Emilia Clarke, 'Game Of Thrones' Creator Respond To Backlash Over Khaleesi

It seems even today, three days after the latest episode of Game of Thrones aired, people are still talking about it on Twitter. Well now, actress Emilia Clarke as well as the show's co-creator and a director for it have chimed in. Be warned, spoilers lie ahead and if you haven't seen the episode, you should stop here.

The episode, which is titled "The Bells," was the second-to-last of the hit HBO series, and in it, many fans were surprised by "Daenerys Targaryen's" behavior. "Daenerys," also known as "Khaleesi," as well as "The Unburnt," "The Queen of the Andals," "The Queen of Meereen," "The Protector of the Realm," "The Breaker of Chains" and "The Mother of Dragons," loses it and uses her dragon to destroy King's Landing as well as most of its tens of thousands of innocent citizens.

"Khaleesi" had always been an audience favorite, having been just and fair, and having freed thousands of slaves on her mission to sit on the Iron Throne and reign over the Seven Kingdoms. In fact, her independence, ambition and strength led many fans to even name their children after her. That's why so many people were shocked and angered when she wasn't able to keep her emotions in check and instead led many decent people to fiery deaths. Some fans have gone so far as to accuse the show of poor character development and now, actress Emilia Clarke, who plays "Daenerys," has responded.

In an HBO behind-the-scenes video, Emilia explains:

"Every single thing that's led her to this point, and there she is alone. We've all got this part of us that goes, 'I'm going to put that chocolate cake down, I'm going to walk away.' We can't be getting into these moral conundrums all the time. I'm not saying chocolate cake is a moral conundrum — eat as much f***ing cake as you want — but those things that you wrestle with in yourself."

Clearly the actress was aware of how difficult the scene might be for others since it was incredibly tough for her. After it aired, she posted a photo of herself with a bottle of champagne on Instagram with the caption, "This is what it took not only to shoot ep5... but to watch it too!"

Emilia isn't the only member of the Game of Thrones family discussing "The Bells." Director Miguel Sapochnik explained why he feels "Daenerys" torched King's Landing, saying, "She feels empty. It wasn't what she thought it was. It's not enough."

Co-creator David Benioff was more surprised that viewers didn't expect this. He stated, "Ultimately, she is who she is and that's a Targaryen. She has said repeatedly throughout the show, 'I will take what is mine with fire and blood,' and in this episode, she does it."

Find out how the series ends when the finale airs on HBO this Sunday at 9 PM Eastern.

Photo: HBO


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