Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon episode 1!
House of the Dragons' locations, while even the new cast of characters is somewhat known thanks to their House Targaryen ties.
The main focus of House of the Dragon is on the fight within the kingdom to be King Viserys I Targaryen's heir and inherit the Iron Throne once he es. This setup immediately puts the focus on the two biggest candidates: Viserys' brother Daemon Targaryen and Viserys' oldest (and only) child Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. They are not the only characters who will play prominent roles in the battle for supremacy; Otto Hightower and his daughter Alicent will also play major roles, and so will Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen. While many of them get central roles in House of the Dragon episode 1's ending, Rhaenyra and Alicent shine in particular.
One of the main takeaways from House of the Dragon episode 1 is how great Milly Alcock and Emily Carey are as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Their friendship and banter is a highlight of the episode, and viewers will surely be looking forward to seeing much more of them. House of the Dragon sets up how both could play major roles in the future, which is also quite exciting. However, it is known that House of the Dragon season 1 recasts Rhaenyra and Alicent later on thanks to a time jump. Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke are set to play older versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent in House of the Dragon's cast, and while they will likely be great in the roles, it will be bittersweet to no longer have Milly Alcock and Emily Carey around.
When Will House Of The Dragon Change Rhaenyra & Alicent's Actors?
It is confirmed that House of the Dragon's time jump will occur about midway through the first season. The Game of Thrones prequel show is confirmed to be ten episodes long, and there will be several smaller time jumps throughout. The one that connects to House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra and Alicent recastings will push the story 10 years further. This is most likely to happen around episode 5 or 6. That means Milly Alcock and Emily Carey should continue playing teen versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent for a few more episodes before House of the Dragon recasts the characters with Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke.
HBO avoided any major recastings with Game of Thrones by allowing the actors to grow into their roles, but the prequel's story does not afford the same luxury. Rhaenyra and Alicent have to be older for the key parts of the show to unfold, so House of the Dragon's time jump was the only real solution. The show will certainly take on a different form once these two women grow up and are played by different performers, especially since the male characters are keeping the original actors. But hopefully House of the Dragon's time jump recasting just means there is an even greater showcase of talent between the four people playing Rhaenyra and Alicent.
House of the Dragon releases new episodes Sundays on HBO Max.