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Things We Saw Today: Lena Headey Wanted a Better Ending for Cersei on Game of Thrones

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lena headey as cersei lannister on game of thrones.

In a new interview with The Guardian, actress Lena headey discusses the death of her character Cersei Lannister in the final season of Game of Thrones.

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After eight seasons of scheming, murder, and revenge, expectations were high for what would become of the wicked queen of Westeros. To the disappointment of many, Cersei died in the crumbling Red Keep, in the arms of her brother/lover Jaime. It was an unsatisfying ending for a such a bold character that has been part of the series since the beginning. This disappointment was compounded by the season’s overall lack of Cersei, as the queen spent most of season eight quietly sipping wine on a balcony.

Headey said, “No, listen, I invested as a viewer and I have my favourite characters. And I’ve got a few of my own gripes. But I haven’t sat down drunkly with David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] yet. I will say I wanted a better death.”

Headey elaborated, saying “Obviously you dream of your death … You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted. But I just think they couldn’t have pleased everyone. No matter what they did, I think there was going to be some big comedown from the climb.”

Cersei’s death was one of many missteps in the iconic series, and part of a larger issue of how Game of Thrones treats its female characters. Since the series end, there have been countless articles and think-pieces surrounding the character assassination of Daenerys Targaryen.

In the end, both Daenerys and Cersei deserved better.

(via The Guardian, image: HBO)

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Happy Father’s Day everybody!

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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