Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Episodes 1-5 of House of the Dragon.InHouse of the Dragon’s fifth episode, “We Light the Way,” Viserys (Paddy Considine) faces his mortality. It’s clear that as does so, he begins to have doubts about his accomplishments as king. Until this point, Viserys hasn’t seemed to lack confidence in his decision-making, as he stands up for his choices in the face of disapproval from everyone in his path time and time again. Yet, in this scene, Viserys seems convinced that the legacy he will leave behind is not what it should be. In reality, Viserys’ non-traditional successes as king are more important than what he wishes he accomplished, despite the fact that they aren’t appreciated by the world around him.
For the duration of the fifth episode, it seems as though Viserys’s illness is close to getting the best of him. In a weakened state, he asks Lyonel (Gavin Spokes), “Will I be remembered as a good king?” Of course, this is a reasonable question to ask when faced with your own mortality. Viserys wonders what will happen when he is no longer in charge and whether he’s made the right decisions to protect his people. This has been his life’s work, and how well this work is carried on is a matter of life and death. Yet, Viserys’s concern seems to move even beyond that. He laments that he hasn’t “fought nor conquered nor suffered any great defeat.” Lyonel replies that this is a positive outcome, rather than a negative. Yet, Viserys wonders whether he’s done anything worth remembering, at all.
Lyonel then presents the question to Viserys, “Is it not better to live in peace than to have songs sung after you are dead?” This idea that keeping his people safe and out of harm’s way is more valuable than being faced with difficulties and overcoming them in some classically heroic way seems like an airtight argument. Yet, in an antiquated society with the values of the one that Viserys calls home, this isn’t the flashy, or in Viserys’s words – worthy of having songs sung about him– way to be a king.
RELATED:‘House of the Dragon’: Where Does Everyone Stand Halfway Through Season 1?
While we don’t know everything about the history of the Targaryens, we know enough for it to be very clear that Viserys made decisions and implemented rules as king that had never occurred before. He made Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) his heir, making an unprecedented move by choosing a woman. It’s obvious that while he took a lot of flack for this choice, he did it because he believed that she was the right person for the throne and was willing to stand up against tradition in favor of keeping his people under the guidance of the best possible ruler. This was both especially important and especially difficult in this case: when making the choice that aligned with tradition would have left his people with an obviously corrupt person in charge.
Ultimately, Viserys is preoccupied with the fact that he hasn’t accomplished anythingtraditionallypraiseworthy during his life. He’s met with the response that he maintained peace, which, for a good leader, should be unarguably even better than winning wars. Of course, it’s clear to viewers that what Viserys accomplished was notonlymaintaining peace for his people, which in fact,isa valuable accomplishment. He alsodidachieve things as king that will earn him a place in history books and inspire songs like he wishes he could. He fought for and implemented structural changes that aren’t likely to ever return to the way they were, and it’s clear that since these are progressive changes, they will open doors for better leadership, better decisions, and more qualified people at the helm. Beyond that, Viserys still managed to fight for his dynasty and protect his own family’s legacy while also bucking tradition and making positive changes. This is not an easy line to walk, but he did so by insisting that even though his heir is a woman, her children should take her last name and allow the Targaryen dynasty to continue on.
There is some irony in this scene that takes place between Viserys and Lyonel, and it lies in the greater context ofHouse of the Dragon. This scene takes place in one of the early episodes of a prequel. While, of course, there’s so much we don’t know about the timeline that will be covered asHouse of the Dragonprogresses, we do know a lot about where the Targaryen dynasty ends up. Ironically, the decisions that Viserys made paved the way for Daenerys Targaryen’s reign: one of the most famous fictional queens there is and certainly one that, in the context ofHouse of the DragonandGame of Thrones is a hugely important figure to the Targaryen dynasty and their world. Had Viserys not accomplished what he did during his reign, it clearly would have changed the course of history, but it also likely wouldn’t have forged the path that allowed Daenerys to rule, at all.
Of course, since Viserys can’t see the future, it’s understandable that he can’t anticipate all the history he’s made with his choices. Doing unprecedented things earns unprecedented outcomes, so there is no way for Viserys to know that what he has donearethe kind of things that make history. It’s all the more impressive that Viserys has a concept of what is really important that’s far ahead of his time, and he isn’t afraid to face the consequences of pursuing what he knows is right, even when he doesn’t know the outcome.
When it comes to making progress and breaking through antiquated traditions, it can be difficult to know that progress is actually being made – especially when you’re getting as much pushback as Viserys is. Yet, he is sure to be remembered for what he did. Winning a battle can earn you a solidified, certain place in the history books. Implementing changes to traditions, however, can shape the future and alter the way an entire society works, and this is unarguably going to have a longer-lasting effect. Part of being a character in a prequel, though, is that you don’t know how the story ends yet.
