I know I have said this multiple times during this first season, but damn is Paddy Considine is crushing it as King Viserys. He definitely needs to be nominated for an Emmy for his performance, particularly this episode. You know the actor does a fantastic job when GRRM sends him a text and says that Paddy’s Viserys is better than the one the author wrote. High praise.
The episode jumped six more years and that should be the final time jump. King Viserys is not doing well. He is missing an eye and his face looks like a skull, there is a hole in his cheek. He is given milk of the poppy, and it looks like he will die any day. Queen Alicent and her father are running the kingdom, while Rhaenyra and Daemon are at Dragonstone. What could bring them all together? Well, Corlys Velaryon is injured while fighting in the Stepstones. His brother, Vaemond, decides to petition the King to be the successor of House Velaryon instead of Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys.
This petition has huge ramifications. If the Crown sides with Vaemond’s claim that Lucerys is not the rightful heir because of questionable parentage, then that means Jacaerys claim will also be challenged, which would then cause more lords to not follow Rhaenyra when she ascends to the throne.
So that is the beginning of the episode, then it ends with a family dinner. Both parts of the episode feature Viserys. First he walks to the Iron Throne and takes his seat (ruining the plans of Otto & Alicent who were clearly going to side with Vaemond) and then at dinner he seems to have his family at least close to reconciliation. One thing this show has done better than the source material is making Viserys a tragic character. He has his issues as a king, but he loves his family and he does want to see them get along and support each other. I like to think that when he went to bed and closed his eyes one last time, his thoughts had to be that he did it.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. After he leaves dinner, family drama continues and then comes the mistake of all mistakes. Alicent checks on him and Viserys confuses her (he basically picks up where he left off when Rhaenyra sat with him earlier), and what he says about Aegon, convinces the Queen that he is changing his mind about succession. But, he was talking about Aegon the Conqueror, not his son, Aegon II. I like how they did this better than the version in the book (if I remember correctly, the book makes it seem like Alicent is making up this deathbed change of mind by Viserys). The kingdom is about to be split and a terrible civil war will begin.
-Did everyone react the same when Vaemond is about to say the boys are bastards? We were all Daemon in that moment, we all wanted him to say it to see if Viserys would react and demand his tongue. Daemon decided to let him keep his tongue and just remove the top of his head. Dark Sister is a fantastic blade. Valyrian steel.
-Speaking of Daemon. Did they say that the crown scene was unscripted? I guess the crown fell off and Matt Smith bent to pick it up and put it on Paddy’s head. The cameras were rolling and the director felt it was a perfect addition. I dig those kind of things.
-Alicent and Rhaenyra patch things up with each other. They both give toasts at dinner and they are genuine. If only the kids did not act like idiots.
-There seems to be a thought that Alicent had the serving girl that was raped by Aegon murdered. Or that she poisoned her with the tea. First of all, that was moon tea to prevent pregnancy. Secondly, the director of the episode has stated that no, the serving girl took the money and disappeared.
-Aemond training with Ser Criston was impressive. For those that have read the book, how excited are you for the God’s Eye? If done well, it could end up being one of the most incredible scenes of either series.
-Aemond’s toast…I knew it was coming, but damn did the actor nail it. Also, I loved how Luc laughed when the pig was served, which is what pissed Aemond off.
-Helaena and Jace have a nice dance, pissing Aegon off. Imagine if Viserys had pushed his wife to accept to that marriage instead of marrying Helaena to Aegon…also, it is weird that Alicent consented to that marriage, since she is very much anti-Targaryen and pro-Faith of the Seven. Notice how the decor has changed since Rhaenyra left and look at the necklace Alicent wears.
-Rhaenyra tells Alicent that she will come back to King’s Landing by dragonback once she gets the kids to Dragonstone (they are going to continue working things out). Something tells me that will happen, and we will most certainly get a line of “I told you I would return by dragon!” Or something snappy.
-Viserys final words were “my love.” I had to replay it and turn it way up to understand what he said. I was just waiting for Miracle Max to pop in and say “to blave, which means to bluff!” It is nice to know that as he died, he was joining his true love, Aemma.
