Did You Know This Emotional Scene In The Latest 'House Of The Dragon' Episode Was Improvised?
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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR HOUSE OF THE DRAGON EPISODES 1- 8
Viewers are as shocked as Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon in the recent episode of House of the Dragon when they see how frail King Viserys Targaryen has become. Queen Alicent and her father are running the kingdom in his stead, and tension is high as the legitimacy of Princess Rhaenyra’s children with Laenor Velaryon is called into question. All the cards are stacked against her. Queen Alicent and the Hand Otto Hightower lean toward judgment in Vaemond Valaryon’s favor. Everyone in the throne room (as well as the viewers at home) is stunned to hear the herald announcing the arrival of King Viserys Targaryen.
“I will sit the throne today.”
The ailing king makes his way into the throne room (with great pain as he has refused the milk of poppy earlier in order to keep his mental faculty) and struggles to walk up the steps to the Iron Throne. He refuses the help of the two Kingsguards, and the crown falls off his head. Prince Daemon picks it up and helps his brother up the steps before setting the crown on his head. The rebellious younger brother who once threatened the stability of the kingdom and undermined the king’s authority now shows his full support of the king.
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This emotional sequence, which demonstrates Daemon Targaryen’s growth as a character, is actually improvised by the brilliant Matt Smith, as revealed by director Geeta Patel:
“When we were shooting that — I think the rehearsal again, the first day — the crown fell off of Paddy's head and Matt picked it up, and we just kept going. We didn't stop [filming]...I was so thankful that accident happened, that the crown fell off because it proved to be, at least for me, quite a heavy moment and quite a turning point for a storyline that had started in the pilot: Hey, I want your crown and by the end here I'm gonna put the crown back on your head and I'm gonna help you to your throne.”
Image Source: Forbes
Paddy Considine has been portraying the role of King Viserys Targaryen since the beginning of the series, and his delivery in the character’s last episode is at a zenith. The king’s health has been deteriorating since the series began, and Considine successfully portrays Viserys using the last of his strength to help his daughter and keep peace in the kingdom in the calm before the storm. Even author George R. R. Martin commended Considine’s performance.
Everyone applauded Matt Smith’s portrayal of Viserys’ impulsive younger brother Daemon Targaryen, more specifically his performance in Episode 3 where he had no dialogue but managed to move the storyline. Once again, he says very little in this episode, but his actions and his facial expressions speak louder.
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Source(s): Entertainment Weekly, Insider