House of the Dragon fans have expressed strong disgust after watching the season 3 premiere, which includes a mother-son kiss between Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and his mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). The scene, described as vomit-inducing by viewers, has been criticized as unnecessary and included purely for shock value.
Battle of the Gullet and a Secret Plot
The episode features the long-anticipated Battle of the Gullet, resulting in the death of Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), Rhaenyra Targaryen's eldest son. Prior to this, Alicent secretly plots to convince Aemond to leave King's Landing, allowing Rhaenyra to reclaim the Iron Throne from her half-brother, Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Clyne), who has fled after sustaining severe injuries.
Alicent uses her influence over Aemond, expressing her fear of losing him and providing the maternal affection he lacked as a child. This leads to Aemond kissing her on the lips in a manner perceived as romantic, drawing immediate backlash.
Fan Reactions and Comparisons
Viewers took to social media to voice their revulsion. X user danyzstarlight remarked, “If I had a nickel for every time [showrunner] Ryan Condal added non-canon mother-son incest to the show, I’d have two nickels. which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.” Another user, zee_xt, wrote, “This scene with Aemond and Alicent is so gross ?,” while nyrasangel added, “There really was no need to have Aemond kiss Alicent in that scene, that was just purely for shock value.”
The kiss echoes a previous controversial moment in season 2, where Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) had a dream sequence involving a sexual encounter with his mother. However, that scene was not real, unlike this one, which actually occurs in the narrative.
Showrunner and Cast Defend the Scene
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained the scene to Entertainment Weekly, stating that Aemond was traumatized at an early age when his brother took him to a brothel. “As these things do, that trauma then manifests a certain way in his behavior as an adult. While I don’t think that Aemond is necessarily in love with his mother, I don’t think he’s able to separate the feelings that he has for her from these other male feelings that he experiences.”
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, interpreted the moment as Aemond “assuming control of the family,” comparing it to the character Ray Winstone from Scum, saying, “I’m the daddy now. He’s the new leader. I think it leaves the question of what is the relationship gonna be with Alicent going forward?”
Olivia Cooke acknowledged the shock value, telling US Magazine, “I think it was quite odd for both of us. There has been this Oedipal undercurrent — unbeknownst to Alicent. And I think it’s shocking.”
Mixed Fan Interpretations
While some fans defended Alicent, noting she has been taken advantage of by men throughout her life, others argued that Aemond was the victim of manipulation. X user dracalyrivers wrote, “I am going to hold your hand while I tell you this: Aemond was Alicent’s victim and not the other way around.”
House of the Dragon season 3 airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW, with new episodes every Monday.
