House Of The Dragon’s most disturbing moments after producers defended ‘awkward’ incest scene that left actor wanting to ‘throw up in his mouth’

Since landing on the box four years ago, House Of The Dragon has become known for pushing the limits like its prequel, Game of Thrones.

The hit HBO series made a grand return to screens last week after captivating fans with its first two offerings.

The show features major cast members including Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans and Fabien Frankel.

The series first hit screens in 2022 and has returned for an eight-episode third season. Further episodes air weekly on HBO Max until the finale on August 10.

While the show was famed for breaking boundaries with its graphic portrayal of sex scenes, stories of rape and incest, and even gory depictions of child murder, fans have now claimed its ‘disturbing’ storylines have ‘gone too far’.

Meanwhile, one reviewer said a particular scene in the new season ‘sickened her’ and made the whole audience ‘gasp in unison’.

So, just how disturbing is House Of The Dragon? 

The showing of incest 

In the premiere episode of season three, a scene between Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) left fans open-mouthed.

The pair ended up sharing a kiss on the lips after a tense conversation. 

Despite looking freaked out, Alicent gave her son an award-winning smile as she stepped back. 

Following the scene, one fan wrote on X that it was ‘the most disturbing scene in House of the Dragon.’

While another admitted it was ‘very awkward to watch’ and left them ‘speechless.’

Speaking about the storyline, the actors revealed they were just as surprised as viewers by the unexpected romantic twist.

Ewan even admitted the controversial twist ‘kind of makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit’.

He told People: ‘I just recognised a tremendous challenge and an opportunity to show Aemond in a new light.

‘It’s quite a difficult pill to swallow, isn’t it? Kissing your mom on the lips, especially in that way.

‘I mean, Aemond, growing up, he never felt like he was loved enough by his mom and his family around him, and a kid needs that unconditional love to develop a balanced view of themselves.’

Despite the backlash, showrunner Ryan Condal defended the moment, insisting it was never meant to be read as romantic affection.

‘He’s somebody that was traumatised at an early age by his brother by taking him to a brothel long before his brain could probably process what was happening,’ He explained.

He added that this early trauma ‘manifests a certain way in his behaviour as an adult,’ and that while Aemond is not in love with his mother.

Instead, he is ‘not able to separate the feelings that he has for her from these other male feelings that he experiences.’

Fans of the series will know that the theme of incest is nothing new in House of the Dragon.

King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is married to his sister Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), while Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) is also wed to her uncle Daemon (Matt Smith).

Lord Corlys tries to marry off his 12-year-old daughter

Following the death of Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke), the realm was in search of an heir, and the King needed a new wife.

Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) – one of the wealthiest men in Westeros – seized the opportunity to propose a marriage between King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and his 12-year-old daughter, Lady Laena (Nova Foueillis-Mosé)

Despite strong backing from the Small Council due to the immense political and military advantages, Viserys ultimately rejected the proposal. 

The King was uncomfortable with Laena’s young age and opted to marry Lady Alicent Hightower instead (played by Emily Carey in season one).

Violent child births 

Since the show aired, there have been many scenes of violent childbirth.

The premiere episode of the show began with Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) going through an agonizing child birth. 

In that debut story, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) eventually made the difficult decision of choosing a procedure that could have saved the life of his unborn son while sacrificing his wife. 

Ultimately, he lost the lives of both, though not before Queen Aemma was seen suffering through labour in multiple scenes. 

Episode six opened with a large time jump and the first of two birth scenes. 

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy)—Viserys’ daughter and heir to his throne after the infant’s death—was the one giving birth this time for what turned out to be her third child.

She managed to deliver the baby, but not without much suffering first.

Rhaenyra’s agony didn’t end with the birth, however, as Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke)—her father’s second wife and her former friend—demanded to see the baby immediately upon delivery. 

The queen’s order resulted in Rhaenyra struggling through the halls and stairs of the kingdom, leaving a bloody trail behind her.  

Gory depictions of child murder

In season two, there is a brutal beheading of six-year-old Prince Jaehaerys Taragaryen during the Blood and Cheese’s attack on the royal family.

The hit was orchestrated by Daemon Targaryen as revenge for the death of Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys. 

The assassins originally intended to kill Aemond, but found Helaena and the children instead

 He was beheaded in his bed by two hired assassins—a disgraced City Watchman nicknamed ‘Blood’ and a royal ratcatcher named ‘Cheese’

Prince Lucerys “Luke” Velaryon: Rhaenyra’s young son, who was killed in the Season 1 finale when he and his dragon were attacked in the sky by Aemond Targaryen.

Prince Baelon Targaryen: King Viserys and Queen Aemma’s son, who died shortly after being delivered via a forced cesarean section in the series premiere.

Bloody violence

Throughout the show, there are frequent moments of bloody violence, including scenes in which men’s heads are caved or bashed in, or a sight of limbs being severed.

One particular stand-out moment was in season one, after Aemma gave birth, Daemon and Criston engaged in a bloodthirsty jousting competition.

It was so violent that a kid watching the tournament became sick to his stomach, which Deadline called ‘the most relatable moment of the episode.’

A reviewer for the New York Times admitted they had to close their eyes during the scene, writing that it ‘threw him back in his seat.’

Others expressed their dismay over the violence on Twitter, with one person writing, ‘You know it’s a good episode when you have to look away cause it’s too violent.’

‘This show about to make me throw up,’ said someone else after watching the first episode.

After participating in the gruesome, hand-to-hand battle – which saw a slew of blood, gore, and carnage – Criston eventually beat Daemon, which actor Frankel said he ‘felt pretty good about.’

‘I think [Criston] feels pretty good about it. I felt pretty good about it, beating Matt Smith up. I felt good about it,’ he told Digital Spy.

Prince Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton) lost an eye in episode 7.

His confrontation with Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) sons, Jacaerys (Leo Hart) and Lucerys Velaryon (Harvey Sadler), as well as Laena’s twin daughters, Baela (Shani Smethurst) and Rhaena (va Ossei-Gerning) Targaryen, quickly turned violent. 

Aemond escalated matters when he accused Jace and Luke of being bastards. 

The four cousins fought with Aemond until Lucerys slashed the blond prince’s eye.

Explicit sex scenes 

Throughout the three seasons, there is, of course, a lot of nudity – which Game Of Thrones was known for including.

In season one, there was a sex scene between Daemon and his mistress Mysaria, a prostitute who migrated to the Seven Kingdoms from the Free Cities, where she was a former slave.

The scene, which showed Daemon struggling to get an erection, left many viewers feeling awkward and uncomfortable – especially because the actor, Matt Smith, previously admitted that he was not in favour of it.

‘You do find yourself asking, “Do we need another sex scene?” And they’re like, “Yeah, we do,”‘ he told Rolling Stone UK.

‘I guess you have to ask yourself: “What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time [we’re living in]?” And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written.’

When asked if he felt like the show contained too many sex scenes he added, ‘Yeah, slightly too much, if you ask me.’

‘There was no shortage of sex scenes and nudity,’ one Twitter user wrote while discussing the first episode. Another said, ’15 minutes in and there’s a sex scene full of exposition? Game of Thrones is back baby.’