A bit too low? Perhaps. But not for me. See, there’s a character that’s really unlike the book version, but the change just works. I really like the (somewhat major) changes they made to her character. Kudos to the writers on this one.
No kudos, however, to Natalie, who overplays it just a tad. Now when I saw they went with Anne Boleyn for the casting, I expected great things... which sadly didn’t pan out quite as well as I had hoped. In the books, Margaery seems to be a bit of a naive and charming lady, much like Sansa, but more likeable and smarter. After a while, you realize that she’s actually much more conniving than she lets on, but it’s still veeeeeery subtle. Here, the writers decided to make her more openly manipulative (at least to the viewers). This is TV after all – and it works.
Natalie, however, just went all out and decided to be as subtle as an evil chancellor mumbling about his evil plans to take over the kingdom for all to see. Seriously, you can replace half her lines with “I AM PROVIDING FALSE COURTESIES IN ORDER TO GAIN YOUR APPROVAL AND BECOME A QUEEN” (preferably in the hammiest tone). “Well yeah, Solf, but Sophie Turner does the same when she praises Joffrey to the skies, and nobody’s holding that against her!” Sure. But Sansa’s meant to be thoroughly unsubtle. LF tells her that everyone in King’s Landing is a better liar than her. Margaery, on the other hand, is meant to be a (somewhat) subtle charmer.
She’s not bringing that to the table, sadly. Just rewatch her very first scene, with Renly at the tournament. Look at the way she says “I’m very sorry for your loss, Lady Stark.” That’s just clearly a lie. She plainly doesn’t care. Catelyn should know that she doesn’t care. Everyone on the tourney grounds should know that she doesn’t care. Oh well. And she does it again with Joffrey in the final episode. Hell, I have an easier time believing Joffrey’s courtesies than hers, and that’s saying something! I think it would’ve been much more effective had she really seemed genuine during her first scene with Catelyn, and then later turned out to be much more manipulative during that scene alone with Renly.
Why's she higher than the other guys, though? Well, she does have some weaknesses, but when she nails a scene, she does so very convincingly. There's a reason why non-book viewers remember her character in what seems to be a pretty good way, and that's because she's doing something right.
So yeah, she’s still a great actress. Just not a good, consistent Margaery. Hopefully, she stops hamming it up next season.
Best scene: I will surprise exactly no one by humbly invoking her scene with Renly in which she suggests that Loras come in and help. In private (i.e. that and her scene with Loras and LF after Renly’s death), she’s actually much more believable.
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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore