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House of the Dragon may be the prequel to Game of Thrones, but it follows the original show. The creators have learned some lessons from the predecessor, including lessons about the depiction of sexual violence. Game of Thrones depicted a lot of rape and sexual violence which rightfully sparked conversations about whether it was truly necessary in a fictional kingdom. House of the Dragons Executive Producer Sara Hess recently shared her views on the place of sexual violence in the prequel. 

'House of the Dragon': Daemon (Matt Smith) holds Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock)'s chin in a crowd
Matt Smith and Milly Alcock | Ollie Upton/HBO

Hess was a guest on the House of the Dragon podcast on Sept. 18. When the hosts asked her to clarify her previous comments on sexual violence, Hess got specific. New episodes of House of the Dragon premiere Sundays on HBO Max.

‘House of the Dragon’ has to address the portrayal of sexual violence

Given sexual violence was such a part of Game of Thrones, the question necessarily comes up when returning to the world of Westeros. House of the Dragons Executive Producer Miguel Sapochnik told The Hollywood Reporter that sexual violence “shouldn’t be downplayed and it shouldn’t be glorified.” Creator Ryan Condal later told Complex that the show would reflect the last 10 years of conversations regarding the depiction of sexual abuse on screen. Hess also took the question head on.

“That is definitely a fair question and one that I, as a female EP, am extremely concerned with,” Hess said on the House of the Dragon podcast. “I would like to clarify that I didn’t say that we are not going to portray sexual violence ever. I’m not saying that we are. I don’t know. There are hopefully going to be several more seasons of this show so it’s not off the table.”

‘House of the Dragon’ won’t invent scenes just to depict more sexual violence 

The rape scenes in Game of Thrones did come from George R.R. Martin’s books. House of the Dragon is based on his Fire & Blood, so Hess said they certainly won’t add anything that wasn’t there just to have more sexual violence in the show. There already was the orgy where Daemon (Matt Smith) did things to Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) you shouldn’t do with your niece.

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“We didn’t feel the need to put in what wasn’t in the book,” Hess said. “That’s definitely a part of the world and something that if it is necessary, we will not shy away from, but I think there’s got to be a lot of thought about how it’s portrayed.”

The show deals with the oppression of women 

Hess also pointed out that House of the Dragon is about the patriarchy. Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to King Viserys (Paddy Considine)’s throne but Westeros isn’t ready to accept a Queen. Hess is interested in all the ways patriarchy oppresses women. 

“It’s also a more nuanced point to make, I think, that you don’t have to be raped to be oppressed and traumatized,” Hess said. “I think I’m more interested in the more subtle ways that it plays out.”s

  • How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. 
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