Entertainment

'Game Of Thrones' Star Peter Dinklage Discusses How Women Run The Show At Dragonstone

by Ani Bundel
HBO

While this week's episode of Game of Thrones spent time with all of the Starks and checked in with the Lannisters, the biggest chunk of time was given over to Team Targaryen. Dany's crew had not one, but two extended scenes around Dragonstone's famous Chamber of the Painted Table while she planned her conquest of Westeros because, as Peter Dinklage put it, women are running Dragonstone. 

While the first of these extended scenes focused more on Dany's fitness for running a country as judged by Varys, the second was more dynamic, as the show found itself running a very different sort of War Room than it did in the first early seasons. Gone were the white men who one could only tell apart via their differing styles of facial hair. This was a war being planned by a room full of powerful women and the eunuchs (and one dwarf) who served them.

Peter Dinklage found the scene remarkable. So much so that he leads with it in this behind the scenes video where he discusses filming it. Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys, and Indira Varma, who plays Ellaria Sand, also consider how different a scene it is.

They're not the only one who found this situation to be a fun one to play. In the full length "Inside The Episode" segment, Dan Weiss said he didn't even realize they set themselves up for this until they got there. Writing it was apparently a blast.

(Relevant part starts at the 5:18 mark.)

Also, cause for comment by everyone: The scene where Olenna and Daenerys sit down for the one-on-one. It was a moment we've been waiting for ever since these two powerful women were introduced to the series. Olenna Tyrell is a survivor -- the last of her family, and the oldest surviving player by several decades of the Great Game of Houses that has been happening all of her life. That's not an accident. That's because she's that damn good a player.

This may be the only time Daenerys gets to sit down with Olenna and absorb the wisdom that Margaery had years to learn. (And she still flew too close to the flame when it became her time to take the stage.) Let's hope that the Queen of Thorns' words "Be A Dragon" never stop ringing in her ears.