Cersei Lannister is one of the worst human beings to have ever lived - like, ever - and yet didn't you feel something close to sympathy when she was forced to do the walk of shame in the season five finale? Yeah, you did, didn't you? Why was that, exactly? After all, there are countless reasons why audiences should hate Cersei: for one, she gave birth to that putrid sack of evil sh*t that was Joffrey; she fancies her brother; she campaigned to get Tyrion executed. Not to mention that she's always bloody scheming. Always. And whilst nobody probably "likes" her to the extent that people like her brother, she has still managed to endear herself to fans through mere exposure alone. Simply having been in her company - despicable as she is - for the sum of 50 episodes has resulted in an unexpected bond. She is a monster, but nobody wants to see her die. Not really. And for what reason? Could it be due to the love that she displays for her children, perhaps? Cersei is a terrible mother, of course, as witnessed by the way she manipulates her kids at every given moment. But that doesn't mean that Cersei doesn't love her children; they're everything to her, and most of the bad things she does are a result of ill-judged attempts to project them. Say what you want, but she would never, ever have "done a Stannis." It's this notion - of there being some "good" in Cersei, even if it's really small amount - that somehow makes her ever so slightly appealing. In a super twisted, really weird way.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
