#probs bc my yapping never makes sense that’s okay it is what it is

[nonbinarylesbianherb]

Here’s the thing Alicent Hightower wasn’t a victim, the HotD writers chose to make her one.

She got married at 18 to a 29 year old, she had her first kid when she was around 20. She had so much political influence at court she was able to create her own faction, run her stepdaughter out of Kingslanding and stop her husband from making his daughter Hand. Want to know what she did when her husband died? She left his corpse to rot whilst she and Criston took control of the Green Council to crown Aegon.

So why did the writers turn around and make her a child bride who is reduced to nothing more than a 24/7 victim?

She is disrespected and humiliated at every turn, we are told constantly Alicent Hightower is a coward who isn’t deserving of respect. The writers have a very clear vendetta against her, punishing her for having the audacity of being against Rhaenyra and I feel her nonstop victimisation is part of it.

It’s because her victimisation was done solely to punish her that Viserys’ actions are so whitewashed in the show. It’s why Hess claims Dyana is the only rape victim. It’s why the writers’ only intention with 2x08 was to remind the audience that Rhaenyra is 100x better than Alicent in every way possible whether it be as a Queen/politician/mother/ruler/leader etc.

I’m gonna be really honest i don’t really feel strongly about book alicent in the way i do show (will come back to this), i know young alicent doesn’t exist in the book, but she was the first alicent i was introduced to and ive attached to her specifically. I know there’s a significant difference between book/show alicent adult version, let alone young alicent who we don’t even see in the books.

I think definitely though the show writers could’ve done a better job for older alicent. young alicent being an addition of the show was interesting and they could’ve built off that for an addition to older alicent’s character (without erasing the core of what her character is from the books) for more potential plots/ characterisation- (similar to how rhaenyra and alicent’s ex friendship is a main key of the show) because these added plots were expected, as with most book to show adaptations - but I’d even say necessary since the book is written specifically to be a historic novel more than the storytelling we’d usually see with other asoiaf books. Obviously for the show we’re gonna need to know the ins and outs of characters and relationships, we’re going to want in-depth introductions and characterisation, so I understand why they’d need to create plots to build off of to add opportunities - but there are ways to do that without completely changing a character (or erasing them, cough maelor, cough)

They couldve still shown this powerful and cunning woman from the books whilst also having scenes portraying how her trauma has affected her, how her old friendship with rhaenyra weighs on her- etc. I think they were doing that well in s1, but s2 is kind of a downer for both the character of alicent (as we know there was a lot of upset/shock/confusion with the seeming 180 her character did in s2) and rhaenicent (not as a ship necessarily but as a main factor and concept of the show)

I think something as well is the show / writers have always angled for a more team black approach - and team black as the “good vs bad” , but no side is good or bad in this war, it’s main victims are the small folk, who suffer the cruelty of two opposing powers , the destruction and death this war will have will never have been worth it - it doesn’t matter what side is what. I highly doubt the books portrayed this retelling of this war with a preference that you tend to see in the show - which coming back to my thing about book alicent, I haven’t read fire and blood lol (so it’s easier for me to connect to the first alicent i was introduced to, especially one we see into her life/character rather than the historical way im assuming f&b retells her story- , also being mentally ill and connecting with the character of young alicent/show alicent in a mentally ill way LOL) but I know a lot of what happens/differences. I agree with what you said about them trying to make rhaenyra/team black seem better than alicent/team green and it ends up undercutting alicent as a character because the idea to paint her more as a villain - as well as hurting rhaenyra’s character too ykwim? Again haven’t read the books but i KNOW rhaenyra IS cruel, does do bad things, is selfish, etc, and that’s great! good for her, but she should be allowed to be terrible without it being because she was ‘pushed to the edge’ or ‘justified’ etc. we are starting to see more of her cruelty and hopefully it’ll start to show that both sides are bad, both sides can be cruel just for the sake of being cruel, there is no underlying reason or justification maybe they’re all just terrible

anyway i think im done yapping, not even sure what i was yapping tbh hopefully it makes a modicum of sense. sorry for not always replying to these anon things sometimes i’m simply too tired or i begin to yap, get busy/distracted/tired, so i draft it and then i forget to finish 😭 have a good day anonymous person on the internet i yapped to