Rhaenyra Targaryen & Alicent Hightower (House of the Dragon)

I may have had mixed feelings about the first season of House of the Dragon (see the review over on the site’s TV page), but such ambivalence doesn't extend here to the Funko Pop section, because these two George R.R. Martin-inspired beauties are absolutely lit (as the kids would say - I think).

These particular Pop figures are - of course - modeled on the Milly Alcock/Emily Carey incarnations of the characters, when the two of them were still fresh-faced teens at the beginning of the series. To say they look awesome on the shelf - particularly when posed side-by-side - would be an understatement. They absolutely *pop* (um, pun… sort of intended). And their designs are not incidental --

Rhaenyra, clad in the red dress and gold cloak she wore when she was coronated heir to the Iron Throne, and Alicent, wearing the green dress and matching cape she defiantly appeared in at Rhaenyra’s wedding, hint at their impending power struggle in the latter half of the season. But, more than anything, it makes for an awesome visual juxtaposition - especially given their matching poses, and the additional contrast between Rhaenyra’s distinctive, white-blonde Targaryen tresses and Alicent’s cascade of burgundy locks. The detailing on both dresses is outstanding - look at the stitching on Alicent’s chest and the embroidery on the sleeves, the gold beading around the circumference of Rhaenyra’s black headpiece, the jeweled rings on their fingers… they even got their respective earrings exactly right. The sculpting work on Alicent’s hair - with its complex blend of waves and braiding - is particularly impressive.​

Meanwhile, Funko agnostics like to claim (snidely) that Pops are utterly interchangeable, but let’s take a look at the facial expressions, shall we? Rhaenyra’s eyebrows are raised just a fraction higher than Alicent’s, while her eyelashes curve upwards, giving a confident and slightly mischievous impression. Alicent’s, on the other hand, are more neutral, expressing a sense of perpetual consternation… I can’t believe how well it captures that look of internalized anxiety that Emily Carey wore throughout the majority of her screentime. The nuances are absolutely there... if you can be bothered to look for them. Anyway, these are really exceptional figures, amongst my personal favorites released in 2022 - and, not to sound harsh, but a lot more memorable than the TV series that inspired them.