House of the Dragon Ep 5: What happened to King Viserys? All you need to know about the ending

House of the Dragon‘s fifth episode released recently and it was yet another reminder that we are in the world of Game of Thrones given that fans got a taste of another royal wedding in Westeros that had death and doom written all over it. Game Of Thrones fans clearly remember the tragic Red Wedding and while the prequel’s new episode wasn’t as difficult to watch, it did get bloodier than expected. 

With Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) agreeing to marry Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), the fifth episode saw King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) hosting a lavish bash in honour of the royal match. The great feast ended in a massive tragedy though after brokenhearted Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) ended up killing Laenor’s lover, Joffrey. The brutal killing scene happened in the midst of a sexual tension-filled conversation between Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) on the dance floor. 

With the feast coming to an abrupt end following the murder on the dance floor, the episode’s ending saw the Targaryens and Velaryons gather for a small, private wedding ceremony where Rhaenyra and a distraught Laenor exchange vows. Towards the very end, as the wedding ritual gets completed, King Viserys was seen collapsing on the floor while everyone rushes to his rescue. 

Given how the entire episode was drawing attention to Viserys’ deteriorating health condition, many fans were left confused about whether the Targaryen King died. Although with the new teaser of the next episode out now, it has been clarified that Viserys does survive as the show takes a leap of nearly a decade. The sixth episode of the show will have Emma D’Arcy take over from Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra whereas Olivia Cooke will play Alicent Hightower. 

What did you think about House of the Dragon’s 5th episode? Share your views with Pinkvilla in the comments below.

ALSO READ: House of the Dragon Ep 5 Review: Death and doom preside over Westeros’ royal wedding