It’s finally happened… Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) cut her hand on the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon season three episode six, just like her father. Ryan Condal has now explained the significance of this moment. Cast your mind back to the very first episode of the Game of Thrones prequel, and you’ll remember King Viserys (Paddy Considine) sliced his finger on the throne of swords after an angry confrontation with his brother Daemon (Matt Smith). In Westerosi lore, every cut from the Iron Throne is seen as a bad omen. Legends claim the throne rejects rulers who are unworthy to sit upon it, although whether there’s any truth to that belief remains open to interpretation. Credit: HBO Viserys’ own wounds became symbolic of the physical and emotional toll of ruling the Seven Kingdoms. While the cut itself didn’t kill him, it became one of the first visible signs of the physical and metaphorical rot that would eventually claim his life. Fast forward to season three episode three and, after much bloodshed, Rhaenyra finally took her seat. She seemed to be unscathed, but the realities of serving as Queen in a deteriorating society have continued to snowball. In this week’s episode, she faces more requests from the smallfolk who complain about the disappearing City Watch and resources. Rhaenyra tries to keep things under control, promising she’s sent for Velaryon men, but this does little to quell their concerns. As tensions rise, she looks down at her hand to notice blood on her finger from a cut, the same wound that her father faced. House of the Dragon director and executive producer Loni Peristere went into more detail about this moment in HBO’s deep dive into season three episode six. Credit: HBO “One of the greatest scenes in the series is the moment that Rhaenyra cuts her finger on the Iron Throne. We all know what that means. There’s infections that follow. There’s rot that follows,” he explained. “It basically reveals what’s ultimately happening for real in Rhaenyra’s tenure as queen.” Adding to this, Emma D’Arcy said, “There’s obviously some significant foreshadowing in this moment, though I don’t know to what extent Rhaenyra is cognisant of its significance. “Viserys kept his own condition very private. I don’t know how she could know that the throne was the root of his illness.” Instead, D’Arcy believes Rhaenyra perceives it as part of a broader hostility. “I think she experiences the throne and the crown and the council, the sort of vestiges of leadership, as hostile in some way,” they said. Showrunner Ryan Condal also elaborated on Rhaenyra’s cut, suggesting its significance is more symbolic. “She’s torn between the old principles of Daemon and the new, progressive principles of Viserys,” he said. “It’s more of a symbol to show the struggle that she is going through and to remind her that Viserys looms very large in her life.” Loni finished by saying, “That cut on Rhaenyra’s finger becomes an instigating event for a lot of bad things.” While he stopped short of revealing exactly what those “bad things” are, Fire & Blood readers already know Rhaenyra’s reign only grows darker from here as the Dance of the Dragons spirals further out of control. And with just two episodes to go of season three, just don’t go expecting any happy resolutions in the finale. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured images credit: HBO Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
