The long-awaited Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, finally premiered on August 21, and it contained a shocking, stomach-turning scene involving Aemma and King Viserys. Paddy Considine, who plays King Viserys, has now commented further on the gruesome scene and discussed what it was like to film.
Spoilers for House of the Dragon follows below.
In the series premiere, Viserys and his wife Aemma are expecting a child, and not just any child. This will be the heir to the throne. Viserys believes in his heart it will be the boy he so desperately wants. When the time comes, and labor begins, Aemma has trouble birthing the child. A maester suggests a new method involving cutting into the stomach to remove the baby. The resulting blood loss would likely kill the mother, so Viserys had to choose between saving his wife or his child.