It turns out that House of the Dragon has inherited many of the same traits shared by its predecessor (or successor?), Game of Thrones . Both the good and the bad.
After the premiere of the fifth and most recent episode, fans are up in arms over a particularly brutal scene that took place between Ser Criston Cole and Ser Laenor Velaryon’s gay lover , Joffrey Lonmouth.
Fans of HBO’s groundbreaking series, ‘Game Of Thrones’ understand that getting too close to a character often spells disaster.
Alas, who could forget the untimely death of Season 1’s flagship character, Ned Stark, or the tragic demise of his son, Robb, during the events of “The Red Wedding.”
In ‘Game Of Thrones’ it seemed that the more likable a character became, the more likely they were to meet their doom.
Characters such as Missandei, Khal Drogo, and even “The Mother of Dragons” readily spring to mind. But a careful examination of dispatched dramatis personae reveals that likability isn’t the only common thread.
Historically, queer characters haven’t fared well in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros — a trait which continues in the new prequel series, ‘House Of The Dragon’.
In the fifth and most recent episode of House of the Dragon , the wedding of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her cousin, Ser Laenor Velaryon, takes place.
Much like Princess Rhaneyra, Ser Laenor has little interest in marriage.
Marriage to a woman, that is. While the show neglects to mention outright the love that dares not speak its name, Laenor is most assuredly gay and his lover is a man named Joffrey Lonmouth.
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The Westeros we see in ‘House Of The Dragon’ is sadly even less accepting of homosexuality than in ‘Game Of Thrones’.
This anti-gay ideology is on full display during the brutal and bloody confrontation between Ser Criston Cole and Joffrey Lonmouth.
After approaching the knight and revealing that he has discovered the secret love between Ser Criston and Princess Rhaenyra — Joffrey is brutally beaten to death.
An act that several House of The Dragon fans have interpreted as being intrinsically homophobic and alienating toward the series’ queer audience.
Some have even gone so far as to label the act a hate crime.
Others were quick to point out how this unfortunate circumstance is status quo. “If there’s one thing about gay relationships in the Game of Thrones Universe, there’s never a happy ending ,” Twitter user @guppiechef chimed in.
This much is undeniably true: gay characters don’t fare well in Westeros.
Fans will no doubt recall Renly Baratheon from Season 2 of Game of Thrones . He was the youngest brother of king Robert Baratheon , beloved by all, and just like Joffrey Lonmouth — as queer as they come.
Unfortunately for Renly, he was murdered by a mysterious smoke monster during “The War of the Five Kings.”
A monster that was born during the carnal act of heterosexual love-making that took place between “The Red Woman” Melisandre and his eldest brother, Stannis Baratheon.
“The Red Viper,” Prince Oberyn of Dorne, was yet another sexually fluid character who met a brutal end.
During Season 4’s ” The Mountain and the Viper ,” Prince Oberyn met his demise after having his head crushed by Cersei Lannister’s champion — The Mountain.
Now, before you claim historical accuracy as an excuse against such egregious acts, I implore you to think again.
House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones are fictional TV shows. Surely, if we can suspend belief when it comes to dragons and ice zombies, the thought of two men sharing the same bed shouldn’t prick us so provocatively.
