House of The Dragon criticized for not including a trigger warning ahead of birthing scene

The first episode of Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon is currently streaming on HBO, and it is every bit as dark, powerful, visceral, disturbing, and stunning to look at, just as George R. R. Martin prophesied. The premiere had several gut-wrenching, emotional, visually aesthetic, and gory sequences during its run of an hour and six minutes. However, one particular scene stood out amongst the rest. Queen Aemma Arryn’s painful birthing sequence, and her and her newborn son’s subsequent death, shook the audience to their core, and has been criticized by some for not issuing a warning ahead of the scene.

Jen Coates, the director of bereavement support charity Sands, talked to BBC about why the showrunners should have warned viewers early on in the episode, “I think it’s fairly traumatic for anybody actually. With 13 babies dying every day in the UK, the situation impacts an enormous community of people directly too. That way, people can be better equipped with the knowledge and make an informed decision to watch or skip particular scenes or episodes.”

John Whipple, the creator of trigger spoiler website Doesthedogdie.com, also added to the issue, “Streaming services should try to tailor the warnings to each user, possibly even recommending what to watch based on a user’s specific triggers.”

Right after the streaming of the first episode, a lot of fans came forward on social media pointing out how horrific the scene was. Was it horrifying for you? Tell us in the comments below!

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