At the beginning of House of the Dragon Season 2, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) is at the pinnacle of her ambitions. Having spent most of her life waging a silent war against Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) claim to the throne to protect her children, Alicent conveniently misinterprets King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) last words on his deathbed as a wish for their son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) to become the next ruler. After she successfully secures her son’s position as king, transitioning from Queen Regent to a member of the small council while Rhaenyra is virtually exiled to Dragonstone, the safety she has always aimed for finally seems within reach. However, she soon realizes how swiftly loyalties turn when there’s a change in power, and the fragility of her position becomes starkly evident.
The children she has sought to protect slowly strip Alicent of whatever form of power she formerly held as a regent, and the men who once seemed to be her supporters have their own interests to pursue, leaving her to fend for herself in a power dynamic that holds no space for a woman — a system Alicent herself has helped uphold. Throughout Season 2, her character seems to become less and less important as she fades into the background of bigger, more interesting events. However, this change in pace reveals itself to be a pivotal element of Alicent’s growth and overarching story.
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Alicent and Rhaenyra Grow Further Apart in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2
House of The Dragon Season 1 introduces Alicent and Rhaenyra as best friends and two sides of the same coin. While young Rhaenyra is bold and proud, she loves the proper and graceful Alicent. Despite having completely different personalities, there has always been a parallel between the two characters: they are both women trying to maintain their positions within a complicated power structure and later become mothers who would do anything to protect their children.
These parallels continue in Season 2, with both of them initially trying to resolve the looming threat without shedding blood. Yet, as both of them suffer personal losses — Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) dies to Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) attack, and Alicent has to watch Helaena (Phia Saban) grieve the murder of her own child — they realize peace is not a viable option. As preparations for the war begin and both sides start moving their chess pieces, the similarities between Alicent and Rhaenyra’s stories start to blur. While Rhaenyra has to endure the lack of trust the men in her small council have in her and Daemon’s disappearing act to Harrenhal, she still finds supporters who believe in her, such as her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) — who, despite defying his mother constantly as any teenager would, still fights for his family. Additionally, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) not only counsels and supports Rhaenyra but also uses her own connections to help her cause. Alicent, on the other hand, does not share the same advantages.
Alicent Loses All of her Allies in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2
The first person to betray Alicent is, unsurprisingly, Ser Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), whom she has a mostly transactional relationship with for a time; he provides valuable information in exchange for sexual favors from the queen, in the form of her displaying her bare feet. While it’s not beyond Larys to lower himself for a mere kink, this is also a power play on his part — just like everything else he has done for Alicent over the years. When he offers to remove potential spies from among her servants, he replaces them with his own — and then, when Alicent is no longer regent, Larys starts siding with Aegon, offering him the same services he once did for the dowager queen.
Shortly thereafter, Alicent is abandoned by her own father, after Otto (Rhys Ifans) grows overconfident in his position on the small council and lectures Aegon about killing the ratcatchers. Dressing down Aegon and belittling him as a pale imitation of his late father is the last straw for the new king, who strips his grandfather of his position as Hand. While Otto has proven that his own ambitions are above Alicent’s interests, he was at least a reassuring presence in the Red Keep, one that she no longer has. The last and probably worst blow for Alicent comes when her protector and lover, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), chooses Aemond as regent over her after Aegon’s accident. Cole, traumatized by what he has seen during the battle at Rook’s Rest, decides that, as a dragonrider and next in line, Aemond should rule. By the following episode, “Smallfolk,” Aemond finally removes the queen dowager from the small council, breaking the illusion that she had any real power in the first place.
Alicent Needed to Hit Rock Bottom To Find Herself in ‘House of the Dragon’
With no place in the small council, Alicent starts down a path of self-reflection, wondering about her role in how everything has transpired and saddened when informed that her son Daeron, the only one who was raised away from her, is a kind young man. Her other sons are far from kind, leading her to question the way she has raised her children. Having been a child bride, married to a man old enough to be her father, and having to endure marital rape for years, it’s no wonder Alicent bears more responsibility than love for her sons while feeling a profound empathy for her daughter, who has also been used as a pawn.
Unlike Rhaenyra, who has shared her inner feelings with her allies on several occasions during this season, Alicent has no one to turn to, choosing instead to escape for a time to the Kingswood, accompanied only by one protector. While this little camping trip might feel meaningless to the overall story, it is filled with silent symbolism. As Alicent strips off her green dress to swim in the lake, she observes a bird freely flying overhead, giving the viewer a sense that she won’t walk out of the water the same person who walked in.
With Rhaenyra acquiring three new dragonriders and a large army for her cause, the Greens find themselves cornered in the season finale. Realizing things have become critical, Alicent makes the desperate decision to sneak into Dragonstone and speak to Rhaenyra. During this confrontation, we finally see all that has been happening inside Alicent’s head: regret for her past mistakes, recognition of how her upbringing led her to believe it was easier to stick to the status quo, and resentment of Rhaenyra for not having to do so. Finally, we see these women as they began, two players in a larger game for survival and power, as Alicent chooses to sacrifice her son in order to end the war. Everything could change in Season 3, but with it comes a fundamental change in Alicent’s character. No longer bending to the will of others or moved by fear and duty, she is now chasing her freedom and, at last, being truest to herself.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is now available for streaming on Max in the U.S.
