‘House of the Dragon’: Milly Alcock Fills in the 2 Years Between Episodes 2 and 3
House of the Dragon has already moved pretty fast in three episodes. The second episode skipped ahead months and the third two years. By episode 6, Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy will take over the roles of Alicent and Rhaenyra respectively. But for now, Milly Alcock is still Rhaenyra and she filled in what happened between House of the Dragon episodes 2 and 3.
Alcock was a guest on the House of the Dragons official podcast for episode 3, “Second of His Name.” Here’s her version of what went down between Rhaenyra and Alicent. House of the Dragon premieres new episodes Sundays on HBO Max.
Milly Alcock knows Rhaenyra and Alicent fell out over the 2 years between ‘House of the Dragon’ episodes
Life is a roller coaster when you’re young. One minute your father marries your best friend to secure his bloodline on the throne. Two years later she’s pregnant with your second half-sibling. House of the Dragon jumped right from King Viserys (Paddy Considine)’s announcement of his marriage to Alicent to her second pregnancy. Alcock said the years in between were not good.
“I think fundamentally their relationship had completely deteriorated,” Alcock said on the House of the Dragon podcast. “It’s like, ‘You picked a side and it wasn’t me. And you also didn’t have the balls to stand up for yourself.’ So she’s just angry. She’s angry at the world, she’s angry at everyone, she’s angry at her dad. She’s got a lot of rage and I think ep 3 especially explores that rage which was so much fun.”
Milly Alcock laments how Rhaenyra and Alicent could’ve been
The Targaryan family tree didn’t have to go this way. Alcock also discussed the close friendship Alicent and Rhaenyra could still have if Alicent hadn’t married Viserys.
“They’re young women and their relationship is so interesting because I think young women especially have a certain type of fondness for each other that happens when you’re about 12 to 15/16,” Alcock said. “You develop this really beautiful close relationship and because of your lack of experience with love, lust and heartbreak, you inflate all those feelings with one another so they can’t really dictate what is platonic and what is romantic. I think that bleeds into their relationships they have with men when they’re older.”
What’s next on ‘House of the Dragon’?
Rhaenyra was open to seeing a woman sit on the Iron Throne, even if it had to be her. Alicent’s just thrown a wedge into that. Sounds like Rhaenyra isn’t going to let it go, nor should she.
I think she’s just like f*** it to the entire game because I think Rhaenyra wants change within the world but I don’t think that she wants the responsibility of being queen. But she wants change and she sees the throne as an avenue for change. So she’s like if I can get on that throne, things are going to be different. So yeah, she’s just angry that no one listens to her. No one takes her seriously. She’s just used as a prop for everybody else’s political chess. She’s a chess piece and it frustrates her. There’s lots of sulking and storming off as a result of that.
Milly Alcock, House of the Dragon podcast, 9/5/22
