the destruction of King's Landing and intent on taking the Iron Throne without any remorse for what happened. In Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Clarke jokes about Jon, saying that "He just doesn't like women, does he?" She later adds about the culmination of Dany's journey:
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"After ten years of working on this, it was logical, because where the f**k else can she go? It's a logical change of events... She's a Targaryen. And your childhood and upbringing affects your choices in life so greatly. She was brought up with the Iron Throne being the only goal. That need to say, 'I did it for my family, for my everything, I went there and we conquered.' That no member of her family died in vain for this. That her life hadn't been for nothing. That she hadn't been struggling for nothing. She was that close to fulfilling that seal of approval, that thing we all secretly want. That plays a major role as to why she goes there. But having said all of the things I've just said... I stand by Daenerys. I stand by her! I can't not."
Clarke's comments in the book largely line-up with previous interviews she's given on the matter. It's clear that, while she wasn't as unhappy with the decisions made as some parts of the fandom would want to believe, she did have reservations and a desire to look out for her character, and that she ultimately agreed it was the right place to take things. And that's true - with her being a Targaryen, and so driven by getting the Iron Throne no matter how many fires had to be set or how much blood had to be spilled, it always felt like Daenerys' "Mad Queen" ending was on the cards in some way, even if Game of Thrones could have done more to both set it up and execute it.
