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House of the Dragon Deleted Scenes Highlighted Rhaenyra and Alicent's Reversed Roles


There is little doubt that the friendship between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower is one of the biggest casualties in House of the Dragon. Although the two girls started out as best friends, the bond they shared would eventually be broken by politics and ambition. Interestingly, the relationship between the princess and the queen was explored further in deleted scenes that would explain why the two had been so cold to each other in the latest episodes.

Director Greg Yaitanes worked on Episodes 2 and 3, which showed the transition of Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship as King Viserys I Targaryen decided to marry the daughter of the Hand of the King. We didn't get to see how Rhaenyra reacted to Alicent's engagement or the royal wedding but that doesn't mean those scenes were not shot.

Yaitanes took to Instagram to share a brief glimpse at two deleted scenes from what could be House of the Dragon Episode 2 (via People). The first one shows Rhaenyra confronting Alicent after the latter's engagement was announced.

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It's no surprise that Rhaenyra wasn't happy about Alicent becoming her stepmother. Still, that doesn't mean she wasn't up to her duties as the princess. Another deleted scene shows Rhaenyra helping Alicent get dressed for the wedding, an interesting reversal of their roles in a sweet scene we saw in House of the Dragon Episode 1.

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In the premiere episode, Alicent helps Rhaenyra get dressed as she prepares to be named the King's heir. It's a sweet and important scene for both women and it's heartbreaking to see that Rhaenyra was ready to help Alicent in another important chapter of the latter's life.

It is unclear why the scenes were deleted considering their importance in explaining the relationship between the two girls. Still, we're glad we got a glimpse at these deleted scenes.

For now, it seems like there is some peace between Rhaenyra and Alicent after House of the Dragon Episode 4. However, things could get tense yet again next week.

House of the Dragon Episode 4 is now available on HBO Max. House of the Dragon Episode 5 is titled We Light the Way and will premiere on HBO on Sunday, September 18, 2022.

Related: House of the Dragon Episode 4 Highlights Rhaenyra and Alicent's New Relationship

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