House Of The Dragon Episode 2 Review - 9 Ups & 1 Down

10. Down - Paddy Considine

Paddy Considine is an exemplary character actor. The veteran performer made his name in a slew of independent movies throughout the 2000s and is a critically acclaimed theatre actor to boot, with Olivier and Tony Award nominations to his credit for his performance in The Ferryman.

However, despite Considine's unquestionable pedigree as an actor, something is just not quite right in his portrayal of King Viserys Targaryen; Considine's attempt to imbue his character with suitable regality often comes across as more hammy than anything else. The King is particularly unconvincing as a Targaryen monarch when his character is juxtaposed against the remainder of the cast that make up the ancient Valyrian house. Alcock, Smith and Best all effortlessly look and sound exactly like a Targaryen engineered from scratch in a laboratory; Considine more closely resembles what he is, an actor playing a character that suits himself and his considerable talents worse than his platinum blonde wig.

It must be disclaimed that this was the sole low point in this week's episode and Considine is still giving the role all he has. Had the first two episodes not set the bar so ludicrously high in terms of quality, it is entirely likely that his occasionally shaky performance would have gone unnoticed. It highlights an unenviable position for a television show as prestigious and hyped as House of the Dragon; standards are so high that even the slightest dip in quality will instantly be noticed.