As a devoted fan who has read George R.R. Martin’s books multiple times and attended countless Comic-Cons, I find myself both amused and concerned by his recent blog post. On one hand, it’s refreshing to see such passion for details, even something as minor as dragon sigils. It’s like he’s saying, “If you’re going to adapt my work, do it right!” On the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if he might be a bit too invested in these winged creatures. I mean, who gets this worked up over dragon limbs?
Contains spoilers for “House of the Dragon” Season 2 Episode 8 — “The Queen Who Ever Was”
Many viewers expressed significant disappointment with the finale of Season 2 of “House of the Dragon,” and it seems others share this sentiment. Notably, George R.R. Martin, author of the fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” (the basis for “Game of Thrones”) and writer of the Targaryen family history “Fire and Blood,” has voiced some reservations about the HBO adaptation.
In his blog titled “Not a Blog,” Martin expressed some criticisms towards the series, which he penned immediately following the airing of the fourth season episode “The Red Dragon and the Gold.” Initially, he applauded the show for its action-packed Battle of Rook’s Rest scene, where dragons clashed in the sky. However, after this initial praise, Martin delved into an extensive discourse about dragons, touching upon the mythical creature from “Lord of the Rings,” Smaug, and the adorable Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”
In Martin’s books, dragons and wyverns are part of the world of Westeros, so there’s no room for argument about their existence. Consequently, the Targaryen emblem in these stories has two legs, not four, because why would anyone in Westeros depict a dragon with four legs when they can observe the genuine article and see that it only has two?
George R.R. Martin has an issue with some of the sigils in the Game of Thrones universe
George R.R. Martin points out that both “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” have some inaccuracies regarding their sigils, which might not bode well. For the first four seasons and most of the fifth season of “Game of Thrones,” the correct two-legged sigils were shown, but when Daenerys Targaryen’s fleet arrived, the sails displayed dragons with four legs instead. It seems someone may have made a mistake or delved into heraldry just enough to create confusion and mess things up. A little knowledge can indeed be dangerous.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my disappointment when it comes to the continuity in the spin-off and prequel series, ‘House of the Dragon’. While I appreciate their commitment to maintaining consistency with ‘Game of Thrones’, the choice to use the flawed sigil instead of the one that embodies righteousness left me feeling disheartened. The sound you might have heard was me, letting out a despairing “no, no, no”. To my dismay, these additional legs have found their way onto the covers of my beloved books, despite my vigorous protests.
Martin emphasizes that while his books feature various dragons such as Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) trio Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, along with others from “House of the Dragon” like Vhagar, Syrax, and Sheepstealer, it is crucial to remember one key aspect about his genre: “Fantasy requires a foundation. It’s not a pass to do anything you fancy. While Smaug and Toothless are both dragons, they should never be mixed up. Disregard the established rules, and your world will crumble like fragile paper.”
Fans had very different issues with the Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon
It’s certainly fair for George R.R. Martin to express his frustrations with errors in his adaptations that have persisted for years, but it’s safe to say that fans are not really worried about the dragon legs on Targaryen sigils — they’re more worried and frustrated by the fact that Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” felt entirely underwhelming. The sophomore season of the massive HBO original apparently was supposed to span ten episodes but ended with just eight installments, which means that both the Battle of the Gullet and the Fall of King’s Landing — which are both clearly foreshadowed and set up in “The Queen Who Ever Was” — will have to wait for Season 3. (Showrunner Ryan Condal told a press conference today that Season 3 will hopefully start production early next year … which still means we’re in for a long wait.)
Is it possible that Martin’s objections might be hinting at a more significant problem? In the adaptation of “House of the Dragon,” we notice some alterations from the original source; for instance, Olivia Cooke’s character Alicent Hightower strikes a surprising deal with her former friend and eventual adversary Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), which is not present in the original material. However, Martin’s objections about the sigils could suggest that Condal and his team might be taking creative liberties with the source material to a degree that could potentially harm the show. Only time will tell how they manage the next two seasons.
“House of the Dragon” is streaming on Max now.
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2024-08-05 23:59