Contains spoilers for episode one of House of the Dragon season three
Just when you think you've seen it all in House of The Dragon, a son goes and kisses his mum, and the show once again proves it can still deliver shocking storylines.
The third season of the HBO drama started last night, and one scene of the first episode saw Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) deliver a big kiss on the lips to Alicent (Olivia Cooke) aka his mother before flying off to Harrenhal, and now Mitchell is sharing his thoughts on the controversial moment.
Incest has been part and parcel of the Game of Thrones universe, with the very first episode of the show featuring a heated scene between brother and sister Cersei and Jamie Lannister. However, we've yet to see a lot of mother and son action during both shows.
So why does the kiss, that feels like it seemingly come out of nowhere, happen in the new episode?
Well, Ewan Mitchell explained that while we may have thought it was unexpected, he could see it coming. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actor said: "Aemond's trying to read between the lines, see if there is an ulterior motive there. When I read it in the script for the first time, I just thought, 'Oh, that's something. Quite out there.' I kind of saw it coming with everything that I've explored with Aemond and his relationship with Alicent."
As for why Aemond kisses his mum, Mitchell explains it's coming from a place where the character now sees himself as in charge of the family (after all his grandfather Otto Hightower is missing and his elder brother Aegon has fled).
"It's like, 'I'm the daddy now.' He's the new leader," he told EW. "I think it leaves the question of, 'What is the relationship gonna be with Alicent going forward?'"
Olivia Cooke who plays Alicent, revealed she found the kiss "quite odd" and went onto explain to People, "There has been this Oedipal undercurrent — unbeknownst to Alicent. And I think it's shocking."
She also added in that moment Alicent is aware of the repercussions of the kiss going wrong, and how dangerous Aemond is, explaining: "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."
And we were pretty stupefied watching it. Why do we have a feeling this won't be the last of their Oedipal relationship?
House of the Dragon season three is available on Sky and NOW
