‘House of the Dragon’ star calls controversial mother-son kiss 'shocking' and 'difficult to swallow'

The cast of House of the Dragon has addressed a controversial moment in the season 3 premiere that left viewers stunned and sparked widespread discussion.

In the latest episode of the HBO fantasy series, which aired on Sunday, June 21, Aemond Targaryen, played by Ewan Mitchell, shares a surprising and unsettling kiss with his mother, Alicent Hightower, portrayed by Olivia Cooke.

The scene comes amid growing turmoil in King’s Landing following the disappearance of Aegon, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, as the royal family is thrown into chaos.

Speaking about the moment, Mitchell described the scene as deeply uncomfortable, even joking that it “kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit,” while acknowledging the creative challenge it presented.

“Yeah, it’s kind of shocking,” he said, adding that it offered an opportunity to explore a more complex side of his character.

Mitchell explained that Aemond’s actions stem from a distorted understanding of love shaped by his upbringing and strained family relationships.

“A kid needs that unconditional love to develop a balanced view of themselves,” he said. “Aemond, because he never had that, has a very skewed perception and a very strange way of showing love.”

He added that the moment reflects what he called Aemond’s “skewed love,” rooted in emotional damage and long-standing resentment.

Despite the intensity of the scene, Mitchell praised working with Cooke, calling her performance “a masterclass” and noting the professionalism she brought to filming the difficult moment.

From Alicent’s perspective, Cooke said the scene was equally unsettling, describing Aemond as “f**ked” and acknowledging how uncomfortable it was to portray the dynamic.

She also suggested that there is an underlying psychological tension between the characters, noting what she described as an “Oedipal undercurrent” that Alicent is not fully aware of.

Cooke added that the scene was particularly tense because her character is aware of how dangerous Aemond has become, forcing Alicent to carefully manage her reactions.

“She knows that one wrong facial expression… will cost her her life,” she said.

Mitchell further explained that Aemond’s loyalty to his mother remains central to his character, referencing earlier events in the series that shaped their fractured bond.

He pointed to a childhood incident in which Alicent was the only person who defended him, suggesting that moment left a lasting emotional imprint that continues to drive his actions.