'House of the Dragon' has its weirdest incest moment yet

In the Season 3 premiere of "House of the Dragon," Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) kisses his mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), on the lips. She stands there stiffly, not pushing him away; her eyes are open and she looks freaked out. After he stops, she offers an awkward, tense smile, making clear she is horrified but reluctant to confront him.

The Targaryen family has long accepted incest of siblings and cousins: Aegon (Tom Glynn‑Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban) are married and have children, and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is married to her uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith). Even so, parent‑child relations remain taboo.

Alicent, who married into House Targaryen and pushed her children toward its customs, appears uncomfortable participating herself. Just before the kiss, Alicent had been trying to persuade Aemond to leave King’s Landing and fly his dragon to Harrenhal.

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