House of the Dragon star offers detailed insight into one of Viserys' darkest moments on the show. A mild-mannered king who presided over a time of peace in the realm (despite the civil war that would follow), King Viserys I was played by Paddy Considine. Viserys appears as a family-oriented man throughout House of the Dragon, but the character had to work to earn back the audience's affection after the shockingly graphic childbirth scene in the pilot. Many fans of the series condemned Viserys' actions in that sequence, which seemed to depict him electing to save his potential heir and effectively sentencing his wife Aemma (Sian Brooke) to a horrific death.
At the inaugural official Game of Thrones Convention in Los Angeles, attended by SR, Considine discusses his character's relationship with each of his wives. The actor states that House of the Dragon viewers misunderstood Viserys' decision to try saving his unborn child during Aemma's tragic childbirth scene, since her death was inevitable in that scenario. In addition, Considine givesclarification on Viserys' subsequent actions and decisions, confirming the viewer speculations that Viserys "was only ever really in love with [Aemma]" despite marrying Alicent (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke), and that he viewed his illness and decay as retribution for the pain that he allowed her to be put through in her final moments. See Considine's in-depth analysis of his character's motivations and regrets below:
"[Aemma's] death is… that’s his downfall, really. He never gets over that death. Which is kind of misunderstood by people early on. I think they think I killed my wife. But that wasn’t the case. They were both going to die. They had a chance of saving Baelon, but it meant putting her through a horrific procedure. So I think people misunderstood that he killed her, but he was trying to save the child or they’re both gonna die. And I don’t think he ever, ever recovered from that. And Sian Brooke, the actress who came in to play Aemma just for a few days, left such a massive impression on me with the work we did and that scene in particular. It just became the catalyst for his journey, really. He never recovered from it. He was only ever really in love with her. And if you watch the show… the sicker he gets, he’s never asking for a cure. He’s never the one asking for help. It’s like he’s accepting what’s happening to him physically as a punishment."
Viserys and Aemma’s Relationship, Explained
Considine's comments harken back to his touching farewell to the character following Viserys' death in episode 8, in which the actor also praised his co-star Brooke for her devastating portrayal of Aemma. House of the Dragon's Viserys is a very different and more developed character compared to his counterpart in the George R.R. Martin book Fire and Blood, with the author himself praising Considine's nuanced iteration of the troubled king. The actor has previously demonstrated the immense thought he put into his character, particularly when it comes to Viserys' marriage with Aemma, by discussing his understanding of their unique dynamic and how it factored into his portrayal.
Despite seeming like the typical depiction of a medieval king and queen on the surface, due to Aemma's duty to produce a male heir, Considine brought tenderness to his role as Aemma's husband. Once Viserys' quest for an heir results in her death, the actor has explained that, to him, Aemma's memory is honored by Viserys' support of her daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D'Arcy) as his successor, which never wavers. This understanding of Viserys' decisions prior to his death adds layers to his relationship with his daughter, as well as his role as king.
How Viserys And Aemma Will Impact HOTD Season 2
Given Considine's prior confirmation that Viserys' choice of heir is partially related to his regrets over Aemma, the pair's fateful marriage will have huge consequences in House of the Dragon season 2. After Alicent's decision to usurp Rhaenyra following Viserys' death and put her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne, the Dance of the Dragons will soon be in full swing, and each subsequent event and character death can be traced back to Viserys' succession decision. Despite the eventually catastrophic results that follow their tragic marriage, based on Considine's analysis, the actor's comments have made it clear his House of the Dragon character was motivated by a genuine love for his first wife.