George RR Martin criticizes House Of The Dragon for ‘toxic’ alterations to the plot | Entertainment & Art News
Author George RR Martin has expressed dissatisfaction with the second season of House Of The Dragon, stating that he opposed a plot change that he believes will have a “butterfly effect” on future episodes.
The writer, who is a co-creator and executive producer of the show, cautioned in a now-deleted blog post that “there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come”.
Martin had previously promised to reveal “everything that’s gone wrong” with the adaptation of HBO’s House Of The Dragon, which is based on his book Fire & Blood and serves as a prequel to the popular series, Game Of Thrones.
In his lengthy blog post, he detailed a disagreement over the removal of a character, Prince Maelor, from the plot – arguing that it will have significant implications for the third and fourth seasons.
He explained: “The prince’s birth was not just going to be delayed to series three. He was never going to be born at all. The younger son of Aegon and Helaena would never make an appearance.”
Actress Phia Saban, who plays Helaena Targaryen, appeared at the series two premiere of House Of The Dragon in London in June. Pic: AP
Martin noted practical concerns about casting another child, such as cost.
He revealed that although showrunner Ryan Condal had initially assured him that the character of Prince Maelor would not be eliminated, Martin’s opposition to dropping the character from the second season was overlooked.
In a statement reported by Deadline, HBO defended Mr. Condal, stating: “When adapting a book for the screen, the showrunner often has to make tough decisions about the characters and plots that the audience will follow.
“We believe that Ryan Condal and his team have done an exceptional job, and the millions of fans the series has garnered over the first two seasons will continue to appreciate it.”
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‘You’re only as good as your last episode’
Martin proceeded to compare the HBO series with Fire & Blood, the source material for the show.
He noted that his book includes Aegon and Helaena Targaryen – portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney and Phia Saban, respectively – who have twins Jaehaera and Jaehaerys along with a younger son, Maelor.
However, in the show, the couple only has the twins.
He emphasized: “Maelor may be a two-year-old in Fire & Blood, but he has an impact on the story that is disproportionate to his size, much like our butterfly.”
He argued that the changes “may be logical in terms of budget and shooting schedules. But simplicity is not always better.”
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In a recent episode of HBO’s official House Of The Dragon podcast, Mr. Condal explained that “we had to make some compromises in rendering the story” by eliminating the Maelor character.
“This decision had repercussions, but we chose to embrace it and turn it into a strength rather than a weakness.”
Furthermore, George RR Martin’s blog post delved into the progression of the original story in his book [avoiding spoilers], speculated on character and plot developments in the show, and ended on a mysterious note.
“There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if HOUSE OF THE DRAGON proceeds with certain changes being considered for seasons three and four,” he concluded.
