Viewers in the USA already saw the pilot episode of House of the Dragon (HotD) when it premiered last weekend on HBO Max.
For UK viewers, they finally got to see it themselves on Sky Atlantic and NOW on August 22.
Reactions online have been overwhelmingly positive, as fans are excited to dig into the dark and adult world of Game of Thrones (GoT) once more.
On social media, many have also pointed out the show’s violence and sexual content, with some shocked by its intensity.
However, people shouldn’t be surprised - GoT’s pilot featured incest and the attempted murder of a child - as the creators teased the maturity months ago.
House of the Dragon’s showrunners on show’s violence
The world of Westeros might evoke images of dragons in the sky and wars being waged on the land, but it is just as well known for its sex scenes and savage violence.
It seems the showrunners behind HotD understood this, as they have admitted the show doesn’t “shy away” from that intensity.
Inspired by George RR Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, they have also teased that the series will be a “reimagining” of the original work.
The show only takes inspiration from the final few chapters of the book, as it dates the entire history of the Targaryen family, hundreds of years before the events of either GoT or HotD.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in June, co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik said sexual assault is in the script, with the writers handling it “carefully and respectfully”.
Miguel explained: “[We] don’t shy away from it. If anything, we’re going to shine a light on that aspect.
“You can’t ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn’t be downplayed and it shouldn’t be glorified.”
However, writer and executive producer Sara Hess told Vanity Fair the opposite in earlier this month, categorically stating they “do not depict sexual violence in the show”.
She said: “I'd like to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence in the show.
“We handle one instance off-screen, and instead show the aftermath and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetrator.
“I think what our show does, and what I'm proud of, is that we choose to focus on the violence against women that is inherent in a patriarchal system.”
How have fans reacted to House of the Dragon’s sexual content?
Viewers in the USA and UK have been shocked by the show’s sexually explicit content, particularly one scene involving Matt Smith.
The moment sees Matt’s Daemon Targaryen as he is caught with Sonoya Mizuno’s Mysaria.
Taking to Twitter, one user wrote: “Matt Smith sex scene I choked on my taco.”
“Matt Smith really did that sex scene THAT way wow so powerful of him,” another added.
A third wrote: "House of the Dragon is already disturbing as f**k, insane violence, weird sex, crazy ass dialogue, and a screaming lady giving birth who will most likely die, yup GoT is back lol."
Another added: "I'll never forgive House of the Dragon for making me watch Matt Smith have sex."
Matt himself questioned some of the scenes in a recent interview.
Speaking to Rolling Stone UK, the actor explained: “You do find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?'
“And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I guess you have to ask yourself: ‘What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time [we’re living in]?’
“And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written.”
When asked if he personally featured in these sex scenes, he added: “Yeah, slightly too much, if you ask me.”
