Fans of House of the Dragon have shared their shock at a 'twisted' scene included in series two. The fifth episode of the second season of the HBO show focuses on Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith.
Daemon experiences hallucinations of his late mother, Alyssa Targaryen (Emeline Lambert). The visions highlight his need for love and approval, along with his complicated feelings towards his niece Rhaenyra and his struggles after losing his mother as a child.
His visions feature past characters, such as Laena Velaryon serving wine along with a silver-haired woman, who is later revealed to be his mother Alyssa. She calls him her "favourite son", making their relationship more complex.
Daemon dreamed that he slept with Alyssa, in a surprise incest scene that stunned fans. Many were taken aback by the scene, as they thought a scene involving Daemon and Viserys or Aemma was coming up instead.
Taking to X, one fan said: "Would rather they have pushed the 'daemon being in love with Viserys' agenda than whatever the hell that scene with Alyssa was." A second wrote: "This is so confusing. Daemon was 3 when Alyssa died, there has to be *some* familiarity."
A third fan added: "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," a fourth viewer complained, while a fifth said: "Daemon and Alyssa scene was just disgusting. Daemon should get the hell outta Harrenhal."
Throughout House of the Dragon series two, Alyssa isn't discussed often, but it is well-known that she favoured Daemon over Viserys. She is portrayed as youthful, but in Daemon's vision she is seen with blood on her chest - a reflection of her early death at age 24 after childbirth.
Daemon and Alyssa's 'twisted' scene highlights the Targaryen practice of incest, which is not often touched upon in the HBO series. The family tend to marry close relatives, but parent-child relationships have been avoided. Questions surrounding Daemon's feelings towards Alyssa and his quest for maternal love have been raised by the scenes.
House of the Drago began airing on 16 June on HBO. Episodes are released weekly on Sundays, with the final episode scheduled to air on 4 August.