Game of Thrones type TV Show network HBO Where to watch Close Streaming Options

For Game of Thrones season 2, expect to see more of one evil twin, and slightly less of the other.

Queen Regent Cersei (Lena Headey) has more screen time this year, while her twincest counterpart Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) awaits his fate in captivity.

For Headey, this means plenty of dramatic scenes with her less-loved brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and her monstrous son, King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). “You get a real glimpse into her guilt as a mother and her fear of what she’s created,” says Headey, whose several cool tattoos get covered by makeup to play Cersei. “She’s just starting to slightly crumble and feel the reality of her world. There’s a lot of drinking … also massive denial about her son’s behavior.”

Cersei’s isolation will prompt her to confide in a very unlikely person. “There’s a moment where she absolutely shows Tyrion her true self,” she hints. “He becomes like a sort of confidante — almost — because she has nobody else.”

Expect the queen to also continue her “masochistic mentor relationship” with Joffrey’s bride-to-be, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). “She can’t help but torture her,” Headey says. “I think that’s driven by her envy. She’s just f–king mean all season.”

Adds Turner: “Sansa’s kind of suffering at the hands of Joffrey and she literally has no one this season, so you’re gonna see her grow a lot.”

Cersei’s icy heart is softened only by her dear brother Jaime, but at the start of the season he’s being held captive by Robb Stark, and dragged from one battle encampment to the next. “He is away from [his sister] and it drives him crazy,” Coster-Waldau says. “So he’s not in a happy place. He says it himself this season that he is not quite well equipped for imprisonment.”

Like his character, Coster-Waldau wasn’t too thrilled about being locked up. “As an actor, I hated it,” he says. “But it makes sense. It makes sense for the journey that Jaime’s on. [And] I have some scenes this season that are the most fun I’ve had as an actor.”

One of the interesting things about the Thrones universe is that most of the romantic relationships are initially transactional. They’re often for money or power or security. Cersei and Jaime’s relationship is twisted, but it’s one of the few couplings motivated by love despite enormous risk. “It’s ironic, but it’s true,” Coster-Waldau agrees. “All these other players are like pawns in this game that just get moved around by their families. But these two … what they have it was just too powerful too ignore.”

Jaime Lannister arguably committed the most egregious sin in the show, by trying to murder a young boy in the first episode. Yet Coster-Waldau says that scene, and Jaime’s pivotal line, helps define his character.

“I think the core of Jaime Lannister is actually that final line in the pilot when he says, ‘the things I do for love,'” he says. “He might do horrible things — and they are truly, some of them, horrific. There’s no excuses. But he does it out of what he sees as a necessity, out of love. If this kid tells the world what he’s seen, the woman I love will be killed, and the children we have will be killed. That was kind of my hook to this guy. Also, the thing that defines him, in public, is that he’s the kingslayer and has done this horrible deed. Now, again, the way he sees it, he knows things others don’t know because he was so close to the Mad King. He sees it is his proudest moment. The rest of the world doesn’t share that view. But I like that whole theme of how people perceive us vs. how we perceive ourselves and how those things aren’t necessarily the same. I think we can all relate to that.”

PREVIOUS: Our season two interviews with Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke and Jack Gleeson. Plus come back Friday morning for a new two-page Thrones interview.

Also: Check out our recaps of the first season here — and be sure to go to EW.com this Sunday night for our Thrones season 2 premiere recap. Buy EW’s Thrones cover story here.

Episode Recaps Previous The most memorable shipper moments of 2019 By Samantha Highfill

The 30 most shocking TV moments of 2019 By EW Staff

See photos of the Game of Thrones cast celebrating their last Emmys together By Tyler Aquilina

See the best Game of Thrones moments from Comic-Con 2019 By Nick Romano

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke's adorable friendship, on and off the Game of Thrones set By Tyler Aquilina

All the times Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa had a mini-Game of Thrones reunion By Tyler Aquilina

The 10 best couples on Game of Thrones (and 3 dishonorable mentions) By Tyler Aquilina

See all of EW's epic Game of Thrones covers By Jessica Derschowitz

Game of Thrones: 14 never-before-released final season photos By James Hibberd

All the Game of Thrones seasons, ranked By Darren Franich

Look back at the biggest Game of Thrones cameos By Derek Lawrence

Check out HBO's new Game of Thrones season 8 merch By EW Staff

S8 E3 Recap Game of Thrones recap of Winterfell battle: A dark, epic bloodbath By James Hibberd

See Game of Thrones stars with and without their beards By Jillian Sederholm

11 of the best Game of Thrones gifts for diehard fans By Alex Warner

S8 E1 Recap Game of Thrones season 8 premiere recap: Jon finds out By James Hibberd

Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness breaks down the best hair on Game of Thrones By Piya Sinha-Roy

25 of TV's best opening credit sequences By EW Staff

See Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner at Game of Thrones premieres through the years By Lauren Morgan

See all the stars at the Game of Thrones premiere after-party By EW Staff

See all the Game of Thrones stars at the season 8 premiere By James Hibberd

Valar morghulis: 20 Game of Thrones stars look back on their character deaths By Nick Romano

Game of Thrones storyboard artist breaks down the death of Jon Snow By Christian Holub Next