Do Alicent And Aemond Kiss In 'Fire & Blood'? 'HOTD's Cringest Scene, Explained
House of the Dragon (2022) Season 3 kicked off with the Battle of the Gullet. The fiery naval battle resulted in massive casualties, including the death of Prince Jacaerys (Harry Collett), the heir of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), and his dragon, Vermax. In the midst of all that, another quieter moment stole fans' attention, and jaws tumbled to the ground.
While Alicent (Olivia Cooke) desperately pleads with her son, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), to leave for Harrenhal, he kisses her on the mouth. The kiss isn't overly passionate, but it's certainly not the type of liplock anyone should be giving their mother, either. It's weird. It's uncomfortable, and yet, it's perfectly dark in a show like House of the Dragon. After all, in George R. R. Martin's fantastical universe, incest among the ruling families is more than commonplace.
Still, there's something extra taboo about a mother and son kissing, which begs the question of whether Martin included this scene in the source material or if the House of the Dragon writers took some creative liberties.
Alicent And Aemond's Kiss Is A Change From The Book
Do Alicent and Aemond share the disturbing kiss in the book? The easy answer is no. Martin's Fire & Blood, the novel House of the Dragon pulls from, has no such interaction.
In House of the Dragon, it's clear Alicent doesn't approve of the creepy move (the woman looks absolutely horrified). However, she is fearful of pulling away or reprimanding Aemond. At that moment, her sole goal is to ensure Aemond leaves for Harrenhal with Vhagar, which will leave King's Landing largely unprotected and ready for Rhaenyra to reclaim the throne—per the deal Alicent and Rhaenyra struck in Season 2. In exchange, Rhaenyra promises to let Alicent, Helaena (Phia Saban), and Jaehaera leave the city unharmed
Therefore, when Aemond kisses Alicent, she reluctantly decides to let it happen. If she had protested, Aemond could've decided to stay in King's Landing and forsake the Harrenhal mission altogether, which was his initial plan. Thus, the uncomfortable kiss becomes Alicent's only inkling of control in a situation in which she has very little. After, she carries on like nothing happened.
(There's also a touch of irony, considering Olivia Cooke also appeared in Bates Motel, a series that very much focuses on a twisted Oedipal relationship between a mother and son.)
Aemond Has Major Mommy Issues
Given that the kiss doesn't exist in Martin's Fire & Blood, it naturally drew some controversy. Needed? Unneeded? Well, it depends on how you look at it. Obviously, watching any type of non-consensual sexual advancement is triggering. Yet, when we consider the version of Aemond that House of the Dragon has given us, it's also not surprising.
Aemond's mommy issues have been a continuous plot point throughout the series. Season 2, in particular, teased his Oedipal feelings for Alicent with the introduction of Sylvie (Michelle Bonnard). As an older woman, Aemond sought maternal nurturing from the sex worker/brothel owner, rather than any type of romantic relationship. When he was with Slyvie, Aemond was vulnerable, something he seemed never to have had with his mother, partially because she had always been preoccupied with her royal duties and other children.
That's the second piece of this Oedipal puzzle. With Aemond second in line for the crown, most of Alicent's attention went to Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), the child she claimed Viserys (Paddy Considine) named his true heir. Similar to the jealousy-fueled division and love/hate relationship between Viserys and Daemon (Matt Smith), Aemond and Aegon navigate a similar dynamix, with Aemond's resentment about Aegon's power fueling his attempted murder during the Battle of Rook's Rest in Season 2.
Not to mention that Alicent appears much more invested in the futures of her female family members, like Helaena and Jaehaera, than she does in Aemond. At this point, she seems to deem him a lost cause, corrupted by power. Thus, she is willing to sacrifice him to save what's left of her family.
This Isn't The First Time 'HOTD' Gave Us A Scene Like This
In Season 2, we got another bizarre scene where—in one of his Harrenhal dreams—Daemon kissed his mother. Like Aemond and Alicent's kiss, this dream-kiss never happens in Fire & Blood. So, why all the extra mother-son kissing? It seems House of the Dragon wants to embrace shock.
While Daemon's dream feels wholly unnecessary, at least in my opinion, Aemond and Alicent's kiss works because it builds out his character. With Aegon on the run, Aemond has all the power as the Prince Regent, and he uses it to take advantage of his own mother. If anything, the scene emphasizes Aemond's questionable morals and how a leader like him cares more about wielding power than actually leading and protecting people. A few therapy sessions are needed, too.
