Why Alicent Poisoned Aemond in ‘House of the Dragon’ Leaves Fans Reeling Over Season 3’s Darkest Twist
‘House of the Dragon‘ has never been shy about putting its Targaryens through hell, but season 3 episode 7 pushed things somewhere the show had not gone before. Alicent Hightower, the woman who has spent three seasons trying to protect her children at almost any cost, turned around and tried to kill one of them.
The moment landed as one of the most divisive in the show’s history, and it all comes down to a secret mission, a bowl of nightshade berries, and a mother who finally ran out of options.
Rhaenyra Sent Alicent to Harrenhal with a Deadly Purpose
Alicent arrived at Harrenhal in episode 7 already carrying out a task assigned to her by Rhaenyra, greeting her son Aemond with warmth and praise that functioned as a way to lower his guard. The larger goal behind the visit was to lure Aemond out into the open so that Rhaenyra’s forces could finally eliminate him and secure the Iron Throne for good.
That framing matters because it shows Alicent was not acting purely on impulse. She had already agreed, in some form, to help engineer her son’s death before she ever set foot in his chambers.
Before making her way to Aemond, Alicent had gone back to Ser Adrian’s body hoping to find a dagger, only that plan did not ultimately play out the way she may have first intended. That detail alone signals just how far she was willing to go, even before the poison came into play.
Aemond’s Confession Pushed Alicent Toward the Poison
Alys Rivers warned Aemond directly that his mother meant him harm, but he brushed the warning aside, unwilling to believe Alicent capable of hurting him. That refusal to see the danger in front of him becomes almost unbearable once the wine is poured.
Alicent ultimately prepares a wine laced with nightshade and brings it straight to Aemond’s chambers. According to the show’s own Inside the Episode, her ultimate mission is to kill her second born son, and once she spots the nightshade, she crushes it into his wine before the two share a toast together.
Crucially, before Aemond ever gets the chance to drink the poison, he admits to his mother that he tried to kill his brother Aegon on purpose during the Battle at Rook’s Rest, a confession that may have been the final push that convinced Alicent he could not be allowed to live. It is a tragic beat for Aemond in its own right, since he finally admits to something Alicent, who knew him well, had already suspected.
Even in the middle of her betrayal, Alicent’s love for her son does not fully disappear. She forgives Aemond because she understands he was doing what he believed was best, in the same way she tells herself she is doing what she believes is best by poisoning him. That contradiction, a mother forgiving her son while ending his life, is exactly what has made the scene so uncomfortable to watch.
Fan and Critic Reactions to Alicent’s Betrayal Has Been Deeply Split
Reception to the storyline has been notably divided, with some critics praising the performances even while questioning the plotting that got the characters to this point. One review argued that Alicent attempting to poison Aemond was actually the first genuinely interesting thing her character had done all season, while still crediting Olivia Cooke for strong work with limited material.
Not everyone was convinced. One recap expressed real frustration with the entire plotline, questioning why Alicent would agree to the assassination attempt in the first place and how she managed to travel from King’s Landing to Harrenhal so quickly.
Another review described Alicent’s arc across the season as messy, singling out her ride to Harrenhal to murder her own son as one of several oddly convenient choices.
Some viewers have simply had enough of the Alicent and Aemond dynamic altogether, calling it their least favorite plot thread of the season and pointing out it has no basis whatsoever in George R.R. Martin’s source material. That last point keeps coming up again and again, since ‘Fire & Blood’ sends Aemond toward a very different fate entirely.
Aemond’s Fate Is Left Hanging After The Poisoning
The plotline leaves off with Alicent fleeing the castle, while Aemond stumbles into Alys Rivers’ workshop, whispers her name, and collapses at her feet. Alicent leaves Harrenhal believing she has actually killed her son.
The trailer for the next episode complicates that outcome considerably. Aemond appears to die after drinking the poisoned wine, yet the latest trailer hints at his potential survival, suggesting Alys may have saved him from the poisoning since he is seen alive in the footage.
Alys will almost certainly have to make some kind of concoction to heal Aemond from the poisoning, and reports suggest she simply calls him an idiot when he stumbles into the kitchen nearly dying, though this betrayal is also expected to turn Aemond fully against his mother. Book readers already know that in ‘Fire and Blood,’ Aemond meets a very different end, dying above God’s Eye at the hands of Daemon Targaryen after their dragons clash and both men are lost to the lake below. Since that version of events never happens in the novel, the show is genuinely writing new territory here.
The show’s writers have confirmed that Aemond and Alicent’s storyline will wrap up in the season finale, which airs on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, August 9. Whether that means a full reconciliation, a permanent rupture, or something far bloodier remains to be seen.
After watching a mother try to end her own son’s life only for the finale to dangle his survival in front of us, do you think Aemond will ever forgive Alicent, or has Harrenhal broken this family for good.
