For as amazing as the Game of Thrones TV series was, it was also riddled with some polarizing choices. A few examples are Bran sitting on the Iron Throne, Jon Snow being killed only to be brought back to life almost immediately, and the Battle of Winterfell being so dark that audiences could barely see anything. However, there is one specific aspect of the show that constantly infuriated audiences, and it was its needless depiction of sexual violence against its female characters.
Before the first season of House of the Dragon was released, writer and executive producer Sara Hess stated that the prequel show would not repeat this mistake, as it would "not depict sexual violence" on screen.
For the most part, the promise was kept, as audiences would only hear about (but not see) the horrors of the war. A perfect example is when House Blackwood brought House Bracken to heel, committing no shortage of atrocities along the way. This moment was never explicitly showcased, but it was still explained to us. Unfortunately, season 3 has brought this streak to an end, doing a big disservice to one of its most important characters along the way.
Trigger warning: This article mentions sexual assault
The assault on Alicent breaks House of the Dragon's promise not to depict sexual violence on screen
During House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, audiences explicitly see Jasper Wylde (Paul Kennedy) sexually assault Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) just as she is trying to flee King's Landing. The promise not to portray this kind of event on the small screen was unfortunately broken there and then, regardless of the narrative justification for the scene. But to make matters worse, there... wasn't any big narrative justification for this.
The assault ends up feeling like an excuse to send Jasper to the dungeons, where Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) would go looking for him, only to come across Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) as well. However, this comes at the expense of Alicent's character, and this couldn't have happened at a worse moment either.
Just an episode prior, Alicent was kissed by her own son, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), and the scene played out for shock value more than anything. After all, it's not like such a moment was even acknowledged during episode 2, just like the assault will likely be ignored in episode 3. Refusing to explore the repercussions that these events have on Alicent only makes them even more shallow and unnecessary.
Alicent has been constantly undermined by the many men around her. Otto Hightower used her as a means to get closer to the crown and also went against most of her early ideas when the two were in the Small Council. Furthermore, Aemond ended up removing her from the council despite the fact that she basically reigned over the Seven Kingdoms when King Viserys Targaryen (Patrick Considine) was sick.
These acts had huge ramifications that were explored in the show. After all, this is what eventually led Alicent to try to strike a deal with Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). Better yet, none of this was accomplished without relying on any depiction of sexual violence, so why start now?
House of the Dragon broke one of its biggest promises to audiences, but let's hope that this is a one-time thing as opposed to a new trend that will take over the show's last two seasons.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.
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