George R.R. Martin is expressing his dissatisfaction with “House of the Dragon.”

The author of “Game of Thrones,” who wrote the novel that serves as the foundation for “House of the Dragon,” published a blog post on Wednesday criticizing the HBO adaptation for its alterations to his original work, “Fire & Blood.”

This blog marked one of the most straightforward criticisms Martin, 75, has made regarding any show within the “Thrones” franchise. He is recognized as a co-creator of “House of the Dragon” alongside Ryan Condal. Shortly after the blog post was published, users encountered a 404 error when trying to access it, raising questions about whether Martin had removed it.

Much of Martin’s critique centered around a notorious event from the books called “Blood and Cheese.” He pointed out that fans of the book found the television interpretation of this scene to be “underwhelming” and “diluted,” insisting that “the scene in the book is much stronger” than what was depicted in the show.

Differences between Blood and Cheese in the show and book

In the premiere episode of “House of the Dragon” Season 2, two characters named Blood and Cheese assassinate Queen Helaena’s young son, Prince Jaehaerys. According to the book, Helaena has two sons, and Blood and Cheese force her to choose which son to kill. They then proceed to kill the child she did not choose as a means of psychological torture, leaving the surviving child aware that his mother selected him to die.

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In the show’s adaptation, the sequence unfolds differently as Helaena does not have two sons in “House of the Dragon.” The character Maelor from the book was omitted from the HBO series. Instead of making Helaena choose which child to sacrifice, Blood and Cheese compel her to identify which of her sons is a boy. Additionally, Helaena does not offer herself as a sacrifice like she does in the book; instead, she provides them with a necklace.

In his blog, Martin expressed that he still appreciated the Blood and Cheese sequence, but he lamented the changes the series made to his story. For instance, he questioned the logic of Blood and Cheese insisting Helaena identify which of her children is a boy, noting that “a quick look at his PJs would clarify that.”

Moreover, Martin argued that “the characters are depicted as crueler, harsher, and more terrifying” in his original text. He emphasized that Helaena “demonstrates more bravery” in his version by offering her life in exchange for her son’s safety.

“In my view, the aspect involving ‘Helaena’s Choice’ formed the most powerful element of the sequence; it’s the darkest, most visceral part,” Martin stated. “I felt that losing that aspect was disheartening, and judging by the feedback online, many fans concurred.”

The author disclosed that he had “opposed” the alteration when Condal first informed him of it. Condal indicated to Martin that Maelor was being cut due to practical constraints to avoid needing to cast another young actor, as “children of that age would inevitably disrupt the production timeline and have budgetary implications.” However, Martin mentioned that Condal assured him Maelor would be introduced in Season 3, which led him to “retract” his objections. He acknowledged that while removing the ‘Helaena’s Choice’ element weakened the scene, it did not do so “to any great degree.”

Nevertheless, Martin later revealed that a decision was made to entirely remove Maelor from the series, which clearly displeased him.

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Martin expressed his discontent regarding the decision to eliminate Maelor from the series, citing the “butterfly effect” this would have on later events described in the book. He highlighted that Maelor’s eventual death is what leads Queen Helaena to take her own life in the story.

With Maelor’s absence in the show, Martin revealed that “In Ryan’s outline for Season 3, Helaena still goes through with suicide without any clear reason. There’s no new horror, no event that triggers the fragile young queen’s despair.”

Furthermore, Martin elaborated on additional plot points from the book that would need adjustments or removal because Maelor is no longer a character. He insisted that omitting these elements would result in a “significant loss.” He concluded by issuing a warning that  There are expectations of “larger and more toxic butterflies” ahead if “HOUSE OF THE DRAGON” implements some proposed changes for seasons 3 and 4.

This blog post stands out since it’s rare to see George R.R. Martin explicitly express his disagreements with the “Game of Thrones” writers. He was never openly critical, even during the divisive final season of “Game of Thrones.”

HBO’s Response to George R. R. Martin’s Comments

On Wednesday, an HBO representative supported showrunner Ryan Condal in a statement provided to YSL News.

“The creative team on ‘House of the Dragon,’ both in production and at HBO, is made up of passionate fans of George R.R. Martin and his book ‘Fire & Blood,'” the statement highlighted.

“When adapting a book into a show, the showrunner often faces tough decisions regarding which characters and narratives to focus on. We believe Ryan Condal and his team have done an outstanding job, and the millions of fans who have enjoyed the first two seasons will continue to appreciate the series.”

Condal shared his experiences collaborating with Martin in the last episode of this season’s “The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon,” released Wednesday.

“The scripts we write are always accessible to him,” he stated. “I’ve consistently valued his input when possible, though there have definitely been instances where we disagreed and went in different directions.”

“I always strive to adapt and make it work,” Condal added.

He elaborated: “Television has significant demands, and sometimes it’s beyond the showrunner’s ability to alter elements in order to fit them into the television format. Much of my role involves finding ways to adapt, think creatively, and pivot.”

“We may not be able to do certain things, but we can explore other options, because this is not a book. It’s a television series.”

George R. R. Martin’s Prior Discontent Expressed on His Blog

Martin hinted at issues back in May when he wrote a blog that ambiguously critiqued adaptations that make unnecessary alterations to original works.

“People often say, ‘The book is the book, the film is the film,’ as if they’re imparting profound wisdom,” Martin noted at the time. “Then they rewrite the story as if it were their own. But they rarely improve it. Most of the time, they make it worse.”

In a July blog post, Martin raised eyebrows by declaring that in his universe, “dragons will not be found hunting in the riverlands, the Reach, the Vale, or roaming the northern territories or the mountains of Dorne.” This statement seemed to criticize a plot point in Season 2 of “House of the Dragon,” which involved a dragon roaming the Vale.

In another blog entry that month, Martin mentioned he would be traveling to London where the writers’ room for “House of the Dragon” Season 3 would convene, but he confirmed, “I have no intention of attending.”

In August, Martin teased about an upcoming blog where he would disclose problems with “House of the Dragon,” stating, “I’m not looking forward to additional posts about everything that’s gone wrong with ‘HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’ but it’s something I need to address, and I will.”

It remains uncertain whether the blog post from Wednesday addresses the issues Martin intended to discuss or if there are more problems yet to be revealed.