House Of The Dragon Episode Four Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs
2. Up - Rhaenyra Targaryen
Milly Alcock, you will be missed.
Based on previews, it appears that the greatest time jump to date is fast approaching in House of the Dragon, which will see the teenaged version of Rhaenyra Targaryen replaced with an adult version played by Emma D'Arcy. While fans will be excited to see how the adult Rhaenyra takes shape, it is inevitable that fans will be initially lamenting the change.
Milly Alcock has been utterly mesmerizing as Rhaenyra, effortlessly owning every scene to underline what a breath of fresh air her indomitable character has been to Westeros. The Australian actress appears to have been born to play a Targaryen princess, utterly unashamed of doing what she wants, while laying bare the hypocrisies at the heart of her political status as the heir and as a woman.
Emily Carey, who plays a young Alicent and will be replaced with Olivia Cooke when the time jump occurs, must also be showered with praise; she has also been marvellous as the conflicted young Queen. It is clear that Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke have quite a job on their hands maintaining the excellent standards the two younger actresses have set the bar at.
However, fans can rest easy; the same people who cast Alcock and Carey cast their adult selves, and they haven't put a foot wrong so far. Indeed, the adult versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent within Fire and Blood undergo such a monumental shift as characters that the show might just need totally different actresses to accurately reflect the magnitude of their development