No one can deny that House of the Dragon is one of the most popular television shows of the 2020s. However, that does not mean the show is without flaws. As with any adaptation of book material, the show makes alterations to its story to make it more palatable to audiences. In the case of this show’s source material, things had to be outright invented to explain why its characters made the choices they did.
It creates a kind of gambling game where the show tries to offer its take on what went on behind the scenes that led to some of the biggest moments in the history of Westeros. Unfortunately, this does not always fly with the fans of the books who want a true adaptation of the story. The reality is though that there is no way to truly adapt Fire & Blood without leaving major gaps in the story, let alone risking turning the characters into more one-dimensional versions of themselves. Adding to this is that some of these scenes simply did not hit the mark and bothered fans on a more fundamental level.
10The Death of Queen Aemma Painted a Brutal Picture
Season 1, Episode 1: “The Heirs of the Dragon”
This was the first truly gruesome scene of the series. Taking place in the very first episode, Queen Aemma, the mother of Rhaenyra and wife of Viserys was in agony during the labor of what was supposed to be Viserys’ male heir. The baby was stuck inside of her and the maesters presented Viserys with a choice: he could either let both mother and child die, or sacrifice the mother in a haphazard caesarian section to save his son. In a heartbreaking act, Viserys gave his consent for his wife to be cut open. The gore of the scene that followed aside, Aemma’s desperate pleas for Viserys not to go through with it were gut-wrenching to witness.
What made this especially difficult is the subtext of the situation that Viserys cared more for his potential heir than for his wife. It was stated by Aemma that the couple had tried for boys multiple times in the past, but failed each time. With every passing pregnancy, Aemma became weaker and more exhausted, to the point where she promised Viserys that this was her last one. No one realized how right she was in those words, but it was tragic to think that she put herself through all that for Viserys only for him to have her cut open in the end.
9Season 2’s Conclusion Lacked Significant Payoff
Season 2, Episode 8: “The Queen Who Ever Was”
The premise of Season 2 seemed to be that the Targaryen civil war would be in full swing. The deaths of Lucerys Velaryon and then later Jaehaerys Targaryen should have jumpstarted the Dance of the Dragons, but instead, fans got a protracted season where the characters did everything except fight one another. Now granted, it isn’t entirely the producers’ faults, the season was shortened by higher-ups, leading to the disappointing final scene of the season that set up Season 3.
The basic summary is that the forces on both sides were finally mobilizing and moving to join the fight. However, despite the epic music and implications of the situation, there was no denying that it was a let down when nothing happened. Even more infuriating was the knowledge that it would likely be years before fans get to see any of the battles the Dance of the Dragon is famous for. It just creates this suspense with no payoff.
8Rhaenys’ Escape During Aegon’s Coronation Was an Unnecessary Change
Season 1, Episode 9: “The Green Council”
There were plenty of fans who were angry with Rhanys’ escape from King’s Landing.. Nevermind that the book says that Aegon’s coronation went off without a hitch and that he and Helaena Targaryen flew over King’s Landing triumphantly, what happens here just makes everything that followed seem completely avoidable. Rhaenys entered the Dragonpit to find her dragon, Meleys, and escape the city. To get free though, Meleys had to burst out of the caverns below, disrupting the coronation and sending everyone into a panic.
Rhaenys had the entire Green leadership cornered. They could not fight a dragon of Meleys’ size. In other words, they were at her mercy, and they all knew it. Yet, in the final moment, Rhaenys could not bring herself to burn them all to death. She instead flew away, allowing the Greens to continue their plans to usurp Rhaenyra’s throne. Even Daemon would later criticize Rhaenys for this lapse in judgment. If she had just taken the initiative then and there, the war that followed would never have happened, in fact, Rhaenys would likely still be alive if she had.
7Rhaenyra Introduced an Unknown Valyrian Steel Sword to the Story
Season 2, Episode 2: “Rhaenyra the Cruel”
This was a smaller scene that fans might not have noticed in the show, but it definitely infuriated them when the producers gave more context online. When Rhaenyra was privately contemplating how to wage her war against the Greens, she picked up a sword from a table of weapons. After briefly posing with it, she put the relatively short blade down, and it was never brought up again.
After the episode had aired, it was revealed by producers that the sword Rhaenyra had held was made of Valyrian steel. This made absolutely no sense to fans, as it’s been known in the books for years that House Targaryen only ever had two Valyrian steel swords: Blackfyre and Dark Sister. For this third sword to suddenly exist and be kept in the basement of Dragonstone is a colossal waste that the Targaryens would never have made.
6Larys Strong’s Favor from Alicent Pushed the Boundaries
Season 1, Episode 9: “The Green Council”
.It’s amazing that any show from the Game of Thrones universe can still find new ways to make its audiences uncomfortable. Finding out the exact dynamics of Alicent and Larys Strong’s partnership was definitely one of them. When Alicent needed the information she had, it was revealed that she “paid” him for his contributions by allowing him to pleasure himself at the sight of her feet. It was deeply uncomfortable to watch as it dawned on viewers what Alicent was doing, and likely had been doing for over a decade to get Larys to help her.
Up until that point, it had been assumed that Larys merely helped Alicent because he knew he could gain more power through her. While this was true, there was a more twisted undertone to their relationship where he was exploiting her for his own personal gratification. The scene also drove home that Alicent, even though she was currently one of the most powerful women in the realm, was still at the mercy of men and their wants. The Queen of Westeros was forced to debase herself just for a few scraps of information so she could hold onto her already tenuous power.
5The Blood and Cheese Sequence Downplayed Important Elements
Season 2, Episode 1: “A Son For a Son”
As amazing as it sounds, some fans were disappointed by the scene where Blood and Cheese killed little Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. This is due to the fact that the scene was much darker in the books. This is to be expected, books can get away with much more than television can, but fans believed that even if the scene was twisted, HBO could get away with producing it in all its bloody horror.
The scene would have played out much the same, only Helaena would have been forced to choose between her two sons, Jaehaerys and Maelor. Helaena would have chosen Maelor, perhaps thinking he was too little to comprehend what was happening. Instead, Blood and Cheese cut off Jaehaerys’ head in front of her, leaving with it while she screamed in despair. It would have led to her eventual mental decline and later suicide because she couldn’t cope with the grief and guilt. The show’s version was still terrifying, but ultimately toned down, disappointing some fans who were hoping to bask in the dark aspects of George R.R. Martin’s storytelling.
4Rhaenyra’s Argument With Daemon Began One of Season 2’s Worst Character Arcs
Season 2, Episode 2: “Rhaenyra the Cruel”
Fans knew the instant Daemon arranged for Blood and Cheese to murder Aemond that it would eventually lead to a fight between him and Rhaenyra. However, what most were bothered by was not that the two argued over Daemon sanctioning the murder of a child, but that the argument happened at all. Throughout the source material of Fire & Blood, Daemon was always Rhaenyra’s ride or die. He was the one person she could always rely on to support her and he, in turn, never wavered or even resented her for her position.
The show chose to use the second season to explore Daemon’s inner demons. This was not necessarily a bad thing, as it helped him become the man he needed to be for Rhaenyra, but it did feel like a waste of precious time. The idea that the two of them ever fell out in such a way when Daemon’s next explicit act was to rally the Riverlands in favor of Rhaenyra, and with no real difficulty, just makes no sense in retrospect.
3Rhaenyra Kissing Mysaria Massively Altered Both Characters
Season 2, Episode 6: “Smallfolk”
The most noteworthy kiss of House of the Dragon Season 2 was not at all planned by the scriptwriters. In fact, it was added in by Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s actors, both of whom felt that in the moment when Mysaria told Rhaenyra about her dark past that the two would want to comfort each other before seguing into a more intimate scene together. While it did explain why Rhaenyra came to value Mysaria’s support so much in the Dance of the Dragons, it bothered some fans.
2Rhaenyra Dressing Up as a Septa Was a Thinly-Veiled Disguise
Season 2, Episode 3: “The Burning Mill”
While fans were happy to see another scene between Rhaenyra and Alicent, as their moments together were the peak of the show’s writing, few can deny that Rhaenyra’s plan was not only dangerous but also really stupid. In a desperate bid to prevent the war, Rhaenyra infiltrated King’s Landing dressed as a Septa of the Faith. Armed with only a knife and a single guard who also only carried a knife, she walked into enemy territory knowing that she would be killed if she were discovered, all on the chance to speak with Alicent.
Ignoring the risk to herself, Rhaenyra’s hopes for the conversation were completely unrealistic. Even if Alicent was amenable, she was no longer the acting queen. Aegon was infuriated by the loss of his children, which Rhanenyra could never convince him she had no part in ordering, and Otto’s machinations would have never allowed for peace with her. In short, not only was her plan to reach out to Alicent a major risk, it was obviously for nothing.
1Alicent’s Visit to Rhaenyra on Dragonstone Makes No Sense
Season 2, Episode 8: “The Queen Who Ever Was”
The second season of House of the Dragon couldn’t have ended without one final conversation between Alicent and Rhaenyra. To repay her former friend’s unexpected visit, Alicent somehow snuck out of King’s Landing to visit Rhaenyra. It was meant to offer a way for Rhaenyra to claim King’s Landing with as little bloodshed as possible, but in the grand scheme of things it is another huge risk. Alicent did have reason to suspect that Rhaenyra would not want her harmed after their last conversation, but things had changed since then.
Rhaenyra had more dragons, a response to the death of Princess Rhaenys, and more than a few of her followers were out for blood. Alicent didn’t even bother wearing a disguise. She walked in and out through the front gates. If word ever got back to her family she would have been ruined in their eyes and Rhaenyra’s own followers would not have had confidence in her if they knew she’d conversed with the enemy in secret. So, while the conversation did set up a potential hint at what season 3 would look like, it was ultimately another poorly thought-out plan with massive consequences should it have failed.
