I got this theme immediately when I watched HoD. Allicent was crushed and oppressed under the thumb of all the men in her life while Rhaenyra had the freedom to choose who to marry and in the end still freely got to love (or have sex with) who she wanted, Ser Criston, Ser Harwin, and then her Uncle Daemon. She wasn't held to the same standard as all the other women and she wasn't even grateful which drove Allicent basically insane with jealousy. Rhaenyra had her nerve to be resentful towards Allicent when she married her father as if she had a CHOICE not to. She was resentful when Allicent had more children as if she wasn't forced to. It's the whole reason the king remarried at all. And this is why HoD doesn't have villains like GoT did because all the "villains" are kinda justified. Even Ser Criston Cole resentment about being r-word by Rhaenyra is justified.
you’re so real and so smart i had to pin this comment omg. thank you for putting it into words like this 🙏🙏🫶🫶 i really wish more people would actually see and understand alicents feelings instead of immediately resorting to calling her a villain bc she isn’t rhaenyras number one fan or something.
Agree 100% with the Alicent parts but not the Rhaenyra parts. Rhaenyra has a right to be angry that she's losing her best friend to her father and that they basically blindsided her. She has a right to feel like her best friend should have looped her in. Alicent and Rhaenyra were both f***ed by the system here. Both were torn away from their only remaining human connection for the whims of men. She also has a right to be resentful of potentially being replaced as heir. Imagine finally getting recognition from your father only for him to seem to take it back the second he has a son. To be made to feel worthless because of how you were born. Rhaenyra and Alicent both have a right to feel angry. Unfortunately, they both take their anger out on each other (though Alicent for far longer and to far more dissasterous consequences) instead of the men in their lives who perpetuate their misery. Edited for spelling.
@@GrinMonister rhaenyra was allowed far more privileges than any woman in westeros in that time, but yes, she was still fucked over by the patriarchy. alicent telling rhaenyra would have done nothing, though. and viserys asked her not to say anything. was alicent just supposed to disobey the king? she was a just a scared child, forced into something she didn’t want. don’t blame her for that. as for being replaced as heir… viserys stood by rhaenyra until his last days. he NEVER replaced her. he literally defend her and her VERY obvious bastards. he never cared for aegon beyond his infancy, or any other of his children with alicent for that matter. viserys literally says “rhaenyra, my only child”. he doesn’t give a damn about his other children. he NEVER replaced her, and he never acted like he would either. he tells her time and time again that she’s the heir, that she won’t be replaced. while i don’t believe alicent is 100% rational in her anger towards rhaenyra (or rhaenyra in her anger at alicent) i think alicents anger is the more understandable one. like i said in the beginning, rhaenyra was given privileges alicent couldn’t even dream of. choosing her husband, which she eventually botched before being forced forced to marry laenor, but laenor is a man her age - someone she knows. she’s allowed to do whatever she wants essentially, because she knows her father will bend the truth for her like he did for her scandal with daemon and for her bastards. which is another thing, rhaenyra had children because she chose to, with a man she chose. alicent didn’t get to choose anything, and now she’s left with children that are walking reminders of her trauma, children that was forced upon her by a man who doesn’t even care about them. what is rhaenyra angry about? her best friend marrying her dad and keeping her in the dark? alicent didn’t even want it, and rhaenyra probably never let alicent explain that.
@ofriviq I don't see how being allowed more privileges changes anything. If two people are oppressed by the same system but one more than the other, is the less oppressed one supposed to shut up and be grateful? Demand to be treated like the one with worse treatment? I don't see how Rhaenyra having a bit more freedom under an oppressive system makes her more deserving of anger and less deserving of pity and empathy. Alicent telling Rhaenyra would have made a big difference (though, in my opinion, Viserys should have told her not Alicent since the choice is in his hands, not hers). She could have had time to process everything before the big reveal. The Laena Velaryon situation proves that given time she would have understood (Rhaenyra started off as anxious and dreading the idea of Viserys marrying Laena but she ultimately came around to it and agreed that it was for the best). Also, in episode 4, I think Rhaenyra was very understanding of Alicent's position (even apologizing for the locked in a castle comment) showing that given time, Rhaenyra could have come to terms with the marriage. This also wouldn't have stunted their friendship because Rhaenyra wouldn't have to work through her feelings of betrayal and abandonment from both Viserys, Alicent, and even Daemon since he had just left for Dragonstone and stolen her brother's egg. In the future, Viserys makes it clear she won't be replaced, but for the first few years of Aegon's life (the only time we see young Rhaenyra mad at Alicent), he was not. It took until the hunting trip for Viserys to tell her she wasn't going to be replaced. After that moment, we see Rhaenyra on much better terms with Alicent. Showing that her anger towards her new blended family is dissipating now that her father is laying things out clear for her. Two years is a long time for someone to be left hanging on their future. Plus Rhaenyra most likely has a ton of trauma around being unwanted since for years her father pined for a son making her response to Aegon and Alicent a trauma response that she's unable to workthrough since at this point she had no one. Regarding your last paragraph, I think you're falling into the same trap Alicent does (though it’s hard to tell just from a few comments). You're punishing Rhaenyra for having more freedoms than Alicent, but those freedoms (and Alicent's lack of) aren't her fault and weren't gained off the abuse of Alicent. Rhaenyra was lucky that her father had the power and eventually care to try and change the system for his daughter while Alicent did not. That is not on Rhaenyra. That's on Otto and Viserys, who decided Alicent wasn't important enough to them change the system or that their needs were more important than hers. Rhaenyra shouldn't be punished for the actions of the men around her. Also, Rhaenyra let's go of a lot of her angry for Alicent after episode 3. The anger only resurfaces after the incident at Driftmark. At that point, she's more fearful than angry because she thinks Alicent is now capable of murdering her children. Lastly, I do think Rhaenyra came to understand that Alicent didn't want it. She was very aware in episode 4 how bad Alicent was feeling (again apologizing and comforting her about being trapped in a marriage and made to produce heirs).
@@GrinMonister I’m not saying she didn’t have a right to be resentful, but that she took it out on the wrong person-Allicent. She distances herself from her best friend even though Allicent tried to connect with her still even after being married off to Viserys.
exactly… people complain about the casting of olivia saying she’s too young to play the mother of adult children, but they forget how young she was when she had aegon
Alicent was literally 15 when she had Aegon, by the time she was 20 she already had 3 children that she raised alone because her husband was no good for anything other than calling her to his room and playing blind with Rhaenyra.
@@bluelyrics4not you trying to make it bad that he plays blind with rhaenyra 😂 rhaenyra didn't do anything wrong that men get no punishment for so both ladies are victims to patriarchy if we're honest
@@bluelyrics4FIRST OFF, her husband is a king, and he didnt really love her tbh.. And you expect him, to throw aside his heir, the child on his lover/sister, and the daughter he had already set off with, to raise extra children? Listen this isnt 2024, thats just how things worked back then. You are as well saying, he should have taken Alicents side as if Aemond didn’t have it coming as if he wasnt provoking the child.
@@kelbylefsrud6158 you don’t have to love her, all i’m asking is that people actually understand her motivations instead of blindly believing she’s evil and did shit just bc rhaenyra had sex once
The part about “if I had a daughter, I would watch and could not save her” is so powerful because people really underestimate the power cycles of abuse have over people. I think a lot of people in the fandom of this unrealistic expectation that Alicent was supposed to transcend the abuse and societal conditioning she went through, not realizing that most abuse victims don’t recognize they’ve been abuse and unknowingly perpetuate abuse. This can be seen in Alicent and Helaena’s relationship, because for us as an audience we see the issues and the abuse they suffer from but it’s so normal to them that they can’t even see it. I think Alicent hugging Helaena in that scene shows how it took years for Alicent to understand the gravity of the harm marriage does to women, and feels guilt because she unknowingly put her daughter in a similar situation to herself.
you’re so right and you’re so smart. it’s so weird that ppl expect alicent to, despite her upbringing and despite her situation, suddenly break a cycle of abuse that affects almost every woman in westeros.
Exactly. In the end, so many women did exactly this. I can't understand why so many fans think about "team black/green" and put Alicent and Rhaenyra against each other nor why they do it only based on values. Alicent in the show is not evil but it doesn't make her omnipotent/sapient. She is beautifully written in the show, she's resilient and very realistic.
"If I had a daughter, I would watch and could not save her," is only going to hit harder as the show goes on and her daughter suffers the most for what Alicent set in motion for her father and son.
I’m sorry, are Daemon and Rhaenyra not responsible for their own actions? They’re beef was with Aemond, Heleana and her children did nothing to deserve that
@@sugarpearl9781 Alicent could have prevented it all by not pushing her children to claim the throne. Aegon could have become some lord living a luxury life.
The people who hate Alicent are the same people who hate Sansa Stark. I will support and love them both with all my heart because they don’t deserve the hate. It also happens to be coincidentally men, who can’t accept the fact that they were both groomed and manipulated by men to be tough and cold hearted.
Or.....we can understand à vharachter motivation and feel for them But still dont like them You g alicent have my heart Old alicent , I wish I could take out her heart of her chest Do I understand where she come from ? Absolutely . The abuse ? Yes It explaining her actions But dont justify à lot of them Being abused dont justfy abuse Anyways I hpe my comment is nuanced enough because I could write an essay
This song points out something I think is very powerful: Rhaenyra and Alicent don’t have lives that are THAT different from the outside. Both ladies of nobility, both wives, both mothers. The difference is that at every turn, Rhaenyra is supported and seen as an entire person- her first husband seeing her pain after childbirth and being there for her as she walked to Alicent’s chamber was one example. Viserys spoke to her honestly and as though she had value- he trusted her. And when she asked something of him, he considered it and usually did it. Alicent on the other hand was convinced by her father to seek power. He convinced her that’s all she was good for and that Rhaenyra was her enemy. Her husband cared about her but did not VALUE her. She was “just an appendage”. She was respected as Queen, but not as Alicent. She was not seen as a whole person and was expected to only fulfill her role as wife and queen
I agree. It seems like Alicent was socialized to act as "just an appendage" to an even greater extent than most noble girls and women in this fictional world. I think this is partly because her mother died when she was very young and she didn't have any other female relatives around to show her how to use what limited power she had. I also think growing up in the same castle as the royal family caused Alicent to be socialized to put the royal family and their needs before her own to some extent. It isn't until the big time jump that we see Alicent come out of that socialization and fight for her children's and her own best interest. I don't like a lot of Alicents behavior, but it shows a lot of strength that she was able to fight that socialization and become her own person. By the end of the first season, Alicent is every bit as much a strong woman as Rhaenyra is, if not more so, despite her socialization.
@@jessicacharlton7347 i agree! and im so excited for season 2 because i really wanna see alicent be "her own person" after we saw her distance herself from otto
Wtf are y’all on ?!?!? Seen as a whole person ?!!?!?! SUPPORTED !!?? Oh is that what that was they were saying she shouldn’t be able to have the thrown ??? Likeeeeeeee
Her biggest mistake was making Rhaenyra her enemy, bc it's just like Rhaenys said, she sees her daughter's pain and the servant girl's pain (probably thousands more servant girl's out there) caused by Aegon yet she still puts him on the throne. I think she would've been my favorite character if she didn't at every waking moment try to get Rhaenyra punished etc. Unfortunately I definitely believe that her father caused her to have internalized misogyny which she does display a lot.
@@Carols989what I have observed ( could be wrong for many people) people mostly cheer for a woman with what society has decided "masculine" qualities or a woman who is like superwoman sort of person who "just go against patriarchy" . give them a feminine female character , she would be "weak" for them or give them a character in the clutches of cycle of abuse they will hate them. Here people love rhaenyra because she is "cool" even think her as "feminist" when I can't think of one thing she got because of her ability or she did something for women , she literally robbed the right if daemon's daughters and got benefitted by the rule of "men comes first" ,same people would never think alyssane as feminist even when she used to listen women as a king would do and even argued in council for somethings like lord's right and all just because she was not a ruling queen . even here people seem to forget that rhaenyra and alicent's upbringing play an important role here and that ia why rhaenyra can do what she want ( most of the time not always ) and alicent can't ever . and as a person a support system is most important which rhaenyra always had but not alicent . how can you expect someone to break the cycle of abuse when they never saw anything in their own life except that , always groomed to be like that and never had any support ?
Cause history repeats itself. Danny’s fans were blindly supporting her just cause she is a woman. Now we have the same with Rhaenyra. Also there is the same situation with Visenya and hate towards Rhaenys in the fandom. Modern feminists only support and love “right” women.
Omg I’m not a green's fan but this made me realize how Alicent was indeed abused all along the show, she had her reasons for all what she did. The series definitely made a great job showing us what the book didn’t emphasized on. And this edit is a masterpiece!!❤️
This is seriously one of the best Alicent edits I’ve ever seen. Not only does the song choice fit her like a glove, but the actual editing is breathtaking. Especially when the screen splits while the lyrics overlap themselves-that’s a magical moment. It really captures the never ending torture of Alicent’s existence. Also, I love how the line “if our love ends, would that be a bad thing?” plays over Viserys, Otto, and Rhaenyra. Very different meanings of love here, but they all piled onto her just the same. Perfection. I’ve never heard of this artist or you before but now I’m checking out both :) Edit: okay, I actually have heard of your channel! I’ve watched some of your videos before! I believe it was the Que Será, Será one for Natasha and the “haven’t I given enough?” one for Alicent lol
thank you so much!!! that means a lot, and your comment is so so nice!! i’m so glad you mentioned the viserys, otto and rhaenyra things bc they’re so closely linked with alicent and her kind of… deterioration… perhaps not the right word, but it’s their love that both broke her and made her in a way. and paris paloma is so so talented! i’ve made two other edits to songs by her, the fruits and notre dame (i titled the edit i do not belong), and i have plans to make a fourth ahahaha. her songs are very much about women suffering, especially at the hands of men, and i think it’s so important that such songs exist, and that stories like alicents are told! and like, welcome back!! that’s so cool that you’ve watched other edits by me hahahah especially the natasha one bc i made that YEAAAARS ago
@@mycomputerissad Yes, please do make a fourth! I will have to check those edits out, they sound amazing. I see you just did an 11 minute (!!!!) long video for the greens which is honestly so much work lol, I'm going to watch that one next because wow! Consider me subscribed!!! And yes, you're right about Viserys, Otto, and Rhaenyra being so linked to Alicent's "deterioration" so to speak. I'm so glad the show paid Alicent proper attention-it would have been so easy to gloss over her trauma and suffering, but they didn't. They let her be complex where lesser shows would have painted her as either a weak woman or an evil stepmother.
@@rissjohnson3308 exactly! so many fans resent alicent for her trauma and claim they want her to be more like the book, aka the evil stepmother trope. i think it’s a lot more interesting the way it is in the show. i like that alicent has layers and that her feelings are more understandable. they might not be RATIONAL, but expecting her to be rational is weird. especially bc the definition of rational that ppl have for characters on the show is based on modern day politics and stuff, which is wrong
@@mycomputerissad You're so right for this point. I know some people have complained about the changes the show made from Fire and Blood, but I personally love them so far. Specifically the changes made to Alicent-it just makes her far more realistic and sympathetic. There's much more depth to her character and I feel like people are quick to dismiss that when they say she's not being rational. Like you said, of course she's not being rational! If we're going by the modern day politics, no one in the world of ASOIAF is "rational." They shouldn't be; that would be a disservice to the story. It's set in a medieval/renaissance world for a reason. There are themes at play, both on the big picture scale and for individual characters like Alicent, that would be ruined if anyone started acting rational. Like what, is Alicent supposed to tell everyone she simply doesn't want to be a pawn for their political aspirations, that she doesn't want to be forced into a marriage at 15 and made to have children immediately? Is she supposed to take her kids and divorce Viserys and declare herself a feminist? That would not only ruin the story being told, it would be utterly ridiculous because Alicent is living in Westeros, not the real world in the 21st century. She isn't going to act rational by our standards, plus she's been through suffering that has pushed her to behave as she does for her own personal reasons.
@@rissjohnson3308 EXACTLY!!! idk if you’re on twitter and see much of the fan discourse surrounding alicent but the amount of people who expect her to act like you said… they really think she had a say in the matter and that she could have just told viserys no… it’s crazy
Alicent is my favorite character, I get really happy when people make these videos about her, people tend to overlook her positive traits and tend to overexaggerate her negative qualities. Alicent was a caretaker to Viserys and literally fluffed his pillows for him even though he treated her and their children like shit. She made sure the kingdom did not burn down while Viserys was sick and Daemon and Rhaenrya fucked on Dragonstone without checking in to say "Hey". Hell Alicent protested against killing Rhaenrya and her children "Reluctance to murder is not weakness". Also I find it funny that Alicent says "A true queen counts the cost to her people" to Rhaenys who in just a few hours later is trampling over the people. I absolutely hate that most people that watched House of the Dragon did not pick up a history book. Royals have been known throughout history to kill their relatives who were contenders for the throne. Otto was right to be concerned and Alicent has every right to be paranoid because she knows for a fact she cannot blindly trust Rhaenrya. After all Rhaenrya would have no choice but to kill Aegon, Aemond, Daeron if she wants to rule. Not only that even without the greens there would still be a civil war, because Rhaenrya sired Strong bastards and Daemons boys (and we all know which side Daemon would pick) so a version of the Blackfrye rebellion would start.
People often forget that the Targareyns also killed family members in their own line, just because they stood in the way of the throne. They were a lot like the Roman Empire in that way, and Otto was not just some blind man. Sure, Rhaenyra had no plan to kill Alicent or her children, but what proof did she have that Rhaenyra wouldn't? Alicent was always the one reaching out to Rhaenyra and Rhaenyra was always the one turning a blind eye to her, lying, or betraying Alicent. Rhaenyra isolated Alicent even further and then didn't even try to be her friend afterwards - I think Alicent could have lived with it all if Rhaenyra had. Rhaenyra also came and accused Alicent of poisoning her father as if her father wasn't beginning to rot early on - Alicent took care of Viserys, especially after Rhaenyra left. Like come ON. Alicent never let her husband or his legacy fall, especially when Rhaenyra left her duties behind her. Rhaenyra always wanted the crown but never the responsibility with it. It drove me NUTS. People also act like Daemon truly loved Rhaenyra and not just her title - he's shown time and time again that he hungers for the crown and control over Rhaenyra. I honestly wouldn't put it past him to have murdered the other children to put his heirs on the throne, should it have come to that. I have yet to read the book but the show seems to stand as the "real" truth rather than the winner's tale. We'll see how it all plays out.
Alicent is one of my favourite characters in HotD, because she upholds duty and tries to do what is right. She is flawed, like all human beings are, but she is taking her responsibilites (to her father, her husband, her children, the realm) very seriously - to the detriment of herself. Her life is ultimately very tragic and I cannot but feel sorry for her. This song is the perfekt choice, very well done :)
exactly!! i feel like she’s one of the more realistic female characters in hotd, bc she actually adheres to the social standards despite the fact that it’s hurting her
@@mycomputerissad I think so as well. She acts like almost all noble women would have done, because societal structures, rules and standards are not easily broken or ignored, especially in a society such as in Westeros. As we can see in HotD, it actually only works for Rhaenyra to break the rules and get away with it, and ONLY through the enabling of a male relative (her father...) who is by chance the most powerful man in this society.
Omg y’all a killing me with this. Her son is a RAPIST and she just sweeps it under the rug. HE FATHERS CHILDREN AND THEN HAS THEM FIGHT TO THE DEATH. yet she seeks to have him on the thrown…. Shes as evil as everyone els. You can’t stand by and watch these things happen and claim some moral superiority.
@@Calmexlex no one is claiming moral superiority lmao, but you’re clearly missing the point of why alicent puts aegon on the throne… alicents is all for rhaenyra being queen up until episode 5, and then in episode 8 she’s all for it again. when viserys tells her something that she interprets as him wanting aegon on the throne she changes her mind again. alicent has been told since aegons birth that rhaenyra will kill her sons if she were to become queen. alicent HAS to put aegon on the throne to protect him, and the rest of her children. no one is saying aegon is a good person, or a good king, but by westerosi standards he’s not much worse than any other lord or royal. viserys was a rapist, daemon killed his wife and groomed his niece, otto pimped out his daughter at 15, corlys pimped out his daughter at 12. and i’ve already told you what i think about alicent “sweeping it under the rug”, so i won’t go into it again. but reading your comments i genuinely get the feeling you do not understand how horrible westeros is as a society. how restrained women are, how much men get away with. alicent is absolutely not morally superior to anyone, there is BARELY a single character on the show that isn’t varying degrees of morally grey… but that’s half the point of the show.
I feel for Alicent; even if I don't agree with all of her choices, I understand all of them. At the end of the day, she was dealt one of the worst hands she could have been dealt of all the characters in the show, and still managed to handle herself with grace and dignity. She was a pawn in everyone else's game: her father's, Viserys', even Aegon's. It drove her mad with paranoia and guilt. She didn't choose to be a queen and made to mother heirs, and Rhaenyra, much as I love her, had the audacity to blame her for all of it when Otto was truly the one at fault. And through it all, Alicent still kept her head high and did her duty cause it was the only thing keeping her standing. Like I said, I don't agree with all of her choices and I do think she made a lot of mistakes, but I commend her for doing the best she could in some admittedly really awful circumstances with no right answer.
This is gorgeous, this song has Alicent written all over it. I'll always have sympathy for her, because she's so misunderstood. Which is really really ironic, because that's just perpetuating the problem in and of itself.... As it usually goes with misogyny/internalized misogyny. I especially loved the parts with Helaena and Rhaenyra. Helaena, because really, Alicent didn't have a choice in what happened to her. There was the option by Rhaenyra to marry her to Jacaerys, but even then she's risking marrying her only daughter to a known (if not officially) bastard, which would be even more dangerous. And still, Helaena would never get to choose for herself. And Rhaenyra, the whole line about "supposed to be my savior" hurts, because Rhaenyra really had so much more autonomy over her life. She could've stuck up for Alicent, but emotions and rivalries and everything else got in the way. Again, women being forced against each other by the men in their lives, and the patriarchal system that is already pitted against them. I think Rhaenyra sort of fell into that mindset without thinking that it wasn't what Alicent actually wanted, because Rhaenyra always had some sort of other option or wiggle room, or immunity for her rule breaking. Anyway, amazing video! I really enjoyed it :)
you summed it up so well, thank you! it’s refreshing to see people genuinely understand the show hahahaha and thank you for watching, im so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Omg, bfr. I can kinda feel sorry for Alicent, but blaming Rhaenyra? After Alicent was the one to abuse Rhaenyra for years? After she, was the one who forced her to come to her right after the childbirth? After Alicent was the one who put her kids under the danger - she was the one who spread the rumours about Rhaenyra's sons being Bastards. Not to mention that Alicent usurped her throne and her son murdered Luke to please his mother. Alicent is a victim, yes. But she's not innocent.
@@object9339 i can tell you've attented the team black twitter university of media illiteracy bc ???? you also can't read which is just sad fr!! NO ONE is blaming rhaenyra for alicents situation, except perhaps alicent who is fictional and doesnt know everything that we do. besides, her feelings towards rhaenyra are perfectly understandable but since you have trouble with understanding things i can see why you might struggle here. this "abuse" you love to throw around is something you made up in your heads, because for some reason youve decided that ALICENT is the worst person ever and that she walked around the red keep beating rhaenyra with a stick. as for her sons... that is NOT on alicent. rhaenyra put her own sons in danger by having them with a man that looks NOTHING like laenor. EVERYONE knows they are bastards, and the only reason rhaenyra doesnt suffer for it is because viserys, the king, is her father. alicent is not innocent, i never said she was, but she is not this evil mastermind that you think she is. the actions of her sons are not on her, and in the show we see that aemond clearly did not want to kill luke, and in the book we see that alicent is not happy about it. and... why in the world are you watching edits about characters you clearly dislike? why dont you go watch thirst traps of daemon instead? im sure thats more your level
i love how you edited the last part, the repetition of the same scenes along with the song and how it really gave the feeling of being trapped in a cycle. very cinematographic!! fantastic job!!
I trully believe all the hate Alicent has if from people that haven't watched the same show. It's clear what she suffered and continues to suffer, they preach being a feminist and then do the exact say thing they speak against. She without any doubt my favorite character.
mhm exactly. the treatment she gets compared to male characters is crazy… and the people who like rhaenyra who sit on their high horse acting like they’re better for it bc rhaenyra is a woman, while also being unable to see alicent beyond “EVIL” 💀😭😭
I'm so glad that the showrunners of HotD made Alicent a gray character instead of the outright villain GRRM made her in Fire and Blood. They made her a child bride pimped by the man who's supposed to protect her, then she was r*ped and neglected and treated like the shadow of his dead wife by her husband, then she was alienated and antagonized by the Velaryons and Rhaenyra and Daemon. Alicent had to watch her little child be maimed for life to protect Rhaenyra's indiscretions. Then, in the upcoming seasons, she'll be forced to watch her children and grandchildren die gruesome deaths. She'll again be isolated and forced to spend her last days lonely, repentant, ttaumatized to death, and in pain. It's such a tragedy.
I truly had no disdain for Alicient, only pity, until she decided to interpret Viserys words in a way that she knew would start a war, and that would be a betrayal of everything that she promised to Rhaenyra during their last dinner together. But, even If that made me feel disdain for her, I still can understand how she got there. I would have gone completely crazy by suffering half of what she did. She's trapped in a life that isn't hers to live, despite being the queen she has very few liberties, and she's forced to bear the jealousy towards Rhaenyra, which despite being her age has much more freedom and happiness in her life. This story was an inevitable tragedy waiting to unfold. No human is built to suffer this much in a single lifetime for stupid, made up rules.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t have too much sympathy for Alicent while watching the show, but this song and video actually puts it into a better perspective. This video actually made me cry
Funny how all the team green people hate on Rhaenyra, and team black hate on Alicent. They're victims of a patriarchal society that oppresses BOTH of them. It's not about choosing between them. This show is about how women always have to behave perfectly, and are always shamed for things that nobody would care about if a man did them.
Allicent is such a strong character! Her beliefs are the only thing that kept her sane throughout her marriage with the King. No doubt she held affections for the King but they were readily exploited by her father. Although it was a sleazy move, I can understand why Otto did what he did. HoD makes the audience at the very least understand where each character is coming from. Sidenote: Aemond is Zaddy!
I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched this, it’s such a beautiful edit. As soon as I heard this song I immediately thought of Alicent-she’s such a complex character who I think is quite misunderstood and harshly judged at times. She’s gone through so much and had so much pressure put on her shoulders from a young age, mostly by the very person who was meant to look out for her most. Thank you for making this. 💚💚
thank you so much for you comment!!! people literally think shes an evil mastermind... looking at some of the comments on this video has me wanting to rip my hair out lmaooo people really misunderstand her so much its WEIRD
I feel so bad for Alicent and the life she was forced to lead, I really really do. I was rooting for her through the show to find some happiness and peace. Even so, It still doesn't make her right
i agree that like… she was wrong to usurp rhaenyra since she was the named heir, but i still understand why she did it… she thought it was what viserys wanted, and she just wanted to protect her family after being told since like 16 years old that rhaenyra would kill her children if she became queen
Bloody hell! So we’ll edited, and the selection of clips and editing is nothing short of perfect! The dual screen towards the end encapsulates Alicent’s actions and how she became the person she is. Incredible!
“Often father and daughter look down on mother (woman) together. They exchange meaningful glances when she misses a point. They agree that she is not bright as they are, cannot reason as they do. This collusion does not save the daughter from the mother’s fate.” ― Bonnie Burstow
Absolutely perfect character and song combo, it's crazy a song exists that fits Alicent's themes so perfectly. And AMAZING editing!!!! It's a perfect presentation of her life and role in the story. This is straight up narrative analysis through a RU-vid edit which is SO COOL
oh my god this is actually one of the best edits of Alicent Hightower and just to be clear i am TEAM BLACK but i feel sorry for alicent as she was constantly manipulated by her father and all the members of green council
I don’t particularly like Alicent (team black here lmao), but I can sympathize with her somewhat. All her life men have told her what to do: her father, husband, and even the son. All this pressure is put on her to be the perfect wife and mother on top of being a Queen consort later Queen dowager. She was only a teenager when she was pressured to marry Viserys and started having children. What made me respect her even a little was her calling Aegon for being a scumbag to women, especially to Helaena. Honestly, I like show Alicent more than her book counterpart (tho I don’t like either). Her book version just came off to me as the typical evil step mother tho still very complex. Kinda gives me Cersei vibes. So I like what the writers did for Alicent in HOTD. I could write a whole essay on these characters, but imma leave it at here
I have a question. Why in movies when they want to show that a woman is strong and independent she must certainly be a rude bitch? And when they want to show that a woman is week and spineless she must certainly be polite and responsible. I just don't understand how that works.
Loved this. So many ppl don’t like Alicent or don’t understand her (esp in fanfic) and I can guess why - its easier to hate her due to her circumstance and how she acts versus Rhaenyra but the poor girl has been through so much.
@@mycomputerissad it kind of reminds me of the Arya/Sansa dynamic that happens a lot. People like Arya bc she’s not traditional feminine, uses a sword, becomes an assassin, is just cool whereas Sansa is trad feminine, a lady, can’t physically fight and has to survive with her captors, enduring them because any misstep will mean her head. Aka not “cool”. A lot of people like to think we’d be the Aryas and Rhaenyras and be that badass bitch and fight with a sword and ride dragons but in reality we’re so much more likely to be Alicents and Sansas. They’re the characters that give us a dose of reality in the fantasy world they live in.
@@antigone7980 exactly!! i think sansa and alicent are way more realisitic given the context of westeros and everything, but at the same time characters like arya and dany and rhaenyra are neccesary, and like you said, cool!
From the depth of my heart i want to thank you for your edit! Alicent is my favorite character and i am really happy to see others view her the way i do. I understand Rhaenyra's claim to the throne and honestly it should be hers but we all forget that sadly, no matter if we live in the West or East or North or South the majority of women are closer to Alicent than Rhaenyra.
i sat down to edit the SECOND i found out it was out hahahha i made it in like 3 hours i was so stressed, but i’m glad it turned out well and that you liked it!!! thank you for your kind words🫶
Your editing skills are phenomenal, esp the part where you split the screen to show the overlaying lyrics and also increasing the size of the font at the bridge of the song 😩 it’s perfection
sorry but i have to add my comment regarding the intro, because rhaenys is so hypocritical in that scene. Of course, Alicent was at the service of men all her life, but so was Rhaenys, taking into account that in the great council she appealed the claim of her SON.🙃 by the way, what a beautiful piece of art, and excuse my spelling (english is not my first language)
she does frrrrr… the fruits, notre dame, narcissus are all very alicent coded imo. but i think it’s just bc she writes about women’s struggles, and alicent is very much a struggling woman hahaha
La primera vez que escuché esta canción no pude evitar pensar en Alicent, y que todo mundo olvida lo que ella a vívido, todo lo que tuvo que sacrificar por ambiciones que no le pertenecian, resive un trato tan vil por parte de los fans, la odian más que a los principales abusadores de la serie. Alicent para mi el personaje más complejo y más mal entendido de Hotd.
I really tried to watch the show and stand for Rhaenyra, but Alicent just kept me on the edge and surprised me at every turn. It's tragic how they were both set against each other, Rhaenyra rallying against patriarchy and Alicent being groomed and bearing the weight powerful men that she loved put on her shoulders. If Alicent doesn't fight then what was all of it for? She would go insane if she doesn't have a reason, so she grasps at everything she can to stay afloat. She's flawed, people say she's not a good mother like Rhaenyra, I think Alicent could have been, if she had the "freedom" that Rhaenyra had (freedom given not because it's a right, Rhaenyra was somewhat free because she was the king's daughter and he doted on her, Sir Laenor had much to loose without her and Daemon loved her as well, so they all "gave her freedom" in a way)
exactly!!! especially about the good mother part… all her children were forced upon her, they’re talking reminders of her trauma. she loves them, but it’s painful and i think especially when she was younger and her children were newborns, she found it difficult to connect with them. viserys not caring at all about them (apart from aegon as a baby) probably didn’t do her any good either
I like Rhaenyra and am Team Black for now, and I expect I will remain Team Black unless Rhaenyra really becomes a tyrant. But I love Alicent too! I absolutely don’t understand the hate Alicent has received. People say how she is a hypocrite and all that. Hypocrites are people who shout morality at others while making no effort to be better themselves. That just wasn’t Alicent. She makes an effort to do the right thing until circumstances as she sees it doesn’t allow her to. She really is a victim and maybe even more representative of the actual strong women of medieval time. I think between Rhaenyra and Otto there is a heroine and villain storyline, but between Rhaenyra and Alicent there really isn’t a heroine or a villain. They are women with different personalities, stations, expectations, and life experiences, but in that dark time they both achieved a lot. HoD is very different from GoT. Everyone has a storyline that if told from their POW, it would be very much understandable if not justifiable.
I have nothing against Allicent, she's a rather compelling character but she made two mistakes. One was listening to her father, the second was thinking she could play in the minefield that is the Targaryen sandbox.
Book Alicent wasn’t the greatest, but she was still thrown into this mess by her father. From my understanding (I have not read the book, only heard from others and what I have looked into) she tried to be kind but Rhaenyra took what she had for granted and did as she pleased, causing Alicent to almost hate her. All she wanted was love from someone that adored her, and in the end, the abuse she endured altered her mind to this poisonous bitch who wanted nothing but to see her Husband’s Daughter fall. She was a tool to be used in a man’s restless war. Yes, she was manipulative, awful, and hateful, but she only did what was asked of her.
As for Show Alicent, we see her as remorseful, someone with many flaws. She was still a girl when she was forced to become a woman that had yet to finish growing into herself. Alicent loved Rhaenyra deeply, but when she lied to her that day in the God’s Woods, a part of her that loved fiercely and deeply died. She had been betrayed, which lead to the war we now see. For every moment we see of her in the show, we are shown a woman that is locked in a cage. When Rhaenyra’s sons were born, she realized that no matter what she said, nothing would change. It would be the same for when Aemond’s eye was taken, yes he had been rude and disrespectful, but he only said what he had been taught. Alicent had every right to act as angry as she did in that moment, no she should not have gone for Lucerys’ eye, but her anger was justified. Vicerys should have done something, should have sided with her, but he didn’t for in favor of his daughter. He never truly cared for Alicent, but for her, he was the only man she had ever known, so in some sick way, she loved him. Even as he hurt her, and refused to care for his other four children, she stayed by his side and never cheated or lied to him. When Aegon was crowned, she truly did believe that was her husbands last wishes and she was trying to fulfilling them.
I haven’t a clue if any of that made sense, and like I said, I have only seen the show and not read the book, so I may be very far off the mark. Book Alicent was her own enemy. Show Alicent’s enemy was her father for being a terrible father and pimping her out basically.
Actually, book Alicent was the mastermind behind the usurpation. And she wasn't kind to Rhaenyra any longer because she had a son. By the way Rhaenyra was 9-10 years old when Alicent started spreading rumors about her, harassing her and isolating her. Show Alicent is very different from Book Alicent.
