Emilia Clarke Riding A Pre-CGI Dragon On ‘Game Of Thrones’ Will Always Be Hilarious

It’s going to be a bummer when Game of Thrones is over. There’s no other show on TV (or HBO) like it: it’s the biggest and the most expensive, and also the most fun to talk about. There are thousands of theories about hundreds of characters, from the identity of Azor Ahai to how the show should end.

But the thing I’ll miss the most about Game of Thrones is the behind-the-scenes footage of Emilia Clarke, as Daenerys Targaryen, riding a “dragon.”

HBO recently released the latest installment in its “Inside Game of Thrones” series. This video focuses on the show’s outstanding special effects, and the incredible amount of work that goes into each and every episode. Thrones has won the Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects For a Series for a record five-straight years; the only reason it won’t win this year is because the show isn’t eligible. “We handle gas, we handle water, we handle wind, we handle smoke, we handle pyrotechnics, we handle engineering, blood, snot, you know, everything,” visual effects coordinator Sam Conway says. “Everything you could possibly imagine is our trade.” Including turning this…

…into this.

Or my personal favorite.

Three thoughts:

1. Acting is a supremely silly profession.

2. Emilia Clarke is very good at her job.

3. The entire special effects department deserves a raise.