House of the Dragon season 3 has had a lot to love so far, but there was one particular episode 2 scene we could have done without – and odds are you already know the moment we’re talking about. For those who haven’t yet watched the episode, though, allow this to serve as your warning that spoilers are coming!
Trigger warning: This article mentions sexual assault
Following the Battle of the Gullet, things really began moving quickly in episode 2 with Alicent and Rhaenyra putting their agreed-upon plan from the season 2 finale into motion. Alicent began putting things into motion back in King's Landing. She seeks out Commander Largent and informs him that Rhaenyra was to be allowed entry into the Red Keep and to then take the throne in the interest of peace.
News of her secret meeting with the City Watch made its way back to Lord Jasper, the Master of Laws on Aegon’s Small Council, who surprises Alicent in her room. It quickly becomes apparent from the tone of his voice and the disgraceful remarks that he has ill-intentions.
“We all find what enjoyment we can as the world heads into darkness. You, for instance. You found much enjoyment with Ser Criston. Did you not?” he remarks coldly as he lurks closer until he’s beside her.
Lord Jasper forcibly pulls Alicent close to him as she reminds him that the penalty for what he’s about to do is death, and he remarks about her secret meeting with the City Watch. It’s clear that Lord Jasper is intent on sexually assaulting Alicent as he makes further advances, to which she begs him to let her go. This only fuels him further as he orders her to “plead with me.”
She attempts to hit him with a trinket from her desk, but he fights back and easily overpowers her. He throws Alicent to the ground and pins her down on the floor, holding her hands in place behind her back with the intent to rape. Alicent screams out for help, and, thankfully, Grand Maester Orwyle hears her screams and enters the room in time to put a stop to things before Lord Jasper is able to harm Alicent further.
Lord Jasper calls Alicent a traitor and orders Orwyle to arrest her for treason, but Orwyle makes it clear that while he cannot speak to where Alicent might have been earlier in reference to her meeting with the City Watch, he knows what he saw upon entering the room and orders the guards to arrest Lord Jasper.
While the scene thankfully stops short of depicting the assault itself, it felt unnecessary and gratuitous with the show continuing the unsettling trend Game of Thrones set a precedent for in frequently depicting sexual violence against women.
The entire sequence of events came out of left field, and a confrontation between Lord Jasper and Alicent could have unfolded through other means without resorting to an attempted rape. Instead, the show once again leans on the threat of sexual violence against a female character as shorthand for raising the stakes. It's a storytelling device that has become an all-too-familiar hallmark of the Game of Thrones franchise, which has long faced criticism for its frequent use of sexual assault and attempted rape as a source of drama.
Given that House of the Dragon has often been praised for taking a more mindful approach than its predecessor, this moment felt like an unnecessary step backward and was downright lazy writing.
House of the Dragon has shown it's capable of delivering some of television's most gripping drama without resorting to tired shock tactics that Game of Thrones deployed over the course of its run. Hopefully, this proves to be an isolated misstep rather than a step back into the franchise’s worst storytelling habits.
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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