One of the best scenes fromGame of Thrones- especially in season 1 - is a conversation between Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) that expands upon the books in a brilliant, emotional way. A lot has been said about the failings ofGame of Thrones' endingand how it got to that point, with the crucial juncture really being when it overtook George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebooks (mostly from season 6, though season 5 started the adaptation struggles).
WithThe Winds of Winterdelayed, losing the blueprint that had guided the first few seasons was a major blow. However, even as far back asGame of Thronesseason 1, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss showed they could do more than just adapt the books, but add to them as well. The talk between Robert and Cersei in episode 5, “The Wolf and the Lion,”, where they reflect upon their marriage, is a longstanding favorite of mine, and shows not only how the writers could invent things, but one element that was missing when it did overtake the books.
Robert & Cersei’s Marriage Talk Is A Perfect Game Of Thrones Scene
The Conversation Wasn’t In Martin’s First A Song Of Ice & Fire Book
Game of Thronesseason 1 is largely a faithful adaptation of Martin’s first book,A Game of Thrones, and hits the necessary key beats (the White Walkers in the cold open; Ned Stark’s shocking death in episode 9; Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons being born in episode 10, etc). There are, inevitably, some changes and omissions as well, such as:
That’s by no means exhaustive, and each change has its own impact, but it’s the addition of Robert and Cersei’s marriage talk that I always love to revisit.It’s one of the few things the show does that I really wish actually had been in the books, because it’s so good.Game of Thronesis a family drama at its heart, amid all the politics, fighting, and dragons, and this is essentially a marriage story that somehow manages to poignantly cover 17 years of hate, grief, and sadness in just a few minutes.
CERSEI: I felt something for you once, you know?
ROBERT: I know.
CERSEI: Even after we lost our first boy - for quite a while, actually. Was it ever possible for us? Was there ever a time, ever a … moment?
KING ROBERT: No. Does that make you feel better or worse?
CERSEI: It doesn’t make me feel anything.
This scene is as real as the show gets. It strips away any sense of pomp, there’s no epic scale, just two people talking about their feelings in a brutally honest, raw way. Even though it’s short, it achieves multiple things:
All of those things add a lot to the show as a whole, even just from one scene. But they’re nice extras, and fundamentally,this is a brilliantly written, superbly acted bit of drama that is incredibly human, and that’s whenThroneswas at its best.
Why Game Of Thrones Season 1 Needed Its Robert & Cersei Scene
One reason so many ofGame of Thrones' castof characters are so well-developed is because the books are told from different points-of-view, putting the reader inside their heads. In translating that to the screen, though it can’t literally do the same narrative approach, it means there’s already a lot of detail, not only in terms of what they do, butwhythey do it. However,Robert wasn’t a POV character in the only book he appeared in, and Cersei didn’t become one untilA Feast for Crows(Martin’s fourth book in the series).
Adding in this scene is, essentially, Game of Thrones inventing its own point-of-view perspective for both of these characters that it didn’t have from the source material.
Adding in this scene is, essentially,Game of Thronesinventing its own point-of-view perspective for both of these characters that it didn’t have from the source material. It adds so much depth to both of them: it’s one of the times we really see the softer, less boorish side of Robert, making him more than just the drunken king and into a much more tragic figure, burdened by the weight of the crown and destroyed by the death of the woman he loved but never truly had.
Even more importantly,it’s one of the most sympathetic and believable scenes Cersei has. She goes on to become one of the show’s most fascinating and complex characters, with more depth and humanity than in the books. She may be a villain, but a lot of the understanding of her character can be traced back to this episode and how it lays the groundwork for the truth of her character, a note that Headey played wonderfully.
Robert & Cersei’s Scene Is What Later Game Of Thrones Seasons Lost
The Show Needed More Of These Smaller Moments
Although I like the show all the way through - evenGame of Thronesseason 8-it’s undeniable the writing did lose a little something in those later years. So often, that’s attributed to the lack of books, and that is absolutely valid, but there’s also a choice to avoid moments like the one between Robert and Cersei in season 1. That isn’t from Martin, so there’s theoretically no reason for that kind of writing to disappear just because the books haven’t been written, and yet there’s not as much of it later.
Game Of Thrones: All 22 Kings And Queens Who Appeared In The Show
All the kings in Game of Thrones and the new rulers introduced in House of the Dragon show how contentious a position on the Iron Throne can be.
Season 8, episode 2, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” is the one that comes closest to feeling like the oldGame of Thrones, because it does put the focus on those character interactions. But there could have been more across the season: an extra scene with Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth, for instance; or, rather than cutting away from Tyrion Lannister wanting to hear Bran Stark’s story, actually showing it.
It’s the smaller moments, the details, that elevatedGame of Thronesto true greatness. The Robert and Cersei scene is a perfect example of how it was done, and what was lost later on as it prioritized epic spectacle instead.
Game Of Thrones
Cast
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
