House of the Dragon enthusiasts were left utterly gobsmacked by a 'twisted' scene that unfolded in the second series. The HBO hit's fifth episode of season two delved deep into Daemon Targaryen's psyche, with Matt Smith delivering a haunting performance.
Daemon is tormented by eerie hallucinations of his deceased mother, Alyssa Targaryen, portrayed by Emeline Lambert. These apparitions delve into Daemon's desperate yearning for affection and validation, his tangled emotions towards his niece Rhaenyra, and the trauma of his mother's early death.
The hallucinatory sequence includes Laena Velaryon offering wine and introduces a silver-haired woman who turns out to be Daemon's mother Alyssa, who refers to him as her "favourite son".
In a shocking twist, Daemon envisions himself in an incestuous encounter with Alyssa, leaving viewers reeling. The unexpected nature of the scene caught many off guard, as they had anticipated a different familial interaction involving Daemon with either Viserys or Aemma.
Social media was abuzz with reactions, with one viewer commenting on X: "Would rather they have pushed the 'Daemon being in love with Viserys' agenda than whatever the hell that scene with Alyssa was," reports the Mirror.
Another expressed confusion: "This is so confusing. Daemon was 3 when Alyssa died, there has to be *some* familiarity."
Another added their voice to the discussion, saying: "It doesn't matter if he knew or didn't know, the fact that the scene exists is the problem. That's the one and only appearance we have of Alyssa. They keep using women as tools to develop their men."
"Instead of the Daemon/Alyssa scene they should have showed us Daemon/Viserys smh," one viewer grumbled, while another was appalled, writing: "Daemon and Alyssa scene was just disgusting. Daemon should get the hell outta Harrenhal."
In the sophomore season of House of the Dragon, the character of Alyssa is rarely touched upon, yet its no secret she held a preference for Daemon over his brother Viserys. Portrayed with youthful vibrance, Alyssa appears in Daemon's haunting vision, startlingly adorned with blood across her chest symbolising her premature demise at 24 following childbirth.
The disturbing portrayal of Daemon and Alyssa sparks intense debate as it dives into the murky waters of Targaryen incest, a theme often skirted around on the HBO smash hit. The notorious family lineage is rife with intermarriage, although the series usually shies away from depicting parent-child unions.
Viewers are left pondering over Daemon's complex emotions towards Alyssa and whether he's seeking a form of maternal connection, heightened by the recent episodes.
House of the Dragon returned to screens on June 16. Episodes are released weekly on Sundays, with the final episode scheduled to air on August 4.
