House of the Dragon is back, and it’s safe to say, the third season of the hit HBO series came out swinging from the very first episode. With House Green and House Black embroiled in all-out warfare, HotD fans are finally getting the action-packed war that they expected from the Dance of the Dragons.

However, in typical Targaryen fashion, the most shocking moment of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1 wasn’t the dramatic warfare that took place in the Battle of the Gullet — it was a strange, twisted moment of intimacy between two members of the Targaryen Dynasty. Aemond and Alicent Hightower’s kiss was exactly the type of taboo scene that put Game of Thrones on the map, and it’s a sign that House of the Dragon remains committed to the original vision of the series.

Aemond and Alicent’s Kiss Is Already House of the Dragon Season 3’s Most Shocking Moment

House of the Dragon‘s return delivered, in many ways, exactly what fans wanted more of from the show’s second season (which makes sense, considering the last two episodes of HotD Season 2 were purportedly cut by HBO during development). The series’ 72-minute return to action featured large-scale warfare, naval battle, and major plot advancement, all of which were sorely lacking in stretches of Season 2. More importantly, they also teed up some major character development.

The death of Jacaerys Targaryen brought a heartbreaking end to the Battle of the Gullet, and it’s sure to cause Rhaenyra Targaryen immense heartbreak when she learns of the news. That said, she’s not the only mother who experiences major emotions as a result of the fallout of House of the Dragon Season 3’s debut.

Aemond and Alicent’s stomach-turning kiss was a surprise to both HotD fans and Alicent, who now faces a horrifying dilemma as war with House Black intensifies. Aemond’s infatuation with his mother is, unfortunately, her best hope to control her increasingly unpredictable son, and considering Aegon’s departure and Jacaerys’ death, Alicent will need all the control she can manage if she wants to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Aemond’s actions in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1 weren’t entirely unexpected; after all, the young Targaryen’s strange relationship to the idea of motherhood had already been explored during his trips to brothels in previous seasons. That said, Aemond’s brash decision to kiss Alicent is a sign of how reckless he has become, boding poorly for his future as the Dance of the Dragons intensifies.

Currently, the trio of Hugh Hammer, Ulf White, and Addam of Hull lies in wait for Aemond Targaryen near Harrenhaal, although it remains to be seen whether they will be able to work together enough to sway the tide against the monolithic dragon that is Vhagar — or if Aemond will even arrive as expected.

As for Alicent Hightower, she now finds herself marooned in King’s Landing without many of her most important allies. Aegon Targaryen, Larys Strong, Criston Cole, Otto Hightower, and now Aemond are all absent from Westeros’ capital, leaving Alicent extremely vulnerable following the Battle of the Gullet. With Jacaerys dead and Aegon on the run, Rhaenyra may very well think that Alicent betrayed her; if so, then Alicent will likely bear the full brunt of Rhaenyra’s motherly rage in the coming episodes.

House of the Dragon Season 3 Is Back on the Right Track — For Now

House of the Dragon Season 2 didn’t exactly end on a high note, as HBO’s decision to cut the final two episodes of the season resulted in a lackluster ending that left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths. Thankfully, after the breakout success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon was poised for a big return in Season 3, and through one episode, it’s capitalized on that potential.

Critics of House of the Dragon may point toward Rhaena Targaryen’s pairing with Sheepstealer or Alicent and Aemond’s kiss as evidence of HotD‘s deviation from its source material, but for now, these changes have spawned some of Season 3’s most interesting moments. In fact, although Alicent and Aemond’s kiss wasn’t in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, it feels completely in tune with the events of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, which both featured their fair share of incestuous relationships.

Taboo relationships like Jaime and Cersei’s toxic bond, Rhaenyra and Daemon’s strange marriage, or Alicent and Aemond’s unrequited kiss are all uncomfortable to watch unfold, but at their core, their scenes are worth much more than just shock value. Each of these relationships reveals something essential about the characters involved, with Aemond’s kiss only being the latest example of his naive attempts to assert agency over his circumstances.

House of the Dragon doesn’t need more scenes like Alicent and Aemond’s kiss (and, frankly, I’m not sure audiences could handle it). However, if the Game of Thrones prequel ever hopes to reach the heights of its predecessor, it desperately needs to continue bringing the interiority of hard-to-read characters like Aemond Targaryen to life, especially now that the series has entered the bloodiest stretch of the Dance of the Dragons.