House of the Dragon has done a fantastic job of sketching out Rhaenyra and Alicent’s friendship before the series divides between the Blacks and the Greens. The two girls reconciled in the latest episode ‘King of the Narrow Sea,’ before the eventual demise of their friendship. In a recent chat with Nylon, Milly Alcock (Rhaenyra Targaryen) speaks about the two women being governed by the choices of men around them and ironically in a similar fashion the (mostly) male fan base of the series pitting the two against each other.
The series starts by showing us a deep connection and almost flirtatious vibes between the two girls. As the episodes progress, we see Alicent (Emily Carey) visiting the widowed King Viserys (Paddy Considine) at the insistence of his father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). On the other hand, we see Rhaenyra becoming a “political headache” for his father after he named her the heir. The real trouble begins when the King decides to marry Alicent and further deepens when the arrival of their son threatens Rhaenyra’s heirdom. However, for the actors the importance of their relationship was quite apparent, as Alcock explains:
I think it was all kind of written on the page, and Emily [Carey] and I understood very quickly what this relationship meant, and that we really needed to display their unconditional love for each other when we see them. Especially in the first couple of episodes — so that when the demise of that friendship inevitably happens, the audience cares.
Certainly, when Viserys announced his intentions we were as stung as Rhaenyra. From a deleted scene we’ve understood the aftermath that Alicent did go behind her and sparks flew and there was a confrontation. However, we haven’t seen the two plotting against each other or even having bad intentions, but the trouble grows as the Queen Who Never Was, Rhaenys puts it, “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron throne.” So, the two women are only put at odds because of the men playing these 'game of thrones' around them. Alcock realizes “the internalized misogyny that these two women are forced to face. They're forced to be put at odds with one another by the choices by men.”
However, reel life also imitates real life as the actor reveals that she finds it "ironic" that fans are already picking sides and pitting them against each other. She tells, "But what I found quite hilarious is that the fan base is also putting the actors, the young Alicent and the young Rhaenyra at odds with each other, and choosing who's better, also by decision of mostly men. So I think that it's really just f*****g ironic."
House of the Dragon Episode 5 will drop on September 18. Meanwhile, you can check out the new teaser below: