House of the Dragon Showrunner Explains That Controversial Birthing Scene in the Finale

Sunday night's season finale of House of the Dragon had a number of dramatic moments, but few as divisive and controversial as yet another traumatic birth for the series. In the episode, Rhaenyra Targaryen goes into premature labor upon learning that her brother, Aegon, had usurped her, taking the death of their father King Viserys to steal the throne from her. With her pregnancy nowhere near far enough along for the child to survive, Rhaenyra is forced to deliver her dead child and, more than that, does so without accepting any help. It's a brutal and disturbing scene and it's one that drew a lot of ire from fans online, in part because it's the fourth disturbing and traumatic birth the series has shown to date. Now, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal is speaking out about that scene and explaining why Rhaenyra handled the situation the way that she did, connecting it to the death of her own mother following a horrific C-section in the premiere.

"That's very astute. There's a lot going on in that scene; she's going through an emotional hurricane," Condal told The Hollywood Reporter, with the scene being compared to how Rhaenyra's own mother died in childbirth in the series premiere. "A big part of it is that Rhaenyra swore she was not going to go the way of her mother. That's the reason that she didn't want to get married if you go back to her resisting all the suitors. She's also dealing with the news her father has passed away and her extended family has seized the opportunity to steal her throne from her. That news together has caused such stress that it has caused her to essentially have a miscarriage. The baby has not come far enough to term where, in this world, that she would be hopeful of giving a viable birth."

He continued, "And in the moment that this happens, Daemon takes the first opportunity to stalk off and try to start a war instead of staying at her side and helping her. So, I just think at a very simple human level in that scene, she simply doesn't want to be touched by anybody"

What Are House of the Dragon's Season 2 Plans?

"We will get to the spectacle," showrunner Ryan Condal told The Times (via Deadline). "But you have to understand these people's complexities before they're thrown into war. Series two will hit the rhythms people came to expect from the middle run of Game of Thrones, but it will have been earned, and viewers will feel the tragedies because we put the work in."

"We are beyond proud of what the entire HOUSE OF THE DRAGON team has accomplished with season one," Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, of HBO Programming previously said in a statement. "Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV. A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn't be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two."

The first season of House of the Dragon is now streaming on HBO Max.