In one of House of the Dragon Season 3’s most shocking moments, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) discovers that Rhaenyra’s first act as queen is the execution of her father, Otto Hightower. Through a short interview with Decider, Olivia Cooke recently walked fans through Alicent’s emotional and strategic turmoil in the aftermath.
Quick read:
- Olivia says nothing has gone as per her plan of escape
- Seeing her father slain leaves her fog-minded
- She’s overwhelmed by all these events happening around her
A series of unplanned events
Cooke explained that everything spirals in ways Alicent never anticipated:
“There are a bunch of things that have happened that weren’t planned. Alicent and Helaena aren’t supposed to be there, and so what does that look like in a court full of people with eyes on them for Alicent to then walk free?”
The public nature of the moment adds layers of danger and isolation for Alicent. She is suddenly navigating survival in a hostile environment while processing unimaginable personal loss.
Add WoT as a preferred source on Google.
Olivia Cooke on Alicent’s reaction to finding Otto executed in the throne room
“She just beheaded my dad. In front of everyone. She doesn’t know where Otto has been, so for all she knows, he’s been held prisoner by [Rhaenyra]. This feels like a very public display of this… pic.twitter.com/wicTR72Fxe
— Thrones Updates (@ThronesUpdates) June 30, 2026
The “cherry on top of a very sh*t cake”
Cooke described the sight of her father’s beheaded body as the ultimate blow:
“Alicent is just trying to compute what her next move is, but seeing her slain father with his head chopped off in front of her, who hasn’t been returning her letters a very, very long time. She doesn’t really know what has happened to him. It’s sort of the cherry on top of a very sh*t cake.”
Otto’s prolonged silence had already created distance, but witnessing his brutal death in such a visceral way leaves Alicent reeling. It forces her to reassess her decision to help Rhaenyra ascend the Iron Throne and highlights how quickly alliances can turn deadly.
Alicent’s shifting calculus
This moment marks a major turning point for Alicent. Cooke’s performance captures her character frantically calculating her next steps while overwhelmed by grief, shock, and fear.
