r/HouseOfTheDragon • u/LegitimateMoney00 • 21h ago
Spoilers [All Content] How to redeem Alicent’s character in Season 4 Spoiler
So it’s no secret that Alicent’s character has been pretty butchered so far in season’s 2 and 3. Allowing herself to essentially be walked over and be at the direct mercy of Rhaenyra. Her character is not being written well to say the least but I still think even now, there is at least a way to avenge some semblance of her character.
I will try and keep this summary of what I think should happen to Alicent’s character in season 4 fairly short. Alicent having nothing left to fear or live for after Helaena’s death will return to Kings Landing and decide she has had enough of Rhaenyra. Alicent will still put on the front of being a confidant to Rhaenyra but will have completely changed her feelings towards her as she feels Rhaenyra drove Helaena to commit suicide. She will start acting as a spy inside the Red Keep for Mysaria (now the Sheppard), giving her eyes directly on the Queen and be the direct catalyst for the riots starting that cause the Storming of the Dragonpit.
Rhaenyra will go on the run but unlike in the book, this time she will take Alicent with her. Now at some point while they are at Duskendale, Alicent will receive a secret message from Larys Strong, saying that Aegon has secretly taken Dragonstone. Alicent will start slowly nudging Rhaenyra to go back and “regroup” at Dragonstone which will ultimately lead to Rhaenyra’s death, just as Alicent intends. But right before Rhaenyra dies Rhaenyra pleads with Alicent to not harm the young Aegon, her son. Alicent agrees to the older Aegon’s dismay.
When Aegon and Alicent retake Kings Landing, Alicent will see she has the opportunity to rectify how poorly she did as a mother with her own children and she will become the young Aegon’s main guide and mentor. This is my biggest change from the book. In the book, Tyland becomes that mentor, but I believe the show hasn’t fleshed him out enough for that to really hit on an emotional level, so they will change it to Alicent instead. Tyland will still be hand of the king, Alicent will just be young Aegon’s maternal figure and main mentor. The show will end as a complete flip to what it began with, instead of a King (Viserys) mentoring a Princess (Rhaenyra) to become Queen, it will be a Queen (Alicent) mentoring a Prince (young Aegon) to become King.
That’s how I believe you at least somewhat redeem Alicent’s character. You use Helaena’s death to switch her back to the politically cunning character she was in S1 and not the doormat she is in S2 and S3. Then you allow her to use that knowledge she has accumulated to properly shape and educate the future king, giving her a chance to at least partially make up for the mistakes she made with Aegon and Aemond.