'Game of Thrones' season 8 episode 5 sees the Valonquar prophecy take shape, but Cersei surprises us all

Cersei Lannister's humane side surfaces at the sight of her brother and we see her for once, without all the layers of calculation and scheming that she buries herself in.
UPDATED MAY 13, 2019

Spoilers ahead for 'Game of Thrones' season 8 episode 5...

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) had told Ned Stark (Sean Bean) in season 1 that you either play the Game of Thrones or you die. She played, and the cards that she was dealt with brought her and Jaime together, if only in death. One of the most debated and discussed topics on 'Game of Thrones' fan forums in how Cersei will meet her end. The most expected was that she would be betrayed by her brother, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). According to the prophecy that Cersei heard when she was young, her end was expected to brought upon by a younger brother of hers. The prophecy of Valonquar had Cersei believe that Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) would be the one to kill her in the end. There were also theories that Arya would kill Jaime and use his face to kill Cersei, but none of them were right as Jaime and Cersei held each other until death did them part. 

Cersei Lannister and Jaime Lannister in season 7 of 'Game of Thrones'. (Source: HBO)

The episode also saw Cersei thaw slowly. She no longer seemed like the cold-hearted queen who was only interested in keeping the power and not bothered with the affairs of her state. Until the bell rang at the Red Keep, she was sure that her men would fight till their last breath to save their keep. But the more she sees Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Drogon wreak havoc, the more her resolve weakens. There is a single teardrop that falls from her eyes - as she realizes that finally, she has been beaten - by someone young and beautiful as the prophecy had said. This moment humanizes Cersei unlike anything before and that is including the times when she dealt with the death of her children.

Furthermore, when Cersei sees Jaime, she realizes that she wants her baby to live. She realizes that she wants Jaime's baby to live and begs him to not let her die. In the final moments before everything comes crashing down literally, Jaime, the only one who she ever loved holds her and tells her that all that matters is the two of them. While many had expected Jaime to betray Cersei, he had always loved her. While he intended to escape from the Red Keep with Tyrion's help, things did not go as planned. That did not mean that the two had to be desperate in the end. Just as Jaime had told Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), one cannot choose who they love and love he does. 

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RELATED TOPICS GAME OF THRONES (2011)

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