House of the Dragon, Season 3, Episode 1

What’s it about?

Driven by her faith in Alicent, Rhaenyra positions herself to take King's Landing while the Triarchy sails to take on Corlys in the Gullet.

The facts

• Directed by Loni Peristere
• Written by Ryan Condal
• Starring Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), James Norton (Happy Valley), and Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers)
• English language
• Runtime: 66 minutes
• The season covers part of the events of Fire & Blood, a prequel novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R. R. Martin
• An HBO Max production

Why did it get this rating?

Bloody violence

Violence or the threat of violence is relatively frequent, though not as bad as other episodes in the franchise. Some of the strongest scenes include:

• Characters are killed with swords on a burning battlefield. There are screams, blood splatter, and dead bodies lying everywhere.
• A similar battle is fought on burning ships, with swords slicing and stabbing characters, causing blood spurts and death.
• People are bludgeoned over the head, which causes graphic, bloody violence – we see their skulls and faces badly damaged, but only briefly. We can hear the squelch sounds.

Offensive language

There is some use of offensive language, especially in time of stress, including “f*ck”, “f*cking”, and “c*nt”.

Sexual violence

A female character hurries crying from a tent, covering her semi-naked body, with a bare breast exposed. A man comes out of the tent buttoning his trousers. It is implied there has been a sexual assault. The scene is very brief and in the background to the main action.

Content that may disturb

There is a lingering kiss on the lips between two characters who are presented as mother and adult son.

Helplines

The sexual violence could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. 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?
• Read the content breakdowns on earlier episodes of House of the Dragon here