Only Sigmund Freud could’ve seen this coming.
Fans of “House of the Dragon” are expressing their disgust after the show aired a scene featuring incest on Sunday. Although “Game of Thrones” and its prequel “HOTD” have always featured family members doing the deed, some viewers say that the most recent instance in Season 2, Episode 5 really went over the line.
I think they finally went too far 😭
— itsme___tina (@dancezwitwolves) July 15, 2024
During Sunday’s episode, titled “Regent,” Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) is continuing his stay at the haunted castle, Harrenhal. Since Daemon “seized” the castle two episodes prior, he’s been plagued by weird nightmares that have made him question his waking reality. The dreams seem to be spurred, or likely completely controlled, by Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), a mysterious woman who works in the castle whom Daemon has outright called a “witch” but is also intrigued by.
Rhaenyra: “we need to kill Aegon”
Aegon: “we need to kill Rhaenyra”
Daemon at Harrenhal:#hotd#HouseOfTheDragonpic.twitter.com/T8QmmuPWPc— Zac (@Zac_Coffey1) July 8, 2024
In the episode, Daemon has a trippy sex dream in which he performs cunnilingus on an unknown woman with long silver hair (Emeline Lambert). Throughout the scene, the woman fans Daemon’s ego by telling him how he should have been king rather than his older brother, King Viserys (Paddy Considine).
Since the woman was unfamiliar to the audience but had silver hair like Daemon, many viewers assumed she was also a Targaryen. And considering how much she compared Daemon to Viserys, some people guessed that she was Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke), Viserys’ wife, who died during childbirth in the pilot episode of “HOTD.”
But when the woman uttered the following line, most people immediately understood who she was:
“If only you were born first …my favorite son.”
That’s right: The woman Daemon was having passionate sex with was his mom, Queen Alyssa, who died when Daemon was a toddler.
People were pretty repulsed by this development.
Me after watching that Daemon scene 👀 #HouseOfTheDragon#HOTDpic.twitter.com/MNoycFin43
— AARON AGABA M (@ama_4820) July 15, 2024
Wtf Daemon and his mom!!! This Harrenhal arc must end! #HouseOfTheDragonpic.twitter.com/xvvlyAt0x0
— Jon Snow (@LordSnow) July 15, 2024
Me when I realized who daemon was in bed with #HouseOfTheDragon#HOTD#DragonsYall#DemDragonspic.twitter.com/PfBvNdiG4w
— itsme___tina (@dancezwitwolves) July 15, 2024
WATCHING THAT SCENE WITH MY PARENTS IS MY LAST STRAW
BYE IM DONE😭😭😭😭— 𝐥𝔬ş𝓣мчϻ𝐀ⓘη (@umbrellastickm) July 15, 2024
Worst decision. They went too far, it’s gonna cost them.
— FilmThoughts (@hisfilmthoughts) July 15, 2024
“my favorite son”
everyone watching: #HOTD#HouseOfTheDragonpic.twitter.com/ZBh8SeQcvP
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) July 15, 2024
NOT ONLY IS DAEMON A GHOSTFUCKER HES A MOTHERFUCKER??? QUITE LITERALLY? TURN THIS GODDAMN SHIT OFF CAUSE YEEOOOOOOOOOOOO #HouseOfTheDragon#HOTD#DemDragonspic.twitter.com/maxBgNLLoN
— depression (@raccoonmum) July 15, 2024
I thought it was Aemma at first and was like “oh yeah thats a cool idea it adds to the complexity of his relationship with Viserys and his feeling of inferiority” and then it was NOT Aemma
— Just Mike (Ike and I had a falling out) (@MikeUsesBirdApp) July 15, 2024
Wait you mean to tell me he was- wait wait I thought that was Aemma pic.twitter.com/Vjap9jrRlI
— Cherry Harlo🍒 (@nymphoharlo) July 15, 2024
GET BEHIND ME MISS ALYSSA TARGARYEN!!!! 😭 pic.twitter.com/8ZqLGA70ZJ
— kitty 🍇 (@coeursye) July 15, 2024
The writers are so fucking twisted for this. Cersei and Jaime, ok, Dany and Jon ok, I even swallowed Daemon and Rhaenyra but Daemon and his mom?? This is where I draw the line
— Sarina (@sarinazaman22) July 15, 2024
Ya I need him to get out of there before he starts having intimate dreams about his brother next.
— Cozy_gunslinger (@CozyGunslinger) July 15, 2024
But considering that Daemon groomed and then later married his niece, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) — and that his “dream” was likely created by the “witch” Alys Rivers and wasn’t a reflection of his true desire to pull an Oedipus — other fans defended the scene.
He wrote a dream sequence. I’m not sure I understand the outrage here.
— Mangum Talks (@MangumTalks) July 15, 2024
this is like the least fucked up thing daemon has ever done
— -Dylan (@dreadonfilm) July 15, 2024
Why are we acting like the very first episode of GoT literally had Jamie and Cersei Biological Twins fucking like this is nothing new to the series
— nick (@southernlib24) July 15, 2024
Love that we drawl the line at brother/sister and niece/uncle
— Chugs (@ChugDeezNutz) July 15, 2024
It’s A DREAM. DONE BY THE WITCH 🪄🪄..
— Pikachu (@AssamesePikachu) July 15, 2024
Incest is okay until it isn’t, I guess. And its so clear the dream is brought to him by Alys. He doesn’t remember his mother. He doesn’t remember what she looks like. This isn’t his subconscious conjouring her up
— dewiacjonalia (@piotrowski_mi) July 15, 2024
He NEVER met his mother. He didn’t realize who she was until the very last revelation. Then, he was in shock.
— MarRoja🌹😺🇪🇸🇺🇸 (@marpalosg) July 15, 2024
How is him fake having sex with his mother in a nightmare worse than grooming and eventually marrying his niece?
— Kazuma Kiryu stan account (@xweaver1) July 15, 2024
Hey, honestly, considering the oodles of disturbing scenes that have been featured in both “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragons” — and the franchise’s lore states that the Targaryens once mated with dragons — we’re just happy that Alys Rivers didn’t conjure a dream for Daemon where he was doing it with the severed head of Meleys. OK?!
