House of the Dragon producers break down Alicent, Criston, and Daemon's most-talked about episode 5 moments

gamesradar.com:

Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 5. If you've not yet caught up with the Game of Thrones prequel series, then turn back now.

A lot went down in House of the Dragon episode 5. It stands to reason, really, given that it revolved around a wedding – and well, weddings in Westeros never do run smoothly, do they? Now, the show's producers have broken down the installment's most-talked about points, from Alicent Hightower's power move to Ser Criston Cole's violent outburst.

First, some context: Titled 'We Light the Way', the episode sees Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate) agree to get hitched – on the condition that they'd both keep separate lovers outside of their marriage. Their deal took a dark turn, however, when Laenor's paramour Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod) approached Rhaenyra's, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) at the celebration, and suggested it'd be a good idea for them to keep the other's relationships a secret. Mistaking Joffrey's words as a veiled threat, he beat the young guard to death in front of all of the wedding guests. 

"The fun of that sequence is playing on the audiences' expectations of a Game of Thrones wedding, and knowing that these things tend not to go well," co-showrunner Ryan Condal explains in the latest Inside the Episode, which you can watch in its entirety below. "You just don't know where the explosion is going to come from, and then it comes from the most unexpected place when Criston Cole finally just snaps."

"It's a scene of chaos and anger unleashed," adds director Clare Kilner. "All the people at the top table, who have been trying to control their kids and manipulate them... this is the result of that."

Joffrey isn't