Otto Hightower Got What He Deserved, But Fans Still Feel Bad For Him
That Petyr energy has been compromised, huh?
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon ' episode 4
From the very first episode of 'House of the Dragon', it was clear that Otto Hightower is up to something. As the King's Hand, Otto has been a pretty reasonable adviser, but his recommendations always seemed to have some sort of a personal gain behind them.
In episode 4, the justice has been served as King Viserys fired Otto — albeit in a really weird conversation that was half praise and half reprimand. The king has finally understood that Otto has been eyeing the Iron Throne and making sure to get his family closer to power, particularly by sending his daughter, Alicent Hightower, to comfort Viserys shortly after the gruesome death of his wife Aemma.
However, fans were not ready to castigate Otto, even though everyone understand that he has been sneaking around and arranging his own well-being, but... wasn't everyone in the show doing the same?
"He has self-interests yes, like pretty much every single character in the show, but what makes him a "horrible" person? For trying to wed his daughter to the king? Again, like pretty much every single lord at the time," Reddit user Knowledge_Moist argued.
The user recalled how Lord Corlys offered his 12-year-old daughter to Viserys, as if it was done with some other objective but to get closer to the throne. Still, people were quick to portray Otto as a "big villain", even though he simply seeks prestige for his family and fights for a better place under the sun.
In fact, many people side with Otto and love him as a complex and layered character.
"I loved Otto this episode. They did a great job of showing how much he truly cares for Viserys and is trying to do an honorable job even while selfishly trying to cement a legacy beyond his birthright as a second son," Reddit user SerKurtWagner admitted.
Still, a lot of fans are celebrating the fact that Otto "got what he deserved" (which is objectively true), and rejoicing over the fact that Rhaenyra, who was basically the one facilitating his departure from the king's narrow circle, "saw right through him".
Otto's daughter Alicent, however, still shares visible awkwardness with Rhaenyra — after all, she is the best friend who ended up marrying her father. Just how this drama will unfold further, we'll see in the upcoming six episodes.
'House of the Dragon' is streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes arriving every Sunday.