House of the Dragon Episode 6 kickstarted with a 10-year significant time jump that finally welcomed Emma D'Arcy in the grown-up version of Rhaenyra Targaryen, a role previously played by Milly Alcock — who undoubtedly captured the audience's heart with her outstanding embodiment of the Targaryen heir.
The HBO prequel will now center on Rhaenyra as she goes against Alicent (Olivia Cooke) in a deadly battle of the Game of Thrones. However, after Alcock left a gold standard for the character, did the pressure really get into D'Arcy at one point?
In an interview with The Independent, D'Arcy admits that they are "well aware" of the fans who are mourning Alcock's departure from the series.
“It’s a difficult point at which to meet an audience," they said. "They only get me when they lose Milly, so they meet me in a place of grief, of losing someone they just spent five hours with. They exhale a nervous chuckle. “I’m... I’m well aware of that.”
Thankfully, D'Arcy resorted to their co-star Matt Smith, who is absolutely familiar with filling a fan favorite shoes:
“I had a nice chat with Matt the other day, and he said it’s like the Doctor Who curse. You’ve got to regenerate. And yeah, unfortunately, Rhaenyra is going to completely change body and face in a couple of hours.”
Milly Alcock's Rhaenyra has been at the center of House of the Dragon ever since its premiere episode. However, now that Alcock's inclusion in the prequel is over, she recently revealed what's next for her after House of the Dragon, hoping that she gets "employed again."
Although we still want to see Alcock and Emily Carey in the future of the series, showrunner Ryan Condal recently addressed their possible return in the newly-confirmed House of the Dragon Season 2.
“I mean, look, I don’t know,” Condal told Variety. “[They] are not a part of the story that we’re telling yet. That’s not a thing that we’re doing right now.” Nonetheless, the showrunner admits to being open to the possibility. He added, “There are things that we haven’t fully sorted out. I’m not closing the door on anything."
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max.
Also read: House of the Dragon: Emma D'Arcy Weighs in on Rhaenyra and Daemon's Incestuous Relationship
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