As a die-hard fan who has spent countless hours immersed in the intricate world of George R.R. Martin‘s epic saga, I can’t help but feel a pang of apprehension and a twinge of disappointment upon hearing the news about the potential omission of Nettles from House of the Dragon. Being an ardent reader since the days of A Game of Thrones, I’ve grown attached to these characters, their stories, and the rich tapestry that binds them all together.
Nearly a month has passed since the second season of House of the Dragon came to an end with the Targaryen family tree smaller than it was a season before, and that was evidently enough time for Fire & Blood author George R.R. Martin to put his thoughts in order about what happened… or, more importantly, what was majorly changed from the pages of his book to Ryan Condal’s HBO adaptation. As expected, he had a lot to say about Blood and Cheese, and despite HBO’s response, I’m a little surprised that he didn’t mention what I see as Season 2’s second biggest omission.
George R.R. Martin Weighs In On Season 2
Spoilers ahead for the Blood and Cheese section of Fire & Blood. Fans knew that some blunt words were probably coming after Martin’s dramatic post about House of the Dragon just last week, and Season 2 delivered enough changes from the book to speculate about what got to the author. In a post that has since been deleted from his Not A Blog website, Martin went into detail about the changes to the characters involved in Blood and Cheese (up to and including Cheese not having a dog).
“Why is the omission of Maelor, the youngest child of Aegon and Helaena in Season 2, a significant problem? Because in the book, Maelor’s existence adds depth to the tragic sequence, making it even more horrific. Moreover, Maelor’s absence continues to impact the story beyond ‘Blood and Cheese’. Martin discussed this matter with showrunner Ryan Condal.”
When Ryan Condal initially shared his plan (back in 2022 possibly), I opposed it for various reasons. My opposition was not prolonged or passionate though. I felt the alteration would somewhat weaken the sequence, but only slightly. Ryan had practical motives for it; he didn’t want to manage another child, especially a two-year-old toddler. Toddlers that young naturally slow down production, and there were budget implications. Budget was already a concern on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, so saving money wherever possible made sense. Additionally, Ryan assured me that we weren’t losing Prince Maelor; instead, he was being delayed until season three, presumably after Helaena conceived late in season two. This reasoning seemed sensible to me, so I withdrew my objections and agreed to the change
Martin subsequently pointed out that “A significant alteration occurred somewhere between the original plan to exclude Maelor, and this change is crucial,” as the birth of Helaena and Aegon’s youngest child was prevented. Although I won’t delve into specific plot details here regarding how Maelor’s absence influences a pivotal decision for a character, Martin hinted at its impact by suggesting it will occur “without any specific reason” during Season 3
In summary, it doesn’t surprise me that George R.R. Martin removed his extensive post discussing Blood and Cheese’s exclusion of Maelor, given his more straightforward approach than I anticipated. However, what initially appeared to be a small adjustment for practical purposes at the start of Season 2 could ultimately necessitate significant alterations in the narrative, and I found it intriguing that he didn’t voice similar concerns about another exclusion this season
First, though, HBO has a response to Martin’s comments.
How HBO Responded To George R.R. Martin’s Take
By the time the HBO representative commented (through Variety), Martin had previously removed his post from his site; however, his remarks were already spreading online. In a more tactful response compared to the original report, the spokesperson stated: “The sentiments attributed to our client have been brought to our attention and we are looking into the matter.”
Among George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’ enthusiasts, none can rival the passion of the creators behind ‘House of the Dragon,’ both on set and at HBO. When transforming a book for the screen, with its unique style and constraints, the showrunner often must make challenging decisions regarding which characters and narratives to focus on. In our opinion, Ryan Condal and his team have excelled in this task, and the millions of viewers captivated by the series during its first two seasons will undoubtedly continue to be enthralled
Some changes from book to screen are always necessary, and Martin had seen plenty of them happen over the years of Game of Thrones, particularly the later seasons after the show overtook the available source material. Still, as somebody who has been bothered by Daemon clobbering his first wife with a rock ever since that particular episode of Season 1, I’m certainly not one to judge about disliking seemingly minor changes.
Absolutely, transforming “Fire & Blood” differs from “A Song of Ice and Fire,” not merely because the former is a completed narrative, unlike the latter. “Fire & Blood” is actually an in-universe historical text authored by maesters within Westeros, which means it’s riddled with unreliable narrators and inconsistent events
In other words, it’s indisputable from the sources in “Fire & Blood” that events such as Maelor’s existence and Daemon killing Rhea Royce occurred, which is why I find it surprising that George R.R. Martin didn’t mention this change given his usual approach to blood and cheese logic in his recent post
Caution: Here lie significant plot revelations for the book Fire & Blood. If you prefer to avoid knowing what’s coming next, it might be best to leave now or rewatch seasons 1 and 2 of House of the Dragon on your Max subscription without spoilers
What About Nettles?
The series “Fire & Blood” and “House of the Dragon” was used to identify characters with sufficient Targaryen blood to claim a dragon. An episode also provided information about a potential lost Targaryen character named Nettles, who may or may not have Targaryen blood but managed to tame the dragon Sheepstealer by feeding him sheep. It’s worth noting that the most crucial dragonseed from “Fire & Blood” could be Nettles, whose Targaryen heritage is uncertain but has a history of taming the dragon Sheepstealer
Readers can understand that Nettles and her complex relationship with Daemon could drive Rhanyra to a breaking point (with some encouragement from Myseria), ultimately leading to Daemon’s heroic mission to kill Aemond, which is what audiences would anticipate if the series had included Nettles. Instead, it appears that House of the Dragon is blending Rhaeana and Nettles. By George R.R. Martin’s reasoning on how leaving out Maelor can have a ripple effect in future events, he might feel the same way about removing Nettles
In the narrative of the Black Queen, it’s understandable that she might react harshly towards a commoner suspected of wooing her husband, but it seems out of character for her to order the death of someone who is either her niece, stepdaughter, or cousin. Given the strong taboo against incest even within the Targaryen family (as suggested by Daemon’s reaction to his dream about his mother), it would be hard to believe that she’d suspect any impropriety between Daemon and Rhaena, wouldn’t it?
Just as Maelor’s absence weakens Helaena’s reason for jumping from despair and insanity, there might be a great deal of dissatisfaction among readers if replacing Nettles with Rhaena alters Daemon’s significant final act at the Gods Eye lake
After reading both “A Song of Ice and Fire” and “Fire & Blood,” I can confidently assert that the conflict between Daemon and Aemond is one of the most extraordinary sequences George R.R. Martin has ever written, and it would undoubtedly make for an outstanding television adaptation if it’s done as closely as possible to the original work
Only time will tell, however, and it’s possible that Martin doesn’t see the omission of Nettles the same way that he does Maelor. At the very least, it’ll likely be some time before we find out what House of the Dragon Season 3 has in store. Variety has already confirmed that production won’t start until early 2025, which likely means the next new episode won’t air on HBO until 2026.
Martin concluded a since-deleted Not A Blog post by expressing concern about potential larger and more contentious twists if House of the Dragon continues, as some changes are being considered for seasons 3 and 4. However, nothing is yet certain at this stage. For now, we can only anticipate further updates from Martin regarding House of the Dragon, while waiting for his next instalment of A Song of Ice and Fire, with the long-awaited Winds of Winter still on hold
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2024-09-05 01:38