Explosive Deleted Scene They Totally Should Have Kept in House of the Dragon
It's common knowledge that not every scene that gets filmed will make the final edit of any TV show. But one explosive scene featuring Milly Alcock and Emily Carey feels like it should have been included in House of the Dragon.
The bitter feud between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Carey) was a key aspect of the first season of House of the Dragon. But almost all of their falling out took place off-screen during the time jumps that were a feature of the show.
While this, in itself, isn't necessarily a problem (there is a good argument for action taking place in media res in many TV shows), Greg Yaitanes (director of the show) revealed on his Instagram story that two powerful scenes featuring Rhaenyra and Alicent were recorded but didn't make the show.
The first was an explosive exchange between the two former friends that took place in the aftermath of Alicent's engagement to Viserys – Rhaenyra's father.
This is a scene that would no doubt have ramped up the tension between the two women and taken their feud to another level. So, it seems strange that it didn't make the cut – particularly given the importance of their argument to the whole premise of the show.
The issue of who was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne was what brought about the conflict throughout House of the Dragon which will ultimately lead to the Targaryen civil war. So, what could have been more important than a scene that finally ended any hope of reconciliation between Alicent and Rhaenyra?
The second scene featuring the two (that was also cut from the show) saw Rhaenyra helping Alicent prepare for her marriage to Viserys. This one may not have been quite so explosive but was rumoured to have featured an exchange in which Rhaenyra asked Alicent to call off the wedding, saying it was still possible to call a halt to it if they both spoke to their fathers. In response, Alicent is said to have told Rhaenyra. "It doesn't matter what I want. A good daughter does her duty."
Again, this feels like a pivotal moment that probably should have been included. Not only does the exchange appear to cement the division between the two, but it also juxtaposes the scene in episode 1 that saw Alicent helping Rhaenyra get dressed.
What makes both scenes' omission from the series even more odd, is that episode 2 (which would have featured them) is almost 10-minutes shorter than most other episodes. So, had they been included, it's not like fans would have been asking why the episode had to go on so long!