Though George R.R. Martin Went Off About House Of The Dragon, The Showrunner’s Already Addressed The Challenges The GOT Spinoff Has Faced

Though George R.R. Martin Went Off About House Of The Dragon, The Showrunner's Already Addressed The Challenges The GOT Spinoff Has Faced

As a gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the richly detailed world of George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood”, I can’t help but feel like a loyal servant watching the adaptation for TV. It’s like being asked to serve the king’s dinner while he eats it with chopsticks – it feels like an insult to the original! But, as the showrunner so eloquently put it, they are mere dramatists, not worshippers. They must color in the lines given and admit that a lot of what we see is their own creation. I guess I’ll just have to keep my expectations low, my faith high, and enjoy the ride! And if things get really bad… well, I always have my “GoT” tinfoil handy!


When a story from a book is transformed for the big screen, those responsible for the adaptation may face criticism from fans who deeply cherish that original work due to any modifications, no matter how minor. The transformation of House of the Dragon, set to return for Season 3 at a later date, has generated much discussion among fans regarding the changes made in comparison to Fire & Blood. However, it’s evident that author George R.R. Martin holds strong opinions on this topic. In a now-removed blog post, he expressed his thoughts on the difficulties involved with adapting his book. The showrunner has already acknowledged the challenge of bringing Martin’s story to life on screen

What Did House Of The Dragon’s Showrunner Say About The Challenges Of Adapting Fire & Blood?

It’s no secret by this point that adapting George R.R. Martin’s work into a television series can be quite challenging, as not everyone may be won over by the interpretation. Even though Game of Thrones remains widely popular, it has generated debate about certain aspects, making it unsurprising that House of the Dragon, in its first two seasons, has faced similar criticisms

In simple terms,

As playwrights, let’s imagine this story as if it were a part of actual history. Thus, we shall build this narrative in three dimensions and fully develop its entire plot for the audience to engage with. We will endow our characters with personal lives, imperfections, and motivations that may not have been present in the historical record

Condal emphasized that he’s approached the “Fire & Blood” series with deep reverence and respect from the outset, but he stressed the significance of distinguishing between reverence and idolization. During his interview, he highlighted a crucial detail that less devoted fans might not be aware of: this series is grounded in a historical account written by three narrators who are not entirely reliable. This implies that there may be intentional gaps or contradictions in the historical record regarding ‘how’ and ‘why’ certain events transpired

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Additionally, alongside condensing events, excluding certain characters, and so forth, Condal and his team needed to decide on the perspective from which to tell the story (specifically, the Targeryen family lineage, focusing primarily on Viserys’ extensive relatives). They then crafted the narrative in a manner that clarifies the “how” and “why” of what transpires, starting from this chosen viewpoint. He mentioned:

In simpler terms, when reading Fire & Blood, it’s common to find gaps or missing pieces of information. As storytellers, our role involves filling in these blanks using our imagination, and much of what we add is based on our own interpretations and assumptions

Essentially, when adapting F&B, the writers needed to decide which characters to emphasize and establish reasons for their actions since these aspects aren’t explicitly stated in the original work. Fans may understand George R.R. Martin’s perspective on the alterations, as well as many sharing similar feelings towards Condal and his team. The consequences of these differences on Seasons 3 and 4 remain to be seen; however, we can anticipate that the narrative will remain captivating, despite significant deviations from its original form

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2024-09-05 19:48