Alicent Hightower goes for a swim in "House of the Dragon" Season 2, episode 7. But what does it mean in the larger context of the show?
Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) is having the worst time.
Her daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) is traumatized from Jaehaerys' death. Her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) nearly died because of her other son Aemond's (Ewan Mitchell) fratricidal urges. She's fled a life-threatening riot, been undermined at and kicked out of the Small Council, and even started a disastrous situationship with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). Oh, and she learned that all of these tragedies happened because she misunderstood Viserys' (Paddy Considine) dying words.
In House of the Dragon Season 2, episode 7, the cumulative weight of these events finally proves too much to bear for Alicent, and she decides to take a trip to the Kingswood. This excursion marks the first time we've seen Alicent leave King's Landing since Viserys' hunt in Season 1, episode 3. Here, though, there is no great retinue tending to the Dowager Queen. By her request, she's only accompanied by Ser Rickard Thorne (Vincent Regan), and she even rejects his company after a time.
Alicent's solo wandering through the Kingswood brings her to a lake. She wades in and floats in the water for an extended period of time. It's a rare moment of peace for Alicent — and for House of the Dragon in general — and it could hint at a huge change ahead for her.
Before leaving King's Landing in episode 7, Alicent laments, "Nothing is clean here." The water of the lake, then, offers an opportunity for cleansing — and for rebirth. As she floats, she's washed clean of all the pain she bears. You can almost see that worry and anguish from her time in the Red Keep seep from her face the longer she stays in the lake.
But Alicent's time in the water isn't the only aspect of the lake scene that creates a sense of rebirth. In her walk down to the lake, she sheds her green cloak and dress until she's wearing only a simple white shift. Just like this is Alicent's first time out of King's Landing in over a season, this is also the first time we see her wearing a color other than green since she adopted it in Season 1, episode 5. The effect is destabilizing: This is Alicent without any of the iconography we associate her with. No green gowns, no symbols of the Faith of the Seven on her person, no members of the Kingsguard shadowing her. It's as if we're seeing Alicent in her simplest, purest state, an idea elevated by the white dress, which calls to mind a blank canvas, a new start.
The loss of Alicent's green clothing is also notable in the context of the show. By this point, Aemond has booted Alicent from the Small Council. She has lost any of the power she fought so hard to gain and maintain. Every sacrifice she made, every time she stuck steadfastly to her duty — was it all for nothing?
Alicent certainly seems to think so, telling Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan), "All my life I have endeavored to serve both my house and the realm, and somehow none of it matters. We are cast aside. Or hated." Now that she's been cast aside by her own son, and now that she knows Aegon's claim to the Iron Throne is all based on lies, what is tethering her to their cause anymore?
With this in mind, Alicent leaving her green clothing behind suggests a loss of allegiance to Team Green. Even the colors of the Kingswood point to Alicent ditching her family. She abandons the lush greenery of the forest in favor of the water. She may still be surrounded by green on all sides, but in the lake, she is far apart from it.
The sense of freedom from the Greens persists during Alicent's time in the lake. We see her stare up at a bird wheeling alone through the sky. In the water, she is its mirror image, flapping her arms just enough to keep her afloat. Perhaps, for the first time, she feels as if she really could be free as a bird and escape the systems of power that have held her down for so long. When she turns and keeps swimming away from the shore, there's a real possibility that she won't be coming back to Ser Rickard, that she plans to run as far from King's Landing as she can.
So does this scene mean that Alicent will immediately pledge herself to Rhaenyra in the Season 2 finale? Not completely. Aside from being a huge change from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, an immediate alliance might not ring true after years of infighting and the deaths of family members. There remains so much to reconcile between the two of them, and even though their brief reunion in episode 3 proves they have love for each other, the road to forgiveness and trust may be long and winding — thought not impossible.
The finale of House of the Dragon Season 2 airs Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
