In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower start as childhood best friends but slowly become adversaries. Alicent, after years of harboring resentment towards Rhaenyra, ultimately realizes that she is confronted with the same challenges as her. As she faces Rhaenyra once again, she is presented with a tough decision, to give a son for a son.
Olivia Cooke explains Alicent’s controversial decision
Alicent goes to Rhaenyra after mulling over her past choices in the forests of King’s Landing. However, giving up a son is even a new low for her, as Olivia Cooke detailed in an interview with GQ,
“Whatever the audience wants to project onto the character at this point, you sort of hand it over, but I played it as truthful. I think she knows going in that she’s going to have to give up Aegon, but I think there’s a part of her that wishes she could bargain that one last time, in order for that not to happen … But she knows there’s gonna be no merit in that.
Credit: HBO
But I did come at it from a place of truth, and last resort, and Alicent being like, ‘I have nothing else up my sleeve. This is it. All I want is for my daughter and myself to be safe.’”
Alicent realizes she misheard Viserys
Olivia Cooke went on to reminisce how Rhaenyra’s previous meeting with Alicent affected her. She said, “Over the eight episodes, it was really trying to find those moments where [Alicent] was on her own, to study and digest what Rhaenyra has told her, what state the realm is in, and what her part in all of this has been. When she comes to Rhaenyra [in the finale], it’s as close to ego death as Alicent will possibly allow herself to come to.”
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