The following article contains SPOILERS for Season 2, Episode 5 of House of the Dragon.

The most recent episode of House of the Dragon, Regent, didn’t exactly feel like any of the previous installments. It didn’t feature the bombastic dragon fights we are used to, or the usual violence of HBO’s fantasy juggernaut. But yes, it featured a very controversial romantic scene that has enraged fans all over, not because of what it implies, but because of what it revealed about Daemon’s inner thoughts. But what show do people think they’re watching? Are they really that surprised?

In the episode, Daemon hasn’t left Harrenhal. The gloomy and ravaged castle is still being repaired, and the Prince is trying to gain control of the houses around the site. It doesn’t exactly work for him, so his frustration is shown to affect his sleep. But suddenly, Daemon is shown beside a beautiful Targaryen woman who caresses him romantically. The problem is that she’s revealed to be his mother, Alyssa (played by Emeline Lambert), and Daemon is shocked because of an uncontrollable display of the Oedipus Complex during his nightmare. Even he, the one who married his niece, is appalled at the incestuous nature of his dream. And House of the Dragon fans have since taken to X/Twitter to share their outrage about the scene…

House of the Dragon Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.Release Date August 21, 2021

On top of the ‘ick factor,’ all of Daemon’s sequences, dreams, hallucinations, and interactions have become pretty repetitive. Of course, fans were also quick to point this out, as well as ask how, after five episodes, he’s still in Harrenhal…

Regent did not feel like the usual episode of House of the Dragon because of its lack of fight sequences and brutal violence. Instead, it felt more like a contemplative drama, taking a break from the action and fanfare to instead build upon the necessary character development. In that regard, it was pretty informative, especially about Daemon, Rhaenyra’s uncle and husband, who is staying put in the most haunted castle in all of Westeros, and who has finally decided to reveal his true nature.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is No Longer About Heirs, But Power

Fortunately, there was more in season 2, episode 5 of House of the Dragon than just dream sequences and controversy. Aegon is still alive, though it’s uncertain if he will actually make it. The “doctors” are doing their best, but Alicent is hopeless about the situation, and proposes that she can replace him while he recovers. However, the council don’t agree, and Aemond, the second male heir, is put in the coveted seat of the king.

Thus, Aemond’s masterplan is revealed…though it wasn’t exactly a secret to Ser Criston Cole or the rest of the council members. Alicent’s understanding of the situation is shown in a zoom-in shot where she hears the rest of the men discussing future plans while she realizes this could have been prevented (it could be Olivia Cooke’s best scene in the entire season, so far).

Related House of the Dragon Star Reveals Which Surprising Horror Icon Inspired His Performance as Aemond Targaryen Mitchell revealed the surprising inspiration behind his portrayal of Aemond Targaryen – and the answer may surprise you.

In King’s Landing, there’s heat among the “smallfolk,” and Aemond’s violent direction doesn’t help. However, there’s still hope, and that is shown when a certain someone arrives from Dragonstone. The emissary, who is actually one of Rhaenyra’s maids, Elinda, is able to speak to a guard in the City Watch and convinces him to let her inside. Her objective: to reach out to Dyana, the young girl we saw in a previous episode who was assaulted by Aegon. Sent by Mysaria who is working alongside Rhaenyra, Elinda is part of the plan to “win the war in other ways” and keep the population aware of what the Greens are doing while sitting on the Iron Throne. People are unhappy, and Rhaenyra is going to use it to her advantage. Meanwhile, she has just elected the grieving Corlys Velaryon to be her Hand, and this could represent a larger army for the queen.

At the conclusion of the episode, she and Jacaerys hold a very important conversation that could bend the rules in the game: there aren’t many “pure” Targaryens that could ride a dragon. So what if they could find more riders in the bloodline, adding more dragon power to the fight?

House of the Dragon
‘s episodes are released every Sunday and are available to stream on Max.