The latest episode of House of the Dragon, “The Lord of the Tides,” gave us what is, in my opinion, the best scene of the show so far: Viserys Targaryen, crippled by disease, drags himself across the Iron Throne room so that he might once again sit the world’s most uncomfortable chair and defend his daughter. I’m literally tearing up a bit as I remember it to type this; actor Paddy Considine deserves every Emmy they got for his performance as the ailing king.
But when the cameras weren’t rolling, he was having a grand old time, as this clip he posted on social media shows:
“She’s fabulous,” Considine says as he twirls Viserys’ cane. “She’s serving Targaryen realness.” If you’re wondering, he’s referencing RuPaul’s Drag Race, where every episode the queens walk the runway in a variety of wild outfits, trying to serve realness and be as fabulous as possible. Considine has admitted to being a big fan of the show; he and Emily Carey, who played young Alicent Hightower, bonded over their shared obsession with it. As if I didn’t already have enough reasons to think this guy is awesome.
Not only is Considine hilarious, House of the Dragon fans are too. Check out the subtitles one Redditor added to a key scene from the latest episode:
Ah, so that’s what they were saying…with their eyes.
Meanwhile, in the world of awkward advertising, this happened during a recent baseball game between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees:
Dragons in the Bronx!
Paddy Considine: When Aemma Arryn died, so did Viserys
But seriously, folks, let’s get back to Paddy Considine. King Viserys may be dead, but I suspect his shadow will fall over the rest of the series, not unlike how characters still talked about Ned Stark seasons after he died on Game of Thrones. Considine has played this character to the hilt, and fans have noticed. On Instagram, Considine thanked them for their kindness and said goodbye to a character he loved:
Thank you for the kind words. I cannot reply to every comment, but I’d like to acknowledge that they haven’t been lost upon me. It was an incredible adventure where I made lots of new friends that will be with me for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank the creators for allowing me the freedom to make Viserys my own. I have never loved a character so much. I want to give massive love and respect to @brooke.sian who came in for only a few days, but changed the course of my character with her brilliant performance and commitment to the work. The impact stayed with me until my final improvised words. She unlocked the missing piece of the puzzle for me, and allowed my story to come full circle. From the moment she dies, so does Viserys. It was a love story. That’s the secret I carried with me. As sick as he gets, he never, himself, demands any cure. He quietly accepts his suffering, never forgiving himself for putting his beloved wife through such torture in her final moments. Viserys was a gift. I am so honoured he found me. Now, no more.
We shall never see his like again. King Viserys, I mean. Hopefully Considine goes on to do lots of great stuff for all of his new fans to enjoy. I count myself as one of them.
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h/t The Big Lead
