Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-9 of House of the Dragon.One of the highlights of seeing George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood book brought to life is seeing characters with one-dimensional personalities develop into fully fleshed-out characters. House of the Dragon Season 1 covers the events right before the tragic civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons that will tear apart House Targaryen and take them from the height of their power to their sharp decline. So far, the show has done a balanced job of portraying the two sides that have formed known as the Blacks and the Greens. On the side of the Blacks is the late King Viserys' (Paddy Considine) firstborn child, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) who was, until her half-brother was crowned, the heir to the throne. By her side is her uncle and husband Daemon (Matt Smith), and allied to them is Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). Although each character has made their fair share of bad decisions, House of the Dragon has taken care to show just how nuanced each character is.
On the side of the Greens is Prince Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), who was crowned in the penultimate episode after his grandfather Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) essentially staged a coup in his name. Supporting him is his mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), the new commander of the Kingsguard Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), and, to some extent, his younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his wife and sister Helaena (Phia Saban). Up until now, although Alicent's sons haven't been the most savory of characters, on some level they might have garnered our sympathy. The same goes for Alicent, who was pushed by her own father into marriage with the King when she was just a child. But with "The Green Council" now behind us, it's time to ask the awkward question. If there are any people genuinely rooting for the Greens in this war... why?
How Can the Greens Be Redeemed?
Perhaps in the eyes of a Westerosi lord or one of the smallfolk, Aegon belongs on the throne simply because he's a man. Add to that the fact that Rhaenyra's children are clearly bastards, it makes sense why some of the major houses of Westeros would side with them. But in the eyes of a modern viewer, there's not much left to redeem when it comes to the Greens.
Alicent is still a puppet to her father's schemes and the plans of the men around her. Aegon is a rapist, who both enjoys watching children fight to the death in Flea Bottom and revels in power when he is crowned. Aemond is violent, petty, and ambitiously eyeing the throne, ready to take his brother's place. Otto is manipulative as always and ready to send soldiers to Dragonstone to slaughter Rhaenyra and her family. We can also assume that he has been planning this coup for a long time. And, of course, Criston Cole is now a two-time murderer, after killing Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod) violently during Rhaenyra's wedding celebration and then killing Lord Beesbury (Bill Paterson) right at the table of the Small Council.
It's hard to justify that any of these people are fit to rule or be in positions of power, and their only saving grace is Helaena, who in all respects is completely faultless, but she is a character who has thus far had very little agency in her life. Whether she's being ignored by her husband-brother or overly protected by her mother, Helaena is faultless because her chief duty is simply to bear Aegon his heirs and exist in the background.
Alicent Is the Only Complex Character
For much of this season, we have watched Alicent Hightower grow and evolve in front of our eyes. While Rhaenyra might have matured from her more precocious younger self, her personality and strength has largely stayed the same. She has always been a confident character and one who proactively goes after what she wants. Alicent, on the other hand, has oftentimes been a cipher. We first meet her when she is the close friend and confidant of Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock). The young Alicent (Emily Carey) is soft-spoken, nervous, and obedient. When the queen dies, she follows her father's orders and goes to the king to comfort him in order to endear herself to him.
Although her eventual marriage to the king gives her a rise in status, it was difficult not to feel for the girl who was. It is easy to see how, despite becoming queen, she had little happiness or pleasure in her life. Relegated to motherhood at a young age, she dutifully fulfills her role as a bearer of heirs. As she gets older and when her relationship with Rhaenyra fractures after a lie, she begins to gain more power and even earns herself a seat at the Small Council table. Although she could be stringent with her own personal brand of morals at times, there are moments, like during the dinner in "The Lord of the Tides," when we saw how much she wished to reconcile with her friend and find peace between their two houses.
Perhaps after Helaena, Alicent is the character who still feels like someone that can be pulled back from being completely irredeemable. When her father reveals that they have been planning the coup all along and wish to kill Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their kids, she immediately disagrees. Although she's misunderstood Viserys' last words, she knows that at the very least her late husband would not have wanted his daughter, his brother, or his grandchildren killed. Throughout the episode, she rushes to find her son Aegon before her father does in order to impress upon him the importance of trying to maintain peace with Rhaenyra and not resort to violence. Despite this though, her alliance with the insanely violent Criston Cole and the creepy and sinister Larys Strong make it difficult to defend her.
Aegon Is Not Fit For the Throne
The problem is, the war between the Blacks and the Greens is between Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon's claim to the throne, and when comparing the two, it's difficult to really make a case for Aegon. The multiple times we've seen him, we've heard him reiterate that he does not want to be king. In "The Green Council," it's revealed that it's not because of the burden of rulership but rather because he, correctly, believed his father never wanted him to be heir. When Alicent insists that Viserys used his last words to name him heir, Aegon says, "He had 20 years to name me heir, and he never did. Steadfastly, he upheld Rheanyra's claim." Despite his many faults and heinous crimes, Aegon is correct.
However, when Alicent shows him the Catspaw Dagger and Aegon is crowned and applauded by the people, it's clear that the idea of power is alluring to him. Still, his actions are enough to have his own Kingsguard turn against him. We watch in the episode as Aegon's gruesome proclivities are revealed, and eventually, these acts force Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliott Tittensor) to make a stand against the crown and his own brother by helping Rhaenys to escape her prison.
The Hightower Coup Is Violent and Premeditated
Although it might never be confirmed if the Hightowers and the Maesters had anything to do with Viserys' rapid deterioration, it's clear that Otto has been planning this moment for quite some time. In Fire & Blood, Otto and Alicent plot for over a week while Viserys' body rots and decomposes in order to achieve their goals. Although this process is sped up in the series, it's a brutal takeover.
Otto, with the help of the Lord Confessor Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), immediately locks up all the servants in the Red Keep to prevent word from getting out about Viserys' death. Then he gathers the lords of the realm and strong-arms them to bend the knee. Those who don't are not allowed to leave. They must bend the knee or face something worse. In the episode, we don't know what happens to the lord and lady who do not bend the knee, but we do see Lord Caswell (Paul Hickey) try to leave the castle to warn Rhaenyra only to be captured. By the end of the episode, his body is hung in the square of the Red Keep, sending a message to those who oppose Aegon's rule.
On top of all of this, they rob Viserys' closest family of the opportunity to mourn him. It was no secret, perhaps to his own detriment, that Viserys favored Rhaenyra, to the point where, under the influence of milk of the poppy, he even calls her his only child. It's also clear that although they shared a difficult relationship, Viserys and Daemon had a tight bond as brothers. For a family that is so ruled by their loyalty to the Faith of the Seven and ideas like honor and decency, "The Green Council" reveals the Greens for who they really are. So, I have to wonder, who is still rooting for the Greens? And why?