House of the Dragon

Rhaenyra's fight to inherit and hold the Iron Throne drives the whole series. The lords treat her being a woman as a reason to deny her claim, while Alicent is pushed into marriage and duty to her sons. After Rhaenyra takes King's Landing in season three, grief and fear lead her to order harsher punishments and killings. The show also gives Rhaenyra a romance with Mysaria.

Viserys breaks the rule favoring male heirs when he names Rhaenyra. The lords still back her half-brother, and Alicent is married to Viserys to serve her father's plan. Rhaenyra and Alicent must work within a court where men control most seats and armies. After she takes the capital, Rhaenyra uses royal power to jail and kill opponents.

The show changes the books by casting Corlys, Laenor, and the Velaryon family as Black. The change affects several major characters and makes the family look different from the Targaryens. The show uses that visible difference when characters question whether Rhaenyra's sons belong to Laenor. Condal said the casting also helped show a more diverse cast.

Fans on X repeatedly called the Black Velaryon casting a DEI change and said it broke the books' family logic. One viral post received millions of views in February 2026, and another widely shared post argued that the family tree no longer made sense. The Independent reported backlash to Steve Toussaint's casting in 2022. A political columnist and a niche site later called the show woke or DEI-driven.

Sara Hess worked extensively on Orange Is the New Black, a show with LGBTQ characters and identity themes. Zenzele Price has identified as queer and spoken about unfairness in entertainment. Geeta Patel has called for more South Asian roles and stories about race and gender. Ryan Condal has a middle stored score, but his remarks on this show directly link casting choices to audience diversity.