House Of The Dragon Director Responds To Bizarre Scene That Has Everyone Talking
Clare Kilner, the director of House of the Dragon's ninth episode responded nonchalantly to the bizarre foot fetish scene, adding that fans shouldn't be surprised.
Fans of HBO’s House of The Dragon have endured brutal murders and incest scenes during the show’s debut season. But it was a foot fetish sequence in the ninth episode titled “The Green Council,” that pushed several viewers over the edge. Filled with sexual overtones, Alicent Hightower appears to reward Larys for information by removing her shoes and stockings – and allowing him to pleasure himself in her presence and now, the episode’s director has responded quite unphased by the shocking scene.
In a show where just about anything goes, viewers shouldn’t be surprised by the nature of the scene or the director’s nonchalant response to the outrage. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Clare Kilner said we should’ve known someone with a malformed foot who killed his family might have a foot fetish. The filmmaker, who previously worked on two other episodes of House of The Dragon, said Sara Hess came up with this new development for Larys.
“Her mind is incredible,” Kilner said of the House of The Dragon writer. “She really wrote us a wonderful episode. But, yeah, that was an interesting scene.”
The director explained that it was made extra awkward since intimacy coordinators are available for all the nudity. However, they were a little out of their depth for this particular scene. “It’s so intrusive and invasive,” she told the publication, adding that it was a really dirty scene.
Although the House of The Dragon encounter is ugly, shameless, and gratuitous, it does serve a purpose to the story. As Princess Rhaenys points out, the Queen continues to settle for a system built by men. Not because it satisfies her, but because she seems to think there’s no other option.
Even if she can picture a better reality, she remains convinced it is impractical, unstable, or impossible to execute. She is also tied down by her love for her children, who would benefit greatly from a continuation of the status quo. Meanwhile, there’s only so much additional insight George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood series can give viewers into Larys’ motivations.
While Larys does ally himself with the greens in the source material, there’s no mention of the sexual dynamic between himself and Alicent. But it’s definitely there in the House of the Dragon series. Written by Ryan Condal, the show is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and tells the story of House Targaryen – rich in the dragonlord ancestors of Daenerys.
The first season portrays the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, the events leading up to the civil war of succession, known as the Dance of the Dragons. After receiving a straight-to-series order in October 2019, House of The Dragon premiered on August 21, 2022, with the first season consisting of ten episodes. Following its resounding success, it was renewed for a second season just five days after its debut.
Despite the praise, House of The Dragon received criticism for its depiction of violence, pacing, and cinematography. The series was also slammed for leaning too much on grand imagery while lacking the breakout supporting characters that Game of Thrones had. The graphic violence in the season premiere with a failed cesarean section was largely criticized for being excessive and, according to USA Today, exploitive and in poor taste.
