House of the Dragon boss defends 'most disturbing' incest scene in Season 3's first episode

House of the Dragon fans were left stunned after a scene between Prince Aemond Targaryen and his mother, Dowager-Queen Alicent Hightower, aired during the Season 3 premiere.

The Game of Thrones prequel, which first hit screens in 2022, returned to HBO on Sunday night after a two-year wait, picking up amid the chaos of the Battle of the Gullet.

But it wasn't the war that had viewers talking. A tense, closed-door conversation between Aemond, played by Ewan Mitchell, and Alicent, played by Olivia Cooke, ended with the pair sharing a kiss on the lips, leaving Alicent visibly shaken but not pulling away.

Reaction online was instant and brutal. One fan wrote on X that it was "the most disturbing scene in House of the Dragon," while another admitted it was 'very awkward to watch' and left them 'speechless.'

A kiss between Aemond, played by Ewan Mitchell, and Alicent, played by Olivia Cooke has caused a lot of controversy online (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

What did Ryan Condal say about House of the Dragon's incest?

Despite the backlash, showrunner Ryan Condal has defended the moment, insisting it was never meant to be read as romantic affection but as a window into Aemond's damaged psychology.

"He's somebody that was traumatized at an early age by his brother by taking him to a brothel long before his brain could probably process what was happening," Condal explained.

He added that this early trauma "manifests a certain way in his behavior as an adult," and that while Aemond is not in love with his mother, he is "not able to separate the feelings that he has for her from these other male feelings that he experiences."

Condal also pointed to Alicent's own troubled upbringing as part of the wider picture, noting she was "groomed by your father and married off to a much older man at such an early age."

Mitchell echoed his showrunner's reasoning, explaining that in Aemond's mind, the kiss is less about romance and more about power.

"In Aemond's head, it's like he's assuming control of the family," the actor said, comparing his character to Ray Winstone's role in the 1979 film Scum. "He's the new leader."

Ewan Mitchell plays Prince Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 (Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for HBO Max UK)

Aemond's childhood scars run deep, says cast

Mitchell pointed to a string of formative experiences that shaped his character, from being bullied as a boy for not owning a dragon, to losing an eye in pursuit of one, to his unresolved history with a Flea Bottom brothel madame introduced in Season 2.

The actor said Aemond's inability to express affection stems from never feeling loved as a child, quoting the proverb, "the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth."

Cooke, he added, "really looked after me" while filming the scene, with the pair testing several variations before settling on the final cut.

House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO.