HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel was watched by a record-breaking international audience when it premiered earlier this week, but drew criticism on social media for including, without warning, a deadly childbirth scene. More from Deadline In the episode, King Viserys, played by Paddy Considine, orders his wife Aemma Aryn – played by Sian Brooke – to have a C-section while she is conscious, and the operation kills both her and the baby. While director Miguel Sapochnik told the press that he had consulted with several women before deciding to include the scene, some charities believed that a trigger warning should have been added before the episode. Jen Coates, the director of bereavement support charity Sands, told the BBC of the importance of shows like House of the Dragon making people aware of what can be shown. He said: “I think it’s quite traumatic for anyone actually. “With 13 babies dying every day in the UK, the situation also directly affects a huge community of people. “That way, people can be better equipped with the knowledge and make an informed decision to watch or skip certain scenes or episodes.” The creator of trigger spoiler site Doesthedogdie.com, John Whipple, added that he believes streaming services should try to “tailor the warnings to each user, possibly even suggesting what to watch based on a user’s specific trigger rules ». The best of the deadline The story continues Sign up for the deadline newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article.
