How Kit & Emilia Revved Up Their Sexual Tension

Warning: Spoilers ahead about the Game of Thrones season 7 finale.

Did you, uh, enjoy that sex scene between Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington)? Don't worry, you weren't alone, even if you were equal parts turned on and repulsed. The sex scene we knew was coming finally arrived on last night's finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf," and it did not disappoint, even if we were yelling "STOP, YOU TWO ARE RELATED" at the screen. Game of Thrones is the only show on television that makes incest seem like the sexiest way to spend a Sunday night — and the actors worked to get themselves in the mood, too.

"Usually you go into a movie and meet [your costar] for the first time and you develop that chemistry over that time," Harington tells EW in a very revealing interview. "But if you’ve known somebody for seven years and shared this incredible journey in your own lives together … we’re both kind of freaking out about it. I would be like, ‘What’s the sexual tension in this scene?’ and she’s like, ‘Stop talking about sexual tension!’ It’s a unique experience to be in as an actor and you know the world is watching."

As we watched Dany and Jon's sexual tension blossom into a full-on boner moment, we're reminded that it all began when he showed up at her throne room at Dragonstone. They seemed thoroughly unimpressed with each other. Ultimately, their sexual tension began when they realized their differences as people — Dany is strong, forceful, and unrelenting; Jon is driven by honor and duty. The way those fundamental differences played out is what heightened their chemistry.

Emilia Clarke is a bit more straight to the point about the sex scene: "Just give me some sexy eyes, don’t keep talking about sexual chemistry all the time." Which makes sense — I'm not a Hollywood actor, but I'd imagine that overthinking a sex scene only makes it more awkward. Clarke also felt that the consent in the scene was lovely, remarking that "I love that when we get to the saucy stuff it’s a beautiful acceptance of a wordless … yep."

It's really fascinating to know that the actors are so thoughtful about how they approached this momentous even in their characters' lives. Since the characters have little insight into the true nature of their relationship as relatives, season 8 will presumably deal with Dany and Jon coming to terms with his truer claim to the Iron Throne. In the meanwhile, I suspect that I won't be the only one adding that sex scene to my YouTube bookmarks.