Emily Carey, who played the lead in “House of the Dragon,” shed light on why Alicent felt betrayed by Rhaenyra. According to her statement to Variety, Alicent had a thing for Criston Cole before he ever slept with Rhaenyra.
The fifth episode centered on Alicent’s feelings of betrayal by Rhaenyra. Actress Emily Carey, who played Alicent Hightower in “House of the Dragon,” has stated that her character was at first “in love” with Ser Criston Cole.
Criston (Fabien Frankel), queen Alicent’s friend and stepdaughter Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), and the two have sex in the fifth episode of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series.
Rhaenyra had lied to Alicent before, swearing on her mother’s grave that she hadn’t lost her virginity, so Alicent felt deceived even before this happened.
Carey, though, recently told Variety that there is another cause for the sentiments of betrayal.
Carey Described Her Emotional State as “a Concocted Cocktail of All of These Feelings”
“A betrayal in the form of “Hold on” You know you slept with him and I know I’m in love with him, but I can’t help but feel a little jealous. We can’t have that; it’s not right. The concept of duty is central to everything Alicent does.
Her life is a constant struggle between following her conscience and following her emotions. I’m happy I got to illustrate her transformation into a hostile adult. Moreover, I consider that to be a pivotal scene.”
Later, she elaborated by saying “You lying to me is a form of treachery. Next, you’ll witness the treachery illustrated by the phrase “I swear this upon the memories of my mother” in the second episode, which centers on the characters’ shared trauma. They share a common interest because of this. At the Sept, Alicent exposed her emotional fragility to Rhaenyra and allowed her to see a side of herself that she rarely reveals to others.”
Due to the lack of romantic undertones between Alicent and Criston in “House of the Dragon,” the fan-reaction base on the idea that Alicent is “in love” with Criston has been largely negative.
Alicent and Rhaenyra Have a Brief Conversation About Criston
He shows up during the jousting competition in the pilot, but other than that, Alicent never demonstrates any overt fondness for the Kingsguard.
And some of Alicent’s supporters attributed his sentiments of betrayal to jealousy over his developing love for Rhaenyra in a romantic context. There was immediate chemistry between the two in the pilot, leading some viewers to speculate that the characters are gay.
Emiley Carey said she felt the characters were “in love a little bit” when she first read the screenplay, according to an Insider roundtable conversation held before the series premiere.
Carey, who is also queer, said, “I think any woman could look back to the best friend that they had at 14 years old, and it’s a bond and an intimacy unlike any other.” You’re quite close to crossing over into amorous territory.
After an emotional scene in episode four where their characters reconciled, Carey and Alcock stated they felt like they were “ready to kiss” in an interview with the New York Times.
The newest “House of the Dragon” episodes may be seen every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.