House Of The Dragon Episode Eight Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs
4. Up - The final act of a loving father
Viserys Targaryen's final stride to the throne was arduous, heartbreaking and uplifting.
Despite barely being able to open his eyes without a groan of agony, the King enters the throne room to the shock of his subjects, adorned with a gold mask to hide the rotting socket that formerly housed his eye. It's a legitimately inspiring scene as the monarch drags his broken body to the throne, accompanied by a thunderously rousing score. Viserys locks eyes with the simpering Otto and defiantly growls;
"I will sit the throne today"
The sequence also highlights how much Viserys has deteriorated in heartbreaking further detail. As the King attempts to take the throne, his crown slips off, in a tragic symbolization of his power finally slipping away from his grasp. Conversely however, this ultimately brings about the scene's most moving moment, rooted in the ineffable bond of brotherly love.
Viserys steadfastly refuses help as he makes his excruciating walk to the Throne; after he drops the crown, the King wheels angrily to do so a second time only to find himself staring into the usually unreadable eyes of his brother Daemon, now full of sorrowful concern. The King's tortured expression visibly melts before he allows the Prince to help him take his seat, where Daemon tenderly places the crown on his dying brother's head.
The last belabored regal act of Paddy Considine's dying Viserys is to ensure that his daughter's son's legacy remains intact. A complex man full of faults, but a devoted and loving father to the end.