Warning: spoilers ahead for the episode 10 finale of House of the Dragon. Content warning for references to baby loss.
House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy has opened up about the backlash the show received over the inclusion of several hard-hitting birth scenes, the latest coming from the season finale.
A few days ago, episode 10 of the Game of Thrones prequel was released, revealing how Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma) reacted to her father’s death and the news that her half-brother Prince Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) had ascended the Iron Throne behind her back.
Upon discovering what’s happened in King’s Landing, Rhaenyra goes into labour prematurely, before delivering a stillborn baby in scenes that show the child’s bloody body lying on the ground before being cradled by their mother.
This marked the latest in several birth scenes on the show, the first of which showed Rhaenyra’s mother, Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke), being forced to undergo a C-section that resulted in her bleeding to death in episode one.
While many people have praised House of the Dragon for depicting childbirth in a way rarely seen on screen, some have criticised the graphic nature of the scenes, particularly as they could be triggering for people who have experienced birth trauma or been through pregnancy or baby loss.
When asked about the criticism, Emma admitted that they hadn’t ‘seen loads of it to honest’.
They continued to GQ magazine: ‘But I take real issue with the idea that we shouldn’t see women in labour depicted with gritty realism, and blood, and placentas. Especially on a show where part of its USP is big, gory battle sequences.’
The 30-year-old said that they felt as though ‘we want women to conform to a certain image’, which they found ‘interesting’ when it comes to acting.
‘There’s also a lot of fun to be had getting to do the big physical, physically demanding sequences. And it’s interesting that maybe sometimes that is not afforded to female characters,’ they stated.
Speaking about the scene from the finale, Emma referenced how Rhaenyra refuses the help of her attendants while giving birth to her baby.
‘The advice Rhaenyra is receiving is to have patience, in the hope of preventing the child being stillborn or preventing harm to the child. And she ignores the advice, seeking instead to get this body out of her,’ the Wanderlust star said.
‘And I think it’s really fundamental, and it will be possibly divisive, but ultimately I think she chooses her own bodily autonomy. She prioritises her own bodily autonomy. She literally says in the scene, like “get it out”.’
House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
Pregnancy loss helpline
For emotional support, you can contact Miscarriage Association’s pregnancy loss helpline on 01924 200799 or email info@miscarriageassociation.org.uk.
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