the show never wants to truly portray Alicent as being actively involved in the usurpation but she is never truly inactive. “everything I have done, everything I have sacrificed?” and what exactly what she done and sacrificed? besides sacrificing peace with Rhaenyra and her life for the sake of “duty and kingdom” which isn’t anyone’s fault but her fathers for pushing her into that role. “i never wanted this!” but she never didn’t* want to usurp the throne, either. to keep her perpetually a victim and a saint, she has little to no authority or ambition compared to her book counterpart. we’re supposed to believe Alicent never wanted anything for herself, she just talked and acted like she wanted Rhaenyra gone, tortured her in her own home for years, push for Aegon’s legitimacy as heir, only to “never want it” when the time comes. “you’ve been plotting without me?” is probably the funniest line they could’ve given to Alicent. it shows that she DID want to her son on the throne, she DID want the power that came with Queen Consort and Queen Mother, but she’s taken back that her father and other lords would plot behind her back to get there. it’s hard for me to sympathize with a character that doesn’t know what or who they are and want. it’s hard for me to sympathize with a character who justifies their hatred for another through misogynistic and deranged reasons instead of blaming her father who put her in the position she’s in. it’s hard for me to sympathize with show Alicent, period. it truly boils down to the way they’ve changed the story for the show, the dynamic they gave Alicent and Rhaenyra which originally belonged to Laena (and also excluding Rhae’s other ladies in wait), which is fine but actually worked against the effort/narrative the show was portraying.
