‘Game of Thrones’ season 5 finale reaction: Lena Headey on infamous Walk of Atonement

The “Game of Thrones” finale clearly had many moments that are going to be talked about for some time, and while most of the attention at the moment is going to be on what happened over at Castle Black, we do want to at least spare a few moments in order to discuss something that was incredibly difficult to watch: Cersei’s Walk of Atonement. Sure, book readers knew it was coming, and even some show viewers may have given that the moment received a ton of attention when it filmed in the streets of Dubrovnik. A church even objected to it due to the nature of the content, and it had to be filmed in an alternative location.

While Lena Headey used a body double for some of the more revealing sequences, she still did have to undergo quite a bit in the filming of the scene. How does she react to all of it? While she understands that her character has done terrible things, she also states to Entertainment Weekly why it is very easy still to sympathize with the character:

“I don’t think anyone deserves that treatment … She’s been beaten and starved and humiliated. She thinks when she comes out and confesses that this is it—even when she’s on her knees [confessing to the High Sparrow], she’s partly lying. She thinks she’s good to go. She has no idea what’s coming when she walks out to the steps, or that they’re shave her hair off like Aslan.”

Now, what happens next to Cersei remains a mystery. We have not really heard yet about the state of Tommen or House Tyrell, and there are many mysteries now that will need to be uncovered. Thanks to the show catching up with the books, everything ahead is a blank slate.

If you do want some other coverage of the “Game of Thrones” finale, head over here to see what Kit Harington had to say! Also, you can sign up now to score some other TV updates on all we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: HBO.)