House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock reflects on the “gnarly” incest scene

It’s a family affair.

[Warning: Spoilers ahead for episode 4 of “House of the Dragon.”]

In Sunday’s fourth episode of Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, teenage princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and her uncle Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) have an incestuous, sultry appearance in the middle of a crowded brothel.

While the scene is sure to surprise audiences, 22-year-old actress Alcock from Australia told The Post that filming wasn’t awkward.

– No, surprisingly. [Matt Smith and I] they were just buddies. So it was pretty convenient, ”Alcock said of filming the scene with 39-year-old Smith. “We had an intimacy coordinator and we worked with her during the rehearsal and had her blocked a few months earlier.”

House of the Dragon takes place some 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen as they plan who will replace the current king (Paddy Considine) on the throne.

King Viserys appointed his daughter, Rhaenyra, as his heir, ignoring his younger brother, Daemon. But her position is precarious as Viserys recently had a son who many believe should be the rightful heir.

Daemon was friends with his niece, but now it’s a bit of a relationship too near. In this episode, Rhaenyra and Daemon see each other for the first time in several years (since Daemon previously angered the king and was banished).

When Daemon returns to King’s Landing, he and Rhaenyra change clothes and go out to town for the night. The climax is that Daemon takes Rhaenyra to a brothel, where they walk through rooms full of other people who are busy while Rhaenyra takes it all wide-eyed.

“Clare Kilner, our director, made sure we didn’t see anything from the brothel until we were shooting,” Alcock said. “So this was our first walk in the brothel, and he takes her across the room with all these other bodies. So it was quite shocking. You say, “It’s a bit weird and stupid.”

“There were extras we just met who were 69 for 12 hours,” she added. – That’s pretty gnarly. We felt quite overdressed because everyone else was naked. “

Daemon then makes a move on her niece. In the world of the show, incest is not unusual for the Targaryen family. But it’s a scandal that Rhaenyra is preoccupied with anyone before marrying someone her father approves, much less an uncle with a bad reputation.

“I think it’s complicated, I think Daemon is good for her … but whether he’s the right thing for her or not, time will tell,” said Alcock, who previously told The Post that she and Smith had a mutual understanding that the relationship it is “charged, but below the surface.”

“Rhaenyra is at an age where she cannot distinguish between platonic love, romantic love and desire because she has not lived long enough and has not been through these experiences,” added Alcock. “I think she understands there’s a feeling here [with Daemon]but she’s not quite sure where she lands, how to behave with it and how to navigate it. ”

After their hot and hard moment, Daemon abandons her. Rhaenyra returns home and loses her virginity with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), her sworn defender who stands guard at her door at night. When reports of their illegal meeting reach the king, the hungover demon is banished a second time.

“I struggled with [her feelings for Criston] all the time on the show, ”Alcock said. “I think she wants to be seen, and ultimately Daemon and Cristan Cole are the only ones who really see her. They both see her for different reasons. Daemon has the upper hand, and Rhaenyra has the upper hand over Cole, which turns her on a bit.

“I think she really likes him. But I don’t think she would choose him over Daemon eventually.

House of the Dragon is currently airing on HBO at 9:00 PM on Sundays.