(This article contains spoilers for the final season of Game of Thrones.)

Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen across all seven seasons of Game of Thrones, was set up throughout the series as a character with the potential to unite the land of Westeros--but ultimately, her character faced a far more ignoble fate. Now, in a new interview with The Sunday Times, Clarke has opened up about her feelings towards the divisive series finale.

When asked whether she expected the finale to be controversial, Clarke gives a relatively diplomatic response. "I knew how I felt when I first read it, and I tried, at every turn, not to consider too much what other people might say, but I did always consider what the fans might think — because we did it for them, and they were the ones who made us successful, so … it’s just polite, isn’t it?," she said.