In the Season 3 premiere of HBO'sHouse of the Dragon, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) kisses his mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), on the lips, sparking widespread reaction online.
TheGame of Thronesfranchise is no stranger to incestuous relationships, with House Targaryen historically practicing incest to keep their bloodline 'pure' and maintain their exclusive ability to bond with and ride dragons.
InHouse of the Dragon, Alicent's children, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban), are married to each other and have children together, while Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) is married to her uncle Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).
The show has previously touched on mother-son incest in one of Daemon's Harrenhal visions in Season 2. Aemond and Alicent's kiss is another moment that sparked strong reactions from viewers, with Olivia Cooke and Ewan Mitchell also weighing in on the shocking scene.
In the first episode of Season 3, Alicent tries to convince Aemond to leave King's Landing and head to Harrenhal. Aemond then unexpectedly leans in and kisses her. Alicent freezes, neither reciprocating nor pushing him away.
Olivia Cooke, who plays the Dowager Queen, said she believes Alicent is 'really disturbed' by the moment, interpreting it as a reflection of her failed parenting. She also noted that because of Aemond's dangerous nature, Alicent can't reject him.
'I mean, she did marry Aegon and Helaena, but I don't know how much sway she had in that really. Viserys was still alive. Obviously, she had to sign off on that, but these are the Targaryen practices. It's f****** weird. I think she is really disturbed by the kiss. I think she probably sees it as a bit of a failure on her part. Again, her maternal instincts are shocking. But it's really scary as well, because Aemond is a very dangerous man, so any perceived rejection is going to get her killed. So it's a very tight rope she must walk now,' Cooke said.
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond Targaryen, said that the scene 'kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit', while also framing it as Aemond's distorted expression of affection.
'It's quite a difficult pill to swallow, isn't it? Kissing your mom on the lips, especially in that way. I mean, Aemond, growing up, he never felt like he was loved enough by his mom and his family around him, and a kid needs that unconditional love to develop a balanced view of themselves. And Aemond, because he never had that, he's got a very skewed perception and a very strange way of showing love. I think what you see in that scene in episode 1 is that skewed love,' Mitchell said.
Online reactions were swift, with many viewers expressing shock and discomfort at the scene. Some fans noted Alicent's visible unease, with one writing that she appeared frightened throughout.
Source: International Business Times UK
