Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3.
Sunday night’s episode ofHouse of the Dragonwas a reminder ofthe futility of the forthcomingwarbetween the Blacks and the Greens, and that the violence and destruction brought upon by wars in Westeros past and present are often the result of petty personal grievances, childhood feuds, and evensimple misunderstandings. From the long-lastingfeud between the Brackens and the Blackwoods, who jump at any chance to fight each other, to the Targaryen family infighting that lost Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) his eye, leading to deadly consequences in the Season 1 finale.
In a last-ditch effort to push for peace while her council suggests otherwise, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy),sneaks into King’s Landingto speak with Alicent (Olivia Cooke). It’s a tense, heartbreaking scene between two childhood best friends whose relationship has been irreparably damaged, calling back to a touching moment in Season 1 when Alicent comforted a grieving Rhaenyra in the Great Sept of Baelor after the death of her mother and brother. In Season 2, their relationship is past the point of no return, and their surprise rendezvous is bittersweet not only because Alicent and Rhaenyra realize this all could have been avoided, but because we likelywon’t see Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy on screen together againfor the foreseeable future.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Emily Carey and Milly Alcock Laid the Groundwork for Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy’s Performances
Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy didn’t assume their roles until halfway through Season 1 ofHouse of the Dragon, soEmily Carey and Milly Alcock laid the foundation ofAlicent and Rhaenyra’s relationshipin their youth. We first meet Alicent and Rhaenyra when they’re just fourteen years old and each other’s closest companions, though their fundamental differences present themselves quite early on. Alicent (Carey) is Rhaenyra’s (Alcock) true friend with seemingly no ulterior motives until Otto (Rhys Ifans) nudges her into becoming King Viserys' (Paddy Considine) new wife so that the Hightowers can solidify their place in the Red Keep. In one of their first scenes together, Alicent urges Rhaenyra to take her position in the Targaryen hierarchy seriously, while Rhaenyra declares she would rather spend her time flying around on dragons and eating cake with Alicent. Rhaenyra is driven by desire, but Alicent doesn’t have the same luxury, and her life is instead defined by a strong sense of duty and her father’s quest for power. It’s this difference in perspective and upbringing that informs their relationship going forward once Cooke and D’Arcy take over in Episode 6.
Carey and Alcock also confirmed that theypurposefully imbued romantic subtextinto Alicent and Rhaenyra’s friendship, which is evident from the get-go with their lingering glances and near-constant physical closeness. Carey and Alcock do an excellent job of establishing the level of intimacy Alicent and Rhaenyra had with each other as teenage girls, andCooke and D’Arcy are able to translate this into their own performancesas the adult versions of Alicent and Rhaenyra. Neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra are as ruthless as they could (and should) be because of their shared history and reluctance to have deadly violence enacted on the other, even when it would undoubtedly benefit them.
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s Relationship Has Reached the Point of No Return in ‘House of the Dragon’
Alicent is at her most human in the Great Sept of Baelor, a place she’s found solace in since her mother died in her childhood. Now, in adulthood, she returns there to pray and light candles in honor of lost family members, and in the Season 2 premiere, even lights one for Lucerys Targaryen (Elliot Grihault). This is also where Alicent is most vulnerable both physically and emotionally, which gives Rhaenyra the perfect opportunity to attempt to appeal to her emotions and shared history to prevent almost certain war. And she does just that, recalling a memory of her and Alicent at the tourney as teenagers and telling her that Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) also believes she desires peace, but Alicent won’t bite. Their conversation is intense, with the two queens whispering accusations and insults at each other while their eyes well with tears, but they’re both unwilling to comfort the other, and there’s a sense of finality when Alicent tells Rhaenyra she’s simply too late.
When Rhaenyra suggests to Alicent that the Aegon Viserys was referring to in his final moments wasn’t their son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), but Aegon the Conqueror of theSong of Ice and Fire prophecy, there’s a silent moment of realization between them that this conflict could have been avoided entirely. Rhaenyra hopes this moment of clarity will prompt Alicent to take her side and prevent a war, butAlicent knows the damage is already done, and refuses to admit there’s been a mistake. With Otto ousted as Hand of the King, Ser Criston (Fabien Frankel) en route to the Riverlands, Aemond perpetually on the warpath, and thefeckless Aegon calling the shots, there’s no chance of stopping or reversing what’s already been set in motion.
Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy Are Each Other’s Best Scene Partners on ‘House of the Dragon’
When Cooke and D’Arcy are onscreen together, especially by themselves, it’s hard to look away. Though they may not share the screen as much as Carey and Alcock,Cooke and D’Arcy’s chemistry is just as strong, if not stronger. One of the most memorable scenes inHouse of the DragonSeason 1 takes place between the two of them whenAlicent lunges at Rhaenyra with a knifein an explosive confrontation after finding out Lucerys stabbed Aemond in the eye. In arecent video with Maxleading up to the release of Season 2, Cooke and D’Arcy sang each other’s praises while reacting to this scene, and D’Arcy revealed it was actually one of their first times acting with each other. Cooke and D’Arcy also discussed feeling hysterical while shooting the scene for two or three days straight, which, though undoubtedly exhausting for the actors, brought a sense of authenticity to Alicent’s frenzied rage and Rhaenyra’s steely indignation while trying to fend her off and defend her son.
The next time Alicent and Rhaenyra are together in Season 1, Episode 8, they share a tender moment and part ways on relatively good terms, indicating they may actually attempt to repair their relationship. When Rhaenyra says she must return to Dragonstone, Alicent instinctively reaches out to grasp her hand, like a muscle memory being reactivated after years of disuse. They simultaneously look down at their joined hands, and you may almost see the fond childhood memories flooding back, along with a real sense that things could be different for them in the future. So much can be gleaned from Alicent and Rhaenyra’s brief interactions, andthe way they look at each other often says morethan even the most well-written dialogue could.
If theHouse of the Dragonpress tours are any indication,Cooke and D’Arcy’s off-screen friendship likely has a lot to do with their terrific on-screen chemistry, and theirplayful, affectionate dynamic during interviewscouldn’t be more different from the one between Alicent and Rhaenyra. AsHouse of the Dragonwidens its scope and other new relationships are explored, this may sadly be the last time we see Cooke and D’Arcy work their magic on screen together this season.
New episodes ofHouse of the DragonSeason 2 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.
