Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau says 'all the pieces fit’ in series finale
The Jamie Lannister star also promised some "shocking and surprising" moments in the fantasy drama's final season
With Bran’s time-travelling abilities, Cersei’s pregnancy, Arya’s kill list, Melisandre’s travels to Volantis, the impending arrival of the Golden Company, a possible Cleganebowl and the White Walker invasion threatening to wipe out all of Westeros, Game of Thrones season eight has a lot to wrap up.
However, we can still expect a coherent ending. That’s according to Jaime Lannister actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who recently promised “all the pieces fit” in the show’s final episode.
- Game of Thrones confirms early 2019 air date for season 8
- Game of Thrones is going to shoot “multiple” endings for final season to combat leaks
- RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox
“I read it, and I wrote [creators] Dan [DB Weiss] and David [Benioff] and said I don’t think they could have done a better job,” he told The Wrap about the upcoming series.
“I mean, when I read it — I’ve spent so many years working on this and been guessing and trying to figure out how this will end — and when I read it, some of the parts of it I’d get, and other parts of it were just completely shocking and surprising.
“And it wasn’t, there were none of those horrible — you know shows where it’s a murder mystery and at the very last minute you find out it doesn’t make sense? But here all the pieces fit into this massive jigsaw puzzle.”
Coster-Waldau also opened up about his character’s relationship with sister/lover Cersei, who Jaime discovered was planning to betray Daenerys and Jon Snow at the end of season seven.
“I think he sees her for a second the way the rest of the world sees her,” he explained. “And it shocked him and also the fact for a second she seemed as if she was ready to have the Mountain kill him — I think it broke his heart,”
He added: “His whole life has been about, ‘How can I accommodate my sister? How can I navigate this world so I can be close to her, so I can protect her?'
“And then the last couple of years, she’s been in constant danger. I mean, he’s tried his best, and he thought, I think, in season seven he finally had her complete trust and the fact that she revealed she’d made quite different plans when [Euron] Greyjoy, that Qyburn [the shifty former master] is now her closest ally. I think it shocked him.”
So, what’s in store for Jaime in season eight? Unsurprisingly he was tight-lipped about specific details in future episodes, but if all the pieces really fit then we could see the two Lannisters reunite.
And that’ll probably be tear-jerking, bloody and absolutely heartbreaking. Basically, downright fantastic TV.
Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.