Over its eight seasons, Game of Thrones delivered plenty of unforgettable moments. The Rains of Castamere shocked non-book readers, while Viserion’s transformation into the Night King’s weapon in Beyond the Wall (Season 7) was just as heartbreaking.
However, one thing the series consistently nailed was its season finales. Arguably the most impactful—aside from the series finale—was Season 6’s The Winds of Winter. Named after the long-awaited book we may never see, this episode was, quite literally, explosive.
While many stories unfolded across Westeros, the focus in King’s Landing was on Cersei Lannister’s (Lena Headey) impending trial at the Great Sept. Packed with devout followers, septas, septons, lords, and ladies, two key figures were notably absent—Cersei and her son, Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman).
Advertisement In an instant, the massive structure was reduced to rubble as wildfire hidden beneath it ignited, incinerating everyone inside. Yet, the tragedy might have been avoided if the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) had listened to Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer).
During her appearance on Collider’s Ladies Night with Perri Nemiroff to discuss her upcoming psychological thriller, The Wasp, Dormer shared that while her character’s death was traumatic, she ultimately felt “vindicated” by the time the credits rolled.
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Having played Margaery since Season 2, Dormer had mixed feelings when she received the script for her character’s brutal final moments. However, advice from a mentor helped her come to terms with it.
I was frustrated that she went that way, but then she was frustrated in the scene. And I was once told by a much older actor, ‘Don’t get confused. If you’re feeling something, always check yourself that it’s not just that your character is feeling it, and, via osmosis, it’s seeping into you.’ Because if you play something, your body doesn’t know any different, and if you’re playing something repetitively, as you obviously have to do on a shoot, sometimes that emotion can seep into you.
Fans will recall that Margaery endured plenty of hardship throughout her time navigating the chaotic power struggles of Westeros, especially as Joffrey Baratheon’s (Jack Gleeson) fiancée. Hoping for some sort of payoff for all her character’s suffering, Dormer shared,
So, of course, she deserved better. I wanted more for her, but she’s so frustrated in that moment with the Sparrow, with Jonathan [Pryce], and so that’s part of it. That’s how you know you’re doing it right, because you’re like, ‘I just need someone to listen to me a little bit more.’ She was vindicated in the end. It’s just a couple of sentences, but it’s all that needed to be said. She was vindicated, and I felt like I could let her go in that moment because I was like, ‘She said it, man.’
Check out Dormer’s full episode of Collider Ladies Night below. Once you’re done, you can stream all eight seasons of Game of Thrones now on Max.