Two episodes into House of the Dragon Season 3, a shocking Aemond and Alicent kiss collides with Harrenhal’s looming gothic pull—setting up a romance that feels as doomed as it does inevitable. Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra and Matt Smith’s Daemon push deeper into Ki
For the second time this season, House of the Dragon turns a personal moment into a weapon—and by Episode 2, the weapon already has blood on the floor.
Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) have descended on King’s Landing with the Iron Throne in their sights. But their push is slowed by a stubborn reality: Alicent (Olivia Cooke) has already redirected Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) toward Harrenhal. And when the Kinslayer’s arrival at Westeros’ largest castle finally lands. it does it in the most brutal way possible—he bleeds out on the floor at the feet of a silent Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin).
The show is only two episodes into Season 3. yet it’s already acting like the chessboard is in its final phase. Ahead of the Season 3 premiere. Collider spoke with several cast members. including Mitchell and Rankin. about what’s been unfolding across the first two episodes—right down to the kiss that sent shockwaves through the fandom.
Mitchell was asked directly about the kiss between Aemond and Alicent, which drops early and decisively. He described it as layered with control and misread devotion—Aemond. especially in Episode 1. assumes his dominance as the king on Team Green. Alicent, in his mind, becomes something like a queen. The leadership urge isn’t romantic in the way others might recognize; Mitchell frames it as Aemond trying to “take them all under his wing. ” positioning himself as the father figure—“the daddy now”—and showing affection the only way he understands how.
He also didn’t shy away from the moral temperature of it. “I definitely think that kiss was probably a little too far,” he said.
Rankin, meanwhile, focused on what’s happening in Alys Rivers’ orbit—particularly her conversation with Daemon about Harrenhal. Rankin connected Alys to Daemon through their Season 2 history. describing a relationship built on trust and familiarity: “This is my friend. This is my friend, and I trust him.” Even if it sounds “crazy,” Rankin said that’s how Alys feels.
Then she gave the moment a different name—emotionally, even if not literally. Looking back at the scene while working on it. Rankin felt it like “a breakup.” In her view. Daemon disappoints her so badly that Alys’ faith cracks in real time. She believes she thought she could trust him. that he saw her—saw what she needed and who she was—and she believed he’d understand why she deserves stewardship of Harrenhal. Rankin described the collision as Alys realizing, with quiet finality, “Okay, I see you.”.
That emotional turn matters because it reframes what Alys is trying to do with Harrenhal. Rankin talked about Alys putting herself forward to take control of the castle and going to Daemon specifically for that conversation about her legitimacy at this point—especially as war approaches and Harrenhal becomes “so pivotal. ” and “pivotal to him.”.
The show also teases that Alys’ plans may not be random improvisation. When asked whether she has somehow seen Aemond coming—enough to insert herself and manipulate the dragonseeds—Rankin didn’t take it as straight prophecy. but she did take it as conviction. She said Alys likely imagines a Targaryen. a blonde. long-haired man on his way. and whether she guesses wrong about who that person is (“maybe she thought it was Daemon. and nope”). the bigger idea holds: someone is coming. Rankin emphasized Alys’ wisdom—she doesn’t always have the exact details. but she knows she needs to make way for what’s arriving.
And when that arrival finally happens, it doesn’t arrive gently.
Mitchell and Rankin both described the first meeting between Aemond and Alys as unforgettable, but for the most complicated reasons. Mitchell called it “not a great one. ” noting the grim entrance: Aemond killing everyone in the room. killing Simon Strong in front of Alys. and then meeting for the first time. He joked about the idea of love at first sight only to underline the darkness underneath it.
Rankin added that there’s “something like a sick meet-cute about it.” She described it as the darkest. romantic. and complex kind of connection—because Aemond is bleeding out on the floor and she doesn’t say a word. The moment becomes a cliffhanger in two directions at once: it leaves viewers asking “what’s going to happen?” while also feeling a charge between the two characters.
Rankin said something “clicks” in Alys during that encounter—an immediate curiosity about how they’re connected, about whether they are “keys to one another’s next step.” She called it undeniable and described it the way Alys would feel it: a pull she can’t deny.
That pull extends beyond characters and into the castle itself. Harrenhal has long carried a heavy, eerie atmosphere. Rankin and Mitchell pointed to Season 2’s gothic horror energy, then talked about what Season 3 will do with the same location.
Mitchell described Harrenhal as horror-esque. while also comparing it to “the White Lotus of Westeros”—a place that feels like a spa retreat. In that version of events. toxins get drawn out. people confront ghosts head-on. and “you never come out the other side the same person. ” linking the idea to what happened with Daemon last season.
Rankin agreed that Harrenhal “adapts to your needs,” like “the best kind of spa” that’s catered to you. And when asked if viewers should expect more lingering horror. she answered firmly: “absolutely. yes.” But she also warned that it won’t land the way many people expect—because Harrenhal is too big. too alive. and too much of a character itself.
House of the Dragon Season 3 airs new episodes on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 Aemond Alicent Alys Rivers Daemon Rhaenyra Harrenhal Emma D'Arcy Matt Smith Olivia Cooke Ewan Mitchell Gayle Rankin Simon Strong HBO HBO Max