House of the Dragon

What’s it about?

The House of the Dragon series depicts the events leading to House Targaryen's decline, ending in the devastating war of succession known as the "Dance of the Dragons."

In this episode, scheming starts after the murder of the heir to the throne. Heleana and Alicent are forced to join the funeral procession through King's Landing to make the people blame Rhaenyra for the death. Tensions rise as different characters pursue their own agendas, leading to conflicts and emotional confrontations.

The facts

• Directed by Clare Kilner
• English language
• Runtime: 66 minutes
• Based on parts of the book Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin which is set 200 years before the events seen in the series Game of Thrones.

Why did it get this rating?

This episode was self-rated by Neon. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence and content that may disturb

The series is known for its graphic and bloody violence, including sword fights, beheadings, brutal cruelty, and sexual violence. Some of the more challenging scenes include:

• The fallout after the murder of the young boy shows a bloody blanket carried from the room. Later a bloody mattress is also removed. The boy is later depicted in the funeral procession where we can see his head has been sewn back on.
• A group of men hang from the city walls. Their families are crying underneath them and we see close ups of some of their faces.
• A man is beaten in a prison cell after confessing to a crime. We see the initial impacts and then the scene ends, implying that the beating continued afterward.
• There is a sword fight at the end of the episode where both parties sustain injuries such as leg wounds.

Offensive language

Offensive language is used throughout the episode, including highly offensive words such as f*ck and c*nt.

Sex scenes

There is a sex scene at the end of the episode where a character initial slaps a man across the face but the altercation quickly turns to a passionate kiss. He then lifts up her dress and the scene ends.

Suicide

After having to kill someone from his past a man stabs himself in the chest with his own sword and falls to the ground. While the injury or body is not shown in detail the scene could be shocking for some viewers, especially those impacted by suicide.

Helplines:

The suicide could be upsetting for some viewers. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau? - Blog
• House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1: A Son for a Son – Content break down