Jason Momoa gave his most frank thoughts on the Game of Thrones series finale in a recent YouTube video, but it would have been easy to miss. In September, the actor posted a compilation of behind-the-scenes clips from the making of Dune, which he was apparently shooting in the spring of 2019. Just before entering an intense battle, he sent some love to Daenerys Targaryen.
“So, I just saw the season finale of Game of Thrones last night,” Momoa told his personal cameraman between takes. He looked close to snarling in anger as he said: “this fight’s for you, Khaleesi.” With that, he brought all his fury to bear in a high-tech sword fight that would have made Khal Drogo proud. For those unaware, Momoa plays the hardened warrior Duncan Idaho in the epic sci-fantasy adaptation, which comes out this month in theaters and on HBO Max.
It’s no surprise that Momoa would still feel some loyalty towards Danaerys (Emilia Clarke) at the end of Game of Thrones. He played her husband, Khal Drogo, in the first season, and the role helped to make him a household name. He and Clarke then remained close and continued to make public appearances together over the years.
For those that don’t recall or “kind of forgot,” the conclusion of Danaerys’ storyline was probably the most controversial part of the Game of Thrones finale among fans. After a long and difficult road of ruling with compassion and freeing slaves across the world, the Khaleesi turned evil in the very end – a move that many regarded as out of character and nonsensical. She was then betrayed and murdered by an ally “for the good of the realm,” to fans’ dismay.
This is also the aspect of the show that has generated the most discussion and theorizing online among fans who are expecting a different ending in George R.R. Martin’s books. Fans know that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were working from a vague outline from Martin, but the route he takes to some of those conclusions will be very different – if he even ends in all the same places. If Danaerys does indeed die in the end of the books, fans expect it to involve much more magic and anticipate it as an act of self-sacrifice, not vengeance.
In the meantime, the crossover between Game of Thrones fans and Dune fans is considerable, so most are preoccupied with the fight that Momoa was teasing in his new video. Dune premieres on Friday, Oct. 22, in theaters and on HBO Max.
