This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 9, "The Green Council."
Days before its official airing, HBO is "aggressively monitoring" and removing leaked copies of House of the Dragon's Season 1 finale from the internet.
"We are aware that the 10th episode of House of the Dragon has been posted on illegal torrent sites," The network said in a statement to Deadline, noting that the leak seems to have come from somewhere in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa. "HBO is aggressively monitoring and pulling these copies from the internet. We're disappointed that this unlawful action has disrupted the viewing experience for loyal fans of the show, who will get to see a pristine version of the episode when it premieres Sunday on HBO and HBO Max, where it will stream exclusively in 4K."
While this isn't the first time a House of the Dragon episode has appeared online prematurely, it's the earliest occurrence yet at two days before the intended release date. The series' predecessor, Game of Thrones, was also no stranger to leaks throughout its run, especially during its eighth and final season. Said leaks, however, may be inevitable due to HBO's distribution methods. The network is unique among its competitors because it relies on third parties -- in the US and abroad -- to reach viewers. Since HBO relinquishes control of certain steps in its distribution system, the network becomes vulnerable to leakers finding ways to access HBO's content illegally.
House of the Dragon Episode 9 Went Out With a Bang
House of the Dragon's penultimate episode, "The Green Council," sets the stage for a vicious fight between the two dragon-riding families vying for the throne. Following Queen Alicent's misunderstanding of the late King Viserys' last words, a reluctant Aegon Targaryen is named the realms' new king. Sprung from her confinement, however, the Rhaenyra-allied Princess Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys crash his coronation and barely manage to resist torching the royal family before flying off.
Despite some Game of Thrones fans being initially skeptical of the prequel series before its premiere, House of the Dragon has so far impressed critics and viewers alike. The show's first season landed an 86% critics' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score not far behind at 84%. The series' debut episode also scored the title of HBO's most-watched television premiere in history, leading to HBO Max's app crashing after the episode became available to stream.
House of the Dragon Season 1's 10th and final episode airs on Sunday, Oct. 23, and becomes available to stream same-day on HBO Max.
Source: Deadline