The latest episode of "House of the Dragon" season three, "Faceless Men," features Rhaenyra cutting her finger on the Iron Throne, echoing an identical injury suffered by her father, King Viserys I, which had preceded his physical decline and troubled reign. Director Loni Peristere has described the moment as "an instigating event for a lot of bad things," with the production team framing it as a sign of the turmoil to come for Rhaenyra's rule as she becomes embroiled in the ongoing civil war.

Speaking in HBO's Inside the Episode featurette, Peristere said the wound symbolises "infections" and "rot" that will follow, revealing what is truly happening during Rhaenyra's reign. Showrunner Ryan Condal added that the injury represents Rhaenyra being torn between Daemon's old principles and Viserys's more progressive ones, while actor Emma D'Arcy noted the queen experiences the throne and her council as increasingly hostile. Shortly afterwards, Rhaenyra orders Alicent to kill her own son Aemond in exchange for better treatment of Alicent and her pregnant daughter Helaena, a decision co-writer David Hancock warned could backfire strategically, since indiscriminate killing risks provoking rebellion among her subjects regardless of her dragon forces.