HOTD: Official Podcast: S2 Ep. 5: Ewan Mitchell on Aemond’s Rise to Power

Jason and Greta take stock of all the key players at this point in the season and analyze the aftermath of the battle at Rook’s Rest. They talk with Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen) about his character’s rise to power and how he was influenced by 80’s horror icons. Then director Clare Kilner shares behind-the-scenes stories of shooting the episode and creating an “artsy poem” on screen.

[@koks_jakiescyfrybozajetnynick]

Ewan seems so competent as an actor. Every single answer with some saying or quote from some film, always hits perfectly into what the character is. Hope he makes a great career after the show

[@samf.s.7731]

I believe he's a method actor, and that he didn't go to school for acting, unlike Tom who not only went but graduated the top of his class I believe (Don't quote me on that, it was on Wikipedia or something two years ago 😂). Ewan Mitchell is self taught which denotes a high level of investment in the medium. He's probably a "film nerd", of course, that's to his credit.

[@camilletangerine]

ewan appears on the podcast at minute 29:30 what a soothing voice 🙂‍↕️🤍

[@p1ysaucedo]

THANK YOU!!

[@amarbyrd2520]

He has a hypnotic voice -- I kind of have to steel myself against it because it's the kind of voice that'll get you to do stuff before you know what you're actually doing 😄😄

[@val-xz]

If only he was in the episode for longer than a minute

[@m_zero3009]

The same cannot be said for the hosts lol

[@xSupajesusX]

​@@m_zero3009 oysters, clams, and cockles on Spotify is much better imo

[@disharibanerjee]

Ewan brings so much depth and insight to his character. It's obvious how invested he is, and how much he actually thinks before acting out each scene to get the nuances right. Love his voice, so calm. Ewan certainly has a very bright future. He's gonna be huge! ❤

[@val-xz]

What depth? His character is not allowed to have any. He is on screen for less than a minute every episode.

[@lucianoben-malek693]

@@val-xz "What depth"? Have you actually watched the show and seen his performance?

[@val-xz]

@@lucianoben-malek693 yes I did. Ewan has 1-2 minutes of screentime per episode and Aemond has almost no dialogue or development, especially compared to the rest of the main cast, Ewan is being wasted here. Ep5 should have been his moment to shine and he had 2 minutes of screentime, he was even left off screen when the Council named him Regent. It's a pity that people support such awful choices made by the showrunners, there should have been a backlash about it. Aemond was such an interesting character in S1 and instead of developing him and giving him an arc of descent into villainy, they just made him turn 180 in one minute of screentime. He regrets killing his nephew and then burns his brother without regret (but they say it's ambiguous in interviews... sure). They barely even give Ewan any close ups so that his micro-expressions can be seen, and he's also too often filmed in the dark. Now many see Aemond as a one dimensional flat character because the show frames him as some boogeyman everyone is afraid of, we don't even hear his own thoughts and feelings.

[@lucianoben-malek693]

@@val-xz I'll grant you some of the choices they made in Season 2 weren't ideal and made the show suffer a bit as a result but I don't think he's a flat character at all. Plus I imagine he'll have much more of an active role in Season 3 now that's he's prince regent and fully established as one of the show's big bads. I think this season was all about build-up and Season 3 will be the payoff!

[@AshiqD1955]

I am excited to see Ewan’s career unfold - his thoughtful commitment to this role is extremely impressive.

[@ADHDDistracts]

Favorite part about Aemond is his little "mmm" that he uses as a comma

[@SeyhawksNow]

Didn't think my favorite character in F+B could get better but Aemond is such a cold hearted badass with such depth thanks to Ewan

[@omgzfuup]

I respect that Tom and Ewan love their characters. It makes for such great performances.

[@rahmatmanurung8133]

Ewan's voice is soothing. Great actor.

[@p1ysaucedo]

Lol I just wrote the same thing, didn't see someone had already commented on it

[@TheNumerum]

I love that Ewan always emphasizes his relationship with Vaghar as a friendship because the show runners didn't show us that side of their relationship, but He's right. Vaghar is older and set in her ways. If there wasn't a real connection between the two, she wouldn't tolerate him like she does.

[@carastone3473]

That’s kinda the point with ALL of the characters who are dragon riders.

[@spongejob]

Ewan is such a fantastic actor and so well spoken. Glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves 🫶

[@Divine_Chareka]

It's great to see familiar Game of Thrones locations making a comeback in the second season of House of the Dragon. The Eyrie is one of them, along with the Twins, also loved seeing Stone Hedge the seat of House Bracken!

[@LeoArenales18]

Love Aemonds reference for the movie Heat , he knows his cinema

[@emhu2594]

I rewatched it recently, and it does not hold up. But it held up longer than this show will.

[@asimnicholsmusic]

I enjoyed him in The Last King and now as Aemond, it’s a perfect role for him.

[@Clau1982]

Aemond deserves way more screentime

[@samf.s.7731]

He's gonna get a lot of screentime from this point onward.

[@emhu2594]

He has no lines, it's absolutely ridiculous. These screenwriters are incompetent and the themes they are trying to convey are extremely confusing. The only thing that makes the show watchable is some extremely charismatic actors.

[@p1ysaucedo]

Right.. he's the only reason I watch

[@val-xz]

@@samf.s.7731...and he didn't get "a lot of" screentime in the second half of the season lmao. One minute in Ep7 was such a joke. This show sidelined Aemond and Ewan so hard after using them for promotion, just nasty.

[@bonniebree187]

29:31 For Ewan Mitchell

[@melanie_2564]

Thanks

[@Fallen_feathers-q2h]

You're a G

[@p1ysaucedo]

Ewan Mitchell has suuuuch a soothing voice 🙂‍↕️

[@HolyknightVader999]

All hail King Aemond the Sapphire-Eyed, Dragonrider and Dragonslayer.

[@samf.s.7731]

And kinslayer 😅

[@SWACBUZZ]

They missed a very good and logical opportunity to name drop Daeron again when they made Aemond regent after Aegon's heirs were brought up. They need to do this because we don't want it to feel jarring when he finally does show up.

[@jessjess23brooks89]

Show watchers are gonna be so baffled.

[@ianschmitt4991]

They already Thanos snapped poor Maelor out of existence.

[@crazybanana331]

More Daeron mentions please

[@sheritamullings6533]

​@@jessjess23brooks89Im a show watcher. Why would I be baffled?

[@jessjess23brooks89]

@@sheritamullings6533 If Maelor just pops up with only one mention, looking who knows how (I've heard so many different rumors about his show parentage), it's gonna be jarring. They've laid absolutely no groundwork. We could be seeing what is going on in Old Town right now, see how he wants to help the war effort despite being so young. I mean, he has a damn dragon who has also not been introduced.

[@lucinhaduraes9196]

Ewan is just absolute perfection

[@sayowitch1986]

Ewan is a perfect Aemond. A perfect actor. Aaand a perfect human being

[@carastone3473]

No such thing as a ‘perfect human being,’ but I am greatly enjoying his performance as Aemond.

[@val-xz]

@@sayowitch1986 and he is being wasted by Condal and co on this show, such a pity.

[@carastone3473]

I actually LOVE that they pulled down the shade on Alicent’s “…window in the wall of her prisoner.” Welcome to the patriarchy that YOU helped perpetuate, Alicent!

[@trevpilled]

I hope we see Ewan in more roles after this show

[@nadialittle5821]

The last kingdom is SO good - and SO different from Aemond

[@trevpilled]

@@nadialittle5821 Love the last kingdom so far, (as of season 4x6) osferth is the best

[@SolarDragon007]

@@nadialittle5821He played a humble/brave bastard son of a king as Osferth, and then he played a prideful/ruthless prince who hates his bastard nephews as Aemond!

[@p1ysaucedo]

Hope he works on projects in between seasons

[@blueeyedgossipgirl]

@@p1ysaucedohe said in a recent interview that he’s got a few things up his sleeve 😊

[@melissak8419]

I also wonder if Larys Strong is not telling anyone, but he and Alys Rivers are working together surreptitiously to keep Daemon occupied at Harrenhal, and that is why he's not concerned with Harrenhall. All these houses want Harrenhall, but don't realize the affect it will have on them. Just want Daemon to snap out of it and face Rhaenyra and come together so Team Black can step up. . .

[@regimebait5633]

I didnt have a fav character in the show until Aemond appeared.

[@p1ysaucedo]

Always appreciate Ewans insight

[@nadialittle5821]

I feel like now Aegon is 'crippled' Aemond feels he's levelled the playing field in the way that Aegon has always bullied him for his difference and now Aegon has to feel what Aemond has always felt

[@erikadixon8341]

This was an excellent episode, Ewan is phenomenal. SN: pretty clear now that Allicent has ZERO problems with a woman on the throne and just used her “legitimate” kids as pawns to devalue Rhaenyra. Very catty. 7:28

[@PikachuRaichu-es8mk]

Long Live King Aemond 💚💚

[@queenxx1690]

No

[@t-rexcellentreviews1663]

Prince Regent Aemond, he’s still not king yet.

[@PikachuRaichu-es8mk]

@@t-rexcellentreviews1663 Aemond is King, the only rightful heir 💚

[@thiphan6515]

Great interview and he provides such great in depth answers to his character

[@samf.s.7731]

Clare's work on episode 2, along with Sara's of course, is fantastic. Now, episode 2 had no bombastic action scenes, no shock value stuff, and no gimmicks. It's one of the best episodes in the series and that's based solely on the writing and the direction.

[@LauraCourtneyette]

I think Aemond kept the common folk locked into KL to deter the Blacks from attacking the city with dragons.

[@anchaleemathe9712]

Ewan makes work of arts l really love it.

[@val-xz]

He is not even allowed to act on this show. Aemond has less screentime than everyone from the main cast.

[@rexibhazoboa7097]

@@val-xz yet he is such a presence. Just like Hannibal in The Silence of the Lambs

[@val-xz]

@@rexibhazoboa7097 this show wastes Ewan's talent.

[@idontuploadanym0re]

what i like about this episode is that EVERYONE lost. both the blacks and the greens were massively undermined (in different ways). the young and healthy new king is on his deathbed, Daemon has created new animosity towards Rhaenyra in the riverlands, and there’s infighting everywhere. this is what war does. it causes confusion, blood feuds, and death.

[@AC-pp5ge]

Ewan is everything I swear.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Aegon is gonna need Viserys mask after that burn

[@Mordred14394]

I can't believe Ewan considered taking Vhagar on a date, haalp 😂

[@lamo1724]

I no longer understand Alicent's motivation here. Does she not want Rhaenyra to be on the throne because she's "not righteous", does she want her sons on the throne (without really caring about either of them), does she just want to rule, I don't get it. Alicent denied the opportunity for it NOT to descend in to war, but war is now here. I didn't understand her rationale for wanting to be regent... especially when she wasn't even interested in hearing about what's happening on the battlefields?? Xxx

[@Dudeli]

She wants to reign because she knows shit will get real when Aemond becomes the King. She thinks she could keep the war civil, which obviously is an illusion. She doesn’t want to accept the fact it’s too late.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

She wants to reign. Remember that conversation with Rhaenys. “Didnt you ever imagine yourself on the Iron throne?” Alicent wants to be in control for once, and she gets more ignored than Rhaenyra

[@emhu2594]

This show is so poorly written. What are they even trying to say with this show?

[@rexibhazoboa7097]

@@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195 Thats just what Rheanys thinks. Rheanys isn't right about everything

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

@@rexibhazoboa7097 No, Rhaenys was teasing her then, you’re completely right. But I think she also saw that Alicent is hungry for power, even before it was clear to everyone else

[@Esmaeili-FreePalestine]

Ewan's doing amazing with what they've given him. Aemond is my favorite character and he will remain my fav no matter how much the show runners try to butcher his character. He is loyal to Aegon and his family.

[@rahmatmanurung8133]

Many still love Aemond and even more now 😂 so don't worry about the changes. Ewan's acting and charisma on screen surely help Aemond's being in the spotlight.

[@Esmaeili-FreePalestine]

@@rahmatmanurung8133 My worries aren't about Aemond's popularity. I liked his character from the books and don't like how they portray him in the show. Ewan is the only reason I'm still watching this show! Wish him all the success.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Aemond to me always felt like the oldest

[@zombieboobies]

The second child usually feels that way when they grow older.

[@sigil5772]

Re the attitude of Ser Alfred - while it remains true today to some extent, I'm 63, and I can remember when women were severely policed and restricted; how they were supposed to dress, to behave, when to speak, what subjects they were permitted to speak about, literally if they should be allowed to _run_ or to sit at a bar drink a pint of beer. Rhaenyra coming up against the in-ground sexism of Westerosi society only follows on from the experience of Alicent with the Greens' small council, and I feel that this is a theme of this season, at least What can women do in such a society? - we are left with Mysaria's advice, that there is more than one way to fight a war. Props, therefore, to Baela standing up to her (hugely famous and heroic) grandfather.

[@BushmasterH]

Aemond is who draco malfoy thinks he is

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

true 😂

[@aidenoneal552]

Allicent girlbossed too close to the sun of the patriarchy and was somehow surprised when no one voted to help her out 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@melissak8419]

Prince Aemond said he intended to be found when ascended to power, the throne, and he was there at the Council table. The way Alicent was boiling inside while the men passed her over to rule in place of Aegon for Aemond. Baela laying it down for her Grandsire the Seasnake, you weren't the only one that lost her, she volunteered, she was a Targaryen Princess, and my Grandmother and she was the Queen that Never Was, she died like a dragon rider the same way my mother died, and I want to die. I am Fire and Blood not Salt and Sea. . . . Also bring on the dragon seeds. Vermithor in the preview for next week ready to come out and play . . . or eat. . .

[@chicotheworld9763]

i am 1000 percent with you all on the rhaenyra point. To the point where I am annoyed. Specially after the death of rhaenys. They have reason to be mad at you, dont give them a reason to abandon you. Get it together already Personally I always find the part of your show that offers critique to be the most interesting. Most shows really. I like rhaenyra, im team black but yeah her characterization is inconsistent. The fact that david mentioned it might be due to different episode directors is a good point. Why not have a more coherent season?

[@jessjess23brooks89]

Ryan needs to pull rank and tighten the ship. Each writer seems to have different visions for different characters. Don't get me started on Sarah Hess and her hatred of Daemon's character. I don't know how anyone could hate a single character from The Dance, because there is so little to work with and has an unreliable narrator.

[@addicted2anxiety559]

Ewan ain’t playing around quoting heat my man

[@movieloverfan18]

Baela can't be heir to Driftmark. She is engaged to Jace and will be queen after Rhaenyra. It is Rhaena who was engaged to Lucaerys who was supposed to rule Driftmark.

[@eminemisinthemafia]

clare is funny af. did not expect her to start gushing about the intricacies of depicting body horror lol

[@melindaburns980]

Ewan Mitchell does a good job playing the role of the evil Treasonous Ameond Treasonous Hightower

[@jiminnown6880]

long Live the king they say.. the Old gods says otherwise

[@cambion_entertainment]

28:20 A Live Action HTTYD set in Westeros would be DOPE

[@val-xz]

Why even invite Ewan when he is barely in the episode?????? Where are his scenes from the trailers?

[@nadialittle5821]

Because the episode is literally called Regent and that's all Aemond

[@Carlos2Dangerous]

This show needs to mind the spoilers for non book readers. Last week Jason confirmed that Aegon was still alive when they purposely left it open ended in the show. Don’t know if I can keep listening cause I don’t want stuff that’s yet to come be ruined

[@jessjess23brooks89]

You can hear him breathing in the final scene.

[@ianschmitt4991]

It's an adaptation. They've deviated from the source material. Aegon has a younger son named Maelor, that's not a spoiler because the show didn't include him

[@Carlos2Dangerous]

@@ianschmitt4991 doesn’t change the fact that Jason said he’s alive when going into listening to this pod I didn’t know that. It’s especially evident because I watched Talk the Thrones before this and they made sure to leave it as if they didn’t know if he was still alive when they know all the book material.

[@persephone342]

@@Carlos2Dangerousyou should tune out if you can’t handle the spoilers. Seriously. I’d never go onto someone’s channel and tell them what they should do. It’s fine to ask, but being aggravated by slight spoilers might suggest it’s best you listen to the podcast after the episode. Although, I’ve heard Condal mention book v show spoilers in those too. The two are quite different from one another IMO.

[@Carlos2Dangerous]

@@persephone342 they advertise it as a no spoilers podcast bozo

[@lashebawinston4906]

The podcast didn't mention Lady Arryn and Rhaena saying neither like being underestimated.

[@ScarlitWidow]

I have always believed that Daemon was on his own mission since he left dragonstone. I believe that Alyce wanted to make him the next green king and tie him to a tree on the isle of faces. I think she now sees he's fully evil and should not be the king.

[@lesliemisaacs]

How do you feel now after the finale?

[@ScarlitWidow]

@@lesliemisaacs awww thanks for asking. I'm so proud of Daemon 🫶🏻 he's still a very flawed person, but glad he came through for Rhaenera. Still think he's gonna swim to the Isle of Faces and be Bloodraven's predecessor

[@LyricalXilence]

@29:30 HE'S HERE!!!!

[@lashebawinston4906]

Aemond told Blackwood not to use his name and Blackwood did the atrocities under Aemond's banner.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

That was a dream sequence

[@persephone342]

That’s what I’m wondering. Is this all a dream sequence about Daemon seeing his future adversary’s weaknesses? I mean, Daemon had his “I need my mommy to soothe my insecurities” energy before marrying Rhae. However, he’s not looking for a mother replacement because he’s always liked younger women vs Aemond’s preference of older women. We could analyze the whole dream sequence and find a variety of contrasting details that may seem similar on the surface, but that’s as far as the similarities go. Just think about it.

[@SolarDragon007]

I hope it's a dream sequence or at least a partly distorted version of reality. If it is all real, the Blackwood guy is a moron for raising the Targaryen banner after Daemon told him not to.

[@lesliemisaacs]

You mean DAEMON.

[@lashebawinston4906]

@@lesliemisaacs DAMN!!! Thank you for the correction.😃👍

[@haymaker710]

Ewan Mitchell 29:29

[@joeoliveira8633]

It’s clear that Lady Frey wears the pants in that marriage and she clearly wants to support Raynera. Getting Harrenhal was a bonus.

[@ScarlitWidow]

I was just telling my boyfriend "I just love Jace's capes"

[@dhruv9744]

The best House of the Dragon/Game of Thrones podcast to watch is either Alt Shift X and Glidus or Quin the GM and Fantasy Haven.

[@SolarDragon007]

Imagine if Alt Shift and/or Glidus got to interview the actors.

[@dhruv9744]

@@SolarDragon007 I would pay money for that podcast. I heard they got to meet and chat with George Martin, I would kill to be a fly on that wall.

[@SHARKVADERS]

G O T !!!!!

[@Shakeyshooter596]

Keep the small folk in Kings landing so the Black Dragon riders can't attack the capital with massive collateral damage

[@erikadixon8341]

Exactly, we’ve seen that done before so I wasn’t surprised or confused by it at all. I actually love it because it’s setting up the real power-play.

[@SolarDragon007]

That didn't stop Rhaenys from slaughtering thousands of small folk in the Dragonpit. Does the show want us to think the Blacks care about civilian casualties or not? If so, having Rhaenys massacre everyone in the Dragonpit was a HUGE mistake on the part of the writers. It seems like the show desperately wants us to forget that scene.

[@AJITHJ23019]

45:30 ❤‍🔥

[@LaylaTow]

About what Daemon said to Blackwood i understood it differently. I thought that he was suggesting some seducing or marriage pacts. But seems that im the only one who understood it this way.

[@storyrhymezbycecedaun1944]

I just wanna know does the Mom/Sex Scene happen in the books?🤔

[@pumkinsky]

No

[@msherif428]

It's a history book, so whoever wrote it certainly didn't have access to whatever went on inside Daemon's head. That's where Ryan Condal is free to do whatever he wants.

[@samf.s.7731]

In the books, there's not much about Daemon's day to day life at Harrenhall, the reason being that none of the sources for the story is actually at Harrenhall. Which is actually ironic because Harrenhall and the lake it oversees, the god's eye, are so present in the story that they're definitely their own character. Edit: We don't even know how he interacted with Alys.

[@erikadixon8341]

Absolutely NOT. 1:05:18

[@SolarDragon007]

@@msherif428 That doesn't make every deviation or change from the book an improvement or even good in its own right. If the show changes something from the book, and the change makes the story, character(s), worldbuilding etc. weaker/less interesting, it should be fair game for criticism.

[@erikadixon8341]

I disagree with her interpretation of Daemon 1:04:07

[@ryanbonnett9851]

The commentators are such feminists. Although you guys are fans of Alicent I can tell, you have to see this entire war is basically her doing. And she’s a terrible mother. Aegon seems to need love, Aemond is angry and Halena was clearly abandoned as a child.

[@emmamartin4045]

The war was entirely Viserys’ fault. Had he been a better father to all of his children and a less passive king, the war would have been avoided.

[@ZWoof-rk8fl]

The silly giggling at things that are not funny is so grating. Please stop.

[@SchopfTalk1973]

I totally agree. Sometimes the giggling & silly comments (“Crispy King”) cause me to stop listening.

[@chasemorello60]

🐀🪤

[@robfield-n7v]

Deute. 18:10-14,

[@kathelenethomas4009]

Just curious....why do you two have to giggle at everything? You're not all that funny.

[@nahidrahman]

51:01 the announcer guy just sounds really lame. Like no real flow or enthusiasm. Or is that on purpose that the announcer is possibly doing this only under duress….

[@davisj7973]

aemond is atrocious

[@redbluebae4397]

Get rid of the pathetic pick me host understanding and siding with crispien

[@92ashleyweber]

You are so rude he’s actually a really good actor there was no need for that

[@Princebaby66]

😅