{"id":22252,"date":"2022-09-19T04:00:11","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T02:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1706348"},"modified":"2022-09-19T04:41:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T02:41:11","slug":"queen-alicent-wearing-green-is-a-house-of-the-dragon-turning-point","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/queen-alicent-wearing-green-is-a-house-of-the-dragon-turning-point\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen Alicent wearing green is a House of the Dragon turning point"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Lewis Knight\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 19 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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**Spoiler warning for House of the Dragon episode 5**<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fifth episode of House of the Dragon<\/a> takes its name from the words of House Hightower, We Light the Way.<\/p>\n

This is appropriate considering that is a turning point for the most prominent Hightower in the series, Queen Alicent Hightower<\/a> (Emily Carey, Olivia Cooke), and for the Game of Thrones prequel as a whole.<\/p>\n

Following King Viserys I Targaryen<\/a> (Paddy Considine) sacking him as Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower<\/a> (Rhys Ifans) departs King\u2019s Landing and delivers a warning to his daughter Alicent on his way out: \u201cThe King will die. And if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow. Prepare Aegon to rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds that Alicent can do this or can cling to her old friend Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen<\/a> (Milly Alcock<\/a>, Emma D\u2019Arcy) and hope for mercy and that she doesn\u2019t kill potential rival claimants in Alicent\u2019s own children.<\/p>\n

Alicent had chosen to believe Rhaenyra over the intel that her father had on the Princess, adding to Viserys\u2019 confidence in dismissing the Hand.<\/p>\n

However, Alicent is keen for the truth and is delivered a major clue that Rhaenyra has been lying to her when Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) tells her that Rhaenyra had been provided with a medicinal tea \u2013 arousing suspicion that this may have been an abortifacient to protect Rhaenyra from any unwanted consequences to her sexual behaviour.<\/p>

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Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower and Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon<\/span><\/figcaption> HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

After this, Alicent asks for information from Ser Criston Cole<\/a> (Fabien Frankel) who, in turn, reveals that he himself had had sexual relations with the Princess \u2013 proving to Alicent that she could no longer trust Rhaenyra and that she had made a mistake in believing the Princess over her own father.<\/p>\n

This revelation prompts Alicent to be late for Rhaenyra\u2019s wedding to Ser Laenor Velaryon<\/a> (Theo Nate) and the absence of the Queen at the celebration feast is noted.<\/p>\n

However, Alicent makes a late grand entrance, in a luminous green gown and wearing a steely look of confidence as she enters and interrupts Viserys\u2019 speech and kisses him on the cheek.<\/p>\n

The arrival causes a stir and when her uncle Lord Hobert Hightower (Steffan Rhodri) speaks with her, he notes how she is standing tall in the face of her father\u2019s absence and the family\u2019s ancestral seat of Oldtown stands with her and her interests.<\/p>\n

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Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon<\/span><\/figcaption> HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It is also noted that Alicent\u2019s choice of green is fitting as it is the traditional colour of war in the Reach and for House Hightower.<\/p>\n

This transition for Alicent symbolises her mobilisation against her old friend Rhaenyra who she now views as a liar and an enemy, not just in regard to Alicent\u2019s children, but her moral standing too.<\/p>\n

This is also a pivotal moment as in the book Fire & Blood<\/a>, Alicent\u2019s green fashion choices become a signal to her faction in the court as many of her supporters don the colour, earning the faction the nickname \u2018The Greens\u2019.<\/p>\n

While we have yet to see it in the series, Rhaenyra herself will adopt the Targaryen colours of black and red, prompting her faction to wear black to support her interests, seeing them known as \u2018The Blacks\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower and Emma D\u2019Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.<\/span><\/figcaption> HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

As various factions back the two warring senior ladies at court, so do the seeds spring for further conflict that will eventually bubble over into the Dance of the Dragons.<\/a><\/p>\n

The series has gone very far in fleshing out the friendship between Alicent and Rhaenyra and despite the issues that arose when Alicent married Rhaenyra\u2019s father Viserys, the pair appeared to be mending their relationship when Rhaenyra\u2019s lie seemingly ended any hope of a full reconciliation for the ladies.<\/p>\n

In the sixth episode, as Emma D\u2019Arcy and Olivia Cooke take over the roles of Rhaenyra and Alicent<\/a> respectively, we can only expect relations to be even more frosty.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s downhill from here, but in terms of the conflict, Alicent will truly light the way.<\/p>\n

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Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon<\/span><\/figcaption> HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Will she succeed in destroying Rhaenyra\u2019s chances of sitting upon the Iron Throne?<\/p>\n

Read More<\/strong><\/p>\n