Milly Alcock has given an update on House of the Dragon season 2, and it's disappointing news when it comes to future Rhaenyra Targaryen storylines. Alcock played Rhaenyra through House of the Dragon season 1's first five episodes, before a time jump recast the role with Emma D'Arcy replacing her. Those recastings - which also saw Olivia Cooke take over the role of Alicent Hightower from Emily Carey - made sense, and the older actors were just as brilliant as their younger counterparts. However, there was still some hope of being able to see Alcock and Carey again.

Unfortunately, those hopes have been dashed, as Alcock won't return for House of the Dragon season 2. Alcock was asked about reprising the role and gave a firm response, saying: "No. It's done." In a way, that makes sense and perhaps is not too surprising - after all, thanks to the recasts it means the story has very much moved on, with House of the Dragon season 2 ready to fully get into the Dance of the Dragons. At the same time though, given the potential, it is disappointing.

Why Milly Alcock's Rhaenyra Not Returning In House Of The Dragon Season 2 Is A Shame


Seeing Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra and Alicent again would not only be great because of how good they were - which is to take nothing away from Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke - but more because of where House of the Dragon season 2's story is going. The Targaryen civil war will be fully underway, and that means Rhaenyra and Alicent are likely going to be kept apart for the entire season. While they do reunite during the Dance of the Dragons, it doesn't come until later - likely seen in House of the Dragon season 3 - but that will have an impact on the show itself.

Alicent and Rhaenyra's relationship is the very heart of House of the Dragon's story. It is theirs more than anything else; it's intimate, it's personal, and it's tragic. Since it cannot have the adult actors return, then having the younger Rhaenyra and Alicent in House of the Dragon season 2 would have been an effective way of keeping that part of the story alive. It could have quite easily deployed flashbacks or dream sequences to further explore the pair's friendship and falling out, showing the adult versions remembering their past and what they've lost.

There are signs of what this could entail. For instance, a deleted scene of Alicent and Rhaenyra showed the latter helping the former get ready for her wedding to King Viserys (Paddy Considine). It looked like a poignant moment that really speaks to what they had and where things went wrong. It could ostensibly even be re-used without Alcock and Carey returning, but it's the kind of thing that would be great to see expanded upon and fleshed out more, since viewers spent such little time - relatively speaking - with those versions of the characters despite them being the foundation of the entire story.

Milly Alcock Was Key To House Of The Dragon's Success


While it's disappointing there won't be a return of Milly Alcock and (presumably) Emily Carey, it's nonetheless worth remembering just how important they were to House of the Dragon's success. Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke will take those characters forward until their stories end, which is exciting in its own right, but the Game of Thrones spinoff would not have been the hit it was without the performances of Alcock and Carey. They had only a short span of time to make an impression, having to create characters who audiences quickly cared about and in particular quickly invested in their relationship.

Alcock and Carey's versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent linger in the adult ones; they've been changed by age and experience, but the memory of their relationship lasts between them and that feeds back to audiences too. Alcock in particular was a revelation as Rhaenyra, similar to how D'Arcy was - she is, ultimately, House of the Dragon's main character, and both versions were key in making them likable and sympathetic, yet also some of their darker actions believable. Alcock may not return for House of the Dragon season 2, but the show's future wouldn't exist without her.