HOTDs Shocking Aemond & Alicent Scene Leaves Fans Speechless, Olivia Cooke Explains

House of the Dragon Season 3 just delivered one of its most jaw-dropping moments between two characters no one expected. Olivia Cooke breaks down the shocking scene and reveals what it means for her character going forward.

Olivia Cooke on House of the Dragon’s shocking Aemond and Alicent scene

Olivia Cooke addressed Aemond kissing Alicent in House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 1 in an interview with ScreenRant. The actor called the incestuous kiss “f—ing weird” and said Alicent feels “really disturbed” by it. Cooke also revealed that Alicent likely views the moment as “a bit of a failure on her part.”

Additionally, Cooke highlighted the danger Alicent now faces from her own son. She explained, “Aemond is a very dangerous man, so any perceived rejection is going to get her killed.” Cooke added that Alicent must now walk “a very tight rope” around him moving forward.

Fans react to Aemond and Alicent’s kiss

Viewers flooded social media with shocked reactions after watching the scene air. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “I had to rewind three times because there’s no way my eyes just witnessed that.” Another user simply posted, “ALICENT AND AEMOND KISSED IN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON WTF???”

Other fans focused on Alicent’s visible discomfort during the moment. One user noted, “Alicent disgusted face after Aemond kissed her… Yo she is scared asf.” Another user shared Cooke’s full quote about the scene’s disturbing nature. The post garnered nearly 50,000 views within hours of going live.

The scene marks a significant departure from George R.R. Martin’s source material, Fire & Blood. House of the Dragon has previously hinted at Aemond’s Oedipal tendencies across its first two seasons. However, the Season 3 premiere takes the dynamic further than the show has ever before.

New episodes air weekly on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.