Key Takeaways:
• House of the Dragon, a spin-off from Game of Thrones, has seen success with its first season and a second season is due this summer.
• The character of King Viserys Targaryen, as portrayed in House of the Dragon, has been praised by original author George R.R. Martin, who wished he had written the character with similar traits.
• Instead of being a lead showrunner, George R.R. Martin has chosen to focus on finishing his long-anticipated novel, The Winds of Winter.
‘House of the Dragon’, the hit spin-off to ‘Game of Thrones’, continues to soar after its successful debut in 2022. And, with the highly anticipated second season set to land in summer, the excitement only grows. While the series creators Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have won major points for their creative prowess, they have drawn attention for deviating from George R.R. Martin’s original works.
Rethinking The Character of King Viserys Targaryen
One of the series’ deviations that sparked conversation is the portrayal of King Viserys Targaryen, a character Martin admits he wishes he had written differently. In Martin’s original ‘Fire & Blood, King Viserys is an amiable figure that didn’t particularly engage Martin during writing. However, the series interpretation steers Viserys towards a more tragic figure, a change notably elevated by actor Paddy Considine’s performance.
During an episode of the Game of Owns podcast, Martin expressed his admiration for this version of Viserys, lauding the added depth to his character. He said: “Viserys was not a character who particularly engaged me [in the book]. The way Paddy Considine rendered him made him more of a tragic figure, and less of an oblivious amiable guy.”
While audiences often criticize deviating from the source material, this case marks a rare exception where the change was well-received, even by the author. Yet Martin was quick to acknowledge the rarity of such a circumstance, admitting, “More often it’s the reverse”.
Choosing the Novels Over the Small Screen
Despite expressing a desire to get more directly involved with the series, Martin has chosen to prioritize his ongoing commitment to writing ‘The Winds of Winter’, a novel fans have been eagerly awaiting since 2011.
He explained: “There’s part of me that would love to be actually writing and running all of these shows…but I can’t! There’s this book that I’m writing…it’s a little late, but I gotta keep working on it and finishing it!”
Martin pointed out how a showrunner’s role is demanding, requiring round-the-clock attention which would undeniably distract him from his writing commitment. Thus, in his own words, his part in these shows includes “generating some ideas, helping setting up, keeping it consistent with the world, and finding good partners to work with.”
Following Miguel Sapochnik’s decision to exit the series, Ryan Condal will be helming the second season of ‘House of the Dragon’ solo, leaving fans hopeful for the series to continue moving in the right direction.
‘House of the Dragon’ is currently available to stream on Max.
