There is little doubt that House of the Dragon is all about the Targaryens but the two central characters in the series are Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. These women start out as childhood friends but end up being on opposing sides in a bid for the Iron Throne.
Rhaenyra and Alicent might be the two main characters but Westeros eventually sees them as the reason for the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. It doesn't seem fair and co-showrunner Ryan Condal explains that it isn't necessarily the women's fault.
In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra and Alicent are close friends but as they grow older, the Iron Throne slowly gets between them. It's a story that turns both of them into villains in the eyes of the people of Westeros.
"They are central female characters who are at once credited and also blamed with this particular war," Condal told Entertainment Weekly. "Because the history is written by men, we were really interested in the dynamic forces that a certain medieval level of innate chauvinism puts on the two women."
The actors who play Alicent are quick to back it up, explaining that she is seen as the one character who is always planning things behind everybody's back. Emily Carey, who plays the young Alicent, says that "There's a preconceived notion that she's [always] scheming."
Olivia Cooke, who portrays the adult Alicent, says "You can understand why."
"The woman whispering into a powerful man's ear has never been positively written about. So the fun was to try to find the nuance," Cooke added.
Although we know they quickly became friends, it is unclear whether Rhaenyra and Alicent can fix their relationship. With that in mind, we're looking forward to seeing the interesting dynamic between the two next month.
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO on August 21, 2022.
Related: House of the Dragon: Matt Smith Addresses Daemon Targaryen's True Intentions for the Iron Throne
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