Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon episodes 1-3.
Through House of the Dragon's first three episodes, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) have exclusively appeared as their younger selves, though the show's impending 10-year time jump will see new actors fill these roles. Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke will take over for Alcock and Carey, respectively, who have impressively portrayed Rhaenyra and Alicent thus far. House of the Dragon's forthcoming recastings are inevitable due to the series' decades-spanning storyline, however, the younger characters' intriguing development and their actors' masterful performances alongside one another pose a problem for the show's future once their older versions replace them.
Based on George R.R. Martin's novel Fire and Blood and set roughly 200 years before the onset of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon introduces an entirely new slate of characters to Westeros during the Targaryens' rule on the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon has undergone smaller time jumps between its opening three episodes, but the HBO show will soon advance its storyline a decade into the future, which requires recastings of younger characters. In addition to Rhaenyra and Alicent, others such as the Velaryon siblings Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mosé) and Laenor (Theo Nate) will be replaced with older actors after House of the Dragon's time jump.
It was clear from House of the Dragon episode 1 that recasting Alcock's Rhaenyra and Carey's Alicent would be difficult, though the show's recasting problem worsens with each episode as their story arcs deepen. Defined by their bond over facing the pressure and expectations of young women belonging to influential families, young Rhaenyra and Alicent display House of the Dragon's most fascinating rapport toward the show's beginning. While D'Arcy and Cooke are certainly worthy of such a challenge, audiences will undoubtedly miss the presence of the two younger actors who have captured the essence of these characters and their relationship so effortlessly.
How Many Episodes Young Alicent & Rhaenyra Have Left
House of the Dragon's 10-year time jump will occur midway through season 1. Accordingly, young Rhaenyra and Alicent will appear in two more episodes following the recently aired episode 3, as D'Arcy and Cooke will take over beginning in episode 6. Despite Alcock and Carey's impressive performances, D'Arcy and Cooke are both talented in their own right, and there's no reason to believe that they won't do justice to these characters going forward. In fact, House of the Dragon's cast has succeeded thus far, especially Paddy Considine's King Viserys Targaryen and Matt Smith's Prince Daemon. Nonetheless, the series' opening episodes have rendered the younger versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent practically irreplaceable.
Over House of the Dragon's first three episodes, Alcock and Carey have portrayed young Rhaenyra and Alicent in their teenage years, as the two exhibit a tender relationship that wavers between close friendship and romance. The actors' amazing chemistry has enabled them to play this dynamic really well — one that would be impossible for other performers to replicate. However, Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship is poised to change as the Targaryen civil war intensifies. Alicent's marriage to Rhaenyra's father Viserys constituted a turning point that will only pit the two against each other in the future. This changing dynamic plays to D'Arcy and Cooke's advantage, as they will be charged with evoking a much different air than the one exhibited between young Rhaenyra and Alicent. Thus, House of the Dragon's recasting problem could prove minor in the end.