It's been two years since the Dance of the Dragons tore Westeros apart, and House of the Dragon Season 3 wastes no time in escalating the tension. As Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) plots a relatively bloodless takeover of King's Landing, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) returns from their secret meeting at Dragonstone to find that Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) has fled, leaving Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) in control of the Iron Throne. Determined not to let her plans with Rhaenyra unravel, Alicent tries to manipulate Aemond into leaving the capital by suggesting he seize Harrenhal. But the conversation takes a deeply unsettling turn when Aemond kisses his mother—a moment that leaves both characters and viewers reeling.
Why Does Aemond Kiss Alicent?
In an exclusive interview with Collider, Mitchell and Cooke shed light on the motivations behind the shocking kiss. Mitchell explains that Aemond sees himself as the new patriarch of Team Green, with a warped sense of what that means. "For Aemond, it's like he's very much assumed his dominance as the king of Team Green, and he wants to act accordingly. Alicent, maybe, is his queen, in a weird kind of way, in his mind," Mitchell says. "He wants to assume a kind of leadership role of this family, and really take them all under his wing. He's now the father figure. He's the daddy, he's the daddy now." The actor adds that Aemond's skewed perception of love stems from a childhood devoid of affection, making the kiss "probably a little too far."
Alicent's Heartbreaking Reaction
Cooke describes Alicent's response as a mix of shock, danger, and maternal guilt. "Alicent is... her reaction sort of lies where the audience's reaction is, except that she's got to stay as neutral as possible because this is a very dangerous, powerful man," she says. "I think that somewhere, unconsciously, there's like, 'OK, you know, another fail as a mother, because now my son wants to fuck me,' but it's shocking, and it's really dangerous—and it's also, I think, really heartbreaking for Alicent that this man who was once her little boy has turned into this very confused, very dangerous person."
The scene underscores the tragic consequences of Alicent's parenting and the toxic environment of the Targaryen court. As Aemond sets his sights on Harrenhal, both as a political move and a personal power play, the kiss may have ripple effects throughout the season. Meanwhile, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) is convincing Rhaenyra's dragonseeds to abandon the Isle of Faces, setting the stage for a potential meeting between the Kinslayer and the mysterious witch.
For more on the Targaryen dynasty's darkest moments, check out our ranking of every Targaryen death in House of the Dragon. And if you're craving more dragon action, you can command dragons in the new mobile game Game of Thrones: Dragonfire.
New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
