Even amid the raging fire and blood of HBO’s House of the Dragon, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) stands out as one of the most compelling and captivating characters in the entire series. Charming, dedicated, tragic— as interesting to watch when she’s at her most powerful, as she is at her most powerless— Alicent is a central figure in the Dance of Dragons, even without being a Targaryen or dragon rider. However, despite playing a critical role in the escalating tensions that culminated in this civil war, Alicent’s role in the story has dramatically changed, as her influence and power were drastically diminished in the latest season. Though this shift in status remains a cause of turmoil for the Dowager Queen, the series would immensely benefit from changing its framing of the conflict away from Alicent, in order to better center the dueling claimants to the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Alicent will remain a relevant figure in House of the Dragon as long as she’s alive, though the part she now has to play greatly differs from the one she began with. Season 1 centered the narrative around Alicent and Rhaenyra’s bittersweet friendship-turned-rivalry, but as the conflict evolved and was inherited by their children, their connection no longer remains the most important in the series. The transition in power has been challenging for both characters, albeit in contrasting directions. As Rhaenyra learns to command authority as Queen, Alicent has had her influence unceremoniously taken from her. While Alicent struggled with this loss of power throughout the season, the finale episode, “The Queen Who Ever Was,” gave her a visually stunning and emotionally charged farewell scene that bids an excellent send-off for this stage in her journey. Though her role in the series will continue to be diminished in the coming days of war, Alicent’s clandestine meeting with Rhaenyra serves as a beautiful and haunting closing act in the story; a sign that the war has evolved far beyond their personal relationship, a quietly impactful turning of the page for the next chapter in the legendary conflict.
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’s Relationship Was the Central Focus in ‘House of the Dragon’
Alicent has been one of the most integral characters in House of the Dragon from the very beginning. Despite the tremendous presence and importance of the Targaryens and their dragons, the young Hightower played a critical and irreplaceable role in the narrative, with a presence that far exceeded her character’s class and station. The younger Alicent (Emily Carey) was Rhaenyra’s (Milly Alcock) closest friend and confidante, a narrative foil to the Targaryen princess whose contrasting personalities made for dynamic storytelling. As young women in a medieval kingdom, the two were both forced to adhere to patriarchal expectations while searching for ways to survive and succeed in such a cutthroat environment. However, while Rhaenyra had the support of her royal lineage and the direct favor of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), Alicent had far fewer routes toward any form of influence, power, or self-determination. But after the machinations of her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Alicent endeared herself to the king, becoming his second wife, and irreversibly leaving her mark on the Targaryen dynasty.
The relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent was one of, if not the single, most important relationships in the first season, as it served as the main narrative lens through which to see the escalating tensions. The Dance of the Dragons was a legendary conflict not just for the scale of its destruction, but for how personal the conflict actually was. The descent of Rhaenyra and Alicent’s friendship wasn’t just an individual falling out, but a direct catalyst that triggered the civil war, so the amount of time spent in this relationship was completely justifiable. As Rhaenyra stewed in anger at her friend’s apparent betrayal, Alicent, too, resented Rhaenyra’s seeming lack of dedication to her duty. After years of silent jealousy and roiling bitterness, Alicent and Rhaenyra find themselves on opposite sides of a succession war. But what they, and the viewers, discovered was that the conflict had exceeded far beyond just their personal animosity but had fractured their entire family and the realm along with it.
Alicent Loses Power and Purpose in Season 2 of ‘House of the Dragon’
From effectively ruling the realm to being forced to be a passive bystander by her own children, Alicent has felt starkly different in Season 2 compared to her role in Season 1, and the results have been divisive among audiences. Rather than seeing someone ascend to power, audiences see someone losing the last vestiges of their influence, unable to do anything about it. While some viewers have criticisms about the relevance of Alicent’s plot and screentime due to how it affects the pacing of the show , the time spent with the Dowager Queen’s fall from power is one of the important character arcs, the consequence of an entire season of build-up, that needs time to simmer and dissolve.
Olivia Cooke’s performance as Alicent deserves bouquets upon bouquets yet again, thanks to her poignant and effective expressiveness. From aching grief to debilitating rage, Cooke turns in a masterclass of nuanced acting best illustrated in the slow, intentional close-ups that really allow her to sit in those uncomfortable moments. The scene where Aegon silences Alicent in the Small Council is a memorable example, as the shot focuses on Cook’s subtle expressions with the droning noise of panic in the background ratcheting the tension to a truly unsettling degree. Not to be outdone by D’Arcy’s masterful performance with minimal dialogue, Cooke conveys sadness with such Shakespearean depth and grace.
Alicent’s Last Conversation with Rhaenyra Shifts Her Away from the Spotlight
The loss of Alicent’s influence puts the series in a precarious position. After centralizing the narrative around Alicent and Rhaenyra’s conflict, where should the series go now that one of the players is no longer as significant a factor? The war has still begun, the Greens and the Blacks severed beyond reconciliation, but Alicent is no longer the main figure rivaling Rhaenyra — it’s her sons. Aemond rules as Prince Regent, and Aegon is smuggled away from King’s Landing, both remaining poised to be powerful challengers to Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne; both are no longer dependent on their mother to wage war. However, rather than have Alicent fade unceremoniously into the background, the Season 2 finale gave the perfect opportunity for Alicent’s role in the story to shift away from the center of the conflict.
When Alicent speaks with Rhaenyra about ending the war, it almost feels like an unnecessary repetition of their whispered meeting in the Sept during episode 3, but the results are far different. Endeavoring to bring peace to Westeros, Alicent offers to help Rhaenyra claim the Iron Throne when Aemond is away with Vhagar. And when Rhaenyra demands Aegon’s head, Alicent tragically acquiesces. While the pacifistic nature of the women in House of the Dragon is also a controversial choice, Alicent’s recent negotiation with Rhaenyra settles this arc in her character’s journey as she expresses her desire to simply live out the rest of her life free from duty and war, even if it means her name is forever tarnished in history. The rivalry between the two women is no longer as relevant to the war, it’s already beyond their control. Both were even able to speak truthfully to one another for the first time in years, putting their animosity to rest even if they hadn’t replaced it with friendship. That’s not to say that Alicent’s storyline is over completely, as she has plenty of skeletons left to bury. What happens when she gives Rhaenyra King’s Landing, but not Aegon? What happens if Aegon learns that his mother gave up his life to Rhaenyra? Will she be able to protect Helaena (Phia Saban), avoid Aemond, or reunite with her father? There’s still plenty of story left for Alicent, even as she’s no longer needed to be such a central figure.
It would have always felt odd to have the central conflict occur between the Queen and the Dowager Queen, rather than the Queen and the King vying for the throne, so this shift in focus will allow the more relevant conflict to take center stage. As has been the theme in the series thus far, decisions made in the past set forth consequences that cannot be avoided. Alicent’s conflict with Rhaenyra has reached its culmination; she acknowledges her jealousy of her friend’s former freedom, but now is the one free from responsibility while Rhaenyra is tied down by duty. While she must still deal with the ramifications of her deal when facing her children, Alicent and Rhaenyra’s storyline is no longer each of their most important narrative connections, as they each have other characters with whom their narratives are more personally intertwined. Though Olivia Cooke’s immutable charisma means Alicent will always remain a relevant presence in the show, her ending in season 2 opens up new possibilities for new relationships and conflicts to receive more focus.
