George R.R. Martin Reveals What's "Gone Wrong" with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
Last week, Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin said that he would soon reveal “everything that’s gone wrong with” the second season of House of the Dragon. That day has come, and he really only has one creative issue with it.
I thought he was going to dive into some behind the scene issue and talk about the less-than-stellar finale. But, instead, he discusses Ryan Condal’s decision to cut a key character in the story that was a part of Martin’s Fire & Blood and how that will impact the story.
Martin explained: “I promised you some further thoughts about Blood and Cheese and Maelor the Missing after my commentary on the first two episodes of HotD season 2, A Son for a Son and Rhaenyra the Cruel.
“Those were terrific episodes: well written, well directed, powerfully acted. A great way to kick off the new season. Fans and critics alike seemed to agree. There was only one aspect of the episodes that drew significant criticism: the handling of Blood and Cheese, and the death of Prince Jaehaerys.
“From the commentary I saw online, opinion was split there. The readers of Fire & Blood found the sequence underwhelming, a disappointment, watered down from what they were expecting.
“Viewers who had not read the book had no such problems. Most of them found the sequence a real gut-punch, tragic, horrifying, nightmarish, etc. Some reported being reduced to tears. I found myself agreeing with both sides.”
He proceeds to point out the differences between what is in his story and what we saw in the show, syaing: “In my book, Aegon and Helaena have three children, not two. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, are six years old. They have a younger brother, Maelor, who is two.
“When Blood and Cheese break in on Helaena and the kids, they tell her they are debt collectors come to exact revenge for the death of Prince Lucerys: a son for a son. As Helaena has two sons, however, they demand that she choose which one should die.
“She resists and offers her own life instead, but the killers insist it has to be a son. If she does not name one, they will kill all three of the children. To save the life of the twins, Helaena names Maelor.
“But Blood kills the older boy, Jaehaerys, instead, while Cheese tells little Maelor that his mother wanted him dead. Whether the boy is old enough to understand that is not at all certain.”
He continued: “That’s not how it happens on the show. There is no Maelor in House of the Dragon, only the twins … both of whom look younger than six, but I am no sure judge of children’s ages, so I can’t be sure how old they are supposed to be.
“Blood can’t seem to tell the twins apart, so Helaena is asked to reveal which one is the boy. You would think a glance up his PJs would reveal that, without involving the mother).
“Instead of offering her own life to save the kids, Helaena offers them a necklace. Blood and Cheese are not tempted. Blood saws Prince Jaehaerys’s head off. We are spared the sight of that; a sound effect suffices.”
As you might imagine, Martin thinks his version is better, and says: “I still believe the scene in the book is stronger. The readers have the right of that. The two killers are crueler in the book. I thought the actors who played the killers on the show were excellent… but the characters are crueler, harder, and more frightening in Fire & Blood.”
He went on to explain how the character omission could impact future seasons, but he ended up deleting his blog post after warning fans of more “toxic” changes to come in House of the Dragon season three.
I get what he’s saying, but his initial tease about everything that has gone wrong with the show made me think he had a lot more on his mind, but I guess this is what’s been eating him up inside.