I threw up: Actors Olivia, Ewan react to mother-son kiss from House of The Dragon 3
In House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, Alicent tries to push Aemond towards Harrenhal after meeting Rhaenyra, but he kisses her instead. The moment unsettles the Green camp's power balance as the war for the Iron Throne intensifies.
If there was ever any doubt that House of the Dragon would continue embracing the uncomfortable traditions of House Targaryen, Season 3's premiere put those doubts to rest almost immediately.
The first episode delivered one of the show's most shocking moments when Aemond Targaryen crossed a line that even his mother, Alicent Hightower, never saw coming. In a tense scene loaded with political manoeuvring, Aemond suddenly kissed Alicent - leaving viewers stunned and the actors behind the characters equally horrified.
Speaking to TVLine, Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, revealed that her character was completely blindsided by the moment. "F**k no!" Cooke said when asked whether Alicent was prepared for the kiss.
The scene unfolds after Alicent returns from a secret meeting with Rhaenyra Targaryen. During her absence, Aegon has fled the Red Keep and Aemond has effectively taken control of the Iron Throne. Alicent's carefully negotiated plan with Rhaenyra hinges on Aemond leaving King's Landing, creating a path for a peaceful transfer of power.
Determined to make that happen, Alicent appeals to her son's ego. She reassures him that fear is natural but urges him to fly to Harrenhal and confront Daemon Targaryen. As she praises his courage and attempts to persuade him, Aemond responds in a way she never anticipated.
The kiss is brief, but its implications are enormous.
"I don't know if any mother is expecting their son to have romantic feelings for them. It's so shocking," Cooke said. "Sometimes I am reading these scripts, and I am like, 'What has Ryan and Sara got for me this season?!'"
According to the actor, the moment fundamentally alters Alicent's understanding of her son and the danger he poses. "It's completely out of left field for Alicent, of course, and terrifying - because this man sits on top of the Iron Throne, and she has to tread very carefully from there on out."
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, was equally disturbed by the scene. "I am surprised Alicent didn't throw up in her mouth when it happened," he said with a laugh, adding, "I certainly did when I watched it."
Still, Mitchell believes the moment reveals something important about Aemond's psychology.
The actor pointed to Aemond's lonely childhood and lifelong sense of isolation, dating back to when he was mocked for being the only Targaryen child without a dragon.
"He has a very skewered perception of love, so to speak. He doesn't necessarily know how to show that, or show it to other people, and that's kind of what you see in that moment," Mitchell explained.
"Maybe it is sprinkled in with a bit of the Oedipus complex, and this striving that he has for always finding a maternal figure in his life," he added.
Mitchell also praised his co-star's performance in the scene. "But yeah, I think the way that Liv Cooke played it was just a masterclass... it's an absolute gift to be able to work with Liv Cooke."
Beyond the shock factor, the sequence serves a crucial narrative purpose. The encounter arrives at a pivotal moment in the battle for the Iron Throne, with Alicent attempting to remove Aemond from King's Landing so Rhaenyra can reclaim the capital with minimal bloodshed.
The premiere uses that deeply unsettling interaction to reshape the power dynamics within the Green faction while setting the stage for the larger war ahead. And that war is already underway.
Season 3's opening episode not only delivered one of the franchise's most incestuous family moments but also kicked off the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, signalling that the Dance of the Dragons is entering its most destructive phase yet. (More about that here).
For fans, the premiere packed together political intrigue, shocking character developments and large-scale warfare - a reminder that in Westeros, family drama and civil war often go hand in hand.
House of the Dragon is currently streaming on JioHotstar in India.
If there was ever any doubt that House of the Dragon would continue embracing the uncomfortable traditions of House Targaryen, Season 3's premiere put those doubts to rest almost immediately.
The first episode delivered one of the show's most shocking moments when Aemond Targaryen crossed a line that even his mother, Alicent Hightower, never saw coming. In a tense scene loaded with political manoeuvring, Aemond suddenly kissed Alicent - leaving viewers stunned and the actors behind the characters equally horrified.
Speaking to TVLine, Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, revealed that her character was completely blindsided by the moment. "F**k no!" Cooke said when asked whether Alicent was prepared for the kiss.
The scene unfolds after Alicent returns from a secret meeting with Rhaenyra Targaryen. During her absence, Aegon has fled the Red Keep and Aemond has effectively taken control of the Iron Throne. Alicent's carefully negotiated plan with Rhaenyra hinges on Aemond leaving King's Landing, creating a path for a peaceful transfer of power.
Determined to make that happen, Alicent appeals to her son's ego. She reassures him that fear is natural but urges him to fly to Harrenhal and confront Daemon Targaryen. As she praises his courage and attempts to persuade him, Aemond responds in a way she never anticipated.
The kiss is brief, but its implications are enormous.
"I don't know if any mother is expecting their son to have romantic feelings for them. It's so shocking," Cooke said. "Sometimes I am reading these scripts, and I am like, 'What has Ryan and Sara got for me this season?!'"
According to the actor, the moment fundamentally alters Alicent's understanding of her son and the danger he poses. "It's completely out of left field for Alicent, of course, and terrifying - because this man sits on top of the Iron Throne, and she has to tread very carefully from there on out."
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, was equally disturbed by the scene. "I am surprised Alicent didn't throw up in her mouth when it happened," he said with a laugh, adding, "I certainly did when I watched it."
Still, Mitchell believes the moment reveals something important about Aemond's psychology.
The actor pointed to Aemond's lonely childhood and lifelong sense of isolation, dating back to when he was mocked for being the only Targaryen child without a dragon.
"He has a very skewered perception of love, so to speak. He doesn't necessarily know how to show that, or show it to other people, and that's kind of what you see in that moment," Mitchell explained.
"Maybe it is sprinkled in with a bit of the Oedipus complex, and this striving that he has for always finding a maternal figure in his life," he added.
Mitchell also praised his co-star's performance in the scene. "But yeah, I think the way that Liv Cooke played it was just a masterclass... it's an absolute gift to be able to work with Liv Cooke."
Beyond the shock factor, the sequence serves a crucial narrative purpose. The encounter arrives at a pivotal moment in the battle for the Iron Throne, with Alicent attempting to remove Aemond from King's Landing so Rhaenyra can reclaim the capital with minimal bloodshed.
The premiere uses that deeply unsettling interaction to reshape the power dynamics within the Green faction while setting the stage for the larger war ahead. And that war is already underway.
Season 3's opening episode not only delivered one of the franchise's most incestuous family moments but also kicked off the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, signalling that the Dance of the Dragons is entering its most destructive phase yet. (More about that here).
For fans, the premiere packed together political intrigue, shocking character developments and large-scale warfare - a reminder that in Westeros, family drama and civil war often go hand in hand.
House of the Dragon is currently streaming on JioHotstar in India.
