"Game of Thrones" documentary reveals Kit Harington's emotional reaction to Daenerys Targaryen's fate
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
A week after the series finale of HBO's epic drama "Game of Thrones," the network released its nearly two-hour documentary. "The Last Watch" centered around the making of the show's eighth and final season. While many behind-the-scenes moments were shared, one scene stuck out to many fans: The cast's final table read of the script.
The cast members were emailed the scripts a couple days earlier, but Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow, chose not to discover how his beloved character's story ended before the table read. "I walked in saying, 'Don't tell me, I don't want to know,'" Harington told Entertainment Weekly. "What's the point of reading it to myself in my own head when I can listen to people do it and find out with my friends?"
Jon Snow knew nothing before the cast got together — and his reactions to one of the series' most shocking deaths was captured on film.
After Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, levels King's Landing with her last remaining dragon Drogon in the penultimate episode, her lover Jon Snow stabs her mid-embrace in the destroyed throne room in the finale. Some of his reaction was captured in the documentary's trailer, released earlier this month, but fans were able to see just what he was actually reacting to in the full piece.
As co-executive producer Bryan Cogman dramatically set the scene for the death during the read, Harington began to look concerned. "Standing before the Iron Throne, Dany steps forward and kisses the man she loves," Cogman said. "A perfect kiss. Their eyes closed, his hand behind her head, her hand on his cheek."
Harington, staring at the script, looked shocked as he realized what was about to happen in the scene. "Dany's eyes open suddenly as she draws a sharp breath," Cogman continued. "Jon's eyes open, as well, already filling with tears."
Harington then put his hands on his head and as Cogman said Snow "lodged" the dagger in in Dany's heart, the actor reeled back in his chair and appeared to get emotional. Not only does the documentary capture his reaction, but Clarke's as well while she watched her colleague across the table. Clarke knowingly nodded and eventually made an awkward face and slinked down in her chair.
But, Harington wasn't the only cast member to become emotional at the table read. When it was read that Maisie Williams' Arya Stark successfully takes down the Night King, nearly every single person at the table cheered triumphantly. And, as the producer said, "end of 'Game of Thrones'" at the conclusion of the script, many of the actors and production staff appeared to be crying as they clapped and hugged each other.
In addition to the table read, the documentary revealed other incredible moments for fans — including Emilia Clarke's final scene for the show, the painstaking work behind the characters's makeup and hair, and a look into the grueling night shoots many endured to produce the Battle of Winterfell.
British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay directed "Game of Thrones: The Last Watch," and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss executive produced it.