There is little doubt that Viserys I Targaryen was one of the most compelling characters in the first season of House of the Dragon. Although the king started out by making the wrong decision, fans believe that he ultimately redeemed himself by the end of Season 1. However, Paddy Considine says that the king's fate was sealed in the premiere episode.
In the House of the Dragon premiere episode, Queen Aemma went through a difficult childbirth that led to Viserys being asked to decide on who should be saved. Sadly, the king chose his heir and Aemma was subjected to the most harrowing birth scenes in TV history.
Unfortunately, the child didn't survive, either, and Viserys was left with the guilt of having killed his own wife. According to Paddy Considine, the decision ultimately led Viserys to embrace his heartbreak and the illness that came with it as his punishment.
“She’s butchered in this process of trying to save this child,” Considine said of Aemma in Deadline's Contenders TV.
“He carries the weight of that all through his story. When he’s falling apart, he’s rotting, his eye’s missing, he’s not the one asking to be healed,” he added. “Everybody else is, but it’s so much like he’s accepted it. The burden of the crown was too much for a man with a heart like that.”
In the end, Viserys appears to get forgiveness for his sins. His last word is for Aemma, who seemed to welcome him into the afterlife.
We certainly loved Paddy Considine's performance in House of the Dragon but we're not expecting to see him again in the second season. Still, his performance in the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel was truly amazing.
House of the Dragon Season 2 has not yet been given an official release date but is expected to premiere sometime in 2024.
Related: Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin Shares More Details on Dunk & Egg Series
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