The Game of Thrones ending is one of the worst television endings of all time. There’s no getting around that. At one point, Game of Thrones was one of the best TV series in the world. But in 2019, it produced an ending so bad, the fantasy series managed to erase itself from pop culture and the public consciousness completely.
It wasn’t all bad, of course — we loved seeing Sansa slay as Queen of the North. But Jon Snow killing Daenerys? Daenerys going insane? Bran taking the Iron Throne? Cersei and Jaime perishing at the last hurdle? No, we’re not a fan. But in a post on the r/FanTheories subreddit, one user has suggested that we look at the ending of Game of Thrones differently. Namely, through the point of view of one specific Game of Thrones character.
While Lena Hedley’s iteration of the character is shrewd and calculating, the Redditor pointed out that Cersei in the books is anything but. “For people who haven’t read the books, Cersei’s chapters are amazing because of just how dumb she and her thought processes were,” the user explained. He added that the writing of Game of Thrones “got real dumb towards the end,” especially with Cersei appearing to get off scot-free after blowing up the Sept of Baelor.
“But what if none of these things were true?” they asked. According to this user, everything that unfolded for the last two seasons never actually happened, and what we’re actually seeing may be Cersei telling herself a delusion in order to cope with being imprisoned and sentenced to death for her part in blowing up the Sept.
This, the Redditor explained, would explain a number of plot holes like Tyrion “stumbling and fumbling” through his alliance with Dany, his chosen queen being “incompetent” and a “crazed brutal dictator,” and the previously-formidable Tyrrells being defeated without a fight. It would also explain why Cersei dies “fighting valiantly for the Red Keep” while “Jamie abandon[s] all the principles and growth he has had recently to die romantically in her arms.”
If we’re being real, this theory is probably unlikely. But maybe, like Cersei, we want to make up an alternate narrative too to cope with the reality. And as one commenter pointed out, the fact Bran ends up as King would really be the icing of the cake in Cersei’s delusional fantasy, as it would help bring the series’ events full circle.
“Bran is the one that started all of Cersei’s problems when he found her and Jaime in episode one,” the commenter noted. “Her worst nightmare is that same boy becoming the King.”
While the end of the show is sealed, the book series’ ending is still all the play for. So who knows what will happen? While you wait for George R.R. Martin to finish the next book, we have plenty of content on the world of Westeros to keep you occupied. You can get to know the whole Game of Thrones cast, or learn more about characters like Daenerys Targaryen, the Night King, the Mad King, and all the Game of Thrones dragons.
Or, as you anticipate the House of the Dragon season 2 release date, learn more about the Targaryen family tree with our guides to Rhaenrya Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen, Aegon II Targaryen, and Alicent Hightower.