George RR Martin Changes ‘House of the Dragon’ and Disappears Prince Maelor

George R.R. Martincreator of “game of Thrones” and author of “Fire & Blood“, has once again caught the attention of fans with criticism of the second season of “House of the Dragon“In a recent post on his blog, now deleted, Martin explained what he considers flaws in the adaptation made by HBOespecially in relation to significant changes in the plot. He highlighted that the exclusion of the character Prince Maelor Targaryen in the second season will have serious consequences for the future development of the series.

Death of Maelor

One of Martin’s biggest criticisms was of the sequel to “Blood & Cheese”, which was supposed to present the death of Maeloryoungest son of Aegon and Helaena Targaryen. However, the series chose to remove the character completely, leaving the couple with only two children. According to Martin, this change weakened the scene, but he accepted the argument of Ryan Condal, the series’ showrunner, who justified the decision as a way to avoid production and budget complications.

Despite initially accepting the change, Martin pointed out that Maelor’s absence could seriously affect the events of future seasons. He believes that this choice takes away some of the emotion and coherence of the plot, especially with regard to Helaena’s fate and the public repercussion of her son’s death, crucial elements in the unfolding of events in “Fire & Blood”.

Changes for upcoming seasons

In his post, Martin even predicted that further changes to the script for future seasons could have an even greater impact on the narrative. He suggested that fans of “House of the Dragonn” could expect more “toxic butterflies” – a metaphor for the negative consequences of small changes to the original story.

On the other hand, the HBO defended the choices made by Condal and his team. In an official statement, the network praised the adaptation work and highlighted that adapting a literary work for television requires difficult decisions, including the elimination of some characters. HBO reaffirmed its confidence in the creative team, highlighting the success of the series and the enthusiasm of fans around the world.

Character age adjustments

Ryan Condal, in an episode of the official podcast of “House of the Dragon“, also commented on the decision to eliminate Maelor. He explained that, due to the compression of the timeline in the series, the ages of the characters needed to be adjusted to maintain verisimilitude, and this resulted in the exclusion of some elements of the original story.

Despite recent criticism, Martin was initially very positive about the first few episodes of season two of “House of the Dragon“. He described the scenes as emotional, dark and powerful, exactly the way he likes them. However, it wasn’t the first time he criticized details of the adaptation, such as when he disapproved of the use of a four-legged dragon crest for House Targaryen, something that made him shout “no, no, no” in protest.

More tweaks and commentary from George RR Martin

With a third and fourth season of “House of the Dragon” already planned, fans can expect more tweaks and possibly more input from Martin, who seems intent on staying involved and vocal about the direction of the series.

Summary for those in a hurry:

• George RR Martin criticized the exclusion of Prince Maelor in the second season of “House of the Dragon”.
• He believes that this change harms the coherence of the plot, especially in relation to the character Helaena.
• HBO defended the changes, saying adaptations require making difficult choices.
• Showrunner Ryan Condal explained that Maelor’s exclusion was a practical decision to adjust the schedule and budget.
• Martin has already praised some aspects of the second season, but maintains his criticisms about details of the adaptation.
• Fans can expect more commentary from Martin in future seasons of “House of the Dragon.”