House of The Dragon episode 8 ‘The Lord of the Tides’ was one of the most emotional chapters yet in the history of Game of Thrones. It leaves so many cues to the nature of the morally grey characters in the series, no one is truly evil, nor completely good. Paddy Considine’s performance as King Viserys was applauded by fans and critics alike, even by George R. R. Martin himself. Considine recently talked about what went through Viserys’ mind during the hour of his death, and the legacy he left behind.
He told Vulture, “I think he dies a failure in his own eyes. He has a moment with Lyonel Strong where he actually says, “How will I be remembered?” They don’t remember people like me. They don’t make songs about kings like me. Folks make songs about tyrants and great battles and horrific events. They don’t talk about people like me. I’m lost in the histories.”
“I think that’s how Viserys feels, and I think that’s sort of how I played him as well, and I think that’s how I feel about him, because he’ll be forgotten, too. We’re in a culture now where things move so quickly. This week, it’s all about Viserys’s death, and it’s like, well, next week, it won’t be, and the week after it won’t. Season two will come around, and he’ll be forgotten like everybody else, because that’s what happens. In the end, he knew his fate.”
What do you think of Viserys Targaryen’s legacy? What did you think about Paddy Considine’s portrayal of King Viserys? Join the discussion on our Discord server.
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