‘House of the Dragon’: Gayle Rankin on That ‘F — ed Up’ Aemond-Alys-Alicent Scene, ‘Unbearable’ Family Dinner and Dragon Egg Plans 5 hours ago As ‘Civilization’ Turns 35, Creator Sid Meier and Firaxis President Look Ahead to a New Ages for 2K Studio’s Franchises 3 days ago Electronic Arts Set to Close $55 Billion Go-Private Deal Next Week 3 days ago SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 7 of “ House of the Dragon ,” now streaming on HBO Max. Gayle Rankin ‘s Alys Rivers has dealt with an Oedipus complex before during her time at Harrenhal, but this week’s “House of the Dragon” marked the first time Alys was directly dragged into the Targaryens’ incestuous scene herself. At the beginning of Episode 7, Season 3 of “House of the Dragon,” we see Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) has already carried out the mission given to her by Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and arrived at Harrenhal.
Sent there in an attempt to lure Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) out so Rhaenyra’s men can finally kill him and properly secure Rhaenyra the Iron Throne, Alicent greets her son with maternal love and praise about his superiority to his siblings, which appears to be a tactic for lulling him into submission. But Alicent’s actions quickly turn much more intimate and soon the mother and son are having sex. Related Stories ‘Incinerator’ Review: Award-Winning Japanese Portrait of a Teenage Loner Is Gentle to a Fault ‘Los Vampires’ Review: Dueling Draculas Spar in an Alluring if Unevenly Executed Flashback to Early-Talkie Hollywood It’s a jarring scene until it’s revealed Aemond has been hallucinating visions of his mother while having sex with his lover, Alys (Rankin), as part of a new plan to breed more Targaryens and build their own dynasty.
Popular on Variety “It was very intimate and very odd but very professional,” Rankin says of filming the sex scene between mother, son and son’s new girlfriend. “We tried to like make jokes, just to keep it lighthearted because those scenes are not easy and they’re complicated and very technical. So it was also just like it was another day at the office for being like a very odd, fucked-up scene.” From there, the episode’s mommy-issues plot thickens as the real Alicent does show up at Harrenhal and Alys tries (and fails) to convince Aemond his mother is not there to help him.
Though they first have to go through what Rankin calls an “unbearable” family dinner, the episode ends with Alys being proven right: Alicent steals away in the night after poisoning Aemond and “idiot” Aemond comes crawling to a very annoyed Alys looking for help. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone at Harrenhal and King’s Landing, Aemond’s brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) has been reunited with his very much alive dragon, Sunfyre, while Aemond’s dragon, Vhagar, is still MIA. This could prove to be a problem for Alys and Aemond, who are currently sitting on a supply of dragon eggs, but have no full-grown dragon to defend themselves with should Aegon or Rhaenyra choose to come their way on next week’s Season 3 finale.
See below for more from Variety ’s interview with Rankin about Episode 7 and what comes next. Yeah, I do. I think they’re not uncomplicated, like anyone, you know.
Especially if you’re going through a war and you want a castle and you are a witch. But like those things aside, I think they really are. I think he’s pretty unabashedly himself.
I think that refreshing to her. I think that he’s, in some ways, very misunderstood. In some ways.
And he has behaved horrendously but he’s also gotten, in some ways, what he’s wanted and I think she respects that. And I think they’re kind of like a dark power couple. I don’t think Daemon ever really let his guard down with Alys.
Really, really, really. And then he broke her heart. And she’s prophetic and she also can read people like a book.
So she knew that Daemon was never going to get there with her, and Daemon was not her answer. I think Aemond is a different story, and I think she knows that instinctively. I think she’s like 400 years old.
I mean, give or take. I think we’re gonna like find out more soon, but she could be 400 years old. Like, I believe her, that’s the thing.
I think there’s a lot of skepticism about, is she telling the truth? Is she manipulating? I’m like, believe the woman.
It was very intimate and very odd but very professional. We tried to like make jokes, just to keep it lighthearted because those scenes are not easy and they’re complicated and very technical. So it was also just like it was another day at the office for being like a very odd, fucked-up scene.
I think she sees everything. I don’t think she sees everything, but she can see a lot. So there is a prophetic nature to who she is, and so she’s just like, “Wow!
So we have to go through this? OK, here we go.” Oh, terrible! I mean awful, but I kind of loved it.
I think Alys is in her element but also kind of terrified at the same time. But I think she feels like the stakes are very high, and I think Alys thrives in that. I think she intentionally wants it to feel unbearable.
You know, because she wants her to go. A combination. I think many people, and certainly many women, can probably relate to the tone.
I don’t feel like she’s in immediate danger of dying. I think she’s in immediate danger always, and maybe in immediate danger of something more emotionally profound happening, but not of dying. I think we have more time.
Girl, I know. Low-key, for real, I don’t think she knows. Like I don’t even know where Vhagar is.
I, Gayle, do not even know where Vhagar is. You know what I mean? So I’m like, girl, where are you?
Vhagar went to Crumbl Cookies and she needs to get back. Right? He has no dragon.
I have dragon eggs. That’s the thing, I don’t really need him. But I think she might want him.
I think it’s complicated. This interview has been edited and condensed. Miley Cyrus Says She ‘Genuinely’ Wants to Act Again as She Signs With Atlantic Records and Charts Next Chapter: ‘I’d Love to Disappear Into Something Romantic’
