‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 has just started, and it might have made one of the biggest changes to George R.R. Martin’s story so far. As dragons fight and fleets burn in the Battle of the Gullet, a more subtle development with Alicent Hightower may have a more profound effect on the future of the series.
Throughout the series’ entire run, Alicent has had to balance her devotion to her family and her remorse for the war that split Westeros. But this balancing act seems to be coming to an end now.
Alicent’s ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3 Transformation Could Reshape Westeros’ Civil War
In the Season 3 premiere, Alicent is definitely on a different trajectory than the one readers have come to know from Fire & Blood. The outcome is a character who is less a political opponent and more someone desperately seeking to reverse the course of bad choices.
Related: The Real War In ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3 Is Happening Within Its Characters
One of the premiere’s biggest surprises comes when Alicent actively works to help Rhaenyra’s cause. She tricks Aemond into leaving King’s Landing and assists in making it easier for the Blacks; she effectively undermines the faction she once fought to protect.
It’s a dramatic change from the source, in which Alicent is still on Greens’ side and never plays a part in Rhaenyra’s ascension to power. However, in the TV version, Alicent appears more and more guilty, tired, and wanting to stop even more bloodshed.
There’s a tragic human element to her actions. She is not looking to gain power; she is trying to minimize the damage from a conflict that has already taken the lives of many, including some of her own. This makes her much more compassionate, but also makes everything that follows much harder.
A Different Alicent Means a Different Ending
Now the question is what to do with Alicent’s future in the series. Martin’s rendition of the story is one of loss, captivity, and grief in Alicent’s final years. It’s a sad ending that’s a consequence of her helping to spark the Dance of the Dragons.
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The TV version of Alicent is more complex. She is not just holding on to power or plotting against Rhaenyra. Instead, she is trying to make things right and avoid more tragedy. There is a huge question that arises from that change: will the show still take her to the same place?
The writers make a very interesting wager. ‘House of the Dragon’ has turned Alicent from a major catalyst of the war to a character who is trying to redeem herself, making her one of the most unpredictable characters in the show. That decision may ultimately be good for the story, but it’s clear that Alicent’s path is no longer what was written.
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