House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5: What Aemond wants

Heading into House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5 on HBO, one thing does feel reasonably clear: Aemond is a force to be reckoned with. Regardless of if you love him or hate him, the role that he plans within the larger proceedings here is one that cannot be ignored.

But what does the character really want out of all of this? He is not the King, but does he want that? If you meant to actually attack Aegon at the end of this past episode, you can argue that this was his motive. Or, you could say that he is simply out for glory, or to show that despite losing an eye, he is more formidable than anyone.

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Since actors often think about their characters more than anyone, we were quite curious as to what Ewan Mitchell thought about this question. Luckily, he was kind enough to share to The Hollywood Reporter:

I think there are many things that are driving him, but one of them that I loved to play with and explore was this idea that he wants his mum. Every time I shared a scene with Olivia Cooke [playing Alicent Hightower] around the council table, every time I looked at Alicent Hightower, I very much imagined Aemond and Alicent sitting on a Dornish beach, far from war, sipping on pina coladas… Aemond having become the war hero and managing to make his mum happy, in his eye, so to speak. Whether or not that’s Alicent’s version of happiness is another thing. But that’s how Aemond sees it. So I think that’s one of his is driving motivations.

Ultimately, we do like the idea that Aemond is perhaps thinking of his own version of peace, one that will almost certainly never happen. Yet, Mitchell notes that in the past Alicent has stood up for his character when no one else has, and that likely cemented the bond between them further. No matter what happens in episode 5 or later on, this relationship could still be central to what lies ahead.

Related – Learn more about House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5, including what else lies ahead

What do you think we will see from Aemond moving into House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5?

Go ahead and let us know in the comments! Once you do just that, remember to also come back — there are so many other updates ahead.

This article was written by Jessica BunBun.