Last week, game of Thrones Creator George R.R. Martin said he would soon reveal “everything that went wrong” in season two of House of the DragonThat day has come and he really has only one creative problem to solve.
I thought he would dive into some behind-the-scenes stuff and talk about the less-than-stellar ending. Instead, he discusses By Ryan Condal decision to cut a key character in the story who was part of Martin Fire and Blood and how this will impact history.
Martin explained: “I promised you further reflections on Blood and Cheese and Maelor the Missing after my commentary on the first two episodes of HotD season two, A Son for a Son and Rhaenyra the Cruel.
“Those were fantastic episodes: well-written, well-directed, powerfully acted. A great way to kick off the new season. Both fans and critics seemed to agree. There was only one aspect of the episodes that drew significant criticism: the handling of Blood and Cheese and the death of Prince Jaehaerys.
“From the comments I saw online, opinions were divided. Fire & Blood readers found the sequence disappointing, a letdown, diluted from what they had expected.
“Viewers who hadn’t read the book had no such issues. Most found the sequence gut-wrenching, tragic, horrifying, nightmarish, etc. Some reported being reduced to tears. I found myself agreeing with both sides.”
He goes on to point out the differences between what is in his story and what we saw in the show, saying, “In my book, Aegon and Helaena have three children, not two. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, are six years old. They have a younger brother, Maelor, who is two.
“When Blood and Cheese burst in on Helaena and the children, they tell her that they are debt collectors come to avenge the death of Prince Lucerys: a son for a son. Since Helaena has two sons, however, they ask her to choose which of them should die.
“She resists and offers her life in his stead, but the assassins insist that it must be a son. If she does not name one, they will kill all three children. To save the twins’ lives, Helaena calls upon Maelor.
“But Blood kills the eldest boy, Jaehaerys, instead, while Cheese tells little Maelor that his mother wanted him dead. It is not at all certain whether the boy is old enough to understand this.”
He continued: “That’s not how it happens in the show. There’s no Maelor in House of the Dragon, just the twins… they both look younger than six, but I’m not a good judge of the ages of children, so I can’t be sure how old they’re supposed to be.
“Blood can’t tell the twins apart, so Helaena is asked to reveal which one is male. You’d think a look under her pajamas would reveal it, without implicating her mother.)
“Instead of offering her life to save the children, Helaena offers them a necklace. Blood and Cheese are not tempted. Blood saws off Prince Jaehaerys’ head. We are spared the sight of it; a sound effect is enough.”
As you might imagine, Martin thinks his version is better, saying, “I still think the book scene is stronger. The readers are right. The two killers are crueler in the book. I thought the actors who played the killers in the series were excellent… but the characters are crueler, tougher and scarier in Fire & Blood.”
He went on to explain how the character’s omission could impact future seasons, but ended up deleting his blog post after warning fans of more “toxic” changes to come. House of the Dragon third season.
I get what he means, but his initial teasing about everything that went wrong in the series made me think he had a lot more on his mind, but I guess that’s what’s eating away at him.
by Joey Fear
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
