Paddy Considinegave an Emmy-worthy performance inHouse of the Dragon, the first of plannedGame of Thronesspin-offs.
Throughout the series, he made numerous mistakes.
Some were because of his favor towards his daughter Rhaenyra, like allowing her to choose her own husband.
As much as he tries, he is never able to be a good king.
His reign is filled with many missteps, that leave a legacy of a well-meaning but bumbling ruler.
He carries on as if nothing is amiss.
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This lack of self-awareness puts the realm in peril many times throughout the series.
His obliviousness leads him and his family into frankly dangerous situations.
Viserys takes advantage of it all.
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Arguably, he’s most in his element when he’s at parties, entertaining guests at elaborate feasts.
Enjoying all the pleasures afforded a king without taking on much of the responsibility makes for a chaotic combination.
This allows him to be distracted from the decisions that need to be made.
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If building models of his kingdom helped him to relax, he should have absolutely done it.
Underneath all of his bravado, he is clearly loyal to his brother.
With the chaos that enveloped his realm, Viserys needed his brother to be firmly at his side.
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Daemon is an incredibly powerful force.
Aemma’s fate is sealed by her husband.
Aemma’s death sets off a cascade of events that set the Targaryens on a path to destruction.
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Prioritizing the possibility of a son over his wife’s well-being is the mistake of a short-sighted man.
He comes at his brother with a vengeance.
Just as soon as the storm gathers power, however, it fades away.
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Viserys never truly holds his brother to account for what he does to Rhaenyra.
Viserys' refusal to acknowledge the Targaryen historical obsession with blood purity leads to unintended consequences.
The mistake of standing idly by while his brother targets his daughter further sets up Rhaenyra to fail.
He has the chance to step in, and it’s a mistake he doesn’t take.
In fact, this marriage showed just how politically disinclined Viserys is.
This marriage, like all marriages in this fictional world, is a political one.
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It is a massive mistake that leads to disastrous consequences.
Viserys' marriage to Alicent opens up a challenge to the line of succession that he had established.
Rather than focusing on securing his own succession, he provides more than one option for a future heir.
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This was only ever going to divide the realm.
He should have considered staying single, and backing his daughter’s claim to the throne.
Enter Laenor Velaryon, who goes into what is meant to be a mutually beneficial partnership.
Unfortunately, this is another example of Viserys' ideals leading him to make a mistake.
He has the best of intentions when it comes to his future.
Unfortunately, this is not always enough when it comes to preparing Rhaenyra to be Queen.
Viserys' mistake here is not adequately preparing his daughter for the realities that come with ruling a kingdom.
This mistake may not be Viserys' alone.
However, he could have done so much better.
He Mistakes Alicent For Rhaenyra
Viserys put a lot of stock in Aegon the Conqueror’s dream.
This mistake sets off a cascade of events that end in tragedy.
This frustrating error costs so many people dearly, and the war is just getting started.
NEXT:‘House of the Dragon’: What to Expect from Season 2
