As a dedicated reader of George R.R. Martin‘s works for decades now, I find myself both enthralled and perplexed by the adaptations presented in House of the Dragon, the latest addition to Westeros on our screens. While the series has certainly captured the essence of the world and its characters, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for some elements that have been left behind or reimagined in this new narrative.
The second installment of “House of the Dragon” concluded in early August, boasting a finale that forged the series’ most potent link to “Game of Thrones” yet. While viewership for Season 2 didn’t reach the levels it did during its premiere in 2022, HBO had already commissioned a third season this past summer. More recently, George R.R. Martin, the creator of “A Song of Ice and Fire” and “Fire & Blood,” has suggested he might not be entirely satisfied.
Indeed, alterations are inevitable when transforming a book into a screenplay, and it was highly unlikely that every Targaryen would be seen riding their dragon or every battle depicted in intricate detail. Given that George R.R. Martin appears to have concerns regarding the show’s interpretation of his original work, let’s revisit what I perceive as the five most significant narrative deviations from Fire & Blood.
Let’s begin by discussing the largest season, which unfortunately, as a supporter of Season 2 myself, I find difficult to justify its merits.
❗️Caution: Significant plot revelations lie ahead for House of the Dragon Season 2 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Proceed with care if you wish to avoid spoilers!
Blood And Cheese
It’s highly likely that the event known as “Blood and Cheese” would occur early in Season 2, following the demise of Lucerys at the end of Season 1 for readers of “Fire & Blood.” As a backer of Team Black, I pondered if the impending calamity facing the Greens would be so heart-wrenching that it could sway viewers’ allegiances from one faction to another. Given how extremely unpleasant and disturbing “Blood and Cheese” is in the book, this was a valid concern.
In the series “House of the Dragon”, I didn’t anticipate that they would portray the young boy’s murder in a softer light compared to how disturbing it initially seemed. Instead of Daemon explicitly ordering the assassination of Prince Jaehaerys, it was shown as the assassins making their own decision to carry out the act. Additionally, the execution of the scene was less harrowing than I had imagined.
In the novel, Helena was the mother to three kids: Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor. To catch Alicent off guard when she entered with her children, assassins sneakily invaded her chambers and slayed all the servants. Blood and Cheese swore to harm just one child but only if Helena herself decided which of her own kids would be harmed. They further warned that Jaehaera would be violated if Helena hesitated in making a choice.
In tears, Helena decided that Maelor should die, causing Cheese to quietly inform the young prince that his mother desired him to perish before Blood executed Jaehaerys in full view of Helena, Alicent, and both of his siblings. This deplorable act took a toll on her, gradually pushing Helena into madness for the remainder of her brief life.
In the series “House of the Dragon,” Helaena appeared to bounce back swiftly from her son’s murder, which seemed unusual since she didn’t have to confront a difficult choice, and this was somewhat surprising given the emotional weight usually associated with such an event. The decision to provide Helaena with glimpses into the future has been intriguing in the show, but her acceptance of Jaehaerys’ death felt more subdued compared to how the character handled it in the book, which reduced the emotional impact.
It wasn’t beneficial that Alicent was missing from the event depicted in the series and was actually engaged in a secret rendezvous with Ser Criston Cole. This leads us to…
Alicent’s Affair With Criston Cole
In Season 2 of “House of the Dragon”, it’s clear right off the bat that Criston Cole and Alicent have become romantically involved. Both seem to struggle with their feelings, as Alicent grapples with guilt and Cole seems indifferent to moral dilemmas. To my knowledge, the only other potential suitor for Alicent, apart from Viserys in “Fire & Blood”, was King Jaehaerys, but this is just a rumor spread by Mushroom.
In the book, there’s no indication that Alicent and Cole had anything beyond a professional relationship, given their shared work with Aegon and later Aemond. However, it seems both may have been hypocritical in their actions. What I can’t help but wonder is how much time elapsed from Season 1 to when Alicent requested moon tea in Season 2.
In the series, moon tea has been portrayed as having contraceptive properties; however, “A Song of Ice and Fire” demonstrated through Lysa Arryn’s character that it can also induce abortions to end unwanted pregnancies. Alicent’s actions in that specific episode seemed more like an attempt to cause a miscarriage rather than preventing pregnancy initially. Given that Viserys passed away not too long ago and was unlikely to be fathering children near the end of his life, it suggests that Alicent might have been pregnant by Criston Cole.
If she was at a stage where she could confirm her pregnancy, the sequence of events implies that she was involved with Cole before King Viserys passed away, unless Season 2 contained a larger time leap than necessary. Could it be that I’ve spent more time considering this timeline leading to Alicent drinking moon tea? Absolutely, but I view it as further evidence that the relationship between her and Cole hasn’t contributed positively to the storyline.
Daemon’s Loyalties In Question (And Visions At Harrenhal)
In the novel “Fire & Blood,” Daemon isn’t portrayed as the most ethically virtuous character, yet there’s no doubt about his political allegiance towards Rhaenyra. Unlike some characters, Daemon wasn’t pondering in Harrenhal over whether he should challenge his niece, wife, and queen.
Even when Rhaenyra was past the point of reason and ordered that Nettles be executed, the closest Daemon came to betraying her was helping Nettles escape alive and then going after Aemond instead of rejoining his wife. Plus, HOTD Daemon knowing courtesy of Alys Rivers where he’s supposed to die might lessen the impact of his decision to face Aemond later on, although that’s presumably at least one season away from being adapted on the show.
Frankly, I’ve never been particularly fond of the series House of the Dragon, especially its connection to Game of Thrones and Daenerys, so my view might be tainted. However, having Daemon pledge allegiance to Rhaenyra only after receiving a vision of Dany didn’t exactly enhance The Rogue Prince’s character image in my opinion.
In my opinion, the portrayal of Daemon and Rhaenyra’s marriage storyline in the show has been generally satisfactory, but the introduction of Daemon potentially betraying her to assert his own claim felt inconsistent with the character as presented in “Fire & Blood”. This inconsistency was a significant point of contention for me throughout Season 2. However, I must acknowledge that the Harrenhal setting was impressively realized, and for many fans like myself, Ser Simon Strong was the standout character within this storyline. Loyalty to Rhaenyra was a key characteristic of Daemon in “Fire & Blood”, and this aspect seemed underdeveloped during Season 2.
Omitting Nettles
It’s plausible that “House of the Dragon” may eventually introduce the character of Nettles, much like how Daeron Targaryen was not introduced until his Season 2 cameo with his blue dragon in the finale. However, if Rhaena survives the Vale, it appears more likely that instead of including Nettles, “House of the Dragon” is adapting a modified version of the Sheepstealer storyline for Daemon’s daughter.
In a series as dense as “Fire & Blood,” it’s unavoidable that certain characters might not make it into a TV adaptation. However, I never would have anticipated that Nettles would be excluded. Not only does she serve as a unique illustration of how a non-Targaryen could bond with a dragon, but her complex dynamic with Daemon plays a significant role in shaping the narrative leading up to the Dance of the Dragons, making her a crucial figure in the storyline.
After experiencing several instances of betrayal among the dragonseeds, Rhaenyra became extremely suspicious and came to suspect that Nettles and Daemon were having a secret relationship. Demanding Nettles’ execution only served to ignite a series of events leading to Daemon’s demise. Additionally, Rhaenyra’s order for Lord Manfryd Mooton to break the sacred guest right by killing Nettles caused him to switch allegiance to the Greens.
It’s tough to conceive a scenario where Rhaenyra would order Rhaena’s death, given their family’s historical norms against incest. Even Daemon, who had a dream about his mother, found it too extreme. The motives behind the TV show’s decision to combine Rhaena and Nettles, or why nobody noticed Rhaena’s absence for her to travel through the Vale undetected, remain unclear. However, I suspect that George R.R. Martin, the author, has his reasons for these plot developments.
Rhaenyra And Alicent’s Bond
In the adaptation from the book to the series, “House of the Dragon” altered Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship by making them contemporaries instead of an older-younger friendship. This change set the stage for their history influencing them significantly as conflict intensifies between their respective branches of the Targaryen family. However, the scene where Rhaenyra disguised herself as a septa to infiltrate King’s Landing seemed somewhat far-fetched or exaggerated.
Looking back, Rhaenyra secretly entering King’s Landing appears quite ordinary when compared to Alicent making her way to Dragonstone to expose Aemond’s strategies and inform the Black Queen about the ideal moment to attack King’s Landing. Essentially, Alicent chose to write off Aegon and Aemond as lost causes in order to flee with Helaena, a choice that aligns with her character but diminishes the sense of triumph in how Rhaenyra and Daemon captured King’s Landing in “Fire & Blood.” The Blacks’ victory over King’s Landing was significant, not a consequence of Alicent revealing their entry strategy into the capital.
All of this may sound like I hated House of the Dragon Season 2, but I did enjoy it for the most part. Having read Fire & Blood, though, I can definitely see changes from the book that diverge pretty wildly from what George R.R. Martin wrote and might not sit well with him. For now, we can only wait and see what he plans to say about it, and/or rewatch House of the Dragon streaming with a Max subscription.
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2024-09-01 05:07