#b) as i've mentioned many times AEGON'S the one i think has touch repulsion issues

[navree]

Hi, first I wanted to say that I really like your takes and how eloquent you communicate your thoughts. I could never. I aim for a 5 sentence max paragraph and end up with an essay 😅

Anyways, I’m usually not one to dwell on other’s interpretations of a character or scene, especially if I don’t agree because it’s just fiction anyways…but sometimes I just see a bad take have to rant. I came across this take (I’ll copy and paste since I don’t want to @ op. I’ll also omit some filler words just in case): “the exhale, almost like relief. Alicent will finally escape a life she’s never had a say in. She won’t have to deal with the consequences of putting Aegon the throne and the look of horror when she realizes she’s alive” and ma’am. No.

Let’s say Alicent may be suicidal/have suicidal ideation, in that moment I’m pretty sure she was terrified that her sons and daughter were about to be burned alive. Even if she wanted to die, I’m not sure she would leave her children and grandchildren behind unprotected. Also, “deal with the consequences of putting Aegon on the throne”?? I know the show basically went “lol, anyways” in regards to Alicent’s fear that’s been growing for the past 20 years but she should be relieved that Aegon is crowned. They’re all (seemingly) safe. The “only consequences” are cruel, unjustifiable acts of “revenge” aimed at literal babies.

This take annoys me even more because I know that op and co. were the same ones who ran with “Alicent poisons Aegon in the name of retribution” and “Alicent is disgusted by Aegon’s touch during coronation scene when she removes his hand from her side and holds it instead”.

I know that her children were forced on her and loving them can’t be easy, but all Alicent has are her children. Aegon and Aemond were quick and brave enough to face an angry king to spare her, Aegon accepts the crown for her and their family, Aemond wants to gift Luke’s eye to her. Helaena has never done anything wrong. She doesn’t hate them; she loves them the most.

You guys are being so sweet to me today oh my goodness!! You're too kind, thank you <3

And yeah, I saw the exact take you're talking about, and the one about the hand too, and I did have to stop myself from vaguing about it cuz it was early in the morning and I have the capacity to be mean. There's this bizarre idea people have where they decide they're fine with Alicent being more sympathetic, but only as long as she repents the things she's done and realizes that she actually Did A Bad Thing and she's so sorry and regretful guys, really. And listen, interpretation is up to the interpreter and all that, but it's a bad interpretation.

Alicent is not, in fact, semi regretful while smiling at Aegon's coronation, she was under a lot of stress and she's finally seeing her son safe from harm for the first time in his entire life and actually embracing something, she's relieved. No she's not trying to prevent Aegon from touching her during the scene, boy has a sword and is very clearly trying to push her back and behind him so he can try to protect her before she stops him and is the one holding onto his hand to make sure that he doesn't try it again. No she is not "sighing in relief" she's just accepted that there's nothing she can do in the face of a dragon but at least she's with her son, at least her first boy won't die alone, at least she'll be there for him. No she is not horrified to be alive, she's now incredibly stressed once again and also realizing that Rhaenyra's going to find out that Aegon has the crown before Alicent was able to send over a peace delegation with honorable terms to potentially blunt the blow and prevent backlash. Like I'm sorry, but did some of these people need a hospital stay, cuz I'm assuming they pulled some muscles pretty badly with all that reaching.

Alicent did not have much say in how she lived her life. And there might have been times where she might have had some sort of suicidal ideation or something similar. But for one, that is hardcore fanon because there is nothing in the text or subtext or supplementary materials that has ever even attempted to claim that Alicent has any suicidal tendencies. It can make for a good fanfic idea, but fanfiction isn't canon. For two, we don't even know if that's something Alicent would be willing to do. We don't have a clear view on some of the tenants of the Seven, but it's meant to be analogous to Roman Catholicism (similar views on women, marriage, sex, homosexuality, the works) and in Roman Catholicism, suicide's a sin, it's actually a really big sin, so it's entirely possible that Alicent doesn't have any concrete thoughts on suicide and the like because it's against her beliefs and she's kinda big on those. And when it comes to whether or not Alicent would do it when she's got kids, suicide is a complex topic and sometimes you can have the most loving family in the world but if the factors are too stacked against you in other ways, it won't matter, but likely not. Alicent is a person who puts duty over everything, who literally lays her own body on the line in the defense of her children, she's probably not going to think about doing something for herself even if it'll make her happy so long as she's got the kids.

And yes, sorry to some people, but Alicent loves her children. Very, very dearly. I've discussed it many many times so I won't repeat it in detail again for anyone who's sick of it, but Alicent takes an active part in raising these kids, she is their primary parent, they clearly rely on her love and support, and she's very willing to defend them at all costs. She attacks Rhaenyra for Aemond, she demands Criston take Helaena to safety, she literally places herself between Aegon and a dragon. And Alicent's children love her, Aegon clearly does and half of his issues come from feeling that this love might not be reciprocated back, Helaena doesn't seem to mind her mom wanting to engage more in her interests, and the scene in episode 9 where she shies away from her touch is because she's aggravated no one's understanding her prophecy, and Aemond of course adores his mother through and through likely more than anyone else in his entire life (until Alys comes along).

When it comes to Alicent wanting to avoid consequences of putting Aegon on the throne, again, no? Alicent is not stupid. Alicent is very aware that there are going to be consequences to putting Aegon on the throne. That's why she and Otto lock the castle down, that's why she immediately calls a meeting of the Small Council, that's why she wants Aegon found and brought to her first, that's why she makes sure to talk with Aegon in private about Rhaenyra on their way to the Dragonpit. Alicent has been the de-facto ruler for nearly ten years, and she's the one spearheading a lot of this, she is textually aware of the consequences. There are consequences that we know are coming, like Vhagar going off script or Daemon deciding to indulge in some child murder, but those aren't consequences that anyone who isn't the book-reading audience could have ever foreseen. So let's also add "Alicent is not worried about facing the consequences when she's got the King, the King's government, the entire capital city, multiple dragons, and several powerful and influential Great Houses behind her and she's got a clear view on how to deal with the foreseeable consequences of this decision" to the list.

A lot of these takes come from the idea that Alicent can only be likable if she's constantly self-flagellating herself for her choices and is in constant self hatred mode for anything done against the characters they actually do like, or a view that Alicent is, I guess, the dumbest person on the planet who can't see further than two feet in front of her. But Alicent isn't constantly hating herself, she might hate her life but she does view herself in the right more than she does in the wrong, and she's smart and capable, and she's allowed to, you know, have ambition for her son and love her kid and want to stay with her family and protect them to the best of her abilities.

And of course, this was a take found on Twitter. Some of the Team Green side of HOTD Twitter is good, the rest of HOTD Twitter, literally the site is basically a disease at this point. There's a reason I frequently delete the app off my phone and try to limit my use, and I actually need it for work and connections.