House of the Dragon Season 3 Features Unnecessary Sexual Assault Scene
I thought we were past this bullshit, Game of Thrones. After all the complaints regarding the original series’ treatment of women—specifically the frequent inclusion of sexual assault—I expected House of the Dragon to take a different approach. Set more than 100 years before the original show, this spinoff had the opportunity to move away from the graphic tropes that defined its predecessor. Instead, the latest episode of season three proves that the showrunners have not moved on.
In the most recent episode, Alicent Hightower, the Dowager Queen, is cornered by a member of the king’s council while attempting to flee the capital with her family. The man confronts her regarding an illicit relationship with a member of the Kingsguard, leading to a violent altercation. While Alicent is saved from the assault in the nick of time, the scene lingers in a way that feels both cruel and unnecessary.
A Recurring Problem for the Franchise
Watching this play out is infuriating. The original Game of Thrones series relied heavily on sexual violence, featuring prominent characters like Cersei Lannister, Sansa Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen in assault scenes. That legacy sparked years of fandom backlash and critical thinkpieces, leading many to believe that a new series would aim for a more thoughtful approach to such heavy subject matter.
When media incorporates sexual assault, it should serve a clear narrative purpose—whether that is character development or moving the plot forward. In this instance, the House of the Dragon scene fails on all fronts. The attacker is a minor character of little consequence to the overall story. The assault offers no growth for Alicent, who has already been rendered powerless by the men around her in far more nuanced ways. Most frustratingly, this event was created from whole cloth; it does not exist in the source material.
Why It Matters
The show’s core conflict revolves around two queens navigating a war of succession. By focusing on these two powerful women, the series has actually demonstrated a strong ability to show how they are stripped of agency without relying on tired, harmful tropes. Including this scene feels like an attempt to use sexual assault as “seasoning” to remind viewers they are watching a Game of Thrones property, rather than an organic plot development.
For those of us watching as survivors, these moments are not just “unfortunate parts of life” to be depicted for shock value. They are heavy, painful moments that deserve more care than this show has provided. House of the Dragon had the chance to be different, and with this latest episode, it chose to repeat the mistakes of the past.