House of the Dragon‘s most memorable second tend to be flashy,(quite literally ) fiery , and shot through with torturous violence . There was plenty of thatin last calendar week ’s episode , butepisode five , “ Regent , ” which send last dark , gave us one of the most powerful reactions we ’ve ever experience on the show — and also one of the quietest . In a new interview , “ Regent ” director Clare Kilner discussed how it all come together .

We ’ve seen admirable choice involving surprising simpleness before onHouse of the Dragon . Another big example from season two camein the premiere , when Heleana witnessed her untried son ’s brutal beheading , then scampered through the Red Keep to fork up the news with an apparent deficiency of emotion . But that ’s different than the way we saw Alicent react in “ Regent ” when the Small Council picked her Word , Aemond , to find in place of the severely hurt King Aegon .

It ’s a two - fisted blow , because not only are they shoving the far more experienced Alicent apart , mostly based on the fact that she befall to be a cleaning lady , they ’re also appointing someone sheknowswill be a cruel leader . She also suspect , correctly , that Aemond ’s the reason Aegon returned from fight in such horrible build .

Olivia Cooke in “House of the Dragon”

Olivia Cooke as Alicent. © Ollie Upton/HBO

In the scene , instead of focusing on the smug , newly push Aemond as he lead off release society , Kilner brings the camera in on Alicent ’s face as the sound in the room around her becomes quieter , and her physical reaction ( rapid breathing , rapid fondness beat ) to what ’s just happened becomes apparent . In Olivia Cooke ’s cautiously graduate expression , you see a charwoman experience a blender of emotions : angry , disrespected , and insulted — but also panic . She ’s terrified about what this will stand for for the future .

Speaking to the Wrap , Kilner explained why she held that shot on Cooke ’s magnetise performance . “ For every prospect , I do loads of preparation beforehand in term of let out down the scene and look at the fictional character , but I also walk onto the hardening with my DP and we talk about if we had just one long guesswork how would we shoot it , ” the manager said . “ I was just like ‘ this would all be on Alicent . I could shoot this whole scene on Alicent . ’ Also because Olivia Cooke just softly brings everything . Behind those eyes there is so much hold up on . ”

Kilner explained that she and her team all know that was the right choice . “ Sometimes you do n’t bed if studio or people will permit you do that . Everyone was on board with that . It just became so patently obvious that this Brobdingnagian betrayal was happening , ” she say .

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