House of the Dragon star Eve Best explains how her character, Rhaenys, sees Alicent after their quiet moment in episode 9. Based on Fire & Blood by author George R.R. Martin, HBO's House of the Dragon chronicles the early days of the Targaryen civil war, close to 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The series has earned strong reviews from audiences and critics alike, who praise its strong writing, acting, and impressive visual effects. Now almost through season 1, HBO has already given House of the Dragon season 2 the green light
After numerous time jumps and actor recastings, House of the Dragon is finally settling into its current era, continuing to chronicle the deteriorating relationship between Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke). Episode 8 ends with the death of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), setting up the battle over the throne that will follow. Alicent mistakenly believes that Viserys wants her son, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), to become king after his death, which leads to a tense situation in King's Landing as Cooke's character works to establish Aegon's power before Rhaenyra can rally allies to her cause. Rhaenys is forced to decide where her allegiances lie in House of the Dragon episode 9, leading to a charged but honest conversation with Alicent.
In a recent interview with Vulture, Eve Best explains how Rhaenys sees Alicent in House of the Dragon and discusses the complex relationship between the two characters. During their conversation in episode 9, Alicent levels with Rhaenys, revealing that she thinks Rhaenys would have made a better monarch than Viserys, which, as Best explains, is a big moment for her character. Check out Best's full comment below regarding Alicent's confession:
"That takes Rhaenys’s stress away in that moment. Alicent is the first person in her life, apart from her husband, who’s said that out loud. It’s everything Rhaenys thinks in her head. Obviously you can’t go around saying that about yourself. But to have another woman say that, face to face, is very powerful.
To be seen in that way, to be seen for who she is — it’s the first time she feels truly vulnerable, in a strange way. She was, in that moment, transported back all those years to a young woman again. It takes her breath away. That’s why Rhaenys sits up and actually pays attention to Alicent, and has some respect for her. It’s a very eye-opening moment, to see that Alicent has that clarity and directness. She’s clearly somebody of intelligence and grit. Rhaenys hasn’t seen that in her before."
Why Rhaenys Would Have Been A Better Monarch Than Viserys On House Of The Dragon
Rhaenys was once in line to inherit the Iron Throne but was ultimately passed over in favor of her male cousin, Viserys. As explained in House of the Dragon's earlier episodes, this earns Rhaenys the nickname "the Queen Who Never Was," a clear reminder of the character's future that almost came to pass. Viserys is widely known as a peacetime king, but his reign was still defined, in many ways, by internal strife and the violent squabbles between his family members. Although not necessarily Viserys' fault, he ultimately tries to appease too many people, which only leads to further division.
It's not clear if Rhaenys would have ruled with more of an iron fist in this regard, but there were evidently more drastic measures that could have been taken to curtail the Targaryen family's constant conflicts. Viserys' heart was definitely in the right place throughout his time on the series, but Considine himself has said that he thinks House of the Dragon's Viserys died believing he failed as a king. It remains to be seen how the relationship between Rhaenys and Alicent will progress after House of the Dragon episode 9, but there's evidently a level of mutual respect between the two characters that should make for an interesting dynamic moving forward.
Source: Vulture