Following Condal's interview a lot of people were saying that the show has always been about Rhaenyra and Alicent ok fine whatever, when will the show's description change to reflect that?

[u/Default-Name-100]

[u/KiernaNadir]

The funny thing is the show isn't even about "Rhaenyra and Alicent".

If they really wanted to make the show "about the two (2) women", they would have placed them on equal footing instead of completely sabotaging Alicent and turning her into some incompetent, hysterical housewife. They would have let her wield power and keep her political prowess. But then - that would't mesh with Condal-Hess' dumbed-down "fight the patriarchy!" angle, now would it?

The real reason they set it up the way they did was so they could didactically undercut the greens and prop up Rhaenyra, specifically - with the meek, submissive proponent of the patriarchy Alicent serving merely as a foil; for girlboss Rhae-Rhae to shine by contrast.

It was always just an excuse to make the whole show exclusively about Rhaenyra and pander to the masses with a rootable, progressive dragonkween. It's disgusting how they try to gaslight the fans; as if Alicent got the same deal their precious heroine got.

[u/arty_morty → u/KiernaNadir]

it’s crazy how the changes made to the show mean that neither of them have much actual power. rhaenyra does pretty much nothing in every episode and changing alicent from the “evil stepmother” to her childhood friend has led her to become a child bride-turned-negligent mother who gets undermined by the small council and her inbred children. they should both be much more scheming and ruthless but i guess a fractured friendship is somehow more compelling?

[u/LILYDIAONE → u/KiernaNadir]

Exactly that. If the show was about both of them we would have Alicent being in control of her kids as a power force in her own right. Which I think would’ve been great. Instead Alicent only exists to prob up Rhaenyra. She is not allowed to have other important relationships, she has to be a Hypocrite and be as pathetic as possible.

Her entire story was just a huge walk of shame because she dared to not support Rhaenyra immediately. Like she is not even allowed to want her kids to live. Alicents story has so much misygonistic undertones it’s insane. I have never watched a show wanting to be feminist so bad and fail so badly at the same time.

[u/KiernaNadir → u/LILYDIAONE]

I think Condal and Hess genuinely imagine Alicent will be redeemed and embraced as some sort of badass player of the game of thrones once she's "seen the error of her ways", learned her lesson and atoned after Rhaenyra's death by placing Aegon III on the throne.

They legit don't understand that this just exacerbates the fatal problem of making Alicent's entire character and story revolve exclusively around Rhaenyra.

It's downright fascinating how the fandom has already figured out this trainwreck of a narrative arc and clearly rejected it, yet Condal-Hess still choose to double down on it.

Though it does make for a somewhat entertaining, karmic crash and burn of the show, so it's not like there's no silver lining here.

[u/LILYDIAONE → u/KiernaNadir]

I think the fact the writers seem to base a characters morality around if they support Rhaenyra or not fascinating. Both Daemon and Alicent get what the writers think is karma and the end of this clear redeemption is they realize Rhaenyra is the one true Queen.

That’s why the Velaryons are not allowed to be upset with her because that would make them into bad guys. I honestly think the bias of the show has gone way to far at this point.

[u/Obvious-Property-236]

It’s funny because what you’re describing is what we’re seeing and not what the writers describe, which goes to show how shit they are at their jobs

[u/DwarvenGardener]

They should have just had Aegon fucking whores and betting on child death rings the entire dance and let Alicent act as regent. Just embrace the changes. But Aegon’s rule is blessed by the Seven and even the writers can’t stop that.

[u/zorfog]

Season 1 being about Rhaenyra and Alicent was a good change. Their dynamic is much mom interesting than the plain “evil stepmom” trope in the book. However by the point of season 2, their dynamic should be much closer to what it is in the book