Keeping it in the family.
Warning: Spoilers ahead! Do not proceed unless you have watched the “House of the Dragon” Season 3 premiere.
In the Season 3 premiere of the prequel series “House of the Dragon,” Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) kisses his mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), on the lips. Yes.
He stood firm, not pushing her. But his eyes are open, and he looks scared.
After stopping, he smiles awkwardly and tensely. Alicent is clearly horrified by her son’s strange behavior, but she also doesn’t want to rock the boat by questioning him, or showing disgust.
Kinship is not new to the Targaryen family – Aemond’s siblings, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban), are married, and have children together.
Aemond’s half-sister, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), on the other hand, is married to his uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith).
The Targaryen family tree is above the circle. However, the majority of kin relationships are between siblings or cousins. Even within this family, what you see as acceptable, is the relationship between parent and child.
Alicent also did not grow up with this family “culture”. She married into House Targaryen.
He pushed his children into it, to conform to Targaryen culture. But, judging by the way she felt when Aemond kissed her, she’s not comfortable taking part in the relatives’ sleep.
Set more than a century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the show follows the civil war between Rhaenyra’s side of the Targaryen family, and Aemond and Alicent’s side, as they vie for the throne.
Rhaenyra’s side is often referred to as “Team Black” while Aemond and Alicent’s side is known as “Team Green.”
Aemond is now in charge of Team Green as the true king, because his badly burned older brother, King Aegon, has escaped. Aemond has always been weird, volatile, and bloodthirsty, which is why he’s a fan favorite. When he’s on screen, drama happens.
Just before Aemond kissed her, Alicent was trying to convince her to leave King’s Landing, and fly her dragon to Harrenhal.
Unbeknownst to Aemond, Alicent secretly made a pact with Rhaenyra to try to end the war. Alicent promised to open the gates for Rhaenyra to come to King’s Landing and take the Iron Chair for herself, without bloodshed.
Alicent promised to hand over Aegon for Rhaenyra to kill. Again and again, Rhaenyra would save Alicent, her daughter and grandchildren.
Aemond and Aegon ruined the plan, as King Aegon was lost and Aemond ruled in his place. Alicent can’t give Aegon to Rhaenyra if he’s MIA. And Aemond will never go along with this plan of cooperation with Rhaenyra.
So, Alicent tries to butter up Aemond and push him to leave King’s Landing, to salvage his plan to import Rhaenyra, and end the war.
As Alicent tells Aemond that he should have been born first, to be king all this time, he lies.
It’s not clear if Aemond kisses his mother out of genuine love – that guy is a nut. Most likely, he did it as a twisted sign of love or as an act of control.
“House of the Dragon” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
