House of the Dragon showed once again that it would not shy away from wanton violence in its fifth episode, which was released in the early hours of Monday 19 September.
The scene was enough to shock fans, who noted how “graphic” it was.
Warning – spoilers ahead for ‘House of the Dragon’, episode five
The most recent episode culminates in the wedding between Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate).
Little do their families know that the pair have struck up a secret agreement to go through with the marriage for political purposes, but to pursue their own separate romantic interests, as it is also revealed that Laenor is gay.
At the festivities, Laenor’s lover, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod), discovers that Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is Rhaenyra’s love interest, and suggests that they both keep things quiet for their own good.
What he doesn’t know is that Rhaenyra has just recently spurned Cole’s advances to marry her. The knight, upset with being told by Lonmouth to “guard” Rhaenyra’s “secrets”, later flies into a rage, beating Lonmouth to a pulp with his bare hands.
When the knight is finally removed, viewers are shown a haunting image of Lonmouth’s face, which has been caved in by Cole’s fists.
Solly McLeod, Fabien Frankel in ‘House of the Dragon’
(HBO)
One fan called the scene “shocking”, while another wrote on Twitter: “Joffrey did not deserve to die just because Criston Cole didn’t understand the love between Joffrey and Leanor. Poor Joffrey mistook to assume Cole loved Rhaenyra the same way he loves Laenor. F*** Criston Cole.”
A third posted: “Joffrey I am so sorry my sweetest baby child no one has ever deserved anything less than that.”
A fourth said: “Deeply profoundly feeling really sick by this week’s episode of House of the Dragon. I do wish I had had a trigger warning for the graphic scene in it and the context of it.”
Another shared: “Well *THAT* scene in House of the Dragon was graphic.”
Read The Independent’s recap of episode five here.
House of the Dragon airs weekly on Sundays in the US, with the UK premiere arriving 2am the following morning on Sky. The episodes are then repeated at 9pm on Mondays, and will be available to stream on Sky and NOW after their initial airing.
