Includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2’s finale and Fire & Blood, the show’s source material.
Summary
- Alicent is taken prisoner by Rhaenyra after surrendering King’s Landing
- HOTD explores Alicent’s fate in a more sympathetic light
- Alicent is one of the few main characters to survive the Dance of the Dragons
Alicent Hightower makes a drastic choice in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale, raising questions about her fate in future seasons. Played by Olivia Cooke in the House of the Dragon cast, Alicent’s arc in season 2 has taken a sharp turn from her trajectory in season 1. While she was once resolute in her ideals of responsibility, she’s realized what they’ve brought upon her as her sons rain havoc on the Seven Kingdoms. She suffers from a crisis of identity, eventually leading her to Dragonstone for a final confrontation with Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra and Alicent have only met twice since the Blacks and Greens split, in two pivotal moments in season 2. In the finale, Alicent tells Rhaenyra that she’ll surrender King’s Landing to her upon Aemond’s departure from the capital. She tries to request that her, Helaena, and Aegon’s lives be spared, but Rhaenyra gives her an ultimatum, suggesting that she would have to kill Aegon if this were to happen. Alicent mulls it over, then accepts, telling Rhaenyra to arrive at the capital in three days’ time to capture the Iron Throne.
Alicent Is Taken Prisoner By Rhaenyra After The Fall Of King’s Landing
Rhaenyra Takes The Iron Throne With Alicent & Helaena In The City
House of the Dragon is based on Fire & Blood, an extension of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire book series, but takes creative liberties in its adaptation. Alicent and Rhaenyra’s season 2 conversations are original to the TV series, so it’s hard to determine the impact they might have in changing the course of Alicent’s story. Rhaenyra undoubtedly still has some affection for her childhood friend, but the book has her taking Alicent prisoner upon her return to King’s Landing.
If the show pursues this route and decides to have Rhaenyra place Alicent in captivity, it could be because Aegon fled the city. Of course, the audience knows Alicent had nothing to do with this, and it’s because of Larys Strong, but Rhaenyra may not trust her on the matter. She could easily accuse Alicent of being complicit, lying to her about surrendering Aegon, and decide to take her captive for it. This would likely be the appropriate political move, regardless.
Will House Of The Dragon Season 3 Change Alicent’s Fate?
HOTD Has Tried To Give Alicent & Rhaenyra More Scenes, So Anything Is Possible
Given Alicent and Rhaenyra’s conversations, it’s not impossible for Alicent’s fate to change. The final two episodes of Alicent’s arc saw her embracing freedom outside the politicking of noble houses, and she’s determined to pursue this life for herself and, seemingly, for Helaena. There’s some thematic depth to Alicent discovering freedom only to be forced into even more oppressive captivity, but anything is possible with House of the Dragon. It seems unlikely that she’ll run off into the woods and disappear as she seems to desire.
Not locking up Alicent in the dungeon but keeping her on Red Keep house arrest is another possibility. This would allow Alicent and Rhaenyra to continue to have scenes together, which season 2’s writing seemed geared toward this already. One aspect House of the Dragon season 2 suffered from was characters being too spread out across Westeros, so having them grouped up, along with potentially Daemon, in King’s Landing, could lead to more of the scenes that made season 1 so dramatically compelling.
Alicent Is One Of The Only Main Characters Who Survives The Dance Of The Dragons
Alicent Outlives Almost Everyone In The HOTD Ensemble
The outcome of the Dance of the Dragons is perilous for many of the characters and dragons involved. There won’t be many main characters, especially not among those introduced in season 1, who end up surviving the war. Alicent manages to, however, outlast most of her family, all of her children, and practically everyone else she knows. She only survives another year after the Dance ends, but she lives out a sad existence confined to her quarters with little company, eventually taking to talking to herself and weeping often.
With House of the Dragon exploring Alicent Hightower further than the books, leading her to be a more sympathetic character, this ending will be harrowing to see. Especially now, given her affinity for fresh air and a life outside the Red Keep, it will be terrible to see her relegated to isolation inside those walls, forced to live with the weight of everything that happened after everyone else had died, until eventually dying. She’s among the tragic characters in House of the Dragon, and season 3 will be pivotal to her arc going forward.
House of the Dragon
4.0
Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
- Cast
- Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Seasons
- 2