Her expression speaks volumes.

Emilia Clarke was one of the cornerstones of Game of Thrones. Her character, Daenerys Targaryen, was one of the show’s central figures, and the role catapulted the actress to stardom. While her work was praised, the final season of the HBO show was poorly received by fans, with many feeling like the fantasy show had lost direction.

Since then, Clarke has been asked how she personally felt about the ending. While she didn’t go into specifics about her character’s final on-screen moments, her face should’ve been a warning sign for the last season.

It should be no surprise that several years after the conclusion of GoT, fans are still referencing the incredibly polarizing ending. One of the ways in which they’ve done is is by using memes or actual clips from the show or from its stars. The latter came into play just recently. An Instagram user recently took to the platform to share a clip of Emilia Clarke, from the time she attended the annual HBO Emmys party. While there, she was asked by ET about filming her last scenes with the show and if she was happy about how the show ended.

This was, of course, months before fans formed their negative opinions on the last season and ahead of the actress being able to be candid about her Daenerys’ ending. Yet Thrones fans probably should’ve been weary, as the actress visibly cringes when she’s asked about the show. Her expression speaks volumes, and you can check out the moment for yourself below:

Yikes. While she may have been nervous about dropping spoilers, you can’t help but get the feeling that she knew the season wasn’t going to be what the fans wanted. It goes without saying that it was controversial, as many unhappy with the winner of the Throne. There were also complaints over how the writers wrapped up many character arcs. For context, Emilia Clarke’s Targaryen descends into madness, causing destruction while on a murderous rampage. She is killed by her nephew, Jon Snow to prevent more damage. Her villainous turn was a departure from her characterization for most of the series, and many felt like her ending was rushed.

The Solo actress has opened up about the controversial finale in the years following. She wasn’t the biggest fan of Daenerys’ fate, especially considering Jon Snow essentially got away with murder. She also has stated that she would go back and change her death scene if she could. However, when it comes to the series as a whole, she has expressed that she’s content with the show ending when it did and that she has all of the memories from shooting the fantasy series with her castmates. The actress has gone on to have quite the career as well, with the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises among her credits. So she’s probably very grateful for the opportunities she’s gotten as a result of Thrones.

While fans and some of the cast may not be thrilled with the GoT ending, there’s still hope for some closure on that front. The series was adapted from the book series by George R.R. Martin, and the first four seasons of the show correspond with Martin’s written material. The author has been working on the next GoT novel The Winds of Winter for many years and didn’t complete the novel fast enough for the show to adapt it. Therefore, the television writers came up with canon show material on their own. Maybe when The Winds of Winter finally hits bookshelves, fans and Emilia Clarke will finally get the Daenerys Targaryen ending they desire — one that doesn’t make them visibly cringe.

Game of Thrones is currently available to stream with a Max subscription. Emilia Clarke fans can also check out the actress’s new MCU series, Secret Invasion, which is now streaming for Disney+ subscribers. For more information on other shows heading to the small screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 TV schedule.