Mark Stobbart Defends House of the Dragon Following Fan Backlash Over Dog-Kicking Scene.

house of the dragon

The world of Game of Thrones and consequently, House of the Dragon, is often the subject of controversies. From featuring incest relationships to the many explicit scenes that fans have found issues with, the fictional world is nonetheless among the most-watched series of all time.


House of the Dragon 2House of the Dragon Season 2 | HBO
However, controversies about the series’ premise do not seem to end. As season 2 of the prequel series premiered last week, fans have found another thing to be furious about, a scene featuring a dog being kicked. As fans’ ire grew to an unprecedented level, one House of the Dragon star is forced to defend himself and assure fans.

House of the Dragon Star Assures Fans Nothing Happened to the Dog!

 

Mark Stobbart with the dog [Credit: Instagram | @mdstobbart]
Mark Stobbart with the dog [Credit: Instagram | @mdstobbart]
House of the Dragon, much like Game of Thrones is not a series for the faint of hearts. While it does showcase the political intrigues and power struggles of the Targaryen family, it also delves deep into the brutal and unforgiving world they live in. Meant to serve as the harsh and realistic portrayal of the fictional universe, the violence and cruelty are often overbearing and hard to watch.

Although gruesomeness is a part of every other episode, fans recently went on to attack the show for one scene in its newly premiered season 2. In season 2, Daemon Targaryen hires two assassins, one of them being Cheese. Cheese is a rat-catcher and has a dog along with him. But before the brute events can take place, the adorable dog ends up getting an undeserving kick from Cheese.

As fans went ballistic over the scene, actor Mark Stobbart, who portrays Cheese, took to Instagram to state,

Let’s just chill about the dog! We were best pals. No canines were launched in anger. Rats, however….

The recent uproar over the alleged mistreatment of the dog sparked conversations about the ethical treatment of animals in the entertainment industry and on the sets of the show. Yet, it is ironic that fans would react in such a way when Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon itself features several problematic scenes that fans have bluntly ignored.

Fans React to Mark Stobbart About the Dog Incident

mark stobbart and sam c. wilson in house of the dragonMark Stobbart (L) in House of the Dragon | HBO
It is shocking to see that the same episode featured the brutal murder of Jaehaerys, the son of King Aegon II and Queen Halaena. Yet, fans were okay with the usual gore depiction of violence and abuse but found issues with a dog getting kicked.

While it is interesting how different people can have varying levels of sensitivity to different types of content, it is nonetheless ironic to see how people have been reacting to the incident so far. As soon as Mark Stobbart’s clarification about the scene went viral, this is what fans had to say about it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As fans continue to debate and react to the scene, it is important to remember that these are fictional representations and that modern productions usually have laws on sets that dictate the treatment of any animals featured in a project.

With the rest of season 2 of House of the Dragon left to premiere, there are bound to be many more controversies, and we certainly cannot wait to see what fans find offensive next!

House of the Dragon is streaming on Max, with new episodes airing every Sunday until August 4.