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The teaser for House of the Dragon's next episode has arrived and, with it, the first look at the recast characters of Rhaenyra and Alicent.
Thanks to a significant, near-decade time skip, Rhaenyra and Alicent are now aged up and played by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. They replace Milly Alcock and Emily Carey respectively, though it appears their characters' tensions haven’t cooled in the interim. Alicent’s green dress interruption in the prior episode was almost tantamount to a declaration of war, and the two new actors verbally joust and trade icy looks in the minute-long trailer.
Perhaps most surprising, however, is the continued presence of Paddy Considine’s King Viserys. The actor has already been forthcoming about the king’s illness, and the most recent episode seemingly ended with the monarch seemingly dropping dead during Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding vows. That clearly wasn’t the case and, though he looks the worse for wear, Viserys is still ruling over the powder keg of King’s Landing with a less-than-iron fist.
The jump ahead also brings several more characters into King’s Landing’s volatile court. Aegon Targaryen now has a more significant role to play as, too, does Harwin Strong and another unnamed Targaryen child, the latter of which is seen commanding a dragon at the trailer’s end.
With children becoming the topic of conversation, attention might once again turn to the question of heirs if Viserys is no longer around to rule. We’ll soon find out how they factor into the ongoing political drama on House of the Dragon, but one thing is clear: the next episode is the start of a new era for the Game of Thrones prequel.
For more on the House of the Dragon's dynasty, check out our guide to the Targaryen family tree.
