May 19, 2019, is a date branded on the pop culture lexicon. The finale to Game of Thrones, the television phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized the fantasy genre and redefined what “event television” meant, aired to the collective disappointment of millions of fans. The show’s decline in quality had begun in season 7, with some questionable choices happening as far back as season 5, but the trainwreck that was season 8 was beyond words.
Dany was Thrones‘ ultimate champion; unlike Tyrion, she had actual power; unlike Jon, she wasn’t afraid to use it. Daenerys represented the best of Game of Thrones; she was strong, willfully, imperfect, and captivating, an inspiring but ruthless character who had everything necessary to take the Iron Throne.
GoT needed more time and patience to make her descent into tyranny work; instead, it settled for cheap shortcuts, fridging Missandei and turning Tyrion into a failure. However, the show’s most egregious crime was nerfing the dragons, turning them from powerful weapons to flying plot devices. By undermining the dragons, the show ultimately undermined itself.
Game of Thrones waited years before Dany rode a dragon and even more before she used her children in battle. House of the Dragon wastes no time introducing its dragons, but its antidote to GoT‘s restraint is not excess. Season 1 serves as the prelude for the Dance, setting the stage and the main players but saving the best for later. Still, the show provided enough hints of what was to come for fans to trust it could pull off the Dance’s most important battles.
Rhaenyra and Alicent are intriguing, if somewhat one-dimensional, characters on the page. Martin remains as engaging a storyteller as ever, but the sheer scope of Fire & Blood prevents him from fully exploring the intricate inner workings of any of its characters; the book is about the game, not the players. Thus, Rhaenyra and Alicent exist as ideas rather than fully-fledged characters, which fits the “history retold” angle that Fire & Blood adopts.
For her part, Alicent receives a genuine and compelling motive for her actions beyond jealousy and power lust. GoT never shied away from portraying sympathetic antagonists, crafting some of the most engaging villains in modern television, and Alicent lives up to that legacy. Even if the show encourages us to stand against her, her journey, coupled with Olivia Cooke’s vulnerable performance, makes Alicent one of the best characters in House of the Dragon.
It did the opposite for me.
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