'Game of Thrones' stars talks incest scene

The seventh season finale of the HBO series Game of Thrones, titled “The Dragon and the Wolf,” drew 12.1 million viewers, representing a 36 percent increase from the 8.9 million viewers who watched the season six finale. Overall, the seventh season of the Emmy-winning show attracted 30.8 million viewers, an increase of nearly 8 million from the previous season.

The finale featured a romantic scene between the characters Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington, and Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke. Because the characters are actually aunt and nephew, the actors described filming the scene as “weird.” Clarke noted that both characters likely know the relationship is wrong and will cause problems. She recalled that during filming, both actors joked about the awkwardness of the situation, and she predicted that some viewers might react to the incestuous development with disgust.

Harington commented on his character’s perspective, noting that Jon Snow believed he was simply meeting a queen to negotiate, unaware of her true identity as his aunt. The report also noted that Jon’s righthand man, Ser Davos, has a quip prepared regarding the relationship. Other cast members, including Isaac Hempstead Wright and Peter Dinklage, shared their thoughts in a video about the scene, concluding that the series is historically unkind to characters who pair up romantically.