No Matter How Good Your Actors Are, They Can Only Do So Much If The Script You Are Giving Them Is Nonsensical.

No matter how good your actors are, they can only do so much if the script you are giving them is nonsensical. You can have characters who are conflicted and make wrong choices based on their situation. But Alicent giving up Aegon like that, as if her getting in front of Meleys to protect her family wasn't a pivotal point for her in showing her choice to Rhaenys last season? Rhaenyra too shouldn't have even given Alicent the time of day when she already tried and did basically the same as her but got told it was "too late" and an invasion of King's Landing is inevitable at this point. I know they shared a relationship together and do think that even if it was long ago, it still can determine how they interact with each other, but even that being the case, sometimes you need to prioritize some things over others. I don't doubt that Alicent cared about Rhaenyra, but that didn't stop her from advancing her own interests with her family. I don't doubt that Rhaenyra cared about Alicent, but she still put herself and her family first by leaving King's Landing and pretty much never visiting again, even when her father was there wasting away. That's what makes them interesting. The conflict within themselves and choosing one thing over the other. That even if it hurts, some things just turn sour.

Not even mentioning that since it's obvious that Rhaenyra will take the city, this whole interaction could have happened then and with bigger stakes, like Alicent begging for her life and Rhaenyra having to make the choice of whether she dies or is imprisoned or something. 

This whole scene gives me the impression that they wanted a dramatic and emotional scene for the end of the season so they came up with this.