Ever since “House of the Dragon” started its debut season, fans have been sensing queer undertones in the relationship between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. The characters were played in their younger years by Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, the latter of whom confirmed to Variety that the actors discussed the queer intimacy that might exist between their characters.

“I mean, we kind of started that discourse,” Carey said. “We were in the rehearsal room…I believe it’s Episode 4. It’s not necessarily something we had talked about yet. We were doing a scene, and Milly and I looked at each other like, ‘It kind of felt like we were about to kiss? That was really weird!’ And so we talked about it.” 

Carey added, “We weren’t ‘making them gay’ or ‘queerbaiting,’ or anything like that. It’s just, if you want to read into it and see it like that, do it. If you want to see them as more than friends, do it. If you don’t, then don’t…They’re 14-year-old girls, they don’t know the difference between platonic and romantic.”

In a new interview with The New York Times, older Rhaenyra actor Emma D’arcy outright confirmed that an “erotic energy” existed between the two characters early in their relationship. However, D’arcy is doubtful such energy will manifest itself into anything physical given the character’s arcs throughout the season.

“That sort of erotic energy is very present in their early relationship,” D’arcy said. “I think Rhaenyra is primarily motivated by a deep desire to be known and seen. The hurt and pain is so dominant that I don’t know if there’s a space, at this point, for a conscious interaction with sexual lust, but she definitely yearns for the old physical intimacy that they shared. It’s different from what she shares with her current husband and her children. A different form of contact.”

Olivia Cooke, who plays the older Alicent, echoed D’arcy, saying, “I don’t know if Alicent knows what it feels like to feel those things now. There’s layers and layers of repression; sexuality and lust are probably a prehistoric, sedimentary layer by now. From Alicent’s point of view, I don’t think she’s that self-aware, in terms of what she’s feeling, to know what’s propelling her to reach out to Rhaenyra again.”

Two episodes remain in “House of the Dragon” Season 1, which airs Sunday nights at 9pm ET. HBO has already renewed the series for a second season.

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