[This story contains spoilers from season two, episode four of House of the Dragon.]

It’s all the time Aemond, isn’t it?

Home of the Dragon followers have been lastly awarded some dragon-to-dragon motion Sunday night time when, in episode 4 of season two, titled “Dance of the Dragons,” Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Staff Inexperienced try and storm a fort within the Crownlands referred to as Rook’s Relaxation.

Little do they know, Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) council would obtain phrase of the assault and ship Rhaenys (Eve Finest) on her dragon, Meleys, to set ablaze Cole’s military. However because the forest leaves rustle, Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) dragon Vhagar — the biggest of the Targaryen brood — awakes. A battle ensues. Audiences see Vhagar’s huge tooth fatally crunch down on the neck of Meleys, however not earlier than Aemond takes down his personal brother, King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), who drunkenly tried to hitch the battle on his dragon Sunfyre.

The episode ends with Cole at his knees, in entrance of a blistered Sunfyre. Aegon lies lifeless with him. Aemond, who had unsheathed his sword earlier than Cole interrupted, walks away. It’s an escalation typical of the second son.

In a dialog with The Hollywood Reporter, Ewan Mitchell, who performs Prince Aemond within the HBO hit, discusses the place the battle leaves issues because the civil battle spirals additional into bloodshed. He additionally shares who his character desires on the Iron Throne, what sort of retaliation from Staff Black lies forward and why he has by no means wished to look at the present that introduced him right here: Recreation of Thrones.

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Yeesh. That episode goes to fulfill some dragon-hungry followers. Rhaenys actually met her demise, however Aegon’s destiny was left just a little extra imprecise. Is he useless?

It’s a seismic occasion that’s modified the longer term going ahead with these characters. Aegon’s destiny stays unknown. I don’t wish to spoil something for anybody. However going into episode 5, you will see the fallout of Rook’s Relaxation, which I can’t look forward to individuals to see. It’s an enormous blow for Staff Black. The road within the sand has been drawn and Aemond simply crossed that line. And there’s no going again. I’m positive there will likely be retaliation.

In episode 4, Aemond is prepared to threat Rhaenys’ escape at Rook’s Relaxation so he can assault his personal brother, the King, on Sunfyre. What are Aemond’s true motivations on this battle? If not loyalty, what’s it that’s driving him?

I believe there are a lot of issues which can be driving him, however considered one of them that I beloved to play with and discover was this concept that he desires his mum. Each time I shared a scene with Olivia Cooke [playing Alicent Hightower] across the council desk, each time I checked out Alicent Hightower, I very a lot imagined Aemond and Alicent sitting on a Dornish seaside, removed from battle, sipping on pina coladas… Aemond having develop into the battle hero and managing to make his mum joyful, in his eye, so to talk. Whether or not or not that’s Alicent’s model of happiness is one other factor. However that’s how Aemond sees it. So I believe that’s considered one of his is driving motivations.

Additionally, what Alicent does in episode seven of season one, that’s one thing that Aemond doesn’t neglect. Once they’re all arguing about the place Aemond had heard this illegitimate [child of Harwin] Sturdy [rumor] from, Alicent went again to the concept this child had been bodily broken and adjusted for all times. She was the one voice that was backing him up in that second.

Who does Aemond consider belongs on the Iron Throne?

You don’t essentially know what’s going on behind Aemond’s eye. You don’t know what he’s considering, however you do know that he’s considering. He’s a really calculative particular person. He’s not simply your one-dimensional black cat and senseless sociopath sort of character. He’s considering always. You see that within the first 4 episodes — in a lot of them he operates from the peripheries. However, does he even need the throne? [Shrugs.]

Has he fallen sufferer to the “inheritor and the spare” resentment, like Daemon (Matt Smith)?

He feels that Aegon lacks the perseverance to be king. Aegon says it himself: he has no want to rule. Whereas Aemond, he’s been learning with the masters. He’s been coaching with the sword, so he very a lot seems like he would make a worthier king, whether or not or not that’s what Aemond desires.

Does Daemon see himself in Aemond?

That’s a superb query. I don’t know if I may reply it. Perhaps it’s one for Matt [Smith, who plays Daemon]. However I believe part of Aemond would want that Daemon noticed Aemond in himself. There’s a lot of his picture that lends itself to that concept that Aemond may be very a lot paying homage to a younger Daemon Targaryen, with the Targaryen black and the lengthy hair. It’s very harking back to the rogue prince. Aemond being Daemon’s largest stan, he would positively wish to dwell in Daemon’s head rent-free.

We’re seeing a unique facet to Aemond this season — actually. Had you completed full onscreen nudity earlier than this?

I did, nevertheless it wouldn’t have been so obvious prefer it was in episode three of Home of the Dragon.

What was that like?

It was a choice that we didn’t make calmly. Each scene begins with a dialog — how far are you comfortably ready to go? Me and Geeta Patel, our director, we have been very like-minded within the sense that we wished to be true to Aemond in that second. He’s caught in a totally weak spot. His house is violated by his brother and his crew, and he’s finally humiliated. There’s this line from Michael Mann’s Warmth that I really like. Robert De Niro’s character says, “By no means get connected to somebody you’re not ready to stroll out on in 30 seconds flat whenever you really feel the warmth across the nook.”

De Niro’s character lives by that, it helps him maneuver with out getting caught by the police. And Aemond has a really related code in that he doesn’t wish to be caught and really feel like the child that he as soon as was in season one — that uncared for, bullied boy. In that second in episode three, that code comes into play. He goes from that weak, humiliated boy and that code simply turns a change, this facade comes up, and he finally says what he says.

We see him reasonably connected to one of many intercourse staff, Sylvi, performed by Michelle Bonnard. Do you assume this quote-unquote “monogamy” is one thing about Aemond that will shock audiences? What’s it saying about his character?

I believe simply seeing Aemond that weak is a shock for the viewers alone. I really like talking in regards to the costumes on our present, designed phenomenally by Caroline McCall, they usually’re virtually half and parcel with Aemond. These Targaryen blacks are Targaryen to the max. So to see him with out his eye patch, with none of that, it’s actually stunning.

Somebody requested me the opposite day whether or not or not I assumed that Aemond had mummy points. And I don’t know if he has mummy points a lot as he simply wished to be beloved by his mum just a little bit extra. Youngsters sort of want that, that unconditional like to develop a balanced view of themselves. Aemond by no means acquired it. He needed to discover it elsewhere. He discovered it in Vhagar, this older she-dragon, which I believe is kind of a pleasant parallel. He discovered it in Madame Sylvi, one other surrogate. And since he by no means actually was proven love rising up, he doesn’t actually know learn how to specific it himself.

Do you assume seeing Aemond in a extra weak gentle one way or the other makes him extra horrifying? It’s like the private vendetta — whether or not it’s towards his brother Aegon, Rhaenyra or anybody else — turns into just a little sharper.

I very a lot wished to painting the picture of somebody who had manufactured their physique right into a deadly weapon. This child doesn’t want armor. He doesn’t have to be brandishing a Valyrian metal sword to seem like he may finally finish these characters lives in these moments. There’s one thing highly effective in that regard. Me and Geeta Patel, we all the time talked in regards to the chance, as much as that scene, of perhaps Aemond wrapping a blanket round himself as he was leaving, or perhaps utilizing his palms to cowl himself as he was leaving. However we have been very-like minded within the respect that it is a character who doesn’t care what you concentrate on him. And that carelessness, it’s fairly scary. Speaking about that code coming into place, he can’t be seen as weak in any respect prices. Love in Aemond’s world is seen as a weak spot. And so he has to place obligation above that. He places power above that.

Would Aemond be in the identical hazard that he’s with out Vhagar?

In all probability not. He acknowledges that he’s a younger man who possesses an influence that nobody else has in Vhagar. He can do issues that nobody else can do, and he or she very a lot shapes the dynamic of any room that he walks into. He doesn’t have to be something, as a result of her shadow looms so giant behind him. And so if he’s being threatening, it’s not as a result of he must be — it’s as a result of he desires to be.

Is it bizarre to see so many followers crushing in your character? They’ve been debating who’s extra “babygirl”: Daemon or Aemond.

I haven’t bought social media, so I don’t see it. However one of many outcomes of not having social media is that it produces these lovely, badass, enjoyable letters from individuals from all throughout the globe. To learn that, I take all of it as motivation, whether or not we’ve had a superb response or a detrimental response. I by no means take it with no consideration. However is Aemond babygirl? I don’t know. It’s a dilemma. What’s the definition of a babygirl?

I believe it’s a lovely character that folks take pity on just a little bit. Delicate, a bit weak. Perhaps they assume his coronary heart’s in the fitting place.

Like perhaps there’s good beneath all of it. I’ll take the praise.

What’s to return from Aemond this season?

I don’t wish to spoil it, nevertheless it’s gonna be good.

If you happen to may play some other Home of the Dragon character, who wouldn’t it be? And if you happen to may have performed any character on Recreation of Thrones, who wouldn’t it have been?

I haven’t seen Recreation of Thrones. I do know – blasphemy! I simply wished to steer myself away from it. I by no means watched it when it initially ran after which touchdown the half, I didn’t need it to tell my selections and decisions, whether or not it’s consciously or subconsciously, for Aemond. I wished to current a personality who was very otherworldly, and so I took from different worlds. If I may play one other Home of the Dragon character… We’re all superb. I don’t wish to choose a favourite.

Would you turn to Staff Black?

No, no — I’d wish to keep on Staff Inexperienced.

And what’s to return from Ewan Mitchell? Have you ever bought something within the pipeline that you simply’re enthusiastic about?

Nothing is ready in stone but. I’m right down to the previous couple of for one thing that I really need and I’m not gonna say what it’s as a result of as quickly as I do, I gained’t get it. [I’m up for] any problem, any character. I really like horror, horror is unquestionably a style I’d like to enterprise into.

Home of the Dragon releases new season two episodes Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and Max. Comply with together with THR‘s season protection and interviews.