WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 5, and Fire & Blood!House of the Dragon episode 5 ended with the death of Joffrey Lonmouth, repeating a Game of Thrones failure. Episode 5 confirmed a book rumor that Laenor Velaryon is gay and in a relationship with Joffrey. The Knight of Kisses was killed off before any nuance to the character could be given beyond his sexuality. This is unfortunately reminiscent of Ser Loras' story in Game of Thrones.
Episode 5 was drama-filled and set up the plot lines for the back half of the season. The episode saw Rhaenyra finally accepting her duty to marry before ascending to the Iron Throne. She is betrothed to her cousin Laenor, with the two deciding to keep their marriage political and continue their ongoing affairs on the side. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out for either of them as their lovers get into a fatal quarrel at Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding. The ceremony continues the tradition of traumatic weddings from Game of Thrones but also sets up the potential factions for the Dance of the Dragons.
Joffrey Lonmouth's role in House of The Dragon is similar to Ser Loras' from Game of Thrones. Both are great knights in love with men on the cusp of great power. Unlike Ser Loras, Joffrey gets almost no character development before being killed in the show's most brutal death so far. His bloody demise continues a Thrones' trope where gay characters are introduced only to meet a terrible end. By contrast, the Crabfeeder, a minor villain during the first half of the season, was killed off-screen. This highlights the difference between which Westeros's gay characters, like the Knight of Kisses Joffrey Lonmouth, and other characters are killed off, signifying a problematic trend.
How Game of Thrones Failed Ser Loras Tyrell
The Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell, was one of the most celebrated knights in the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Loras was even able to unseat The Mountain in a tourney, although by using underhanded tactics. In the books, he had also beaten Ser Jaime Lannister, who held the reputation as one of the best warriors the kingdoms had seen. Game of Thrones introduced Ser Loras as the lover of Renly Baratheon, brother to King Robert Baratheon, and one of the potential claimants to the throne after Robert's death. The first couple of seasons of Game of Thrones remain somewhat true to the character, but the later seasons changed his fate.
In the books, Ser Loras is gravely injured after his successful siege of Dragonstone, the original seat of the Targaryen family. In the show, he is arrested by the Faith Militant and imprisoned for his past relationships, and subsequently tortured for the remaining of his tenure on the show until his death. After admitting his crimes, he joins the Faith Militant but is killed along with his father and sister when Cersei sets fire to the Great Sept. His death on the show emphasizes his sexuality, which contrasts with his assumed warrior-like death in the books.
Why House Of The Dragon Killed Off Joffrey Lonmouth So Quickly
Joffrey Lonmouth's death in the show is intended to set Laenor Velaryon's intentions going into the Dance of the Dragons. In the books, Joffrey was killed by Ser Criston Cole during a joust that left Joffrey unresponsive for six days before succumbing to his injuries. House of the Dragon changes the events to Criston Cole brutally murdering Joffrey after the latter threatens to reveal his secrets. Like Ser Loras, Joffrey's ending was changed, once again making sexuality the focal point of gay characters' development and demise in the two shows.
What Joffrey's Death Means For HOTD & Laenor Velaryon
If House of the Dragon follows the novels, the death of Joffrey will have a visible impact on their marriage. While Laenor remains loyal and supportive to his wife, he retreats to Driftmark to mourn his lover. The optics of his departure are called into question as the couple has three children, one of whom is named after Joffrey Lonmouth. Rhaenyra and Laenor's marriage is controversial, with many believing Rhaenyra's children are with Harwin Strong due to them not possessing the typical Velaryon traits. Laenor Velaryon takes up another lover in Qarl Correy, who Arty Froushan will portray in the second half of the season. This affair would ultimately lead to Laenor's death at the hands of Qarl, paving the way for Daemon to marry Rhaenyra.
House of the Dragon episode 6 will see the most significant time jump in the show so far, introducing new actors for Rhaenyra, Alicent, Laenor, and Laena. The show has been massively popular, taking in almost 30 million viewers a week. Unfortunately, despite this popularity, House of the Dragon has continued Game of Thrones' trope of giving their gay characters tragic storylines and brutal endings.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.
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