Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the first episode of “House of the Dragon.”
CNN
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Medieval-style medicine obviously had its limits. But a pivotal moment in the “House of the Dragon” premiere will likely resonate with many in a way that goes beyond the realm of fantasy and touches on real-world concerns about women’s reproductive rights.
In the opening chapter of the HBO series, the queen, Aemma Targaryen (Sian Brooke), is in the midst of hard labor. Her husband, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), is desperate for a son to secure a male heir to the throne, as per tradition.
Told the baby is a breached birth, medical advisers say the king faces a terrible choice, which will require either losing the baby or sacrificing the life of the mother to try to save it.
After agonizing for some time, the king chooses the latter, the blood loss resulting from the macabre procedure killing the queen.
Earlier in the episode, Aemma refers to women giving birth as “our battleground”, and thanks to the limited tools of the time, that’s especially true in the show’s reality. As James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter said, “The first season does to birth what ‘Game of Thrones’ did to weddings.”
Although the series is presented as a fictional fantasy, it’s impossible to entirely separate this from the abortion discussion since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, fueling a fierce debate over the issues of forced birth and women’s freedom to make their own healthcare choices. . Here, it is the husband (and not incidentally the head of state) who finally decides for her, with the most disastrous consequences.
The fact that the baby later dies doesn’t erase Viserys’ actions, though it ultimately prompts him to name his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), as his heiress, despite the break with tradition that entails. and the expectation that a future son, born to a new queen, will induce him to supplant her.
At its core, as the producers have acknowledged, the first season of “House of the Dragon” hinges on issues associated with a patriarchal society, a society where sons are preferred in the pressure to secure royal bloodlines, and the chaos and discord can ensue without such clear lines of succession.
Addressing these themes, executive producer Miguel Sapochnik said that a fundamental tension within the series is “the patriarchy’s perception of women”, noting that the exploration of this material – including the decision to anchor the story around its female characters – “made this show feel more contemporary.”
Although the main story features an earlier chapter in author George RR Martin’s struggles for the Iron Throne, the producers were clearly aware of the early reviews of “Game of Thrones.” This included incorporating people of color into the cast of “House” and, as Salon noted, using a more restrained approach to portraying sexual violence.
Clearly, the scale and setting of “House of the Dragon” suggests that it seeks to appeal to a variety of audiences on different levels, including spectacle, escapism, and its relationship to the mythology contained within. Martin’s writing and the previous series. But drama has a way of addressing issues relevant to our lives, even when it’s set in the past, the future, or an alternate version of reality.
So as for calling the series pure fantasy, as the premiere suggests and future installments will reinforce, don’t let the dragons fool you.