George R. R. Martin Critiques Controversial House of the Dragon Changes: Allegations of ‘Toxic’ Creative Decisions Debated

George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind the Game of Thrones novels and the Fire & Blood spin-off that inspired the HBO series House of the Dragon, recently had a lot to say about a major change made in the show. In a now-deleted blog post called “Beware the Butterflies,” Martin went into great detail about his qualms with a specific scene in season two of HotD. But before we dive into the juicy stuff, let’s set the stage: Martin published the post, then promptly deleted it, leaving fans wondering what could have caused such a drastic move.

So, what was the big deal? Well, it all revolves around a pivotal moment known to fans of Fire & Blood as “Blood and Cheese.” In the show, Queen Helaena is accosted in the castle by two intruders, who demand she point out which of her two young children is a boy, ostensibly so they can murder the heir to the Iron Throne. She shakily offers them her necklace, but when they persist, she points to Jaehaerys, her son, who the intruder swiftly murders.

But here’s the thing: in the novel, Helaena has three children, not two. Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor are her offspring, and when Blood and Cheese break in, Helaena initially offers up her own life, then reluctantly points out Maelor, the youngest, for the murderers to slay. Martin claims he argued with showrunner Ryan Condal about the change, but not for long or with much heat. Condal allegedly had practical reasons for the alteration, citing budget constraints and the need to avoid casting another child, especially a two-year-old toddler.

Martin seemed to accept the change, writing that Condal assured him Prince Maelor would still be born in season three, presumably after Helaena gets with child late in season two. However, Martin’s tone changed when he discovered that Maelor was no longer going to be born at all. He referenced the “Butterfly Effect,” the philosophical notion that a small change can have major implications, and warned readers of spoilers, saying that if they haven’t read Fire & Blood, it might not matter, but he’s about to “spoil” major story beats from the book.

Martin then delved into the consequences of Maelor’s removal, explaining how it weakened the end of the Blood and Cheese sequence and undercut the motivation for Helaena’s suicide. He ominously ended his post by warning that there are “larger and more toxic butterflies to come” if House of the Dragon goes ahead with changes contemplated for seasons three and four.

I find it amusing that Martin never publicly criticized the ending of Game of Thrones, which deviated from his source material and created new storylines entirely. And I find it even funnier that he posted such a scathing takedown of a series he believes is doing adaptation the right way. Perhaps Martin did what many of us do – tweeted and deleted after having a bit of clarity. We’ll see.