We’re still two weeks away from the House of the Dragon finale, and yet, the passing of King Viserys definitely seems like a moment of conclusions and goodbyes. Perhaps that’s why even George R.R. Martin chose this particular junction to talk about the future of the prequel series and reveal his plans now that he’s been given free rein.
And speaking of Viserys, did you know that one of the most poignant moments between him and Daemon Targaryen was unscripted? We all have all of this and more for you in today’s roundup of Game of Thrones news.
Martin thinks ‘House’ will take four 10-episode seasons to tell from start to finish
Unlike Game of Thrones which had five full-length novels to support it, House of the Dragon is only relying on Fire & Blood and George R.R. Martin’s notes to spin its narrative to existence. And yet, it seems that the novelist is sure the prequel will take at least three more 10-episode runs to tell the Dance of Dragons and do it justice. Well, there was a time when Martin said Game of Thrones should’ve run for at least ten seasons, so let’s hope that HBO takes his words seriously this time around, lest they make a repeat of the dismal and highly controversial conclusion to the original series.
Paddy Considine shares heartfelt message on Instagram and reveals the king’s last secret
Viserys was a man of many secrets, but most importantly of all, he treasured Aegon’s Dream as his family’s ultimate destiny. The heavy weight of the king’s stole exacted its toll on the Targaryen monarch, though the reason he died had nothing to do with his ailment or the terrible responsibility of ruling over the Seven Kingdoms. Thanking fans in an Instagram post, Paddy Considine revealed Viserys’ last secret as an undying love for his dead wife Queen Aemma. The reason he refused treatment for his disease was that he felt guilty about deciding to kill his wife, so he took the pain when it came and was prepared to meet death. Somehow, that makes us love him even more.
This scene between Viserys and Daemon was improvised
That moment when Viserys entered the Great Hall, in all of his humbled majesty, will be forever etched in our minds as one of the greatest Game of Thrones scenes in history. But as nuanced as these characters are, one poignant addition to this sequence was all Matt Smith. Apparently, when Considine’s crown fell off in one of the takes, Smith (Daemon Targaryen) automatically went to pick it up. The director then shot the scenes both with and without the king’s crown falling, and according to her words, every time it did, “all of us just caught our breath.” Some of these things you just can’t plan ahead.