WTF Is Going On With Alicent & Criston Cole In House Of The Dragon Season 2?

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1, “A Son for a Son.”

One of House of the Dragon season 2’s most surprising moments is not a brutal death, but the reveal that Alicent Hightower and Ser Criston Cole are having a sexual relationship. As two prominent members of House of the Dragon’s Green faction, it makes sense that Alicent and Criston would be spending a lot of time together. That much was clear even in season 1, when he became Alicent’s sworn sword after turning away from Rhaenyra Targaryen. But, well, sworn sword takes on a whole new meaning in season 2.

There are two sex scenes between Alicent and Criston in the season 2 premiere: the first with him performing oral sex on the Queen Mother, the second with them in bed together… while Blood and Cheese are killing Prince Jaehaerys. The Game of Thrones franchise is no stranger to sex, of course, but there can be no accusations of it being gratuitous here. Instead, it’s a relationship that says a lot about its two characters.

Why Alicent & Criston Have A Sexual Relationship In House Of The Dragon Season 2

There Is A Meaning To It, Even Though It’ll Be Divisive

There are several reasons as to why Alicent and Criston have a sexual relationship in House of the Dragon season 2, which goes far beyond desire and two hot people wanting to f**k each other (in fact, there seems to be little suggestion they actually like each other). Instead, it’s reflective of their feelings towards Rhaenyra and towards themselves.

For Alicent, there are a few factors. It shouldn’t be overlooked that this is the first example so far of her actually experiencing sexual autonomy: she was pushed into marrying King Viserys and had to do what’s considered her duty; the scenes regarding Larys Strong and Alicent’s feet were about power and information. Alicent is actually in control here, so there’s perhaps a sense of freedom, but it’s telling that Criston Cole is the person she’s chosen to experience it with.

Criston was one of many wedges between Alicent and Rhaenyra when they were younger. The knight sleeping with the princess changed Alicent’s view of her friend, and while they were already growing apart, it helped cement that division. At the same time, Alicent clearly longed for the kind of freedom Rhaenyra had. Having sex with Cole is taking something from her, and getting to have the experience she’d long been denied.

He’s also someone who a) has a clear hatred of Rhaenyra, and b) presents himself as being just as honorable and pious as Alicent likes to consider herself, so there’s a way she can tell herself it’s OK and not morally wrong. Tell herself, but not believe it, because there’s also an element of self-loathing in this too. Alicent has long been seen self-harming, particularly when younger, and it’s very much a physical act; there’s a suggestion that her relationship with Criston is something similar to her.

For Criston himself, it’s perhaps a little more straightforward, and not just because he could consider himself to be obeying orders. He has obviously long been hung-up on Rhaenyra; he may profess to hate her, but she is the woman he wanted to be with. In Alicent, he sees the idealized version of Rhaenyra that he could never attain. That she is good and pure, and that buttresses his own belief that he is those things, despite knowing (and loathing) that he has already dishonored himself and continues to do so.

Related

House Of The Dragon: 21 Easter Eggs, Key Details, & Foreshadowing Hints In Season 2, Episode 1

House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 contains several small details & Easter eggs that set up future events and connect to Game of Thrones.

He also, perhaps, sees it as a victory over Rhaenyra, a means of getting back to the woman who rejected him by sleeping with her former best friend and now great enemy. With all of that, Alicent and Criston’s relationship is a twisted, complex, and unhealthy one.

When Did Alicent Hightower & Criston Cole’s Relationship Start?

Were They Already Together Before King Viserys’ Died?

One of the other intriguing questions surrounding Alicent and Criston’s relationship is just when it started. Based off dialogue in the season 2 premiere, in which Alicent says it can’t happen again, the suggestion is that it was already an established relationship rather than that being the very first time. But if that is the case, how far back does it go? After all, House of the Dragon season 2’s timeline picks up just a few days after season 1’s ending.

Alicent and Criston were certainly close even before Viserys’ passing, so there was an opportunity for it to happen. There are also a couple of quotes from season 1 that could fit with it: Rhaenyra’s accusation of Alicent “hiding beneath the cloak of [her] own righteousness,” from episode 7, and Alicent’s own line to Criston about “the love you have for me as your Queen.” That leaves room for it to be possible, but is far from confirmation.

The points against it would be, in a way, Alicent’s own righteousness. Her feeling of superiority was what she had to cling to, and it would be a surprising (if not impossible) level of hypocrisy for her to be having sex with Criston at that point. She performed her marital duty with Viserys, and a relationship before his death may go against her arc too much. It would also, I think, be strange to have never seen it before now. It makes sense to hide from the characters, but not to hide it from the audience.

What Alicent & Criston Cole’s Relationship Means For House Of The Dragon

It Could Have A Real Impact, Especially After Blood & Cheese

Alicent Hightower and Criston Cole’s relationship has already had a clear impact, as seen in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1’s ending. The pair were in bed together when Blood and Cheese were killing the prince, which should not only lead to both of them feeling a greater sense of shame and guilt, but also questions over where, exactly, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was when it was happening.

Beyond that, it’ll be interesting to see how their relationship continues and how much it affects their decision-making. Criston defends Alicent when speaking to Aemond, suggesting he does have some affection for her that could influence his choices. The same, so far, cannot really be said for Alicent, but the guilt and self-loathing over it could well play out as the Dance of the Dragons progresses.

It’s also possible someone besides Helaena – who seems unlikely to tell anyone, unless she blurts it out without realizing – will discover their secret. It would cause great scandal, bringing shame not only upon them but also on Team Green as a whole (Westeros PR is important, and people breaking vows will, officially, be seen as a Bad Thing, even if many others do far worse). This relationship is not in Fire & Blood, so there’s no blueprint for where it will go, but that just makes it a more intriguing subplot as House of the Dragon season 2 continues.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.

House of the Dragon

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Seasons

2

Network

HBO Max

Showrunner

Ryan Condal

Expand