Ned Stark (Sean Bean) from Game of Thrones was an honorable man who always chose the path of righteousness and was a role model in theory. Theory is all well and good, but superfluous when the practice is Westeros, specifically King’s Landing. In the Lannisters’ snake pit, the Stark leader was hopelessly overwhelmed and lost his head over it.
Well we have in House of the Dragon with Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) another father in front of us who only wants the best. But Viserys could be many times worse than Ned – that and more shows the 2nd episode of the series: The Rogue Prince.
Viserys undermines his daughter wherever he can
The first episode of House of the Dragon ended on an apparently optimistic picture. Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) stood before the Iron Throne while the high lords of the Seven Kingdoms swore allegiance to the heir to the throne. In Episode 2, however, Viserys apparently does everything to undermine this brave decision.
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Alicent Hightower
And thats just the beginning. Over the course of the episode, Viserys manages to alienate his daughter and alienate the wealthiest house in the Seven Kingdoms, the Velaryons under Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys (Eve Best). But one after anonther. First of all, Viserys does not include Rhaenyra in the meetings of the Small Council. She remains the wine bearer. When discussing how to deal with the attacks of the Triarchy, an alliance of Free Cities of Essos, she is stalled. From this she learns nothing for her future task. Viserys also gives the members of the council no reason to take his daughter seriously.
Daemon and Rhaenyra showcase the Targaryen power in a breathtaking scene
Instead, Rhaneyra is fobbed off with the choice of a new Knight of the Kingsguard. She needs help to look over the parapet, stands lost at the edge of the picture, in other words: This task is alien to her. In the next few minutes, she grabs the picture. The daughter obviously does not take after her father. She uses the few means of power that are given to her.
First she appoints Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) against Otto Hightower’s (Rhys Ifans) wishes, then she flies to Dragonstone, where another of Visery’s relatives is dancing on Visery’s nose: his brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) has a dragon egg for his second, stolen from his pregnant wife, who is neither pregnant nor married to him.
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Daemon and Rhaenyra
At the dramatic climax of the episode, two Targaryens and two dragons face each other on a narrow ridge, with a sea of clouds below them. Here Daemon and Caraxes, there Rhaenyra and Syrax. And in between Otto, who is lucky that he doesn’t end up as dessert at a barbecue. It is one breathtaking, effect-packed scenewhich is brought to life by the chemistry between the two Targaryen stars.
Matt Smith portrays Daemon as a pompous braggart who snaps back to his real size at the sight of his niece. Milly Alcock faces him as fearless Rhaenyra, like a mother who must correct her son’s silly prank. Both demonstrate a will to power that one looks in vain for in Viserys and his obsession with model making. Otto looks at these Targaryens like two uncontrollable forces of nature. Viserys, on the other hand, he has a firm grip on.
One of the nicest characters in the world of Game of Thrones makes fatal decisions
The sad thing about Viserys is that we have before us one of the nicest characters in the Game of Thrones cosmos. However, he administers rather than governs, as he inherited and did not accomplish the long period of peace in the empire from his predecessor Jahaerys. Here is a fundamental difference to Ned Stark.
Despite all the naivety that one could accuse the Stark dad of dealing with Cersei Lannister, he had one advantage over Viserys: he made consistent decisions. Decisions that led him to the scaffold, but so be it. Ned was a stubborn man, Viserys is helpless without someone to guide him. Otto Hightower, for example.
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Viserys and Laena
Admittedly, Viserys has a tough time in Episode 2 of House of the Dragon. Rhaenyra as heir is not enough for a stable succession. A simple fall from the dragon could end the Targaryen reign. I certainly won’t blame him for rejecting 12-year-old Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mose). On the other hand, he is the most powerful man in Westeros who behaves like a humble squire.
With Otto’s daughter Alicent (Emily Carey), he does not choose the strategically best match, but the applicant with whom he feels less lonely. Viserys follows the instinct of a normal, aging man who confronts the possible consequences of his actions with a “It will be fine” met. If only he knew…
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