‘House of the Dragon’ Boss Claims Rhaenyra and Alicent Were Driven Apart by ‘the Patriarchy’
TL;DR:
- Rhaenyra and Alicent have spent the majority of House of the Dragon at odds.
- According to showrunner Ryan Condal, “the patriarchy” drove them apart.
- After House of the Dragon Episode 9, reconciliation seems unlikely.
House of the Dragon Season 1 opens with Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke) on good terms, but the characters don’t stay that way for long. Once Alicent marries into Rhaenyra’s family, they’re almost constantly at odds. House of the Dragon Episode 9 pushes tensions between them overboard. And according to House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, it’s mostly “the patriarchy” that’s driven the two women apart.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Episode 9, “The Green Council.”]
Rhaenyra and Alicent have spent ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 1 at odds
The House of the Dragon premiere introduces Princess Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower as childhood friends, and the two seem to have nothing but goodwill toward one another. However, their relationship begins to unravel after King Viserys (Paddy Considine) decides to marry Alicent.
While Rhaenyra feels she’s being replaced by her father’s new family, Alicent comes to resent Rhaenyra’s freedom. It’s a messy situation that only gets worse when it comes to the matter of Viserys’ successor.
Despite Viserys’ insistence that Rhaenyra remain his heir, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) pushes his daughter to support her eldest son’s claim to the Iron Throne. And the more Rhaenyra appears to flout her duties, the more inclined Alicent is to do so. However, a brief moment of understanding between Alicent and Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon Episode 8 suggests they never really wanted to be on opposing sides.
For Ryan Condal, that’s precisely the point. The House of the Dragon showrunner recently spoke about the tensions between the two women, explaining that their current circumstances arose because of “the patriarchy.”
‘House of the Dragon’ showrunner Ryan Condal says the 2 women were driven apart ‘by the patriarchy’
During HBO’s Inside the Episode for House of the Dragon Episode 8, showrunner Ryan Condal spoke about the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra. Specifically, he addressed the scene where they make peace after Viserys’ supper. He noted that the characters still love each other deep down, even if they’re grown apart over the years.
According to Condal, the rift in Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship can mostly be attributed to the men surrounding them:
“Rhaenyra and Alicent have always been trying to pull themselves back from the precipice. The idea is that they never really wanted to get into this rivalry together, but they were driven there by the patriarchy — by the men in their lives. And they have a real friendship and relationship and real love for one another that might have gotten cold and stale over the years, but it did exist.”
It’s a fair point, and it’s one that’s highlighted again in House of the Dragon Episode 9. Alicent may have misinterpreted Viserys’ last words, but she doesn’t want to harm Rhaenyra for the sake of Aegon’s crown. She’s stunned that her father was plotting against Rhaenyra all along. And she refuses to let him murder Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) without offering terms.
Those are signs of that love Condal references, though they’re unlikely to win Rhaenyra to Alicent’s cause.
Could Rhaenyra and Alicent still reconcile?
Through House of the Dragon Episode 9, Rhaenyra and Alicent have maintained some semblance of love for one another. However, it’s hard to say if they can reconcile after everything that’s happened.
With the Hightowers seizing the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra is unlikely to treat with them. That means she and Alicent will be on opposite sides of a civil war, and the casualties may push them both beyond any hope of forgiveness.
Once the Dance of the Dragons kicks off in full, Rhaenyra and Alicent will move from a “rivalry” to straight-up enmity. And even those who haven’t read George R.R. Martin’s books have to admit, it’s hard to envision them coming back from that.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Sunday on HBO.
