I have only watched four of the episodes that have aired so far and have not read the book material. The show seems mediocre to average and I only tuned in to episode 9 after reading a plot summary about Rhaenys and her dragon. Wanted to see the scene.
This is the strongest of the 4 episodes I have watched but there is still a lot of nonsense. The scenes searching for Aegon dragged on and on. I had to skip. The scene with Rhaenys is absurd from the get go as there is no way she could not be severely injured or killed by her dragon bursting through the roof. Other people have mentioned other plausible reasons.
It also makes no sense that she would not kill the greens here. The conversation she had with Alicent was a threat. The absurd argument about the Queen who never was is just transparent manipulation that someone like Rhaenys would see through. Alicent was not wise at all by trying to exploit a past grievance. What happens if Rhaenys refuses to endorse Aemond (or was it Aegon?)? Does she get to walk away with her dragon? Best case is that they imprison her and have her dragon bonded to someone else. It is do what we say or suffer the consequences. Her looking on Alicent kindly is ridiculous as there was no olive branch there. Installing her son is already an act of war.
There is also another reason why Rhaenys' sympathy for Alicent does not work. Rhaenyra's only option is to be humiliated and bend the knee without even the courtesy of a formal vote that Rhaenys got. Or war. Rhaenys would see the parallels between her situation and Rhaenyra and understand how much worse it is. A woman doesn't even get a chance to volunteer for the job now. Just callously tossed away without ceremony. Rhaenys might even be hostile towards Alicent as she should see her as a willing tool for the machinations of the men who are in control. The complete embodiment of an archetype Rhaenys would despise.
On a more positive note, I liked Alicent's characterization in the episode. Better than anything I have seen so far in the series for any character. However, in the context of the coronation, it doesn't quite work (even though it works judged in isolation). What else is going to happen except war at this point? It is an act of treason. She has yet to come up with anything peaceful to counter Rhaenyra's future justifiable anger. She should have been involved with the coup. People keep saying she has a Cersei arc but she seems more like Sansa to me. Without agency and having to put up with humiliations and marginalizations due to her powerlessness. Their friendship is not good enough to bank on for a peaceful solution. The show keeps trying to humanize them both with this but that ship sailed when Alicent seduced her father behind her back. No friendship would survive that. Alicent is relying entirely on Rhaenyra's capitulating and sanctioning their treason. The path has been set for war otherwise. That fool Otto was at least realistic.
BTW, was Alicent masturbating at the end of that ridiculous foot fetish scene. Her hand went under her dress as she closed her eyes. Or did I misread that? Sorry for the long post.
