Full Breakdown
Harry Collett’s On-Set Death and the Controversial Mother-Son Kiss Define *House of the Dragon*’s Season-3 Premiere
6/22/2026, 9:28:45 PM
Jacaerys Velaryon’s On-Set Death in the Battle of the Gullet
The season-three premiere of HBO’s *House of the Dragon* opened with the naval clash dubbed the Battle of the Gullet. Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) is hurled into the sea by a projectile, fights to keep his dragon Vermax afloat, and is finally pierced by four arrows that embed in his torso. The character’s death concludes the episode’s opening act, prompting an audible gasp from the live audience at the London premiere.
Production Context and Filming Challenges
The sequence was shot over two days in 2025 at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios. Collett, then 22, was strapped to a motorised saddle that repeatedly raised and lowered him into a massive tank of “really cold” water. Scuba divers hovered nearby for safety. Because clothing naturally buoyed him, the saddle system was required to simulate drowning. Collett’s riding gloves released coloured dye, turning his hands blue and briefly alarming the on-set medic.
On-the-Ground Reactions at the London Premiere
In a Zoom interview two weeks after the premiere, Collett said he waited to tell his parents about his character’s death until they were seated at the event. He described his mother’s verbal “oh!” and his father’s facial expression as “unreal.” The interview was conducted from his Stockholm hotel room, a stop on a worldwide promotional tour.
Official Statements & Showrunner’s Vision
Showrunner Ryan Condal told *Entertainment Weekly* that the episode was “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.” He added, “If we were gonna do it, we had to do it right. And that meant dragons and ships and multiple theatres of conflict,” comparing the Battle of the Gullet to the Battle of Helm’s Deep in *The Lord of the Rings*. HBO confirmed that season-three episodes will stream weekly on Mondays via HBO Max.
Criticism & Opposition: The Mother-Son Kiss
Episode one also featured a mother-son kiss between Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his mother Alicent (Olivia Cooke). Fans expressed strong discomfort. One X user wrote, “That was easily the most uncomfortable kiss I’ve ever seen on TV.” Others called the moment “unnecessary and uncomfortable as hell,” while a minority defended it as a reflection of Targaryen family dynamics, noting, “He’s a Targaryen, what do you expect.” The scene sparked a wave of reaction GIFs and commentary across social media.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I waited to tell them [that I died] until we were sitting at the premiere,” — Harry Collett, Actor
- “So they clipped me [to the saddle] and I actually went down [underwater] each time,” — Harry Collett
- “When I got out of the water, the medic ran over and was like, ‘You need to come with me right now,’” — Harry Collett
- “My hands had turned blue and she thought I had hypothermia…” — Harry Collett
- “— Victory (@victory_enzo) June 22, 2026 That was easily the most uncomfortable kiss I’ve ever seen on TV.” — @DrAmaraRoxa, X user
- “He’s a Targaryen, what do you expect” — @victory_enzo, X user
Impact and Audience Reception
The juxtaposition of a graphic on-screen death and a provocative incestuous kiss amplified the episode’s shock value, reinforcing *House of the Dragon*’s reputation for boundary-pushing storytelling. Critics highlighted the death scene as evidence of the series’ production ambition, while the kiss ignited debate over narrative necessity versus sensationalism. Social-media discourse reflected both admiration for technical execution and concern over gratuitous content.
What’s Next
Season-three continues to release new episodes weekly on Mondays via HBO Max. Viewers anticipate further developments in the Targaryen civil war and the narrative consequences of Jacaerys’s death and Aemond’s controversial actions.
