The Emmys were just last month, but House of the Dragon fans have wasted no time in selecting a new champion for the 2023 edition. Fans of the series rallied for Paddy Considine all over Twitter last night, celebrating his tour-de-force performance in one of the series' most consequential episodes to date.
It’s been a long, winding road for King Viserys (Considine), who has been battling leprosy for the last few episodes while also managing, you know, the Seven Kingdoms. Episode 8 really emphasized Viserys’ struggle, and fans were thoroughly impressed by the king’s rapid decay into something completely and totally decrepit.
“Paddy Considine, you deserve an Emmy for your portrayal of King Viserys,” one viewer declared. “I had to pause tonight’s episode because I couldn’t see through my tears.”
Okay, folks, I’ve contacted the Emmys team—they’re already engraving Paddy Considine’s Emmy. No need to worry. It’ll be ready in September 2023. My apologies go out to the Succession cast, who were hoping for another award for Jeremy Strong or Matthew Macfadyen.
But what was all the commotion actually about? Let’s get into it.
(Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen House of the Dragon Episode 8, “The Lord of the Tides.”)
Viserys’ face and body are in total disarray, a mess of a human battling a terrible disease eating away at every bone in his body. Seeing his face torn to shreds is perhaps worse than seeing Smile in a local cinema. And yet, he forges on, attempting to keep peace in the kingdoms and his family. Viserys holds one final family-style dinner around the grand table before he passes, offering a few toasts to settle everything before he’ll be buried six feet under.
There was one scene in particular that viewers latched onto, though, and it took place right before the final family feast. Viserys made a triumphant return to the throne room, declaring that the succession line had been settled. And who better to assist him onto the throne and help him sport the crown one last time than Daemon (Matt Smith)?
This moment was actually improvised, House of the Dragon director Geeta Patel told Entertainment Weekly: “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]. There was a discovery there of this moment.”
Okay, so maybe Considine and Smith both deserve Emmys. While we (most likely) won’t see any more of Paddy Considine in the final two episodes of House of the Dragon, Smith will return. And from the looks of the Episode 9 teaser, he’s about to raise all hell.
