It’s no longer unusual for the House of the Dragon setting to exhibit upsetting and unsettling visuals given that Game of Thrones has already introduced how shocking the world of Westeros can be, from incest and necrophilia, to sadism and borderline-cannibalism.
However, just when we thought that we had seen the worst, House of the Dragon then again presented a dehumanizing act between its characters that highlighted a foot fetish.
In the Larys-Alicent scene in episode 9, "The Green Council," we see Alicent unveil her feet while Larys masturbates and spills secrets about spies in the Red Keep. Despite the lack of extravagant actions or dialogues, the encounter remains ugly and shameless in all lenses.
Speaking at the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention in Los Angeles via Entertainment Weekly, Matthew Needham, who plays Larys Strong, shared his insights regarding the disturbing scene, noting that it goes beyond a foot fetish.
“I don't think it's a foot fetish like we understand in 2022. I think it's weirder than that. It's not just about a man with a clubfoot being attracted to feet. It's that he can make her do it. This is a very disturbed person with a lot of trauma... It's about making her feel as much shame as she does for that part of her body as he does for his.” he explained.
Needman continued, “He can cut out tongues and he can cut out eyes. I think he likes that. I think he likes making people incomplete. He can't do that with her. He can, though, associate that part of her body with a trauma so that long after he's gone, she's got this sick feeling about it that's connected to that. That's the thing about assault like that: it makes the victim's body the scene of the crime, and I think that's what he likes to do. So I don't see it like he loves feet. It's the fact that she's not into it and he can make her do it.”
Given the actor’s explanation, Larys wants to see Alicent's feet because it’s one of his ways in attempting to manipulate events in order to elevate himself above those around him. The plot revealed Larys to be a dangerous manipulator who will go to any length to secure a position of power in Westeros, even if it means killing and burning people without receiving any orders to do so.
Also Read: House of the Dragon Star Teases Season 2 Vision of Lord Corlys
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones and its first season is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
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