SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 7 of “House of the Dragon,” now streaming on HBO Max.
Gayle Rankin‘s Alys Rivers has dealt with an Oedipus complex before during her time at Harrenhal, but this week’s “House of the Dragon” marked the first time Alys was directly dragged into the Targaryens’ incestuous scene herself.
At the beginning of Episode 7, Season 3 of “House of the Dragon,” we see Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) has already carried out the mission given to her by Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and arrived at Harrenhal. Sent there in an attempt to lure Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) out so Rhaenyra’s men can finally kill him and properly secure Rhaenyra the Iron Throne, Alicent greets her son with maternal love and praise about his superiority to his siblings, which appears to be a tactic for lulling him into submission. But Alicent’s actions quickly turn much more intimate and soon the mother and son are having sex.
It’s a jarring scene until it’s revealed Aemond has been hallucinating visions of his mother while having sex with his lover, Alys (Rankin), as part of a new plan to breed more Targaryens and build their own dynasty.
Theo Whiteman/HBO
