In the episode, actor Paddy Considine returns as King Viserys I for two emotionally powerful dream sequences courtesy of his tortured younger brother, Daemon. In the first we see him sitting on the Iron Throne and he challenges Daemon, asking whether or not he was the one who dubbed the King’s dead newborn son “Heir for a Day.” It’s Viserys at his most terrifying and powerful, a reminder of the rather formidable king he was at the height of his reign. He’s all fire and blood, though he eventually breaks down and begins to weep. In just a few moments he goes through a full range of emotions and they appear so deeply felt that it’s honestly a little unnerving. It’s a reminder of just how truly great Considine is at playing Viserys, a role that even he thinks is the best he ever played. 

As Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) reminds Daemon, Viserys never wanted the throne and that’s part of why he was a good king. (Sure, things got a little messy there at the end, but that’s not entirely on him! Milk of the poppy is a helluva drug!) We get a glimpse of that king and a reminder of the leadership that existed before the civil war between his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and wife Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and their sons, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Aegon II is a spoiled brat of a king to rival even Joffrey Baratheon, and while Rhaenyra has her strengths, she also has one big weakness in her marriage to the tempestuous Daemon. Viserys’ calm guidance would be pretty useful right about now.