After teasing that he would address what went wrong throughout Season 2 of House of the Dragon, writer George R.R. Martin has taken to his weblog, detailing a few of the modifications made whereas additionally warning that extra is perhaps coming.
In a brand new blog post, Martin detailed a few of what he believes went fallacious throughout the second season of the collection, particularly the present’s depiction of the “Blood & Cheese” sequence that passed off within the Season 2 premiere. Within the collection, the 2 males have been employed by Prince Daemon Targaryen to homicide one of many songs of King Aegon Targaryen.
Whereas the scene within the present is surprising, Martin felt the sequence was weakened a bit by omitting a key character. Within the e book, there are three kids within the sequence as an alternative of the present’s two, and Blood and Cheese drive Helaena Targaryen (the boys’ mom) to decide on which might die. Within the present, the character of Maelor Targaryen — Helaena’s youngest son — is omitted from the scene fully, one thing Martin says showrunner Ryan Condal instructed him was executed on account of funds and manufacturing choices.
“When Ryan Condal first instructed me what he meant to do, ages in the past (again in 2022, is perhaps) I argued towards it, for all these causes,” Martin wrote. “I didn’t argue lengthy, or with a lot warmth, nonetheless. The change weakened the sequence, I felt, however solely a bit. And Ryan had what gave the impression to be sensible causes for it; they didn’t need to cope with casting one other youngster, particularly a two-year previous toddler. Youngsters that younger will inevitably decelerate manufacturing, and there could be funds implications. Funds was already a difficulty on Home of the Dragon, it made sense to economize wherever we may. Furthermore, Ryan assured me that we weren’t shedding Prince Maelor, merely suspending him.
“Queen Helaena may nonetheless give beginning to him in season three, presumably after getting with youngster late in season two,” continued Martin. “That made sense to me, so I withdrew my objections and acquiesced to the change. I nonetheless love the episode, and the Blood and Cheese sequence total. Shedding the ‘Helaena’s Selection’ beat did weaken the scene, however to not any nice diploma. Solely the e book readers would even discover its absence; viewers who had by no means learn FIRE & BLOOD would nonetheless discover the scenes heart-rending. Maelor didn’t really DO something within the scene, in any case. How may he? He was solely two years previous. There’s one other facet to the removing of the younger princeling, nonetheless.”
Martin hints at main modifications from the e book in Seasons 3 & 4
Martin detailed how not together with Maelor within the scene may result in bigger ramifications for the general mission. In a spoiler-filled a part of the weblog, Martin talked about that as an alternative of showing in Season 3, he was instructed that Maelor would by no means be showing within the present. The writer mentions how that creates a bigger butterfly impact that might probably take away most of the greater moments in Fireplace & Blood from ever showing on the present, together with a sequence he calls “the Bitterbridge scene.”
In Fireplace & Blood, Maelor and Ser Rickard Throne of the Kingsguard are killed in Bitterbridge, main an enraged Prince Daeron Targaryen to put siege to the city in what is known as “the sack of Bitterbridge” within the unique novel. With Maelor not current in Home of the Dragon, Martin mentioned he doesn’t know the way any of those scenes may present up, and says that whereas it might be “easier” to do, that doesn’t make it higher.
“It’s easiest, sure, and will make sense by way of budgets and capturing schedules. However easier shouldn’t be higher,” wrote Martin. “The Bitterbridge scene has pressure, suspense, motion, bloodshed, a little bit of heroism and lots of tragedy. Rickard Thorne is a tertiary character at greatest, most viewers (versus readers) won’t ever know he’s gone, since they by no means knew him in any respect… however I slightly preferred giving him his temporary second of heroism, a style of the braveness and loyalty of the Kingsguard, no matter whether or not they’re black or inexperienced.”
Martin ended the weblog put up by mentioning that “bigger and extra poisonous” modifications is also coming that might change the present in massive methods throughout its third and fourth season, however didn’t element them.
