Cersei Lannister isn’t one to be bossed around, but the diabolical Queen surprised many “Game of Thrones” fans when she decided to give in to someone else’s demands for once during the show’s Season 8 premiere. After Euron Greyjoy made good on his promise to deliver the Iron Fleet to King’s Landing, Cersei decided to take him up on his offer to consummate their relationship. Cersei was reluctant at first, and Lena Headey told Entertainment Weekly she was also hesitant about the decision and originally disagreed with the script.
“I kept saying, ‘She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t, that she would keep fighting,’” Headey said. “But [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] obviously know what they’re doing and were adamant Cersei would do what she had to do.”
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In keeping with Cersei’s mission to survive at all costs, Headey said she ultimately came around the choice. “There’s something to play in all of it,” she said. “Cersei is such the ultimate survivor in all of this. She refuses to fall to her knees. She goes to the place where she doesn’t want to go, which makes it more powerful sad because of who she’s not with [aka Jaime].”
Pilou Asbaek, the actor who plays Euron, told EW Cersei’s decision was discussed heavily during production. “Cersei has only been with two people throughout the entire series — the fat king and her brother,” he said. “We had a lot of discussions. Would it be out of character for her to be with Greyjoy for power? We discussed it so much that we almost ended up going, ‘Maybe it’s too much.’ Then we decided to try it out and see if it works. Sometimes you have to show different sides of a character. You have to surprise yourself as an actor but you also have to surprise yourself as a character.”
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Cersei’s decision left many fans wondering what her true motives are with Euron. The villainous Greyjoy made his intentions to impregnate Cersei quite clear, although fans know Cersei became pregnant with Jamie’s baby last season. The image of Cersei drinking wine left some wondering if she suffered a miscarriage in between seasons of the show, but others believe sleeping with Euron would allow Cersei to pass off her new baby as a Greyjoy offspring and not the product of incest.
“Game of Thrones” continues its final season Sunday nights at 9pm ET on HBO.
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