The House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere delivered a moment that left viewers around the world in complete shock. Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) kissed his mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) on the lips during the episode, and the internet has not stopped talking about it since.
The scene takes place during a private conversation in the Red Keep. Alicent tries to convince Aemond to leave King’s Landing and head to Harrenhal. She tells him he should have been king instead of his brother Aegon. Without warning, Aemond pulls her close and kisses her directly on the lips. Alicent freezes completely. Her eyes stay wide open in shock. She does not push him away, but she also does not kiss him back. When Aemond pulls back, he acts like nothing unusual happened and leaves her alone.
This moment has sparked intense debate across social media platforms. Many viewers expressed disbelief and discomfort at what they watched.
Why Aemond Kisses His Mother Alicent
The show presents this moment as rooted in deep psychological damage rather than a sudden impulse. Aemond grew up with emotional distance from his mother. Alicent rarely showed physical affection or emotional warmth to her children. This absence, combined with Aemond’s isolation and need for control, has twisted his understanding of love and devotion.
“Aemond has a very skewed perception of what love is, lacking it when he was growing up. And so he doesn’t particularly know how to show it.”
The actor Ewan Mitchell explained that Aemond’s childhood shaped his disturbing behavior. He pointed to a key moment from Season 1 when young Aemond lost his eye and Alicent was the only person who defended him. Mitchell said: “That moment is something he’s certainly never going to forget. He’s bound to her.”
Showrunner Ryan Condal offered more insight into Aemond’s mindset. He explained that while Aemond is not necessarily in love with his mother, he cannot separate his feelings for her from other male feelings he experiences. Mitchell also described Aemond’s thinking in that moment: “In Aemond’s head, it’s like he’s assuming control of the family… I’m the daddy now.”
Olivia Cooke Explains Alicent’s Frozen Reaction
For Alicent, the kiss represents pure terror. She does not respond because she fears what might happen if she rejects him. Aemond has become unstable and dangerous, especially after burning his brother Aegon half to death in Season 2. Alicent knows that one wrong move could cost her life.
“She knows that one wrong facial expression, one perceived rejection, will cost her her life. So she’s trying to tread very, very carefully. But I do think she’s sort of stupefied in that moment.”
Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, called the scene “f—ing weird” and said her character feels “really disturbed” by the kiss. She explained that Alicent likely views the moment as “a bit of a failure on her part” as a mother. Cooke also revealed that there has been an Oedipal undercurrent that Alicent was unaware of until now.
Cooke described filming the scene as “quite odd for both of us.” Mitchell admitted that the scene “kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit.”
Fan Reactions Pour in Across Social Media
The internet erupted immediately after the episode aired. Viewers shared their shock, disgust, and disbelief across platforms. One user wrote: “I had to rewind three times because there’s no way my eyes just witnessed that.” Another commented: “Alicent disgusted face after Aemond kissed her… Yo she is scared asf.”
“This is worse than incest and idk what you call this.”
Some viewers pointed out the power dynamics at play. One person noted: “He’s sick and demented. She’s terrified of him.” Another fan wrote: “That was easily the most uncomfortable kiss I’ve ever seen on TV. There’re other ways to show Aemond is damaged.”
Many fans questioned why the show included this moment. One viewer said: “They’re taking this incest thing to another level. It’s surprising that Game of Thrones shows have received little to no backlash for the level of incest portrayal.”
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How This Scene Changes House of the Dragon
This moment represents a significant departure from George R.R. Martin’s source material Fire & Blood. The kiss between Aemond and Alicent does not appear in the book. It exists only in the television adaptation.
The scene came at a crucial moment for Alicent’s storyline. She had secretly negotiated a deal with Rhaenyra to end the war. Under that arrangement, Alicent would open the city gates and hand over Aegon in exchange for safety for herself and her remaining children. But Aegon has vanished, and Aemond now rules in his place. Alicent’s plan is unraveling, and she is trying to manipulate her dangerous son into leaving King’s Landing. The kiss shows how little control she actually has over him.
The House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere aired on June 21, 2026, on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes release weekly on Sundays through August 9, 2026.
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