Where have House of the Dragon's villainous women gone?
In lots of ways, House of the Dragon season two has it all; complex portrayals of family feuds, colossus dragons claiming their owners and intricate storylines that unfold before our eyes. And yet, why does the show seem to let down its female leads by not allowing them to be, well, brutal aggressors, in exactly the same way as the men? Yet again, women are being shown as soft, peace-pushers ("I'm a pusher! I push people!"), while the men are leaning into their inner-evil.
While the imminent war between Team Black and Team Green is largely due to Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower's simmering misunderstanding, there seems to be a glowing focus on displaying their softer sides. Any depravity they may've shown in season one has been replaced by an underlying pivot to a more amenable position, where they let their councils speak over them and allow their male counterparts to call the violence-based shots. What in the patriarchy?
Yes, a war is being waged on the fact Rhaenyra's been usurped from the throne, but emphasis is constantly put on her ability to show mercy (remember how she let Mysaria free?) and her lack of action towards a wayward Daemon.
Her ability to rule is quietly, yet constantly, called into question, even by her own advisors, forcing her to retaliate in episode six over the fact they "have forgotten to fear me." We're led to believe Rhaenyra is incapable of inflicting pain, and is still seeking peace, which perpetuates the narrative that only men are capable of violent acts, while women are cautionary in their response.
As for Alicent, despite sitting on the Green Council for years, her sons and Criston Cole are persistent in their ignorance towards her advice, speaking over her and failing to take her experience into account. She's described as having a "gentle heart", while her pity towards Rhaenyra over the loss of her son is clear. But by showing this emotion (paired with her lack of violent action) it strips away any clear desire for war as a method to protect what she believes is her son's right to the crown - an impulse so clearly displayed in her male counterparts.
As one viewer wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), "My biggest gripe with House of the Dragon I’ve realised is that it lacks evil women. Everyone is acting like they’re in Katy Perry’s 'Woman’s World' and I’m sick of it."
Someone else summarised, "House of the Dragon's perspective on gender relations is so childish it's aggravating. Every single female character is wise, perfect, and unambitious; the ones who occasionally commit villainous acts only do so because of misunderstandings, mistakes, or because they had no other choice due to the evils of men."
As a third put it, "The ‘men are violent, women strive for peace’ trope this show is pushing does a disservice to the female characters. They keep pushing this notion that ‘men are violent’ and ‘women push towards peace’; which is nonsensical and waters down the female characters."
Have we forgotten how we got here in the first place? Or the way that Alicent dived at Rhaenyra with a knife in season one, seeking retribution for her son's lost eye? What ever happened to Rhaenyra demanding Aemond's death, in response to her loss of Lucerys?
In a show like House of the Dragon, where savagery is so rife, it seems not only remiss, but reductive, for the female characters to not lean into the war in the same way as the men.
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