- During a serious conversation between Alicent Hightower and her son Aemond, the story took an unexpected turn in House of the Dragon.
- As Alicent tried to convince him to leave King’s Landing, Aemond shocked viewers by kissing his mother.
- While the Game of Thrones universe has long been known for controversial family relationships, viewers were still caught off guard by the mother son kis
House of the Dragon is back, and it is not a battle or dragon scene that everyone is talking about. The hit fantasy drama, based on George RR Martin's Fire And Blood, returned with family conflict and a scene that has now become one of the most talked-about moments among fans.
During a serious conversation between Alicent Hightower and her son Aemond, the story took an unexpected turn. As Alicent tried to convince him to leave King's Landing, she said she wished he were her firstborn son so he could become king. Moments later, Aemond shocked viewers by kissing his mother, leaving her uncomfortable and stunned.
While the Game of Thrones universe has long been known for controversial family relationships, viewers were still caught off guard by the mother-son kiss and questioned what it meant for their relationship moving forward.
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
Interestingly, Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, speaking to People, said that the scene between him and Alicent "kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit. Yeah, it's kind of shocking. But then also, I just recognised a tremendous challenge and an opportunity to show Aemond in a new light."
"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, 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."
Olivia Cooke believes the scene shows just how complicated Aemond has become. She said filming the moment felt uncomfortable. Cooke explained that the situation is frightening for Alicent because Aemond is powerful and unpredictable.
In her view, Alicent knows she must be extremely careful about how she reacts. She fears that if she shows anger, disgust or rejection, it could lead to serious consequences.
In the first episode of House of the Dragon Season 3, Rhaenyra Targaryen looks ready to move forward with her plan to reclaim the Iron Throne after reaching an agreement with Alicent Hightower. However, Aemond has become a major obstacle. While Aegon is no longer in the city, Aemond tries to take over power and is treated as the ruling king.
This creates a problem for Alicent. She had expected Aemond to leave King's Landing and join Criston Cole elsewhere. Instead, he has remained in the capital. Realising that events are no longer unfolding as she expected, Alicent understands that time is running short.
While Rhaenyra is preparing to make her move, Alicent must quickly find a way to deal with the threat posed by her own son before the situation goes out of control.
