House of the Dragon showrunner explained why Rhaenyra and Alicent became the central characters of the show (that’s not what the book says at all)

Based on the novel Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin, House of the Dragon almost immediately became a strong competitor to its predecessor, the fantasy drama Game of Thrones — only now, fans increasingly feel that the show is deliberately deviating from the plot of the original book.

“House of the Dragon” has been repeatedly criticized for almost completely ignoring George R.R. Martin’s interpretation of events, but even such dissatisfaction doesn’t seem to bother the prequel’s creators much.

Nearly two months after the release of the final episode of the second season, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal still has to answer uncomfortable questions that are on the minds of almost every fan.

In a recently recorded podcast, in which he answered the question of why the team decided to make Rhaenyra and Alicent the central characters of the entire show, Condal said that the writers were much more interested in exploring the stories of heroines who grew up under the oppression of the patriarchy and are forced to take full responsibility for the future of their families in Westeros.

Dedicated fans of George R. R. Martin’s work already know that Rhaenyra and Alicent were never the central figures of Fire and Blood – and what’s more, they weren’t even friends, only meeting at the outbreak of a full-scale war.

In the series, Condal says, both are given much more important roles, underlined by all the drama of the fact that they were once good friends.

Whether such significant deviations from the original text can be considered an adaptation, only time will tell – and the ratings of future seasons.