In the Season 3 premiere of HBO's House of the Dragon, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) kisses his mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), on the lips, sparking widespread reaction online.
The Game of Thrones franchise is no stranger to incestuous relationships, with House Targaryen historically practicing incest to keep their bloodline 'pure' and maintain their exclusive ability to bond with and ride dragons.
In House of the Dragon, Alicent's children, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban), are married to each other and have children together, while Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) is married to her uncle Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).
The show has previously touched on mother-son incest in one of Daemon's Harrenhal visions in Season 2. Aemond and Alicent's kiss is another moment that sparked strong reactions from viewers, with Olivia Cooke and Ewan Mitchell also weighing in on the shocking scene.
Olivia Cooke Says Alicent Was 'Deeply Disturbed' by the Kiss
In the first episode of Season 3, Alicent tries to convince Aemond to leave King's Landing and head to Harrenhal. Aemond then unexpectedly leans in and kisses her. Alicent freezes, neither reciprocating nor pushing him away.
Olivia Cooke, who plays the Dowager Queen, said she believes Alicent is 'really disturbed' by the moment, interpreting it as a reflection of her failed parenting. She also noted that because of Aemond's dangerous nature, Alicent can't reject him.
'I mean, she did marry Aegon and Helaena, but I don't know how much sway she had in that really. Viserys was still alive. Obviously, she had to sign off on that, but these are the Targaryen practices. It's f****** weird. I think she is really disturbed by the kiss. I think she probably sees it as a bit of a failure on her part. Again, her maternal instincts are shocking. But it's really scary as well, because Aemond is a very dangerous man, so any perceived rejection is going to get her killed. So it's a very tight rope she must walk now,' Cooke said.
Ewan Mitchell Calls the Scene a 'Difficult Pill to Swallow'
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond Targaryen, said that the scene 'kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit', while also framing it as Aemond's distorted expression of affection.
'It's quite a difficult pill to swallow, isn't it? Kissing your mom on the lips, especially in that way. I mean, Aemond, growing up, he never felt like he was loved enough by his mom and his family around him, and a kid needs that unconditional love to develop a balanced view of themselves. And Aemond, because he never had that, he's got a very skewed perception and a very strange way of showing love. I think what you see in that scene in episode 1 is that skewed love,' Mitchell said.
Fans React to Aemond and Alicent's Kiss
Online reactions were swift, with many viewers expressing shock and discomfort at the scene. Some fans noted Alicent's visible unease, with one writing that she appeared frightened throughout.
Alicent disgusted face after Aemond kissed her 😭🙏 Yo she is scared asf pic.twitter.com/gkIAgIiRsS
— H’s 💭 HOTD S3 SPOILER (@itshelenwhat) June 22, 2026
aemond kissing his own mother just continues to show how psychotic he is ... alicent looks frighted through it all#HouseOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/AJyMeXCTaK
— lovelysapphic (@alovelysapphic) June 22, 2026
Others questioned the direction of the storyline, calling the moment unnecessary. Some viewers said the scene added to the show's unpredictability and left them curious about where the story would go next.
AEMOND JUST KISSED HIS MOM ALICENT?!
— sanmeyo (@oyemnassxo) June 22, 2026
I had to rewind three times because there’s no way my eyes just witnessed that. House of the Dragon keeps finding new ways to leave me absolutely speechless.#HouseoftheDragon #HOTD pic.twitter.com/iNzMS3suj6
Aside from Jacaerys' (Harry Collett) death in the premiere, Aemond and Alicent's kiss has become one of the most discussed moments of the episode.
New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 are released weekly on Sundays (Mondays in the UK), leading up to the finale on 9 August 2026.
