This article contains mention of sexual violence.
This article contains spoilers forHouse of the Dragonseason 2.Matt Smithexpresses his thoughts on the current trends in content warnings. Smith is best known for playing the Eleventh Doctor on the hit BBC sci-fi seriesDoctor Who. More recently, the actor played Daemon Targaryen onHouse of the Dragon, theGame of Thronesspinoffseries. Daemon is the intense and powerful younger brother of Viserys Targaryen, who served as the king inHouse of the Dragonseason 1.
Speaking withThe Times, Smith reacts to the recent trends in putting content warnings in front of shows. The actor questions “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point?” The actor goes on to stress the importance offeeling “uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play.” He feels thatcontent warnings unfairly signal to audiences that “they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.“Ultimately, Smith concludes that he might not be “on board with trigger warnings.” Check out the full quote from Smith below:
Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point?
It’s okay to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down. We’re telling audiences they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.
Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame. I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings.
Why Smith’s Own House of the Dragon Character Is Polarizing
Smith’s statement holds particular weight given that he has just come off of acting inHouse of the Dragon. This series includes a plethora of intense content, from death during childbirth, sexual violence, graphic sex scenes, or the brutal murder of a child.Game of Thronesalso included graphic nudity and sexual violence, both of which are elements that audiences may want to be warned about in advance.House of the Dragontones some things down fromGame of Thrones, but it is still a series that is fairly intense content-wise.
Smith’s character ofDaemon Targaryen brings part of this intensity toHouse of the Dragon. Daemon is a ruthless leader, who is unafraid to violently murder people. InHouse of the Dragonseason 2, he is also a character that is shown to be fairly psychologically tortured, plagued with regrets as a phantasmagoria of grotesque imagery flits through his mind. In one particularly shocking sequence, Daemon is having an intimate scene with a woman who is later revealed to be his own mother.
GivenDaemon’s arc inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, it makes sense whySmithin particular would feel invested in how content warnings are handled. Part of the narrative appeal of Daemon’s character is how shocking some of his internal and external actions are, and what lengths they go to. Placing a content warning could partially undermine the element of surprise, as it forecasts what is to come for audiences, especially if they are over utilized. Content warnings will likely continue to be a source of much debate as more shows make use of them.
