House of the Dragon has come midseason with Episode 5, "We Light the Way." After watching a young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and Alicent (Emily Carey) being dictated by the politics of men, the show will now take a decade-long leap to continue with that power struggle. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who are set to take over the roles from Alcock and Carey as Rhaenyra and Alicent, respectively, discussed the themes of the show and the power dynamics between their grownup characters.

The seven kingdoms of Westeros are a deeply patriarchal society, it was established with the first shot of the series which sees Viserys being chosen the King over Rhaenys, the Queen who never was. D’Arcy explains that the continued “consolidation of male power and patriarchy” is what really excited them about the script. Further explaining that the Princess has “privilege but not power” due to prevailing patriarchy. “It's one thing to put two female characters in the center of a series like this," D'Arcy continued, "but it's another when they are positioned within a patriarchy. How do we pay attention to them at least seeking command of their own lives?” Cooke agrees saying, Alicent “struggles with her womanhood and the power.” We last saw the Queen as she realizes the consequences of her misplaced trust and her father’s final warning shaking her to the core. The actor explains the part “she does have to play that is completely separate from her husband or her father or even her children. And also, just moralistically where she stands when she isn't listening to her father anymore.”

Essentially, D’Arcy explains that it’s about “othering,” revealing that showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal have created a program where the story is told from the perspective of a character who is “fundamentally othered in a position of power.” Adding, “That feels really unusual to me. How do you convince an electorate that you're not other? How do you do that when the whole system is built on the belief and the rule that you are not the same?” Cooke shares their sentiment as Alicent’s role has been limited to birthing heirs, something that the series has been vocal about in Episode 4, when Rhaenyra remarks, "How romantic it must be to get imprisoned in a castle and made to squeeze out heirs," and quickly apologizes. Cooke said, "Our bodies [as women] continue to be politicized. It's interesting playing a character that is in a medieval time and [seeing] how those things are still going on."

house of the dragon
Image via HBO

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On one hand, we have Rhaenyra, the heir to the throne with rumored illegitimate kids and on the other, we have Alicent who walks a tightrope of being a ‘lady’ for her entire life while being forced in whichever direction the men in her life see fit. Cooke revealed, "Just the injustice of it that she feels... She looks around her family, and they're all f—ed up. She's like, 'I've been so perfect all my life. I haven't taken a step wrong, and it doesn't f—ing matter.' I think what we see in her evolution is this complete existential crisis." She attributes the rivalry between the two to this in justice as well as the loss of her friendship with Rhaenyra, "I think it's the first proper heartbreak, and the first only heartbreak that [Alicent's] had because it was such a pure love."

The new episode of House of the Dragon drops on September 25, meanwhile, check out the teaser below: