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The cast and creators have broken their silence.
Throughout then duration of Game of Thrones, it’s arguable that no other character has had as interesting an arc as Jaime Lannister.
He has been called Kingslayer, man without honour, a man that willingly crippled a child, and to compound matters, he’s also in an incestuous relationship with his own sister.
However, one of the main joys in the show has been watching Jaime’s evolution and his time with Brienne of Tarth has been a major reason in this change.
After sacrificing his hand to save Brienne, the time that the duo spent travelling together on the Kingsroad definitely changed them as we finally learned the horrible truth about why Jaime killed The Mad King.
Truth be told, that scene in the bathhouse remains one of the greatest moments in Game of Thrones history.
However, Cersei has always had a massive amount of control over her brother’s psyche but at the end of Season 7, we had hope that Jaime was finally going to break free from her toxic influence.
Following the meeting at the Dragonpit, Cersei reneged on her promise to send the Lannister troops north to fight alongside Jon and Daenerys against the dead. Rather than support Cersei’s treachery, Jaime disobeyed the Queen and risked his life to travel north and fight during the Battle of Winterfell.
However, Cersei doesn’t forgive easily.
In the opening episode of Season 8, we learned that the Queen hired Bronn to kill her two brothers with the same crossbow that Tyrion used to kill their father, Tywin.
Much like Arya and Gendry did, Jaime and Brienne celebrated the fact that they’re alive by having sex but just when it appeared that the Kingslayer had turned a corner for good, he’s returning to King’s Landing.
While Jaime’s decision to leave Winterfell after having sex with Brienne seems incredibly cold blooded, it’s worth noting that Bronn has also told Jaime that Cersei sent him there to kill him and Tyrion.
Yes, Jaime could have stayed in The North and enjoyed a relatively ‘easier’ lifestyle, but as he said to Brienne: “She’s hateful, and so am .I”
D.B Weiss, showrunner on Game of Thrones, had this to say about Jaime’s decision to leave Winterfell.
“I do believe that when Jaime decides to stay behind with Brienne, it’s a choice that me makes with every intention of seeing it through. When he hears what Cersei has done, I think that’s the turning point for him. At that point, Jaime really has to take a really long and uncomfortable look at who he really is.”
The image of the heartbroken, crying Brienne of Tarth was too much for some viewers to take and Gwendoline Christie was genuinely upset for her character.
In an interview with EW, she said: “I was so upset for her. I know it’s just a character and I’m an actor who’s lucky to do her job. It’s so heartbreaking. But it’s life isn’t it? Life is heartbreaking. I never assumed they would be together. I didn’t think that would happen. And now I can feel a million hearts breaking.
Throughout the course of the show, Christie’s character has consistently proven herself as one of the most noble, heroic, and ferocious fighters in Westeros.
However, Christie understands that the dynamic between Jaime and Cersei is unique.
“I have no judgment of Cersei but their relationship is dysfunctional. That’s when I went very red. I was very upset and I had to go for a walk,” she said.
The other showrunner on Game of Thrones, David Benioff, has said that while Jaime’s choice is a deliberate one, he’s also addicted to the drama that Cersei offers.
“As much as Jaime cares for Brienne and admires her and loves her, he’s almost got an addiction to Cersei that he just can’t break. Even though he’s given a chance of happiness and a different life, he can’t take it. He makes the choice to go back to Cersei.”
Again, Jaime now knows Cersei hired Bronn to kill her. Is the Kingslayer coming to the capital to gain a measure of revenge?
After all, there’s the small matter of the valonqar prophecy to deal with.
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