Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke Discuss the Pivotal Moment Between Rhaenyra and Alicent in 'House of the Dragon' Season 3

The relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent reached a breaking point in Sunday night's episode of 'House of the Dragon,' which aired June 28 on HBO and HBO Max.

The Season 3, Episode 2 finale featured Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra and Matt Smith's Daemon seizing control of King's Landing. Their initial target was Aegon, portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney, whom they hoped to eliminate to secure Rhaenyra's claim to the Iron Throne. When Aegon proved unreachable—having fled the capital—Daemon discovered an alternative in the dungeons: Otto Hightower, Alicent's father, played by Rhys Ifans.

The moment escalated when Rhaenyra executed Otto while in tears before taking her seat on the Iron Throne. Guards then brought in Alicent, who had been apprehended while attempting to flee the chaos.

As Rhaenyra occupied the throne for the first time as Queen, Alicent caught sight of her father's severed head and locked eyes with her former closest confidante.

D'Arcy reflected on the charged exchange, explaining to The Wrap that she aimed to portray Rhaenyra as "uncomfortably revealed." She noted that "Alicent's gaze does" exactly that—"She sees through any of the any artifice or armor that Rhaenyra might have built up."

Cooke described the moment from Alicent's perspective, saying the character experiences profound betrayal and feels trapped in circumstances beyond her control. "It feels like it was all for nothing, and she's in a worse position than where she started," Cooke reflected. "I don't know how that relationship can move on from that, at that point—it's a huge betrayal."

Looking ahead, Cooke teased turbulent developments for the season. "There's carnage up next," she said. "No one's having a good time, basically, but there's fantastic new characters and different dynamics with original characters that we see for the first time. It's huge this season."