Devastating Proof That HoTD's Viserys Was a Deadbeat Dad to All of His Kids
Maybe he’s gone for the best.
When we first watched House of the Dragon, many of us couldn't help but sympathize with King Viserys. A little soft, always avoiding conflict and working towards general peace, he was a likable character. That doesn't mean he was a good king or a good father.
Viserys lacked both rigidity and compassion for those around him. Portrayed by Paddy Considine, he was guided by good morals, and that translated through the screen. However, his actions weren't very well-thought-out and led his kingdom, and more importantly his family, into a state of war.
While there is a tendency to slander Viserys for being too partial to his firstborn, Rhaenyra, there is also enough evidence to prove that at some point Viserys was too tired of life to care about either of his children.
After infant Prince Aegon II lost his eye to his nephew, Rhaenyra's son Lucerys, Viserys seemed more concerned with maintaining the pretty image of a happy family than with his actual son's well-being. Though Rhaenyra knew exactly how to manipulate her father into siding with her, he didn't do it out of love.
He did it in the hopes of sweeping everything under the rug.
In the following scene, as Alicent cuts Rhaenyra's hand, spilling the first drops of blood, two teams are set up. While Team Black surrounds and examines Rhaenyra, making sure the cut isn't deep enough to be fatal, Team Green gathers around Alicent as she comforts her son.
Notable is Viserys' own behavior, as he simply walks away from the whole situation. Not only does it foreshadow the extent of his involvement in an impending war, which is none at all except to clearly initiate it, but it also says a lot about his concern for Rhaenyra. Instead of making sure she's okay, he leaves another injured child of his unattended.
Keep an eye out to see how the events of the war following Viserys' death play out for both teams. Season 2 of House of the Dragon is expected to premiere in the summer of 2024. Until then, you can catch up on season 1 of the Game of Thrones prequel on Max.