‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2: ‘There’s Actually Still Hope’ for Rhaenyra, Alicent Friendship, Says Ryan Condal
By the House of the Dragon season finale, it seems like Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) are hopelessly at odds. How can you be friends with someone who defied her husband, your father’s wishes that you succeed him as sovereign? And essentially putting your nephew on the throne. But, creator and showrunner Ryan Condal says there’s still hope for Rhaenyra and Alicent in House of the Dragon Season 2.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the House of the Dragon season finale.]
Condal was a guest on the House of the Dragon podcast on Oct. 23 to discuss the season finale. Looking ahead to House of the Dragon Season 2, Condal offered some hope for Rhaenyra and Alicent to mend fences.
How Alicent and Rhaenyra could be friends again in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2
At the end of the House of the Dragon season finale, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell)’s dragon ate Luke (Elliot Grihault). Even losing a son to one of Alicent’s sons, Condal believes Rhaenyra could still reunite with her childhood friend, Alicent.
“I think there’s actually still hope, even with Luke’s death,” Condal said on the House of the Dragon podcast. “The problem moving forward is it’s only so much in Alicent and Rhaenyra’s control anymore. Now we’re dealing with their sons and what we know from history is that war is often fought by the young 16-22 year old angry, testosterone loaded sons of the people that are trying to hold onto their power.”
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children may stand in the way of their friendship
There could be a war in Westeros over the succession of King Viserys (Paddy Considine). Viserys named Rhaenyra his successor, but after his death, Alicent claims he named their son Aegon on his deathbed. However Alicent and Rhaenyra resolve things, their sons and daughters are in the fight come House of the Dragon Season 2.
“The barn doors have been opened in a way and you have all these people, Aemond and Aegon and Jace and Luke and Raena and Baela, they don’t have this ancient history that Rhaenyra and Alicent had together when they loved each other and read books together. What they know is these entrenched sides that were formed by their parents and taught to them from a very early age.”
Teenagers will complicate ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2
Condal also cited some season 1 scenes that will pay off in House of the Dragon Season 2.
“Alicent is grabbing Aegon’s face when he’s caught in a compromising situation at that very famous window of the Red Keep and she’s telling him that he is the challenge and that they’re going to come for him and kill him,” Condal said. “When you tell a 14-year-old that, and that’s probably not the first time you’ve had that conversation with him, that does something to a developing brain. That is the tragedy of this story.”
Condal added that these forces were set in motion before Alicent and Rhaenyra’s time, too.
“It’s not even Alicent’s fault,” Condal said. “It’s actually her father’s fault and Viserys’s fault. They didn’t even realize it was their fault at the time, but again that’s why this is a Greek tragedy.”
