House of the Dragon viewers feel conflicted over a plot involving two of the series’ main characters.
The seventh episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off aired Sunday (October 2) in the US and saw tensions between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) reach a new high.
*Spoilers to follow – you have been warned*
But it was an incestuous sex scene involving Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) that left many fans of the show uncomfortable.
After berating Daemon for “abandoning” her to marry the now deceased Laena Velaryon, Rhaenyra makes it clear that she has feelings for her uncle and wishes to strengthen her position in Westeros by marrying him. The couple then have sex.
The scene follows on from one in episode four where young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) was intimate with Daemon in a brothel.
Viewers were split over the scene on social media, with many saying they found it “gross,” and many others highlighting the quality of the couple’s scenes together.
“As gross as it is, I love Rhaenyra and Daemon together,” said one viewer, while another added, “Did I really just celebrate incest…?” House of the Dragon is a crazy show.”
One more critical fan commented, “The whole Rhaenyra Daemon thing will never be uncomfortable to watch,” and another added, “I know the Targaryen customs and the fire-and-blood backstory, but this whole Rhaenyra-and -Dameon thing is disgusting. I really can’t take it.”
Many said the scene made them “uncomfortable,” with one fan adding, “Rhaenyra and Daemon had sex and she still calls him uncle it’s so weird.”
Daemon and Rhaenyra’s incestuous sex scene in House of the Dragon
(HBO)
Of the character’s bond, D’Arcy told The Independent, “I think I read the sexual tension [between Rhaenyra and Daemon] quite early. I don’t know much about it, but I do know that something very electrical and erotic can happen between people who share genetic material and didn’t grow up together.”
However, she also described the power imbalance between Rhaenyra and Daemon in previous episodes as “essentially a grooming scenario”.
The latest installment in the series surprised readers of George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood source material after the series altered the book’s most brutal moment.
House of the Dragon continues in the UK on Monday 29 August at 2am on Sky Atlantic before a repeat later that day at 9pm. It can also be viewed NOW.
Find the biggest talking points from episode seven here