Emilia Clarke talks to Entertainment Weekly in a new interview about what we can look forward to for Daenerys. The actress who brings the khaleesi to life shares what it’s like returning to “square one” with the Dothraki in season 6, and discusses the controversial role of women on Game of Thrones.
In season 6, after flying away on Drogon and landing smack in the middle of a Dothraki khalasar, Daenerys is “back to square one, feeling like a slave – simply for being a woman!”, Clarke says.
On her big season-ending moment, the actress says, “It was lovely because you got that sweet-and-sour of riding off into the distance at last – and then it’s like: ‘Where the f— am I?’ This season it feels like she’s learning the last lesson she needs to learn. She’s not being swayed by anyone. She knows what’s-what. There’s just few remnants of being a human being that she’s shaking off.”
It’ll be a difficult road with this new group of Dothraki warriors, however. “This is not the khalasar that she conquered,” Clarke tells EW. “She knows all too well that getting on the wrong side of the Dothraki is not what you want to be doing. But on the same breath she’s kind of a Dothraki at heart because that’s where she learned her strength. Not just that she’s fireproof and gave birth to dragons, but her strength as a woman.”
Game of Thrones has occasionally been the focus on controversy due to scenes involving women. Clarke isn’t bothered by the show’s depictions, and reports disliking how the scenes are taken out of context.
She applauds the show’s portrayal of women “in so many different stages of development. There are women depicted as sexual tools, women who have zero rights, women who are queens but only to a man, and then there are women who are literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine. So it pains me to hear people taking Thrones out of context with anti-feminist spin – because you can’t do that about this show. It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength.”
For more of Clarke’s thoughts, read the complete interview at Entertainment Weekly!
Hodor?
RE: Being back at square one – I hope this is a good season for her tbh. I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say that I prefered her Khaleesi seasons to the Meeren seasons.
The only pictures they show of Dany is her as a prisoner, which I’m guessing doesn’t last more than a couple of episodes (at least, I hope that’s the case). Can one assume she has some serious spoiler-y stuff later that they’re keeping under wraps?
hodor?
Targaryens are NOT fireproof.
After reading that interview, I was already ready for people arguing about (some have showed up already a day or 2 ago):
1. Dany going mad because of this quote: “There’s just few remnants of being a human being that she’s shaking off.”
2. Arguing whether Dany is fireproof or not.
Judibatt,
Of course they are not.
Only Dany is.
Mihnea,
Well not according to GRRM. That being said, it might be so in the show, I suppose. Although that’d defeat the entire purpose of the Mirri Maz Duur blood magic and the result of that. We’ll have to wait and see if this is a significant show change or not, I guess.
Judibatt,
Dany pretty clearly is in the show. You’d have to ignore a lot of season 1 to say otherwise.
I’m sure Dany will be fine. It’s clear where her arc is going.
Obligatory “Targaryens aren’t fireproof and neither is Dany” comment.
Kargaryen,
I believe Dany is fireproof but I’ll wait until further information is provided. Alltaugh this Clarke herself saying this only makes me even more confident.
Dany is heat resistant, this no one can argue. She entered scolding water without feeling anything. She held the dragon eggs without flinching, when they burned someone else’s hands.
I’m really glad that Emilia has enough influence now that she no longer has to nude or sex scenes in the show.
I know Dany isn’t fireproof in the books but what’s the logic for her being fireproof on the show?
lp,
Like I said, i’ll wait until more information is provided, to make a definitive affirmation.
I don’t really care what the books say. I no longer care.
That said, I don’t think this defeats MMD’s purpose. I think she was a sacrifice needed to wake the dragons. She, Drogo and Rhaego.
Ross Doherty,
That she didn’t burn….?
That the burning eggs didn’t burn her hands?
That the scolding water didn’t faze her at all?
I’m not entering this dabate tough. I think she truly is HEAT resistant and will wait for further evidance to see if she is fireproof as well.
The discussion about the role of women on Game of Thrones is so tiring and boring at this point. Will it ever stop?
I’m really excited about seeing the Dothraki again! Rewatching season 1 for the momorial lane reminded me of how much fun they are.
Mihnea,
With the leaks we have from S6 I think that we can say that
Mihnea,
I’m aware. But Aemon Targaryen burned when his body was burned, Viserys burned when they pored the molten gold over his head and Jon was burned when the wight attacked Jeor Mormont in season 1. Why does Dany specifically have an immunity to fire and heat on the show?
mau,
In the show, is all that matters to me now.
But I’ll wait until we see it live on screen.
Ross Doherty,
Did you read what I said?
Targaryons are NOT fireproof!
Only Dany is.
As why Dany doesn’t burn? I believe she is azhor ahai/the one that was promised and her dragons are lightbringer.
Mihnea,
Yes. And I’d like to know why that’s the case. No need to get testy over something fictional.
Ross Doherty,
Sorry if it read that way!
I’m just a bit bothered when people bring other Targaryan’s as ”proof” when I clearly said they aren’t fireproof.
Again sorry if it came across as mean or rude!
Edited my comment to say why I think Dany in particular is fireproof.
Also realize I misspelled Targaryan, lol!
Ross Doherty,
Why does there have to be a reason? Is there any reason that Bran is a greenseer?
Yeah guys remember the giant Dothraki temple being built for the show (Season 6) and then the pyrotechnics team burning it down? Thats probably where Drogon saves Daenerys, and she will walk out of the temple unburnt and gets the Dothraki’s respect.
Ross Doherty,
More special than all the other special snowflakes on the show, I guess….
Real talk: they didn’t really make that clear.
Baenerys,
That’s my guess.
Also maybe you should use spoilers there.
I wonder were where these people when there were theories on how Jon will rise from ashes and tyrion will survive a dragon fire ..
Flayed Potatoes,
Or Bran being a greenseer. Or Jon being a prince’s son…. Or Arya meeting a faceless man, or Tyrion surviving 2 battles, in the books. Or Stannis being azhor ahai.
This ”special snowflake” argument really doesn’t stand with me.
All main characters are in one way or another special snowflakes, if they where not we wouldn’t have a story.
Judibatt,
i don’t think that’s the case with her in the series (we know for sure that targaryens aren’t fireproof in the books only)
“It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength.”
For what it’s worth, it shows a wide range of situations for men too, not that anyone cares!
I hope this means Daenerys finally means business, and earns Drogon’s loyalty and trust. Enough with this dilly dallying. Leave governing to people like Tyrion, look at the big picture.
YES! Very important point to remember. I am sure Rhaegar was not fireproof, for example. Daenerys in the show IS fireproof, and it’s not because she is a Targaryen!
Because Dany is Dany, not Aemon, Viserys, Jon, Aerys, Rhaegar, whoever! Why is Bran a greenseer and every single person who has ever been a Stark?
Ross Doherty,
Beats me?
It’s rather clear why in the books, and I thought rather clear here on the show too since they followed what happened in the books. But if now they’re about to make this significant change…well then I have no answer why she’s suddenly fireproof at all times. Special hollywood plot armor I guess.
Yep, I don’t think there will be much discussion or debate about that after this year, regardless of what happens in the books. I do think it’s a Danny specific thing, though, not a Targaryen thing. (In the show, at least.)
Kay,
Why people feel the need to bring other Targaryan’s as ”evidence” that she isn’t fireproof, when most of us clearly admit that they are not, is beyond me.
Ross Doherty,
Why died bran is the only one that can warg hodor a human being …
Similar to that dany being AAR /TpTWP makes her fireproof …she is not ordinary targaryen .
First men’s blood, Starks marrying Wildlings (there were 2 wargs mentioned on the show and by the looks of it that type of magic is more common there). It’s also why all the Stark kids are wargs (at least in the books…we’ll see if the show does something with that in the future). Jojen has (well…had) the sight as well (I believe Crannogmen mixed with the Children of the Forest).
I think a better question would be why Bloodraven is a greenseer because I don’t think he has First Men’s blood. I don’t remember if we got an answer to that, but hopefully we will.
Of course they’re all special snowflakes, otherwise we wouldn’t have them as central characters :P. I’m not arguing against that.
dragonbringer,
Its because dany is a girl.
Dany is quite clearly fireproof on the show. You can’t walk into a blazing funeral pyre and emerge the next morning without a single mark (even her hair survived) and still be considered susceptible to fire. They gave us the two hints of her invulnerability leading up to that scene, and now it’s obviously canon. That wasn’t some weird side-effect of sacrificing the maegi.
Now then, I’d listen to arguments that she is susceptible to dehydration, because I think that was made clear in season 2, but mortal weaknesses to lacking water and a mystical inability to sustain burns are two different things.
Plus the blood magic thingy, maybe the effect never wore off even after the fire in the pyre went out…
mau,
Yes pleaaaaaaaaase, make it stop already..
lp,
It wasn’t clear in the books. Trust me. I’m part of this fandom since 2004-2005 and until goerge said she isn’t in the books, there where planty of debates on this.
As to why I think she is in the show? Is because there where more scenes showing this in season 1. The dragon eggs scene and the bath scene. That is why I say she is definetly heat resistant and no one can argue this.
For her being fireproof I will wait for more information.
I already made a comment on this ”special snowflake” arguement so I won’t adress it again here.
I don’t remember. Did we ever get an answer as to why Bloodraven is a greenseer in the books? I don’t think he is blood of the First Men, so I’m intrigued. Does anyone know?
Also, is Bloodraven fireproof?
George,
Mihnea,
I think the fireproof nature of SHOW Daenerys will not be questioned once Season 6 has aired; I have a feeling there will be a scene or two to emphasize that. When Mirri Maz Duur will not be around as well. 😀 Just Daenerys and Drogon.
I still dont think that is a fact on the show. They have a lot inconsistencies on the show, at one point she will probalby get burned just like everyone else.
George,
Hmm this is a interesting idea! It’s definetly worth a taught.
I still think that her being AA/TOTWP is the reason, but this is a really interesting idea!
‘Cause there’s greenseer blood mixed in the Stark bloodline and it occasionally resurfaces every other generation or so?
taim,
we will see. I doubt this, but we will see. This is exactly why I said that I’ll wait more until I say for sure she is fireproof.
But I don’t think you can argue she is not, at least, heat resistant.
Dany in the show is fireproof. Emilia flat out says so in this interview. Maybe if you wanted it to be like in the books, you could argue that she only has a natural heat resistance, and is only fireproof when she is around her dragons. But I think it is clear that they want her to be completely immune to fire in the show.
Mihnea,
George already said Dany is not immune to fire in the books. The event on the pyre was an exception, a magical thing: https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/1eeaxs/spoilers_all_clearing_up_a_common_misconception/
Dany also burns herself at the end of ADWD in the pit.
In the show, they’re going with immune it seems, but that’s not the case in the books. 🙂
In a word, yes.
Flayed Potatoes,
I don’t recall any of this. Would be wrong to say this isn’t firmly established, and is mostly based off a couple of lines throughout the series?
Mihnea,
It was clear in the books right away. All her hair burned off. Besides that, while she bathed in hot water in the books, her hand maidens cleaned and washed her in the book scene. Meaning it certainly didn’t burn them. And George answered the question in 1998 and again in 1999. So when you entered the fandom in 2004-05 the people debating in these “plenty of debates” during that time must have missed his answer.
By the way I’m not arguing at all that this is a possible show change. It’s clear it is.
I’m really looking forward to Dany’s story this year. I like that she has to sort things out on her own this time. I wasn’t a huge fan of her Meereen storyline. Tyrion in Meereen seems more interesting. Can’t wait to see what happens!
Flayed Potatoes,
IIRC his mother is of house blackwood and they are descendants of the first men and came from the north so i think that’s why
http://puu.sh/nUQsC/738e645843.jpg erhm… what the heck is happening here
Mihnea,
Where is it stated original Azor Ahai was fireproof?
Some special snowflakes are more special than other special snowflakes. Adding to Dany’s ‘specialness’ is the thickest plot armour of them all.
Flayed Potatoes,
Did I say anything else?
Yes she isn’t in the books. I agree on that completely. Never argued anything else.
mau,
Uh guys… what in the holy hell is that shot of what looks like the silhouette of the Night’s King in front of a wall of fire? Did we miss that when we were looking at this promo before? (It might not be the Night’s King… but it looks like the Night’s King to me). It’s at 21 seconds into the short trailer.
ETA: tkk beat me to it! But yes, that’s the screencap.
Grrrr, more feminism rubbish. So many women characters of “diverse” backgrounds and life experiences yet here they are in a pseudo medieval man world kicking arse and surviving with their own various skills.Not to mention life isn’t exactly a feather bed for the guys depicted. Absolutely nothing for SJWs to complain about yet they will. Oh yes, they will.
mau,
At 0:17 in the video, we can see a cavalry charge from up close. I can’t 100% tell what the banners are, but I think the far away one is Stark, and the close one (upper left corner, rolled around the staff/spear) is orange with something spiky-looking. A Hornwood banner?
There’s one more to the far right, but I can’t see anything…
lp,
I agree she is not in the books. Never argued this.
I only argue this is true in the show. The only place I care about.
Jenny,
ASOIAF Wiki says Blackwood is a noble house in the Riverlands.
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Blackwood
tkk,
Bloodraven’s cave?
mau,
Thank you! 🙂
Drogon! The Night King! Wun wun! 😀
phantomstrife,
Mate we argued this on another thread. We will never agree on this subject.
Let’s just wait until we have a definitive answer.
If she burns, you are right!
If she doesn’t, I am right!
Mihnea,
I misunderstood your comment, so I thought you did.
tkk,
Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great find Mau!
kit_hepburn,
Yeah i just saw that! It wasn’t in the trailers during the basketball game, but in the actual one HBO just released. WTF?????
My idea, which tries to reconcile both books and show, is that all Targaryens are naturally resistant to fire (not immune) to varying degrees depending on how much “blood of the Dragon” is in their genome (presumably a characteristic brought over from the gene pool in Old Valyria). AND that Danny is even more so because of the fact that she’s AA (or at least a half or a third of AA if they are multiple people, LOL) AND because of the blood magic thingy…
Agree. There’s dozens of female characters in the show. Some are victims, some leaders, some are strong, some weak, some heroic. Having them be all one stripe would just be bad storytelling.
They expand on warging, the sight, magic (and all that jazz) in the Histories and Lore videos too, so it’s established I would say.
mau,
Thanks for the higher quality. First time I’m seeing it!
It definitely looks like NK!!! Oh my! Something is burning and NK is watching it burn. So… Castle Black is burnt to the ground and that’s how NK’s troop get south? Or as more wiser others suggest, could be BR’s cave set on fire!
Kay,
Castle black or maybe even the wall
I doubt the Night King uses fire to accomplish his goals.
LOL. What the F___ is that? Is that from the new promo??
George,
Looks like the official HBO version has more shots.
This was definetly not in the TV ad.
Perhaps that’s why it took them so long to release it.
Baenerys,
We see roots. I think it is Blooraven’s cave.
Yes, you are right of course! Fire is poison to him. So is NK blocked by this fire? Perhaps BR sets fire to something to halt NK’s march southwards….
mau,
That is possible. In the video they released earlier it did show a WW in a place with many roots, that did look like BR’s cave.
Flayed Potatoes,
yes but it aslo says they are descended of the First Men and used to live in the north and i think they still pray to the old gods considering their banner is a weirwood
Kay,
It’s odd though – in the clip it looks like he’s walking towards it.
And do we know that regular fire stops WW specifically? I thought it was just wights.
Could be! Oh boy, this is gonna be good….
tkk,
Someone is trying to protect something from the NK with a wall of fire… fails?
Jenny,
Oh true. The seed is strong, considering they no longer live there.
during hardhome it looked like whitewakers arent affected by fire, so far the only thing that we know of that can destroy them is Valyrian steel. wights on the other hand seem to hate fire.
I can’t say for sure.
But I don’t think Tyrion’s the one who say’s:”Are you afraid? You should be”
kit_hepburn,
The WW Jon kills in ‘Hardhome’ walks through fire, almost quenching it as he passes through.
During Hardhome we saw how that WW Jon Killed walked through the fire and it didn’t do anything to him. I’m thinking common fire can’t hurt them. Dragon fire though… I’m pretty sure it does.
Yes, but they were originally from the North.
kit_hepburn,
Yes, you are right. I forgot the WW’s immunity to ordinary fire at Hardhome. (I suspect that it’s dragonfire they can’t stand up to! and we’ll find out at the end).
taim,
Right! I forgot.
But what if it’s BR and the CotFs who set up a special fire; they didn’t have that at Hardhome.
The first promo that we saw had the shot of Yara and the exotic woman kissing, this promo substitutes that image for the Night’s King shadow and the wall of flames…
I wonder if there are other versions of this promo, aside from these two???
Kargaryen,
What works on them so far..
Dragon glass
Dragon steel
What’s the common thing here which they will be vulnerable to
So the Night’s King maybe in Bloodraven’s cave and he will kill BR while Bran and co. escape from there and maybe Coldhands coming now in the show?
Talking about this:
http://i.imgur.com/haSFhew.png
KaKa,
So that means no sex scenes for Jon and Daenerys. I would be cool with it. Daeny is fireproof unlikey books to make her even more special? Anyway we should add another title to ever growing list of them. Khal of Khals if things go smoothly. But funny how things looks so different for Jon and Daeny. One gaining all the armies and other getting his ass kicked by Boltons with small army. Maybe saved by Vale. while Daeny while be triumphant wth Dothraki and to end Meereen arc.
Flayed Potatoes,
Bloodraven’s mother was a Blackwood. Blackwood’s are a First Men House. That’s where Bloodraven gets it.
I haven’t been paying to attention to specific Dany spoilers, but I guess she’s gonna gain a Khalasar. When will white women leading and ‘saving’ nondescript and exoticized brown people end though?
(That’s a rhetorical question. I hope the khalasar is less othered this time around, but I’m not holding my breath.)
Geralt of Rivia,
I dont think Jon’s army will be that small. Many nothern houses will joy him plus he’ll have thousands of Wildlings who might do the same.
Blanche Holstein,
mau,
please don’t call feminism “rubbish” or act like it’s not an important thing to talk about.
personally i think that women are very well-represented on GOT and that’s a big reason why i like watching it (i.e. i like GOT more than other shows *because* it’s feminist). with that said, it’s not perfect. healthy criticism doesn’t mean that a show is bad, just that there’s room for improvement, so idk why people get so defensive/unwilling to listen to criticisms about race/gender representations (as opposed to literally any other kind of critique).
i agree with emilia and some other comments that it’s great to see women in so many different stages of development or who are strong in different ways. it gives a very real-world sort of feeling imo
Jenny,
Bloodraven, like a certain Stark/Targ, is of the blood of Old Valyria AND of the First Men (Targ and Blackwood, or Bracken, idk). With his albinism, he’s like Ghost and those creepy giant white ravens that signal the changing of a season.
Jenny,
Bloodraven, like a certain Stark/Targ, is of the blood of Old Valyria AND of the First Men (Targ and Blackwood, or Bracken, idk). With his albinism, he’s like Ghost and those creepy giant white ravens that signal the changing of a season.
Reader By Night,
Dany is pretty much Targ/Blackwood too. So if she ends up with special abilities like Bloodraven, it’s highly likely due to her Blackwood blood.
Kargaryen,
Wildlings will be pretty decimated after the battle and Umbers, Karstarks, Boltons done. Large part of North army is gone after season 6. Vale and what’s left of Stark forces. Not much and not even close to what Daeny will have.
Eh, who gives a shit? Women this, women that. I’m not a misogynist or anything but the constant focus on “GIRL POWER F-YEAH!” is getting kind of old.
Inb4 Sue’s head explodes.
On Dany being “back to square one, feeling like a slave – simply for being a woman!” I fear to contemplate what would have happened to a man the Dothraki happened to run into.
On “women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength,” huh?
On Dany and the Dothraki: “she’s kind of a Dothraki at heart because that’s where she learned her strength. Not just that she’s fireproof and gave birth to dragons, but her strength as a woman.” Interesting that she believes her character is fireproof. Maybe the show’s Dany is extra magical, then maybe Clarke got it wrong.
Maria,
Show Dany is very obviously fireproof. Season 1 showed that more than once. And rumors for season 6 indicate that we’ll see more of that fireproof ability. We already have the trailer with Dany’s hand touching the hot brazier.
To go forward you must go back…
The problem isn’t so much the female nudity as the fact there isn’t an equal amount of male nudity.
B,
Yeah, what was up with Jon’s only sex scene where Ygritte disrobes (It was nice they weren’t gratuitous here though) but Jon gets minimum exposure? It didn’t have to be anything explicit but they could have had him take his shirt off before all was said and done right? 🙂
ygritte,
Kit had a broken leg. he was drunk climbing through window just befoe shooting and D&D were pissed. If it wasn’t for this he’ll do it.
There is actually almost an equal amount of male and female main cast members who have shown nudity on GOT. Maybe even more males. I haven’t counted in a while but it was just about even.
El-Bobbie,
To some extent, so is the novel Dany. GRRM says that she is not immune to fire, but she has heat immunity most people don’t:
In the House of the Undying and Draznak’s Pit, she shows some immunity to Drogon’s fire. It’s the same in the show, I think–she can touch the very hot eggs etc., but she can’t just walk into a fire and survive, not more than once, I think.
Hm… considering certain filming reports from season six, I think she may prove she can do exactly that again: walk into a fire and survive.
Mihnea,
Why does everybody spell though as tough?
It’s mind boggling i
Luka Nieto,
Wouldn’t a big, nasty dragon landing next to her and giving her puppy kisses be enough?
Will be interesting to see how it goes
For her, Cersei, Marge, QoT, Sansa and Arya
Ultimately though ASOIF and the show are about exploring power, with all its dimensions, eg between Nobility, Religion, Merchant Classes, Ethnicity, Trueborns vs Bastards etc and of course gender
Ultimately as far as women goes there’s the matter that understanding that women can be as competent or incompetent as men, or go through development challenges and make mistakes etc just as much. Of course the difference lies in how this is articulated, eg different for men and women
Tbf as well, picking up Alfie Allens quotes, people can go on about Khaleesi being “back to square one” as she has to become a Crone in Vaes Dothrak according to their customs but arguably the same may be said of Theon who is perhaps set to be “rejected by his father ala S2” again as he “can’t further the line” which of course opens up a good male/female debate regarding Yara/Euron which would have been nice to have a Dornish counterpart regarding Arianne and Trystane as a contrast but oh well