Game of Thrones Author’s Critiques of House of the Dragon: A Complete Timeline

This week, discussions about George R.R. Martin’s mixed feelings towards “House of the Dragon” are once again making waves. For the first time, showrunner Ryan Condal addressed Martin’s criticisms publicly. Initially, Martin expressed positive sentiments about this adaptation, but his opinions seemed to change over time, leaving many fans surprised by his highly critical blog post titled “Beware the Butterflies” at the end of Season 2. In the following section, you’ll find a timeline of Martin’s commentary, including his concerns, as well as their progression in blog posts and interviews. Although Condal responded generally to Martin, he has not yet addressed many of the specific narrative issues that Martin has raised.

In this scenario, Condal serves as the executive producer responsible for transforming Martin’s fictional historical text, “Fire & Blood,” into a television series, which is quite distinct from adapting a conventional novel. Fans have generally favored Condal’s approach to Westeros compared to “Game of Thrones,” due to an increased focus on the haunting mysticism of the Wierwood trees and a shift in formal dialogue, among other aspects. Martin’s criticisms primarily revolve around alterations to the source material and their potential impact on the overall story arc. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal addressed Martin’s opinions on these changes.

He expressed his dissatisfaction by saying, “I’ve been a devoted admirer of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ for nearly 25 years. Working on the series has been more than just an honor for my career as a writer; it’s been a profound experience that transcends my professional life as a science-fiction and fantasy enthusiast. George R.R. Martin is not only a literary titan, a cultural icon, but also a personal inspiration to me. His work has had a significant impact on shaping me as a writer.

In my commitment to include George in the transformation process, I truly gave it my all, spanning over numerous years. I believed our partnership was thriving, full of mutual success. However, as we delved deeper into the project, I found George increasingly resistant to addressing practical matters reasonably. As a showrunner, it’s crucial for me to balance my pragmatic producer side with my creative writer and material enthusiast, and unfortunately, this seemed challenging for him at times.

In the end, it’s essential that I continue pushing both the writing progress and the practical aspects of the project for the benefit of our team, the cast, and HBO, as that is my responsibility. All I can do is wish that George and I can find that alignment again someday. That’s about all I have to share on the matter.

In essence, Condal emphasized that every element on the show is meticulously planned out, often over long periods – sometimes even years. He added that he is responsible for all creative decisions made in the series, and as an avid reader of the Fire & Blood series, he believes this adaptation should not only be faithful to the source material but also cater to a large television audience.

The divide between Martin and Condal appears more profound than ever, leaving “Game of Thrones” fans with a sense of disquiet as the rift between the author and showrunners seems ominous. Some fans are hopeful that this distance will inspire Martin to return to his novels, while others fear the series may struggle without his influence. To better understand the situation, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit all of Martin’s criticisms and their evolution over time.

Season 1

Martin had nothing but high praise for “House of the Dragon” before, during, and after its premiere in 2022. He appreciated the cast and crew’s work, and thought that Condal was an ideal choice for the project, given his past success on the USA series “Colony.” In various blog posts, Martin openly expressed his admiration for Condal’s previous work, and even came to their defense against criticism during that time.

Martin expressed his desire for more time to delve deeper into relationships such as Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin’s, Daemon and Laena’s, their stay in Pentos, the birth of their children, and various other aspects that had to be skipped. He noted that there are limited minutes in each episode (with HBO offering more time compared to previous network shows he wrote for) and a set number of episodes per season. If House of the Dragon had 13 episodes per season, it might have been possible to show all the aspects they needed to “time jump” over; however, this could potentially lead to complaints that the show was moving too slowly or that not enough significant events were happening.

What made this post particularly concerning was Martin’s observation that the series might struggle to complete its narrative in “four full seasons, each consisting of ten episodes.” It appears that his prediction has come true, as the reduction from ten to eight episodes per season seems to be a significant factor contributing to the show’s current troubles. Martin seems well-aware of this issue, too.

‘The Adaptation Tango’

Martin’s anger appeared to be directed toward the scriptwriters in May of 2024, just before Season 2 started airing. At that time, fans were thrilled because this blog post could have been a criticism of the showrunners of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. However, looking back, it appears it was actually meant for Ryan Condal and his team.

Martin pointed out that no matter where you glance, screenwriters and producers are abundant, ready to claim outstanding stories as their own. No book, regardless of its greatness, seems to escape this eagerness; someone always thinks they can do better and rework the story for improvement. They might argue, ‘The book is the book, the movie is the movie,’ implying wisdom, but more often than not, what follows isn’t an enhancement, but a deterioration. Rarely does their interpretation surpass the original work.

‘Here There Be Dragons’

In my own words as a devoted fan, I’d say: Martin penned a seemingly praiseworthy commentary during the mid-season of “House of the Dragon” regarding the episode titled “The Red Dragon and the Gold.” Upon further analysis, though, it seems this piece subtly critiques a significant shift the show is undertaking. Delving deep into the lore of Westeros’ dragons, he drew parallels with dragons from various tales, sharing his creative decisions. He elucidated on his choices, emphasizing that his dragons are inherently magical yet essentially beasts, hence they don’t communicate and aren’t eternal.

George R.R. Martin penned that his dragons are airborne beings, capable of traversing mountains, plains, and vast distances… yet they seldom do so unless directed by their riders. These dragons aren’t nomadic wanderers. At the height of Valyria, there were forty dragon-riding families with numerous dragons among them… however, aside from the Targaryens, these families primarily remained near the Freehold and the Lands of the Long Summer. Occasionally, a dragon rider might visit Volantis or other Valyrian colonies for a few years, but they never permanently settled. Consider this: if dragons were nomadic, they would have conquered half of Essos, and the Doom would have only claimed a few. Similarly, the dragons in Westeros rarely venture far from Dragonstone. After three centuries, we should have dragons scattered throughout the realm, with each noble house boasting a few, but this isn’t the case.

In Martin’s own words, “Dragons won’t be found stalking the riverlands, the Reach, the Vale, or roaming through the northlands or the mountains of Dorne.” He later emphasized, “Fantasy should feel real. It’s not just a free pass to do whatever you want… Disregard established rules, and your world will crumble like delicate paper.

It appears that the scene might be a reference to the narrative from Season 2 of Rhaena Targaryen’s quest for a wild dragon in the Vale, which is not found in Martin’s books. Fans are anticipating that this new storyline could replace Nettles from “Fire & Blood,” who they believe should have already been introduced. Condal has been vague about whether or not Nettles will show up in House of the Dragon, but either way, it seems Martin is displeased with the alterations to Rhaena’s tale.

‘What Went Wrong’

The second season of House of the Dragon wrapped up on August 4, 2024, and George R.R. Martin certainly sparked curiosity among fans with a blog post on August 30. In this expansive post, he outlined various aspects of his life he intended to share on his blog, including personal updates, travel anecdotes, and reviews of recent media. He hinted that posts about these subjects would be published shortly.

He expressed that he’s not excited about the upcoming posts he has to write concerning issues with ‘HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’, but it’s a task he must complete. However, he won’t tackle it today.

‘Beware the Butterflies’

A little while after this incident, Martin penned the highly controversial blog entry titled “Beware the Butterflies,” which was a lengthy critique of ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, pointing out changes from his original book as an example, though he implied there were more unmentioned alterations. The post was removed by Martin within hours, and HBO released a statement expressing their admiration for Martin and desire to carry on working together.

Even though Martin’s original post about the issue has been taken down from his blog, you can still locate it through web archives, fan communities, and various online sources. In essence, Martin raised a point of debate regarding the absence of Prince Maelor Targaryen in “House of the Dragon.” While the series showcased their twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, it also depicted them as younger characters, neglecting to include their infant brother Maelor. This omission, according to Martin, adversely affected the “Blood & Cheese” event in the season’s opening scene.

Martin penned down, “I’m still convinced that the scene from the book packs a greater punch.” He explained, “The killers portrayed in the novel are more ruthless compared to their on-screen counterparts. I found the actors who played these roles outstanding… nonetheless, the characters in FIRE & BLOOD are depicted as being crueler, harsher, and more terrifying.

Additionally, he suggested that Helaena exhibits more bravery, more resilience in the book by sacrificing her life to save her son. Giving away a piece of jewelry simply doesn’t convey the same level of courage.

Martin shared that when Ryan Condal initially discussed his plans (back in 2022), he expressed disagreement for several reasons. However, his argument was brief and not heated. The alteration appeared to weaken the sequence slightly but not significantly. Ryan had practical motives for it; they aimed to avoid casting another child, particularly a two-year-old toddler. Toddlers can slow down production significantly and there would be budget implications, especially on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, where budget was already an issue. Saving money wherever possible made sense. Ryan also assured him that Prince Maelor was not being eliminated but delayed. Queen Helaena could still give birth to him in season three, following a late pregnancy in season two. This reasoning seemed valid to Martin, so he relented and accepted the change.

Martin elaborated on how the Butterfly Effect amplified the influence of the change more than he initially thought. The series made it evident that Aegon is no longer capable of siring another child following his conflict with Rhaenys and Melys, which in turn excludes Maelor from entering the narrative later on. Consequently, the show will forgo depicting Maelor’s harrowing flight from the Red Keep during the ensuing war and his confrontation with an enraged mob at Bitterbridge. Martin expressed regret that this entire subplot now appears infeasible for the series, as he put it, “The butterflies appear to rule it out.

Martin acknowledged that omitting this subplot might make the tale more straightforward, but he argued against simplicity by writing, “Simplicity is not always superior.” He explained how the scene at Bitterbridge was filled with tension, suspense, action, bloodshed, a hint of heroism, and a great deal of tragedy. Subsequently, he pointed out that the revelation of the toddler prince’s encounter at Bitterbridge would significantly influence other characters in the narrative, potentially undermining some major plot developments as the story progressed. In doing so, Martin inadvertently disclosed not only what would transpire but also the timeline for this event as envisioned by Condal in his show’s outlines.

Additionally, larger and potentially harmful butterflies may appear in future seasons if ‘HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’ proceeds with certain planned adjustments for seasons 3 and 4…,” Martin wrote.

The Collider Interview

Last month, as I was out there promoting my latest movie adaptation, “In The Lost Lands,” which is currently gracing the silver screen, I found myself fielding some questions about adaptations once more. It’s a subject that stirs up complex feelings within me, and I can’t help but reiterate my strong commitment to my books, where I retain full creative reign.

I also pointed out that authors aren’t always privy to the adaptation process, but it’s a delight when they do include us, and even more so when we sense that they genuinely appreciate the source material, because let me tell you, that doesn’t happen as often as one might hope!

In this context, allow me to clarify: I’m referring to individuals I’m not associated with in any way, regarding the topic at hand. Therefore, I kindly ask that you avoid interpreting my comments as pertaining to any ongoing endeavor.

The author additionally recognized that adjustments may be essential due to budgetary constraints or practical limitations, and at times these modifications can enhance the content. To illustrate, he cited Paddy Considine’s portrayal of King Viserys Targaryen I in House of the Dragon Season 1. However, it is his belief that when adapting, one should strive to remain as faithful as possible to the original source material.

Fan Responses

On various social media platforms like Reddit, YouTube, forums, and others, viewers have been diligently analyzing Martin’s statements to form their own opinions about the series and anticipate future developments. While reactions vary widely, a prevalent viewpoint is that this backlash seems insufficient given the timing, as some fans question why Martin didn’t express such strong feelings about the ending of Game of Thrones, which they still believe was more problematic than any modifications made to House of the Dragon.

A significant factor in this situation is the fans’ perception that Benioff and Weiss made the decision to conclude Game of Thrones as they did, largely due to Martin’s statement. At the Season 8 red carpet premiere, Martin mentioned that both he and HBO urged Benioff and Weiss to extend the show for additional episodes and seasons, but they opted to end it because they desired a personal life. Conversely, fans argue that it was actually HBO who reduced House of the Dragon Season 2 from ten episodes to eight – this reduction took place right before production started, and with a Writers Guild of America strike ongoing, making it difficult to revise the scripts.

Although there appears to be aspects of Rhaena’s story in the Vale that remain unclear at present, it seems evident that George R.R. Martin is not currently a major collaborator on House of the Dragon. Despite this, the series continues to progress without his direct involvement. At the moment, production for Season 3 is underway and is expected to debut in 2026. Additionally, the other spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is set to premiere on HBO and Max later this year. George R.R. Martin’s books can already be found in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

2025-04-01 21:15