Top 10 Upsetting Moments from House of the Dragon

“The Princess and the Queen”

Only a few episodes ago, Laena Velaryon was but a young girl. By episode six, she’s a grown woman prepared to give birth to her third child with husband Daemon. If we’ve come to expect anything in “House of the Dragon,” it’s complications arising during labor. Laena is no exception, but this pregnancy takes a fierce turn. With the painful pregnancy bound to end in tragedy, Laena approaches her dragon Vhagar to put her out of her misery. Laena thus meets a fiery fate as she’s engulfed in flames while Daemon watches. Laena’s time on the show was brief, but like other short-lived characters in this franchise, she left a strong impression that made her demise all the more unexpected and horrifying.

“The Rogue Prince” & “Second of His Name”

Craghas Drahar didn’t attain the nickname “Crabfeeder” by handing out fish, shrimp, and algae to crustaceans. As we see from his handiwork at Stepstones, the masked Prince-Admiral isn’t content with swift executions. He pins foes down on the beach, leaving the crabs to slowly consume them alive until nothing but a skeleton is left. Daemon eventually faces Crabfeeder on the graveyard beach, which looks like a cross between the Normandy landings and Davy Jones’ Locker. Just when it seems like escape is off the table, Daemon goes beast mode amid a fleet of arrows and swords. A dragon wraps up the battle, but Crabfeeder is Daemon’s to finish. Crabfeeder receives a quicker demise than he permitted his enemies, but it’s every bit as dreadful.

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#8: The Green Wedding

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“We Light the Way”

Usually when a character named Joffrey dies at a wedding celebration, we’re all for it. Unlike a certain Baratheon’s demise, though, there’s no pleasure to be taken in Ser Joffrey Lonmouth’s vile death. At the Green Wedding, Joffrey conveys to Criston that he knows about him and Rhaenyra. It might not have been Joffrey’s intention, but Criston construes this as blackmail. As chaos erupts among the crowd, Criston kills Joffrey in cold blood without an ounce of restraint. By the time Criston is finished, Joffrey’s face is a smashed pumpkin. A devastated Laenor can still recognize what’s left of his lover, however. Criston’s actions are beyond deplorable, not to mention unnecessary. Joffrey wouldn’t be the last person to die for touching upon Rhaenyra’s sex life.

“The Rogue Prince”

Yeah, there’s an age difference between Viserys and Alicent, but the entirety of their relationship isn’t nearly as icky as this scene. After only six months of being a widow, Viserys is pressured to find a new Queen. Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen present their daughter, Lady Laena. While the union makes sense politically, there’s one cringey catch: Laena is 12. It’s pointed out that Laena wouldn’t have to perform… um, certain duties… until she’s 14, but that doesn’t make the proposed marriage any less unethical. When Viserys and Laena go on a walk to discuss the potential pairing, it pretty much puts all other awkward dates to shame. Viserys thankfully rejects the offer, but we’d like to erase this exchange from our memory banks.

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#6: Hold Your Tongue

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“The Lord of the Tides”

The illegitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children is essentially the worst-kept secret in the Seven Kingdoms. Even those who deny it probably know what’s going on deep down. That doesn’t mean you should bring it up in public, however. Vaemond makes the fatal mistake of not only calling Rhaenyra out, but doing so with such coarse words. With Lucerys set to inherit Driftmark, Vaemond isn’t in the right state of mind as his disappointment gets the better of him. Vaemond appears unfazed as the deteriorating Viserys threatens him, but he didn’t count on Daemon coming up from behind. We’ve seen characters lose their heads more than a few times. Seeing everything from the tongue-up go is strangely even more disturbing, though.

“The Heirs of the Dragon”

We’ve seen the bloodshed Daemon can unleash on his own. So, you can imagine the brutality when the strength of the City Watch is at his command. Nobody is safe as the soldiers in gold start rounding up the people of King’s Landing. Daemon may call it a hunt, but it’s nothing short of a massacre. As hands are chopped off, it appears we’ve seen the worst they can do. That’s a small price, however, compared to what one man endures. We’ll spare you the graphic imagery, but allow us to reenact what every viewer was thinking during this moment: “Why are they pulling down his pants? Is that a thumb they just cut off? Why is it so big… oh… we get it. Gross.”

“King of the Narrow Sea”

Incest is far from a foreign concept in this franchise, but there’s always a yuck factor whenever it arises. When Daemon and Rhaenyra reunite, they head off into King’s Landing for some quality uncle and niece time. As the night progresses, it becomes evident that Daemon has something other than family bonding on his mind. Adding to the vulgarity, Rhaenyra is into him, although Daemon decides not to go through with it. Uneasy conversations still await as Viserys interrogates Daemon about his daughter while Alicent confronts Rhaenyra with a rather blunt question. Although the night could’ve gone in an even lewder direction, Rhaenyra and Daemon remain too close for comfort. Even at her wedding, Rhaenyra finds her uncle more alluring than the groom.

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#3: An Eye for a Dragon

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“Driftmark”

Aemond upgrades from a pig to a dragon, although it’s not easy for the audience to make out his darkly-lit first flight. Speaking of vision, Aemond will have to get used to flying with one eye. A fight erupts when the kids learn that Rhaena has been denied her mother’s dragon. It’s brutal (yet admittedly satisfying) when Lucerys stands up for himself and his family’s honor. The night is just tensing up, as Alicent demands an eye for an eye. Up until this point in the series, Alicent has done a commendable job at keeping her cool. When Viserys denies these demands, though, Alicent takes matters into her own hands. Alicent settles for slashing Rhaenyra’s arm, but only because Aemond is content with his dragon.

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#2: King Viserys, Not Quite Dead Yet

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Various

David Cronenberg wasn’t involved in this show, but several scenes concerning Viserys could be mistaken for his signature body horror. The King’s gnarly flesh wound in the pilot is just a small taste of the rotting flesh that awaits. Halfway through the season, it appears Viserys has met his end. Many were surprised to find him alive in the following episode, albeit not looking his best. By the final chapter of his life, Viserys can barely make it to the Iron Throne. Half of his face needs to be covered with a mask, although his other side isn’t exactly his good side. Being one of the show’s more honorable characters, it’s sad when death finally collects Viserys, but it also comes with great relief.

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#1: The Queen Is Dead

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“The Heirs of the Dragon”

The birth of Rhaenyra’s third child isn’t a breeze, but it’s a stroll in the park compared to what her mother suffers in the premiere. After numerous failed attempts to deliver an heir, Viserys is confident that his Queen will finally grant him a son. When the pregnancy takes a turn for the worse, Viserys makes the heartbreaking decision to sacrifice Aemma in hopes that their son will live. The child is born, but his time on Earth is tragically short. As if Viserys couldn’t be experiencing more grief, Daemon has the nerve to call the late prince “the heir for a day.” All of this sets a precedent for another show where we shouldn’t get too attached to anybody, but we can’t help it.