'House of the Dragon' Season 2 fans speculate Viserys’s biggest mistake that led to Dance of the Dragons
Contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 5 aired on HBO on July 14, 2024, and the epic war for the Iron Throne is really heating up now as Blacks and Greens let go of any inhibition whatsoever in the Targaryen Civil War.
The battle might never have happened though if it wasn't for ambiguous decision-making by Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), whose decisions might have led to the death of thousands across the seven kingdoms.
While Viserys's rule was peaceful, it camouflaged the burning desires of many in the next generation to take over the Throne. Had his decisions been more assertive, things might not have come to this. Fans opined on his decision-making and tried to conclude which decision could be the one that caused the chaos that is Dance of the Dragons.
Fans discuss Viserys's poor decision-making in 'House of the Dragon'
A Reddit user began the discussion with the question, "What was Viserys’s biggest mistake that lead to the dance of the dragons?". The user added, "Was it when he named Rhaenyra his heir on a whim? Or was it when he married Alicent over Laena? Was it when he didn’t disinherit Rhaenyra after Aegon’s birth? Viserys had many flaws, but what was the biggest mistake that lead to the war?"
Another Reddit user commented, "If he wanted Rhaenyra to remain heir, he shouldn’t have remarried." It does make sense since he married Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) after naming Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) his heir. Another Reddit user agreed, "Literally easiest way to avoid a succession crisis is to not have more children."
A Reddit user considered his inability to confront and resolve conflict as his biggest drawback, "Viserys was the literal catalyst for the Dance. Otto just did what any lord would do. No, Otto did what Corlys failed to do. Viserys coasted off of Jaehaerys’ peace his whole life, ignoring countless disputes as well as the seeds of a war that would kill thousands."
A Reddit user considered his marriage to Alicent as the reason behind the conflict, "Viserys should not have married alicent or should have named aegon heir after his birth."
A Reddit user considered his biggest mistake was to give Dragons to everyone, "Viserys: Dragons are a power men should not have trifled with. Also Viserys: You get a dragon, you get a dragon, EVERYBODY GETS A DRAGON!!
Why Viserys's biggest mistake might be inadvertent?
Viserys's biggest mistake perhaps was probably telling Alicent about Aegon, The Conqueror's dream when he was about to die. Alicent interpreted it as her son Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) being the prince that was promised.
This interpretation made Aegon take the throne despite Rhaenyra being named as the heir to the Throne and started a war that will go down in the history of the Seven Kingdoms as one of the worst wars ever.
In Episode 3 of Season 2, we see Rhaenyra tell Alicent about the misinterpretation, and we see Alicent completely denying the possibility of a false interpretation. This gives Rhaenyra the license to be an active part of the war after her reluctance in the first three episodes.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 premiered on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. To watch the series, you will need a Max Subscription.
The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer
Episodes 1-5 of 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 are streaming on HBO