House of the Dragon: Olivia Cooke on whether that pivotal Viserys scene was truly a misunderstanding

House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke has shed some light on a pivotal line of dialogue in the show’s eighth episode.

The Game of Thrones spin-off series, which stars Cooke as Alicent Hightower, came to an explosive end on Sunday (23 October).

*Spoilers for House of the Dragon episode eight, nine and 10 below – you have been warned*

In the show’s eighth episode, Alicent and Rhaneyra (Emma D’Arcy) appear to bridge the divide at a family feast held by King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

Alicent goes so far as to tell Rhaenyra that she will make a “fine queen”, appearing to accept Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne.

At the end of the episode, however, a confused Viserys tells Alicent – who he may believe to be Rhaenyra in his sickly state – of Aegon the Conqueror’s dream. It is a premonition that he had previously shared with his daughter Rhaenyra when he named her heir years before.

This is the first time that Alicent is hearing of King Aegon’s dream and she becomes confused. She then comes to the conclusion that Viserys is speaking about their son Aegon and requesting that he be made ruler instead of Rhaenyra.

This dialogue forms a pivotal moment in the series because it is then that Alicent changes her mind about accepting Rhaenyra as queen. When Viserys dies that night, she plots to install her son as King presumably under the notion that she believes it to be her husband’s dying wish.

Since the episode aired, much debate has arisen as to whether Alicent truly did misinterpret Viserys’s final words about Aegon or whether it was a wilful misunderstanding so that she could argue her case for her son as heir more strongly.

Cooke has since responded to the debate, telling Variety that “both of those answers can exist in the same breath”.

“Underneath the layers, there is probably a willful ignorance and a willfulness for her son, the actual Targaryen heir, to be on the throne,” she said.

“But also she’s just tenuously made amends with Rhaenyra. The relief in saying to Rhaenyra, ‘You will make a fine queen,’ has done a lot in shedding boatloads of bitterness from the past and all the hang-ups about the legitimacy of her children’s lineage.”

The actor continued: “But she has to honour her husband’s dying wish, doesn’t she? And that’s what she hears. If she does waver over the course of the episode, when she’s telling people what she heard her husband say, she can’t admit that, otherwise her legitimacy would be questioned.”

Elsewhere in the season one finale, viewers were left feeling “traumatised” with yet another harrowing birth scene. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted a disturbing detail in the scene that stays true to the source material.

In one climactic scene, which takes place on the bridge at Dragonstone, Otto presents Rhaneyra with a note from Alicent. The note plays a role in Rhaenyra’s decision to consider the Hand’s proposal to bend the knee to Aegon. 

Fans will recognise it from an earlier episode – you can find an explanation of its signficance here.

House of the Dragon, which is available to watch on NOW, has been renewed for a second season. Find the biggest talking points from the episode here.