Why Did Alicent Stop Criston From Killing Himself in House of the Dragon? Answered

Alicent is starting to really come into her own as a character in House of the Dragon, and episode 5 certainly seals the deal. She digs up a bunch of information about the princess, gathers some allies, and makes big moves of her own at the end. Here’s why Alicent stopped Criston from killing himself in House of the Dragon.

Why Did Alicent Stop Criston from Killing Himself in House of the Dragon?

At the end of House of the Dragon episode 5, Criston is about to stab himself in front of the Weirwood, but Alicent shows up just in time to stop him from killing herself, and the episode ends right there. Her intentions are not made clear in this episode, but given what she has learned, it’s likely that Alicent plans on using Criston against the Targaryens in an eventual conflict.

In this episode, Alicent finds out that Rhaenyra lied to her and she feels betrayed by her friend, especially since her siding with Rhaenyra ended up getting her father fired and sent away. She was also left with the sobering thought that her only options are to either prepare Aegon to rule, or to hope that Rhaenyra will show him mercy if she inherits the Iron Throne.

With all that in mind, Alicent decides that she needs to gather her allies and get ready for a potential conflict with Rhaenyra. She solidifies her relations with her uncle at the wedding dinner, and likely also saves Criston because she believes that she can use him to her benefit against the Targaryens. She recognizes that Criston is so hurt that Rhaenyra has chosen to marry for duty to the point where he’s ready to die because of it, and realizes that she can probably manipulate him and direct that energy and his fighting capabilities against the Targaryens.

We’ll need to wait and see what Alicent has in store for Criston, but it’s likely that we’ll see him play a key role in her defensive strategy against Rhaenyra.

That’s all you need to know about why Alicent stopped Criston from killing himself in House of the Dragon. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the show, including whether Alicent wants to start a war, and the reasoning behind Daemon’s haircut.