A really uncomfortable moment unfolded during the season three premiere of House of the Dragon, which aired on Sunday (June 21) on HBO Max.
Fans have been waiting a while to see the Battle of the Gullet episode, but a moment that happened before the spectacle has grabbed attention.
Aemond kisses his mother Alicent in an uncomfortable moment
While in a tense moment together, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and his mother Alicent (Olivia Cooke) are standing close together.
In a shocking display, he then leans in and kisses her. She clearly is taken aback, and while she does not stop the kiss, she does not seem into it at all.
To keep the peace, she does not say anything to her son afterwards, but the audience certainly did not love that moment!
The showrunner explained the root of that moment
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained that it goes back to season one.
“He’s somebody that was traumatized at an early age by his brother by taking him to a brothel long before his brain could probably process what was happening. 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,” he told EW.
“…it’s really meant to demonstrate how, even though this is a character who seems entirely together and sure of himself at all times, this is a traumatized person that doesn’t have the well-adjusted underpinnings of a modern character who is raised in a society that understands there are things that you can expose children to and there are things that they should not be exposed to until they’re older,” Ryan added.
Ewan Mitchell also reacted to the shocking kiss
He explained, “Growing up, [kids] need that unconditional love from people to develop a balanced view of themselves. And Aemond’s never really felt like he ever had that love from anyone, really. So he really doesn’t know how to express affection…. Maybe there’s a bit of Oedipus complex in there, as well.”
About the kiss, he added, “Aemond’s trying to read between the lines, see if there is an ulterior motive there. When I read it in the script for the first time, I just thought, ‘Oh, that’s something. Quite out there.’ I kind of saw it coming with everything that I’ve explored with Aemond and his relationship with Alicent.”
“In Aemond’s head, it’s like he’s assuming control of the family. I always think of Ray Winstone from Scum. It’s like, ‘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?” he added.
Incest is common in the Game of Thrones universe
If you aren’t up on your GoT lore, incestual moments are not exactly a surprise.
Aemond’s siblings, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban), are actually married with kids.
And their half-sister, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), is married to her uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith).
Which characters were killed off in the House of the Dragon season 3 premiere?
There were a few characters who died in the premiere episode, during the Battle of the Gullet. Read the spoilers here.
Posted To:Ewan Mitchell House of the Dragon Olivia Cooke