Halfway through its first season, “House of the Dragon,” the “Game of Thrones” spinoff, is getting ready for a significant time jump. The show is about to advance ten years, and several important roles will be filled by older actors. Emma D’Arcy will take over the role of Rhaenyra from Milly Alcock, and Olivia Cook will succeed Emily Carey in the role of Alicent Hightower.
Carey and Alcock’s performances as the young queen and the heir to the Iron Throne have drawn praise, but their characters have also sparked rumours. The intimate bond between the two young girls has drawn much attention from viewers, and some have accused the show of “queerbaiting” by hinting at an LGBT connection without really declaring the characters gay.
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Even though the more malicious accusations of queerbaiting are unfounded, Carey confesses that she was part in discussions about the characters maybe having sexual affections for one another in an interview with Variety.
Carey remarked, “I mean, we kind of began that conversation. “We were in the practise space… It appears to be Episode 4. I had a bench seat. Not necessarily had we already discussed it. When Milly and I were acting out that scenario, we exchanged glances and said, “It kind of felt like we were ready to kiss?” That was very strange! Thus, we discussed it.
The youthful ages of the characters, Carey continued, meant that choices regarding their love and sexual sentiments were not always black-and-white.
It was something I was aware of since I am a gay woman. I wasn’t deliberately putting it out there, she admitted. They are 14-year-old girls who are unable to distinguish between platonic and romantic relationships. They don’t even understand the meaning of the phrases, let alone what the sentiments are.
Although the actress finally refutes allegations that the show purposefully implied that the characters were romantically engaged, she also doesn’t have a problem with the way certain fans choose to view the connection.
“We had no intention of playing it. We weren’t “making kids gay” or “queer baiting” them, she insisted. “Just do it if you want to read that into it and interpret it that way. Do it if you wish to consider them more than just pals. Don’t if you don’t want to.
HBO broadcasts brand-new “House of the Dragon” episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
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