House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones have shared several similarities throughout the first five episodes of HBO’s debut season. Of course, both shows come from the mind and pen of George R.R. Martin, but the parallels go even further than that. The lighting, music, and tone of both series are very alike, down to the eventful royal wedding of Westeros that took place during last week’s episode, titled We Light the Way.

Unfortunately, fans are forced to say goodbye to Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke after the episode, who play Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, respectively. No, their characters aren’t being killed off. Instead, they will be replaced with new actors in the same roles during the sixth episode of the series. Olivia Cooke will take over the part of Alicent, while Emma D’Arcy is Rhaenyra. The reason for the change is a ten-year time jump occurring between the fifth and sixth episodes, the biggest jump we’ve seen so far. During an interview with the New York Times, the young actresses discussed their time on the show and how it felt to hand over the parts to someone else. Alcock says, “I’m so excited to see what Emma did with Rhaenyra. There’s no way I could have played her in the later stages of her life because I don’t have the same lived experience that Emma has. So I’m keen.”

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Alcock played a teenager on House of the Dragon, and of course, as she turns into an adult in her late 20s, everything will change. Emma D’Arcy is 30 years old, and they will undoubtedly bring a different presence to the role than what we’ve seen so far. Through five episodes, Alcock has been a fan-favorite character, and D’Arcy hopes to carry on her beloved performance.

Emily Carey Says She Doesn’t Know if She Would be Able to Carry on the Role

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Emily Carey has been excellent throughout her time on House of the Dragon, allowing fans to feel sympathy for someone currently regarded as a villain in the series. However, despite her performance so far, the 19-year-old actor says she isn’t sure she would’ve been able to continue her role in the later stages of life just as her costar claimed. Still, Carey tells the New York Times it will be challenging to hand her character off to Olivia Cooke.

“I love the way you worded that, [Milly Alcock]. That’s so true. When people say, ‘Do you wish you could do the rest of it?’ I’m always like, ‘I don’t know.’ I don’t think I have the capacity. But I will be honest: It’s strange handing off a character that is so personal. As actors, we put so much of ourselves into the people we play. So it’s strange having to leave someone’s story halfway through. At the same time, it doesn’t feel unfinished because it’s going into obviously amazing hands with Olivia. It’s going to be really cool — and weird — to watch the show as a viewer and not be critiquing our own performances, and just take it in and appreciate the show for what it is.”

Milly Alcock and Emily Carey are leaving the role of a lifetime in House of the Dragon. However, as Carey says, the duo can now watch the series as fans and enjoy the world George R.R. Martin created. Alcock was asked what’s left to come for the season and their characters, to which she replied, “We weren’t given [the scripts]. I’ve asked for them so much, and they were like, ‘No, you cannot.’ I’m going to be watching on the edge of my seat, because I want to know what’s going to happen.”

The two stars, along with the rest of the world, can see the fate of their characters when House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday at 9 pm E.T.