In an extensive blog post that has since been deleted, George R.R. Martin shared his major concerns regarding Season 2 of House of the Dragon and also revealed a significant spoiler for Season 3.
The criticism surrounding the second season of House of the Dragon was primarily aimed at its alterations to Martin’s Fire and Blood. These included a less extreme portrayal of Blood and Cheese, the exclusion of Daeron and Maelor, and the emphasis on Alicent and Rhaenyra’s dynamic.
In a previous post, the author commended certain aspects of Blood and Cheese. However, they also committed to writing another post that would delve into “all the issues raised”by Ryan Condal and co.’s adaptation, as well as the character of Maelor the Missing. There is much to be discussed on these topics.
On the evening of September 4, Martin finally delivered, although we cannot say the same for The Winds of Winter. The author was direct in his statement, expressing his belief that Condal’s decisions will have a detrimental and significant effect on the series due to the “butterfly effect”. Proceed with caution, as spoilers will be revealed…
Martin’s critique primarily centers on Maelor, the third child of Maelor, Aegon, and Helaena in the book. According to Martin, there was a significant alteration made sometime after the initial decision to remove Maelor, which resulted in the prince not being born at all, rather than simply being delayed until Season 3.
Maelor’s destiny serves as a significant trigger for a crucial event in the story. Prior to Rhaenyra and the Blacks’ arrival at King’s Landing, Alicent requests Ser Rickard Thorne to protect him. They manage to escape and remain unharmed for some time…until their true identities are revealed in Bitterbridge, a territory controlled by the Blacks.
Despite Thorne’s attempt to flee with Maelor, he is ultimately killed by crossbowmen. The fate of the young Targaryen remains unknown, but there are three potential outcomes: he was either crushed to death, torn apart by an angry mob, or chopped up by a butcher.
Despite Martin’s claims that Helaena’s suicide was driven by a lack of a triggering event in Ryan’s outline for Season 3, it is still portrayed as the cause of her demise in the book. Martin argues that there is no clear reason for her actions, as there is no new horror or overwhelming event that leads to the fragile queen’s death.
It appears that Martin is concerned that without proper background information, the events that follow (such as riots erupting in King’s Landing and people suspecting Rhaenyra of murder) will lack significance or credibility.
“I cannot recollect Ryan and I conversing about this matter when he initially informed me of their resistance towards Aegon’s second son. While Maelor’s presence may not be crucial, the potential loss of Bitterbridge, Helaena’s suicide, and the ensuing riots would be quite significant,”he remarked.
“Furthermore, if House of the Dragon proceeds with the potential modifications for Seasons 3 and 4, there may be even bigger and more hazardous butterflies in the future.”
It is unclear why Martin chose to delete the post without explanation, but it is evident that the request for its removal came from HBO due to the potential spoiler of a significant character’s demise.
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