Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 3 of House of the Dragon.
The second season ofHouse of the Dragonhas only made things more complicated for the two sides of the Targaryen civil war. But perhapsno one has lost more power in Westeros than the Dowager Queen herself, Alicent Hightower(Olivia Cooke). The monarch used to have the entire kingdom in the palm of her hand, considering how she was the wife of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the daughter of Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). But now that both men are out of the picture, Alicent no longer feels represented in the council that is clearly headed towards a violent war. But how did this happen? And what does it mean for the future of Westeros?
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.
Alicent Hightower Becomes the Dowager Queen
One of the main plot threads from the first season ofHouse of the Dragonfocuses on the friendship between the young Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). The two girls were inseparable while growing up inside the walls of the Red Keep. But as it became clear thatOtto Hightower found a way to insert his bloodline into the Iron Throne, the friendship between Alicent and Rhaenyra became severely damaged due to how both women were given the spotlight in a conflict they didn’t want to be a part of in the first place.
A few years down the line, Viserys' health only got worse. The king could no longer rule over the Seven Kingdoms from the Iron Throne, and during that period Alicent and Otto were essentially the voice of the king. Although Viserys made a final effort on the day of his death to reaffirm his daughter’s claim to the throne and his grandson’s legitimacy, his subsequent death led toa misunderstanding by Alicent. Believing her husband changed his mind, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) was chosen as the new monarch. Little did Alicent know that by raising her son up to this place of ultimate power, she would lose both her power and her voice of authority in court.
The first step in taking power away from Alicent came in the form of Aegon II sitting on the Iron Throne. The next chapter of her downfall would come in the form of the local idiot, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) becoming the new Hand of the King.Alicent is no longer protected by either Viserys or her father, meaning that anything she has to say would no longer matter in a council filled with men who don’t care about her opinion. But that isn’t where this problem comes to an end. Alicent might very well have be the only person who was capable of stopping an unnecessary war, but no one was paying attention to her.
The Dance of Dragons Has Already Begun
Rhaenyra was never going to let go of her throne easily. After all, why would she? Every time the character wants to solve this conflict peacefully, the Greens only respond with violence. And as if that wasn’t enough, members of Rhaenyra’s own teamcome up with war tactics behind her back, putting the future of Westeros in jeopardy. The only hope Viserys' daughter had of stopping the war before it even began was her former friend. But the latest episode ofHouse of the Dragonmade it clear thatthe Dance of Dragons has arrived.
In what has been one of the most dangerous missions seen in the show so far, Rhaenyra wore a disguise in order totalk with Alicent in private. But the results weren’t the ones the Black Queen was expecting.Alicent finally understood that Viserys never meant for Aegon II to rule Westerosand that she had misinterpreted her husband’s final words. But that didn’t change anything. Alicent is determined to help her son keep his right to a throne that was never his. And the saddest part about it is that, even if she did want a peaceful resolution, no one in that council is willing to listen to her.
Not even her secret love affair with Ser Criston Cole can give a voice to Alicent anymore. She has a direct relative and a lover sitting at the table, butthe power she held next to Otto and Viserys is gone. The most likely path Alicent will follow now is turning into a relic of the past, sitting gracefully during parades while a bunch of irresponsible warriors decidethe future of her people.
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What’s Next for Alicent Hightower?
With the second season ofHouse of the Dragonalmost halfway through, there are crucial factors left to be considered while the two Targaryen armies head into battle. Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) was one of Rhaenyras’ youngest children, andhe was murdered by Aemond(Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon, Vhagar. Tensions were already running high while Rhaenyra was left to grieve the death of her child, but matters only got worse once a plan created by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) led to the death of Jaehaerys, one of the youngest members of the Green family.
It’s also relevant to remember how every peaceful tactic to prevent war hasn’t worked. Despite the tragedies that have fallen upon her family,Rhaenyra has refused to directly engage in any violent behavior. But after talking directly to Alicent, it’s too late to prevent what’s about to happen. The only thing left to do is to prepare an army and the dragons to engage the Hightowers. Anything Alicent says now won’t matter when it comes to the future of Westeros. Neither Cole, Aemond, nor Aegon are great diplomats, and without Otto’s wisdom and Alicent’s advice, this war will become one of the bloodiest in Westeros history.
New episodes of Season 2 ofHouse of the Dragonpremiere on Sundays on HBO in the U.S.
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