Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 8: Lord of the Tides AheadHouse of the Dragon follows in Game of Thrones’ footsteps, featuring heartbreaking episodes with Emmy-winning performances by the entire cast. The eighth episode of the season, titled Lord of the Tidesfocused on Paddy Considine’s character, King Viserys Targaryen, as his body deteriorated beyond recognition.
Unfortunately, the episode ends with the death of the king as he explains the prophecy of the Song of Ice and Fire to his wife, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), who he believes is his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). This misstep will have monumental consequences in future episodes as House Targaryen’s war begins.
After his role in the series, Considine spoke with GQ and reflected on his time with House of the Dragon. Many fans believed that the king was too weak to rule Westeros on the show; however, the actor sees things very differently. “There is the perception that he is weak, which I think is absolute nonsense. He is just too compassionate for the job. I think the sense of duty has touched him.” Viserys was someone who got along with all his family members, despite the growing tension between the Hightower side and the Targaryens.
“He was the only person in the kingdom who had any morals at all,” Considine says. “He keeps everything together as long as he absolutely can. I found him a pleasure to play. He believed in duty above all else. I don’t know if people got that right.”
Considine says power hasn’t damaged Viserys
Power is central everywhere House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, as characters often seek the Iron Throne and control the seven kingdoms of Westeros. Of course, most of the cast like Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daemon, Otto, Corlys, Aemond and the rest of the characters will seek their right as king or queen. However, one thing that made Viserys unique from Considine was its lack of corruption.
“What I found really interesting about him was that he wasn’t corrupted by power. He just wanted peace,” Considine explains. “He wanted people to be happy at the end of the day, but that makes him weak. So what would have made him more recognizable, if he was a dictator? If he was a tyrant? Would that be more satisfying? It’s not who he is.”
Considine’s performance will be a fan favorite and the actor will be eligible for Emmy nominations when the awards season kicks off next year. However, the actor got a seal of approval from someone, which meant more than any trophy. “I got a text saying, ‘Your Viserys is better than my Viserys.’ It belonged to George RR Martin. And I thought: That will do it. Thanks for the trust.”
Fans can watch the war for the throne begin when House of the Dragon debuts the last two episodes of the first season, premiering on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET