Emma D'Arcy on Daemon & Rhaenyra's 'Ick Factor': 'It Can Be Sexy'

If we have learned anything in the 10 episodes of the first season of House of the Dragon, it is that the Targaryens are not your average family.

While they have some issues that everyone can relate to, like a problematic uncle who disappears for years and comes back with more problems, or a bad stepmother situation, other issues they face are much further from the audience.

Not everyone has the burden of leading the entire kingdom at the age of fourteen, and not everyone can afford to hold a male pageant throughout the kingdom just to choose their own uncle in the end.

Rhaenyra's life, as twisted as it is, is the main shock and interest factor that grabs the viewer's attention from the very first episode and holds it until the very end.

The taboo incestuous relationship with Daemon is one of the factors that keeps fans entertained enough to keep watching, even if they don't care about the politics of it all.

Although the relationship is disgusting by the modern standards we are all used to, both Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith, who portray Rhaenyra and Daemon, had to lean into it.

"If we're going to show this relationship and we're going to do the whole thing justice, the ick factor has to be present because that's honest. It can be sexy, and you've got to keep the ick in the room because that's honest," D'Arcy mentioned in the latest interview with Deadline.

As much as fans appreciate the honesty of the on-screen relationship, some still think it was one of the most disturbing lines to cross.

Others, however, who are used to all kinds of crazy things happening on their screens since Game of Thrones, are able to sit back and appreciate the chemistry between the actors, no matter how weird it makes them feel.

If you're already hooked on the show and can't wait for Season 2, there's good news: it's already in production. Be sure to keep an eye out for more news and updates so you don't miss out on a release date announcement.

Source: Deadline