In a recent development, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has expressed his disappointment over comments made by George R.R. Martin, the renowned author of the Game of Thrones series, regarding the second season of the show. Martin had previously promised to delve into "everything that's gone wrong with House of the Dragon" in August 2024, a promise he fulfilled by critiquing certain plot elements concerning Aegon and Helaena's children. His concerns about the show's future seasons were highlighted in a post that was later removed from his website without any explanation, though it had already garnered attention from thousands of fans and HBO.
In a candid interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal shared his perspective on Martin's criticisms. The showrunner emphasized the emotional impact of the strained relationship with the Game of Thrones creator, noting his long-standing admiration for Martin's work. "It was disappointing," Condal admitted. "I've been a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire for almost 25 years now, and working on the show has been truly one of the great privileges of, not only my career as a writer, but my life as a fan of science-fiction and fantasy. George himself is a monument, a literary icon in addition to a personal hero of mine, and was heavily influential on me coming up as a writer."
Condal acknowledged the challenges inherent in adapting Fire & Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon, for television. He explained that the adaptation process often requires filling in gaps and making creative decisions. "It's this incomplete history and it requires a lot of joining of the dots and a lot of invention as you go along the way," he stated. He further elaborated on his efforts to involve Martin in the adaptation process, expressing regret over the author's eventual unwillingness to acknowledge practical challenges.
Condal stressed the dual role he must play as a showrunner, balancing creative vision with the practical demands of production. "And I think as a showrunner, I have to keep my practical producer hat on and my creative writer, lover-of-the-material hat on at the same time. At the end of the day, I just have to keep marching not only the writing process forward, but also the practical parts of the process forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job. So I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday."
The showrunner also highlighted the extensive time required to finalize creative decisions, emphasizing that every choice is meticulously reviewed before reaching the audience. His goal is to create a show that appeals not only to Game of Thrones readers but also to a broader television audience.
Despite the tensions, HBO and Martin continue to plan future collaborations, including projects like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and potentially another Targaryen-centered spinoff. Martin has already praised the former as a "faithful adaptation." Meanwhile, House of the Dragon has begun production on its third season, following a successful second season that received a 7/10 rating in our review.
