George RR Martin Critiques House Of The Dragon Season 2

Update: Following the publishing and removal of George R.R. Martin's blog post, which is discussed below, HBO responded in a statement to Variety. It reads: "There are few greater fans of George R.R. Martin and his book Fire & Blood than the creative team on House of the Dragon, both in production and at HBO. Commonly, when adapting a book for the screen, with its own format and limitations, the showrunner ultimately is required to make difficult choices about the characters and stories the audience will follow. We believe that Ryan Condal and his team have done an extraordinary job and the millions of fans the series has amassed over the first two seasons will continue to enjoy it."

In a recent blog post, George R.R. Martin voiced serious concerns about the latest season of HBO's House of the Dragon. The author, who created the Fire & Blood series from which the show is adapted, sharply criticized the decision to exclude the character Maelor, a crucial figure in the book.

Martin's post, which appears to have since been removed, expressed his dissatisfaction with changes introduced in the opening episodes of the second season. He specifically condemned the adaptation of the Blood and Cheese sequence, where two assassins kill Jaehaerys in front of his mother, Helaena.

In the book, Helaena has two sons, in addition to her daughter. Missing from the series is son Maelor, which takes away from what Martin referred to as a "Sophie's Choice" of having to decide which son will die. Additionally, in the book she offers her own life in exchange for her son, while on the show she offers a necklace for her children's safety. While these alterations may seem minor, Martin contends it significantly impacts the show's narrative going forward.

The author criticized the adaptation, stating, "The scene in the book is stronger. The readers have the right of that. The two killers are crueler in the book. I thought the actors who played the killers on the show were excellent… but the characters are crueler, harder, and more frightening in Fire & Blood." He further remarked, "Helaena demonstrates far greater courage and strength in the book by offering her own life to save her son."

Martin recounted his initial objections to the removal of Maelor during discussions with showrunner Ryan Condal, who cited practical issues like casting and budget constraints. "Ryan assured me that we were not losing Prince Maelor, simply postponing him. Queen Helaena could still give birth to him in Season 3, presumably after getting with child late in Season 2. That made sense to me, so I withdrew my objections and acquiesced to the change."

Martin warned that Maelor's absence could lead to substantial narrative losses, including the omission of pivotal scenes and character motivations. "Losing Maelor weakened the end of the Blood and Cheese sequence, but it also cost us the Bitterbridge scene with all its horror and heroism," Martin wrote. He concluded with a stark warning about future developments: "It all helps to tie the story lines together, so one thing follows another in a logical and convincing manner."

HBO and co-creator Condal have yet to comment. You can read an archived version of Martin's post here.

House of the Dragon is confirmed to be ending after Season 4.