e of Thrones: Emilia Clarke Has Filmed Daenerys’ Final Moment
24 May, 2018
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has revealed that she's already shot Daenerys Targaryen's final on-screen moments, and apparently the experience was very intense. Unfortunately, Game of Thrones fans aching to find out how the series ends still have a long winter of waiting ahead of them. Season 8 won't be along until 2019, as production continues on the sure to be epic final six episodes.
Season 7 already feels like it happened long ago, but for those who recall, the finale ended with everyone's favorite Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen finally hooking up with Jon Snow - who unfortunately was also revealed to be Dany's own nephew (confirming an ages-old fan theory). When season 8 arrives, we should expect a massive confrontation pitting Dany and Jon and their two remaining dragons - plus their new partner Jaime - against Cersei and her allies in the Golden Company of Braavos. Fans have also speculated that a pregnancy could be in Daenerys' future after her shipboard fling with Jon Snow.
Though Game of Thrones season 8 has a long way to go before it's completed, at least one incredibly vital scene is already in the can: Daenerys' final moment. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Emilia Clarke dropped the news that the key scene has already been filmed and evidently the experience left Clarke somewhat shaken. The actress said: "It f--ked me up. Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is..."
Of all the show's many characters, none has experienced a longer, wilder ride than Daenerys, who started out as the unwilling wife of the savage Khal Drogo and wound up as an all-powerful queen backed up by legions of loyal followers - and, of course, her fearsome dragons. It's impossible to predict how exactly Daenerys' arc will wind up, but there is a very good possibility a pregnancy is in her future, and this time it won't be dragons she's birthing. How might giving birth to her own nephew Jon Snow's baby shake things up? Will Dany and her two remaining dragons tip the balance in the wars to come? Will Dany end up perched on the Iron Throne or is her destiny bound to be a tragic one?
Clarke's remarks about filming Dany's final scene give us no concrete clues about what actually happens. There is perhaps a small hint, though, in Clarke admitting the moment rattled her because "that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone's mouth of what Daenerys is." Does this mean Dany ultimately does something horrific and villainous that leaves a bad taste in people's mouths? In fact, speculation has long held that Dany might ultimately do a huge bad guy turn at the end. After all, she is the daughter of the "Mad King," who tried to burn down King's Landing before Jaime dispatched him, earning his hated "Kingslayer" moniker. Succumbing to madness runs in the Targaryen family and there's reason to think Dany could be the next victim of that curse, which would be very bad news for everyone (because dragons).
Though fans might not like seeing Dany turn villain in the end, it would arguably be a logical way to wind up the character. Whatever Game of Thrones has in store for Daenerys, Jon, Cersei and the rest of the show's beloved - and loathed - characters, you can bet it will be more massive and epic than anything that has come before. The long wait continues.
Game of Thrones season 8 premieres sometime in 2019.