So not future events so I don’t have to spoil - did Alicent ever realize she ****ed up in the book?

I don’t recall it if she did.

From what I've figured out through research (not reading the books and just some online searches) the song of ice and fire isn't ever even mentioned in this book and Alicent and Rhaenyra hate each other. Alicent crowns Aegon king because he's the oldest and doesn't give a literal shit about Vizzy T's wishes.

This is what I've liked so far about the show. They have followed the plot points pretty closely. Some of the details like the Song of Ice and Fire and the secret meeting between Alicent and Rhaenyra for example, things the historians wouldn't have known about, can be added to the story without changing canon.

Am I the only one that thinks that bit is just silly?

No you are not.

It's was just wedged in there and isn't necessary to the story at all.

Maybe they were thinking they didn't have the time to interpret it to screen in the same manner it was in the book (I've not read it, somehow)?

Maybe they're just a lesser class of egotistical prick than D&D were the last two seasons of GoT and are making minor changes that "make sense" instead of going off the rails in spectacular fashion as those two did?

Meh. I view it as good fan service. Tying a reference back to the original show to create more relevance to the story everyone recognizes, that brought them to the franchise in the 1st place.

Back before season 1, i was actually HOPING to see more relevance to the original series. To have un answered questions answered. To have been able to see history, and thus give more relevance and explanation to the original series.

Later i'd learn that the time periods are too distant to be truly relative to each other, which kinda sucked tbh.

Glad to hear.

I’ll admit that while I still wouldn’t care for it, at least changing it to a “prophecy” of ice and fire would at least sound better than “song” which denotes a story. Ultimately it still wouldn’t make any sense, The Wall exists and the stories about why are known. This “secret” angle is just weird.

I loved that episode. Finally got to see a dragons fight each other.

Mostly the acting is top shelf. Its a GOT spin off so it has this mystery stuff that may or not be explained later later.

One question, did she turn around and come back to fight after taking out the king to fight the other dragon because she couldn't make it back to her base without the bigger and faster catching up and fighting the dragon or was she just be arrogant that her experience and guile could defeat the much bigger dragon?

Hard to say.

Maybe she saw an opportunity to end the war by herself (though Aemond does have a younger brother who is under the thrall of Otto Hightower/the Hightowers, so her killing him wouldn't have done anything).

The take is generally that younger, smaller dragons are also faster than larger ones (especially over a short distance like the one from Dragonstone to the castle).So I don't believe an experienced rider like Rhaenys would decide she could not run.