'House Of The Dragon' Just Aired Its Most Disturbing Scene (And That's Saying Something)
Listen, if you're a fan of the GOT Universe, then you already know that incest is par for the course alongside all the political betrayals, thrilling action sequences, and dragon mayhem. Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime Lannister's (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) "twincest" basically kickstarted all the drama in Game of Thrones (2011), all the while tales of the Targaryens' complicated history with inbreeding swirled throughout the series. Now, in House of the Dragon (2022), we get to witness some of it firsthand, with the majority of the Targaryen family sharing DNA, most notably Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and her husband-uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith).
That said, shock and cringe are nothing new to us GOT fans. But, believe it or not, House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 7, just delivered the series' most disturbing scene—and yes, that's saying something. Here's what really happened during Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) sex scene, and the dark insight it gives us into Aemond's mind.
Aemond & Alicent's Bedroom Scene Comes With A Twist
House of the Dragon deliberately leans into shock value in Episode 7. While some likely guessed that Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) was involved, for a moment, Aemond and Alicent's coupling feels like a legitimate encounter. After all, House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6, ended with Alicent on her way to Harrenhal, per Rhaenyra's orders, to trap and kill Aemond. Thus, when Alicent shows up in Aemond's bedroom, it's easy to think, "Oh, she's here!"
Then they kiss—actually, they do a whole lot more than kiss—before Aemond snaps out of his vision and discovers he's fornicating with Alys, not his mom. (Phew!) That's where things get a bit confusing. Is Alys deliberately forcing these visions on Aemond to get what she wants? Or is Harrenhal just working its strange and unusual magic on Aemond? Option C: Maybe a bit of both.
Alys Doesn't Necessarily Want Aemond; She Wants What He Can Give Her
Let's not forget that Aemond is Alys' second attempt at attaching herself to a Targaryen man. The first was Daemon, who spent a good portion of House of the Dragon Season 2 wandering around the halls of Harrenhal in a hallucinogenic stupor of sorts. Her goal in helping Daemon wasn't altruistic, but a means of winning him over to secure Harrenhal for herself. However, when Daemon tells her that Rhaenyra won't allow it, Alys moves on to Aemond once the younger Targaryen shows up at Harrenhal, injured and vulnerable.
While Alys tried to appeal to Daemon's political ambitions and past trauma, which were both "weaknesses," she zeroes in on a different "weakness" with Aemond: his mother. Unlike Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon has slowly made Aemond's mommy issues apparent over the series, with Aemond even kissing Alicent in Season 3's first episode. However, it's this very issue that Alys can use to her advantage. She doesn't necessarily seem to care who Aemond envisions during their bedroom time, as long as he can give her an heir and some power to keep Harrenhal.
As she says after realizing Aemond was imagining an intimate moment with his mother, "You Targaryen men are all the same." Clearly referencing Daemon's bizarre incest dream about his mother in Season 2.
Aemond's Mommy Issues Are Dangerous
From a storytelling perspective, Aemond's mommy issues aren't just creepy; they're tension-inducing. Aemond is a lean, mean, killing machine with Westeros' largest dragon at his beck and call. However, beneath it all, he harbors these taboo feelings for his mother and a blindness to her motives.
When the real Alicent does show up at Harrenhal, Aemond trusts her wholly and wants her to stay at the stronghold. He ignores Alys' concerns about her motives, and his mishap nearly costs him his life. On the other hand, Alicent may have just made a terrifying enemy of her powerful son. The betrayal, complicated by his romantic feelings for his mother, will undoubtedly result in anger, maybe even the desire for revenge. It's possible Alicent still has cards to play, but from her perspective, things aren't looking so great for the queen dowager.
