Alicent Hightower

Image: HBOAt long last, Westeros is ready to tear itself apart in civil war (uhhh... again, although all this happened before the last time it did that for us). House of the Dragon is ready to return, and is preparing to bring one of the most infamously bloody conflicts in Game of Thrones history to life.What Should Fans Take Away from Imaginary?HBO has just dropped a pair of “dueling” trailers for House of the Dragon’s second season, which will see the rapidly fraying bonds between the two factions in the ruling House…

Image: Ollie Upton/HBOIf you think about it, the entire first season of House of the Dragon—all 10 episodes—is basically the prologue to the Targaryen civil war that begins with the final shot of the finale. It’s a story that has already spanned decades and, if creator George R.R. Martin had his way, would have been even longer. Much longer.If you’ll recall, the show begins with King Jaehaerys naming his grandson Viserys, the son of his second son Baelon, as his heir instead of Rhaenys, the eldest daughter of his first…

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO “I wasn’t ready to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms,” Rhaenyra tells her young son Jacaerys, speaking about when Viserys first named her his heir, all those years ago. “But… it was my duty. And in time, I came to understand I had to earn my inheritance.” What Rhaenyra doesn’t know much more she’ll need to do to earn her crown—and how much it will cost her.Much like “The Green Council” focused on Alicent, Aegon, and their allies at King’s Landing last week, “The Black Queen,” the season one finale,…

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBOThere’s something particularly apt about the first episode of House of the Dragon, the much-anticipated prequel series to Game of Thrones, being about the indecisiveness of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) regarding who will succeed him on the Iron Throne. Like its lead character, House of the Dragon is clearly a show trying to figure out what it is, because it can’t figure out the answer to this question: Exactly how Game of Thrones-y should the series be?To be fair, it’s not exactly an easy…

Screenshot: HBO MaxOlivia Cooke plays Alicent Hightower, daughter of the Hand of the King, opposite Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra. The first episode focuses on their childhood in the Red Keep, where they’re played by Milly Alcock (Rhaenyra) and Emily Carey (Alicent). Those scenes help inform the older versions we follow, in building their characters.Cooke shared while didn’t visit during shoot, they did watch their scenes. “We were being really respectful of their process. We’re like, we don’ t want to impose…

At a glance:Based on the 2018 book Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, House of the Dragon is a new series set centuries before the events of Game of Thrones.The series has been confirmed to premiere on HBO Max August 21, 2022.Unlike the original Game of Thrones, this is expected to have a smaller, less expansive cast, focusing primarily on the titular House of the Dragon, the Targaryen family, and the immediate members of their court.If you can’t wait, Martin is working with authors Elio M. García Jr. and Linda…