Despite the online buzz that House of the Dragon Season 2 was able to generate, the show has been the target of a lot of misogynist fans, and they basically got their permission to shit on the show when Thrones creator George R.R. Martin went public about any grievances he had with the series direction.
With another season underway, and GRRM being clear with his displeasure with some of showrunner Ryan Condal’s decisions, HBO head Casey Bloys tells Deadline about the current state of the series relationship with Martin. He explains:
“He’s very important to me, to us… But when we put shows together, it’s like putting a marriage together. Marriages can be difficult, especially when Ryan Condal is making creative decisions and adapting work. It can be fraught. Any marriage can get rocky. I would prefer everybody get along, of course. But with the creative process, we are always going to have bumps. That’s to be expected.”
In Martin’s deleted post about House of the Dragon, he had complained about the omission of Maelor Targaryen, who was supposed to be present in the scene where Jaehaerys was beheaded. In Martin’s rant, he said that removing the character would possibly result in several moments in the story to be changed in the context; and there are story moments that he thinks would not make sense if certain events didn’t happen.
GRRM’s blog on HOTD is out, and he is NOT happy. pic.twitter.com/UILFedmIcJ
— hypatia (@actuallyhypatia) September 4, 2024
It’s crazy because this is only a fraction of what Martin was allegedly complaining about when it came to House of the Dragon; and fans can only imagine what else issues he had with the second season.
Personally, I thought there was a lot to enjoy about the series, and it’s nowhere near as bad as the final season of Game of Thrones. The character arcs still feel pretty solid, and the spectacle is definitely still there.
Hopefully the third season manages to mend the divide between Martin and Condal. But even if that was the case, I’m sure there are already several toxic fans and grafters who are ready to tune in every week and make hours of hate content for the show.
No release date has been set for the next season of House of the Dragon, but a 2026 premiere could be realistic.
