Editor’s Note: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Fire & Blood, the book that House of the Dragon is based on.
The Big Picture
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House of the Dragon
has many characters, struggling to divide time between them all. - Alysanne Blackwood is a vital character missing in Season 2 who deserves focus as the show goes on.
- Known as Black Aly, she defies gender roles and plays a crucial role in uniting Westeros post-civil war.
As House of the Dragon tells the sweeping story of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, it introduces many different characters from the royal contenders for the Throne, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), to the lowborn dragonseed and everything in between. Characters from all over Westeros and all backgrounds play a significant role in the conflict, requiring each to make a memorable introduction. Arguably, House of the Dragon has too many characters as the series struggles to divide time between its various figures. It’s a balancing act to split time between the different factions of the royal family and develop all of their allies, but despite the surplus, some vital characters have yet to appear.
With Season 2 over, it’s hard to resist looking ahead, and Fire & Blood gives an idea of where the story will go, but for the inevitable end, House of the Dragon will have to develop the character of Alysanne Blackwood. Having already skipped her first notable mention in Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon can waste no time bringing her into Season 3, so the series can give her the focus she deserves. Alysanne Blackwood, or Black Aly, may not have been mentioned in Season 2, but her family certainly made an impression with the Battle of the Burning Mill and the subsequent conflict in the Riverlands. But, with the Blackwood leadership changing, she is sure to come soon. Serving as another example of a powerful woman within the story, Black Aly holds much potential for the series.
Black Aly Should Have Already Appeared in ‘House of the Dragon’
As House of the Dragon Season 2 showed the early days of the war, Black Aly should have shown up. Though she is only 16 when the conflict begins, Black Aly is present for the first battle: the Battle of the Burning Mills. This conflict takes place between House Blackwood and House Bracken, ancient rivals who take opposing sides in the war. Though the battle happens, House of the Dragon skips over most of the fighting, showing mostly the gruesome results. But there is more to this cut than simply not showing the character as her most significant contribution to the battle doesn’t occur. In Fire & Blood, Black Aly is responsible for killing Amos Bracken (Tim Faraday) with an arrow after the rival Lord defeats her brother, Samwell Blackwood. Though Samwell’s death is mentioned, Amos Bracken survives the battle, even appearing in the Season 2 finale.
Though this moment may not have served the series’ purpose, the Blackwoods play a significant part in Daemon’s (Matt Smith) story, yet Black Aly is conspicuously missing. That is particularly odd as she is perhaps the most significant family member in the story. Of course, Season 2 did not show the Blackwoods in the best light as they readily attack their neighbors, creating drama in the Riverlands before Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) comes to put them and Daemon in their place. Season 2 would not have been the most heroic introduction for Black Aly, but it seems odd that there wasn’t even a passing reference to her. Fortunately, House of the Dragon has time to correct this oversight.
Why Is Black Aly Important?
Black Aly may not fly a dragon, have a claim to the Iron Throne, or even officially sit on the Small Council, but the story cannot play out the same without her. Throughout the Dance of the Dragons, Black Aly fights with the Blackwood army despite the oppressive gender roles in Westeros’ society. In fact, she commands 300 Riverland archers throughout the war. She is also rumored to have a relationship with Lady Sabitha Frey (Sarah Woodward). However, Black Aly’s biggest contribution comes after the war when she serves as an emissary for her young nephew, Benjicott Blackwood. During what became known as the Hour of the Wolf, Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) served as Hand of the King, dispensing brutal justice. But Fire & Blood‘s historians are left to theorize why he allowed Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) to live, and their best line of reasoning goes back to Alysanne. She met with Cregan, arguing for peace, and he listened. The deal they struck led to Corlys’ pardon and Cregan and Alyssane’s wedding, as she impressed him so much that he fell in love with her.
Black Aly was instrumental in reuniting Westeros after the divisive civil war. She also devised a way to rebuild the wartorn Riverlands and shelter the injured and displaced Northmen by arranging marriages for the widowed women of her homelands, reviving the worship of the Old Gods in the south. While House of the Dragon focuses on the war itself, the rebuilding is a necessary part of the conclusion, and that not only requires Black Aly to be present but to be known and liked by the fans.
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Black Aly Fits Into ‘House of the Dragon’s Narrative
While there have inevitably been some changes to the source material, they only make Black Aly a more fitting character. House of the Dragon has made it a point to tell the stories of women in Westeros. Not only is Rhaenyra front and center, but Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Baela (Bethany Antonia), and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) have expanded roles, and Sharako Lohar’s (Abigail Thorn) gender was changed, adding a new powerful woman. With this clear focus, Black Aly is even more relevant to the story as an example of an influential and strong woman. The changes to the story only make her introduction more vital. as the series needs varied portrayals of women to flesh out its message.
In a series that takes the time to focus on the burden of gender roles, a character who makes a name for herself by willfully defying them is the perfect addition to the story. Rhaenyra has played this role as she rejected the idea of a husband in Season 1 and refused to give up control of her war council in Season 2, but she is afforded more leniency as the princess and, later, queen. Black Aly has the opportunity to explore a different perspective on the issue. And with the contributions she makes to Westeros, she deserves to be given the time and attention to be a well-rounded character.
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max in the U.S.