George R. R. Martin: ‘I Don’t Look Forward’ to Revealing ‘Everything That’s Gone Wrong’ With ‘House of the Dragon’ but ‘I Need to Do That Soon’

As a lifelong fan of George R.R. Martin’s intricate narrative worlds, I find myself both excited and apprehensive about his impending critique of “House of the Dragon.” Having spent years immersed in the complexities of Westeros, I have grown accustomed to the bittersweet blend of triumph and tragedy that defines the author’s storytelling.


In a recent blog update, George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind “Game of Thrones,” has shared plans to delve into the missteps of HBO’s prequel series, “House of the Dragon,” which wrapped up its second season not too long ago.

Martin has been sharing updates about “House of the Dragon” production, his long-awaited “Winds of Winter” book, and various thoughts through his personal blog for some time. However, it’s the first instance where he’s expressed a change in tone specifically regarding HBO’s “House of the Dragon” spinoff, which is inspired by his “Fire & Blood” novel.

“Though I’m not eager to pen more posts detailing the missteps with House of the Dragon, it’s a task I must undertake. Yet, not today. Today, I choose to set aside the gloom and celebrate Zozobra’s day in Santa Fe, NM, as well as other summer adventures.” (Written by Martin on Friday)

“Santa Fe symbolically consumes the shadows to pave the path for brightness and happiness anticipated in the upcoming year. Frankly, this is more crucial than ever before, as the world, our nation, and myself are enduring a difficult time,” he continued. “We’re seeing war everywhere, the rise of fascism, and it’s been a challenging year for everyone. On a personal note, I’ve had a particularly tough year with stress, anger, disagreements, and disappointments. I plan to address some of these issues, I will share more soon… I was offline from July 15 to August 15 due to travel, so many things that needed expressing didn’t get expressed.”

Some might find it unexpected, considering Martin, a co-creator and executive producer on “House of the Dragon,” publicly appreciated the fourth episode, titled “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” during Season 2, due to its visually stunning dragon fight scene.

Martin inquired his audience, “Has any dragon fight ever been as impressive as this one?” He appeared to remember a movie titled ‘Reign of Fire’ that depicted several dragons flying simultaneously. Nevertheless, despite a larger number of dragons and possibly a more spectacle-filled scene, I don’t believe it had a more intense battle. Our group, they managed to outshine even from the castle walls.”

Nevertheless, Martin pointed out a discrepancy in “House of the Dragon” regarding the Targaryen family’s sigil. Unlike the show’s depiction, which includes a four-legged dragon, the authentic sigil should display a two-legged dragon instead.

“Martin chose the unfavorable symbol instead of the beneficial one back then. It was like hearing me yell, ‘Not this, not this, not this.’ Sadly, those additional limbs have managed to appear on the covers of my books, despite my strong protests.”

Many spectators felt let down by the ending of Season 2, as it mirrored the cliffhanger from Season 1 and hinted at a full-blown Targaryen war between the Green and Black factions. The reduction to eight episodes in Season 2, compared to the ten episodes in Season 1, left many viewers yearning for more combat scenes in the second season.

Martin expressed his admiration for “House of the Dragon” as it moved into its second season. Following the screening of the initial two episodes, he penned a blog post to share with his readers that the episodes were exceptional. He cautioned they were quite dark, potentially evoking tears (though he himself remained dry-eyed, but one of his friends did shed some). The episodes carried a strong emotional impact, proving gut-wrenching and heart-rending. In essence, they fit right up Martin’s alley, being the kind of intense, tragic storytelling that resonates with him deeply (as he was raised on Shakespearean works, and prefers tragedies and historical plays above all else).

“The TV series ‘House of the Dragon’ has been given the green light for a third installment, and it’s expected that there will also be a fourth and concluding season.”

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2024-08-30 18:47