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Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5, the book 'Fire & Blood,' and the larger lore of A Song of Ice and Fire.As the franchise continues to explore Westeros' history, there is one major problem: fans know what to expect. The issue doesn't stem from Game of Thrones' reputation or even George R.R. Martin's books, but from the content of the other shows. While some spoilers are unavoidable, as fans can anticipate which families remain prominent long after House of the Dragon's civil war, others take it a step too far as characters directly discuss the historic figures of Westeros who have major roles in other franchise projects, making it impossible for fans to avoid spoilers.
Initially, the issue came about by accident when, long before anyone expected a prequel series, Game of Thrones mentions the events of House of the Dragontwice, one with Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) specifically spoiling the story's ending. Though unfortunate, this was an odd coincidence. However, more recently,House of the Dragon continued this tradition by giving away a pivotal part of Aegon's Conquest despite the upcoming prequel film about the event. While the detailed world-building is an integral part of the franchise, the problem will only grow with more prequels on the way, making it more difficult for fans to be surprised by the new releases.
'House of the Dragon' Brings Up Dorne's Complicated History
House of the Dragon has made no secret of its connections to Game of Thrones, but the series also references an upcoming franchise project. Recently, Warner Bros. announced that the franchise would release a film, choosing the story of Aegon's Conquest. Of course, much of this story will not be a surprise because Aegon I is such an important figure in Westeros. Going in, fans can expect him to unite Westeros and establish the Targaryen dynasty that leads to every story they've seen so far. But there is more to it than that, and House of the Dragon just spoiled one of the most interesting plot points.
In Season 3, Episode 5, "Unbowed and Unbent,"House of the Dragon shows Ormund Hightower (James Norton) lecturing Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) on history, focusing on a particularly important moment in Aegon's Conquest as he tells of Dorne. The scene reveals that Dorne was the only kingdom to resist Aegon the Conqueror, as Ormund describes Meria Martell and her methods of protecting her people. Known as the Yellow Toad of Dorne, Meria was an old woman when Aegon I set his eyes on Dorne. She poisoned the wells, hid her soldiers, and defeated her enemies in a surprise attack. With these tactics, Dorne remained unconquered and continued to fight the Targaryens for generations. This one event sparked several Dornish Wars, and even led to the death of a dragon. Though Dorne eventually joined the realm, it was through a marriage alliance a few generations after House of the Dragon.
'House of the Dragon's Spoiler Is Part of a Larger Problem
It's a shame that House of the Dragon reveals this aspect of history because it deserves to be a major part of Aegon I's prequel film. Not only is it the only defeat he suffers, but fans know Dorne to be part of the Seven Kingdoms, which could have allowed this loss to be a shock when the film comes out. However, House of the Dragon is just the most recent example of this. Game of Thrones not only gave away plot points of House of the Dragon, but also contains hints about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms characters. In the same scene where he reveals Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) fate, Joffrey explains Aerion's (Finn Bennett) future as well. Additionally, Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) tells Jon (Kit Harington) of his family, revealing that both Maekar (Sam Spruell) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) will eventually become kings despite the many people ahead of them in the succession. These spoilers may not be quite as dramatic, but they do take away some of the surprises.
The spoilers that fans cannot seem to avoid are an issue with how the franchise is expanding. Constantly moving back in time and focusing solely on the Targaryens makes it difficult to avoid situations like this. However, it places a burden on fans, as avoiding spoilers becomes increasingly convoluted and complicates the choice of where to begin, which makes it more difficult for new fans to become invested. The Game of Thrones franchise is creating problems for itself by citing the detailed history of the fantasy world before adapting a series based on that event, ruining the surprises for fans who don't know Westeros' detailed history.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max with new episodes on Sundays.
