House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, “Smallfolk,” has been review bombed on IMDb, but it’s little to do with the quality of the show itself. The HBO franchise is no stranger to audience backlash. Game of Thrones‘ ending, of course, was extremely controversial, and the series finale, “The Iron Throne,” currently sits at 4.0 on IMDb, when the overall score is 9.2/10.

House of the Dragon had avoided any such controversies, but “Smallfolk” has changed that. It’s become the show’s lowest-rated episode on IMDb, with 6.2/10. That isn’t as drastic as some of the Game of Thrones season 8 scores, but is a notable drop-off from the show’s overall rating of 8.4, and is much worse than the next lowest score for the prequel, 7.5, for the previous episode, “Regent.” The series isn’t perfect and there certainly are valid criticisms to be made but, sadly, that’s not what’s happening with House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6.

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode Ratings On IMDB

Episode #
Title
Rating (/10)

1
“A Son for a Son”
8.3

2
“Rhaenyra the Cruel”
8.3

3
“The Burning Mill”
7.7

4
“A Dance of Dragons”
9.6

5
“Regent”
7.5

6
“Smallfolk”
6.2

Why House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 6 Has Been Review Bombed On IMDb

The Backlash To “Smallfolk” Is Not In Good Faith

The clearest reason for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6 being review bombed is that it features a same-sex kiss between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lady Mysaria. It isn’t a long or graphic scene, but it is, very obviously, a passionate kiss between two female characters, which is apparently enough to have caused a backlash.

Many of the low scores for the episode come from countries with poor reputations regarding LGBTQ+ rights. Saudi Arabia, where same-sex marriage is illegal, makes up for 6.9k of the episode’s 27k user ratings, at an average of just 2.5/10. A large portion of ratings for the show coming from Saudi Arabia isn’t unusual for season 2 so far, as it appears as one of the countries with the most ratings for each episode, but a higher percentage of this episode’s ratings are from there than for any other.

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode Ratings From Saudi Arabia

Episode #
% Of Ratings From Saudi Arabia
Rating

1
17.10
8.0

2
14.23
8.2

3
14.58
6.6

4
18.22

5
16.50
6.8

6
25.56
2.5

This isn’t just reviews from Saudi Arabia. Iraq, another country that is severely lacking in LGBTQ+ rights, is listed among the countries with the most ratings for this episode, the only time that’s happened in season 2. But this shouldn’t just be written off as a problem of the Middle East, either.

There are more 1/10 ratings on IMDb from the United States for this episode (703) than the previous five installments of season 2 combined (590).

There are more 1/10 ratings on IMDb from the United States for this episode (703) than the previous five installments of season 2 combined (590). It’s similar in the UK, too. In both countries, and many others in the Western world, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has increasingly become even a part of mainstream politics.

Several other shows that have pushed for greater diversity, inclusivity, and representation, whether that’s around sexuality, gender, or race, have seen similar backlashes from admittedly small (if often vocal) members of the audience and targeted campaigns aimed at the show – e.g. The Acolyte‘s review bombing on Rotten Tomatoes. So, unfortunately, it isn’t a surprise that it’s now happened with House of the Dragon.

House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 6’s Review Bombing Is Ridiculous

The Show Should Be Praised For Rhaenyra & Mysaria’s Story

It almost goes without saying (or at least I’d hope, but the ratings say otherwise), but let’s do it anyway: the backlash to House of the Dragon for featuring a same-sex kiss is absurd. Again, this is not a perfect series, and it is not to say there aren’t valid criticisms of the show for how it handles certain characters, storylines, or broad pacing issues. There are absolutely fair complaints. That a kiss between two women happens is not one of them.

Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s kiss actually makes sense for their characters in the moment. Rhaenyra has been isolated from her husband, and seen her rule questioned even by those closest to her. The moment she shares with Mysaria, who reveals her own traumatic backstory, is an inherently tender and intimate one, and as much about their growing closeness and shared trust of one another as anything else. They both want for a human connection, to desire and feel desired. For that to build into something more passionate or romantic is perfectly natural.

…There were hints of a romance or attraction between [Rhaenyra] and Alicent Hightower in their younger years.

It is also possible to look for clues in the canon that Rhaenyra has always been LGBTQ+ (not that it’s necessary for this scene). Certainly, there were hints of a romance or attraction between her and Alicent Hightower in their younger years. The idea of a romance between Rhaenyra and Alicent in House of the Dragon has been discussed and supported by those involved in the show. Writer Sarah Hess said there’s an “element of queerness” to it, and Alicent actor Olivia Cooke believes they likely kissed at one point.

That didn’t happen in the book, but it doesn’t mean Rhaenyra wasn’t bisexual or pansexual there. It’s noted that she was “fond and more than fond” of Laena Velaryon, which can at the very least be read as a hint of romance or attraction existing between them. Rhaenyra wouldn’t be the first Targaryen to have an LGBTQ+ relationship, either. Queen Rhaena Targaryen is believed to have had multiple female lovers. Plus, let’s not forget Rhaenyra’s first husband, Laenor, was also gay, which was essentially an open-secret in Westeros.

The Faith of the Seven may see being gay as a sin, but members of House Targaryen essentially do as they please. The Doctrine of Exceptionalism was introduced by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen specifically to allow them to continue their practice of incest, for example. And that really gets to the most ridiculous part of the review bombing: people are absolutely fine with incest, but draw the line at a same-sex kiss? Come on.

Being able to more fully explore Rhaenyra’s sexuality and even gender-identity… is worthy of praise and makes for a more interesting, complex character.

I also think it’s quite powerful that Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s kiss was unscripted and came, in part, from Emma D’Arcy, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They do an exceptional job of playing Rhaenyra and clearly think and care about the character’s arc, motivations, and decisions. Being able to more fully explore Rhaenyra’s sexuality and even gender-identity – as the Queen exists as a woman in Westeros who is discussing needing more typically masculine ideas of leadership and strength to succeed – is worthy of praise and makes for a more interesting, complex character.

House of the Dragon has made strides for greater representation both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. It has a much more diverse crew than Game of Thrones did, and more people of color on-screen in notable roles, too. For that, and for Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s kiss, it should be applauded, even if it can always do more, not review bombed.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.