Aemond Crosses a Disturbing Line With Alicent in 'House of the Dragon' Premiere as Ewan Mitchell Breaks Silence

Ewan Mitchell addressed one of the most talked-about moments from the House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere involving Aemond Targaryen and his mother, Alicent Hightower.

What starts as a tense discussion takes a twist when Aemond appears to misinterpret his mother's concern, prompting an unexpected kiss.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mitchell discussed this unpredictable scene, stating, "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."

He added, "Aemond's trying to read between the lines, see if there is an ulterior motive there."

Mitchell elaborated on his character's mindset, stating, "In Aemond's head, it's like he's assuming control of the family. I always think of Ray Winstone from Scums. It's like, 'I'm the daddy now. He's the new leader. I think it leaves the question of, What is the relationship gonna be with Alicent going forward?"

Additionally, the actor revealed that he and Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, carefully worked through different versions of the scene while filming. He says, "Cooke really looked after me in that scene."

He also reflected on how they experimented with different takes while filming, particularly regarding the duration of the kiss and their eye movements. Mitchell explained that several versions of the scene were filmed before the creative team settled on the final edit. Her eyes were watering when open.

Mitchell shared a thought during his interview, citing an African proverb.

"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth."

He continued, "Growing up, [kids] need that unconditional love from people to develop a balanced view of themselves, and Aemond's never really felt like he ever had that love from anyone, really. So he really doesn't know how to express affection.... Maybe there's a bit of Oedipus complex in there, as well."

Showrunner Ryan Condal offered further insight into the reasoning behind the scene, pointing to Aemond's troubled childhood and unresolved trauma.

The showrunner explains, "He's somebody that was traumatized at an early age by his brother by taking him to a brothel long before his brain could probably process what was happening."

Condal further elaborates that, "As these things do, that trauma then manifests a certain way in his behavior as an adult. While I don't think that Aemond is necessarily in love with his mother, I don't think he's able to separate the feelings that he has for her from these other male feelings that he experiences."

Condal also points out that Alicent's upbringing contributes to the dynamics at play. Married young to an older man and heavily influenced by her father, Otto Hightower, Alicent dealt with immense pressures long before she became a mother herself.

In this context, Condal acknowledges that the kiss is perceived as one of the most shocking moments by the audience. He recognizes this and states,

"But it's really meant to demonstrate how, even though this is a character who seems entirely together and sure of himself at all times, this is a traumatized person that doesn't have the well-adjusted underpinnings of a modern character who is raised in a society that understands there are things that you can expose children to and there are things that they should not be exposed to until they're older."