Nobody can deny it Dragon House is one of the most popular TV shows of the 2020s. However, that doesn’t mean the series is without its flaws. As with any book adaptation, the series makes changes to its story to make it more palatable to audiences. In the case of this series’ source material, things had to be outright made up to explain why its characters made the choices they did.
This creates a sort of game of chance in which the series attempts to give its perspective on what happened behind the scenes that led to some of the biggest moments in Westeros history. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always appeal to fans of the books who want a true adaptation of the story. The reality is that there is no way to truly adapt Fire and blood without leaving any major gaps in the story, much less risking turning the characters into more one-dimensional versions of themselves. Added to that, some of these scenes just didn’t hit the mark and bothered fans on a more fundamental level.
10 Queen Aemma’s death painted a brutal picture
Season 1, Episode 1: “Heirs of the Dragon”
It was the first truly horrible scene in the series. In the very first episode, Queen Aemma, Rhaenyra’s mother and wife of Viserys, was in agony during the labor of what was supposed to be Viserys’ male heir. The baby was stuck inside her and the maesters offered Viserys a choice: he could either let the mother and child die, or sacrifice the mother in a random cesarean section to save his son. In a heartbreaking act, Viserys agreed to have his wife disemboweled. Aside from the blood in the scene that followed, Aemma’s desperate pleas for Viserys not to go through with it were heartbreaking to witness.
What made this particularly difficult was the subtext of the situation that Viserys cared more about his potential heir than his wife. Aemma said the couple had tried to have boys several times in the past, but failed each time. With each passing pregnancy, Aemma grew weaker and more exhausted, to the point where she promised Viserys that it would be her last. No one realized how right she was in those words, but it was tragic to think that she had endured all of that for Viserys only for him to finally let her open.
9 The conclusion of season 2 did not have any significant results
Season 2, Episode 8: “The Queen That Always 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 reignited the Dance of Dragons, but instead fans got an extended season where the characters did everything except fight. Granted, it’s not entirely the producers’ fault, the season was shortened by higher-ups, leading to the disappointing season finale scene that set up season 3.
The basic summary is that forces on both sides were finally mobilizing and joining the fight. However, despite the epic music and implications of the situation, there was no denying that it was a disappointment when nothing happened. Even more infuriating was knowing that it would likely be years before fans would get to see any of the battles that the Dragon Dance is famous for. It just creates this suspense without payoff.
8 Rhaenys’ escape during Aegon’s coronation was an unnecessary change
Season 1, Episode 9: “The Green Council”
Many fans were angry about Rhanys’ escape from King’s Landing. It doesn’t matter that the book says that Aegon’s coronation went off without a hitch and that he and Helaena Targaryen flew triumphantly over King’s Landing, what happens here only serves to understate everything that followed. seem completely avoidable. Rhaenys entered the Dragonpit to find her dragon, Meleys, and escape the city. However, to free himself, Meleys had to emerge from the caverns below, disrupting the coronation and sending everyone into panic.
Rhaenys cornered the entire Green leadership. They couldn’t fight a dragon the size of Meleys. In other words, they were at his mercy, and they all knew it. However, at the last moment, Rhaenys could not bring herself to burn them all alive. Instead, she flew away, allowing the Greens to continue their plans to usurp Rhaenyra’s throne. Even Daemon would later criticize Rhaenys for this error in judgment. If she had just taken the initiative then and there, the war that followed would never have happened, in fact, Rhaenys would probably still be alive if she had.
7 Rhaenyra introduced an unknown Valyrian steel sword into the story
Season 2, Episode 2: “Rhaenyra the Cruel”
This was a smaller scene that fans might not have noticed on the show, but it definitely infuriated them when the producers gave more context online. As Rhaenyra privately considered how to wage her war against the Greens, she picked up a sword from a weapons table. After briefly posing with it, she put down the relatively short blade and it was never brought up again.
After the episode aired, producers revealed that the sword Rhaenyra was holding was made of Valyrian steel. This made absolutely no sense to fans, as it had been known in the books for years that House Targaryen only 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 mess that the Targaryens would never have made.
6 Alicent’s Larys Strong favor pushed the boundaries
Season 1, Episode 9: “The Green Council”
.It’s amazing that any show in the Game of Thrones the universe can still find new ways to make its audience uncomfortable. Finding out the exact dynamic of the partnership between Alicent and Larys Strong was certainly part of it. When Alicent needed the information she had, it was revealed that she had “paid” him for his contributions by allowing him to pleasure himself to the view of her feet. It was deeply uncomfortable to watch viewers understand what Alicent was doing, and what he had probably been doing for over a decade to get Larys to help him.
Up until then, it had been assumed that Larys was simply helping Alicent because he knew he could gain more power through her. While this was true, their relationship had a more twisted undertone where he exploited her for his own personal gratification. The scene also drove home the point that Alicent, even though she was currently one of the most powerful women in the kingdom, was still at the mercy of men and their desires. The Queen of Westeros was forced to debase herself just for a few scraps of information so she could retain her already tenuous power.
5 The Blood and Cheese sequence downplayed important elements
Season 2, Episode 1: “A Son for a Son”
As surprising as it may seem, some fans were disappointed by the scene where Blood and Cheese killed the little prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. This is because the scene was much darker in the books. Predictably, books can get away with a lot more than television, but fans thought that even if the scene was twisted, HBO could get away with producing it in all its gory horror.
The scene would have played out pretty much the same way, 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 small to understand what was happening. Instead, Blood and Cheese cut off Jaehaerys’ head in front of her, leaving her with it as she screamed in despair. This reportedly led to her mental decline and, later, suicide because she could not cope with the grief and guilt. The show’s version was still terrifying, but ultimately toned down, disappointing some fans who were hoping to delve into the dark aspects of George RR Martin’s tale.
4 Rhaenyra’s argument with Daemon started one of the worst character arcs of season 2
Season 2, Episode 2: “Rhaenyra the Cruel”
Fans knew the moment Daemon arranged for Blood and Cheese to murder Aemond that it would eventually lead to a fight between him and Rhaenyra. However, what was most disturbing was not that the two were arguing over Daemon allowing the murder of a child, but that the argument even took place. Throughout the source material of Fire and bloodDaemon was always Rhaenyra’s ride or die. He was the one person she could always count on for support and he, in turn, never wavered or even resented her for her position.
The series chose to use the second season to explore Daemon’s inner demons. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it helped him become the man he needed to be for Rhaenyra, but it seemed like a waste of precious time. The idea that they fell out in such a way when Daemon’s next explicit act was to rally the Riverlands in favor of Rhaenyra, and without any real difficulty, simply makes no sense in retrospect.
3 Rhaenyra kissing Mysaria massively changed both characters
Season 2, episode 6: “Little People”
The most remarkable kiss of Dragon House Season 2 was not at all planned by the writers. In fact, this was added by the cast of Rhaenyra and Mysaria, who both felt that as Mysaria spoke to Rhaenyra about her dark past, the two would want to comfort each other before launching into a more intimate scene together . While this explains why Rhaenyra came to appreciate Mysaria’s support in the Dance of Dragons so much, it bothered some fans.
The most understandable reason was simply that it was never mentioned in the books. Now, A Song of Ice and Fire is no stranger to non-heterosexual characters, but its portrayal is generally unlikeable, and often in the background, a secret that must be kept for the sake of one’s reputation and safety. Even then, rumors abound, but not once has the series implied that Rhaenyra had such an orientation, not even in the most sinister depictions of her. Of course, there were obviously other detractors who had less than legitimate reasons to be bothered by the kiss, but those opinions aren’t worth considering. Regardless, it was a completely unanticipated introduction to the series, but one that added a new complexity to the relationship between Rhaenyra and Mysaria.
2 Rhaenyra disguising herself as 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 high point of the series’ writing, few can deny that Rhaenyra’s plan was not only dangerous but also truly stupid. In a desperate attempt to prevent war, Rhaenyra infiltrated King’s Landing, dressed as a Septa of Faith. Armed with only one knife and a single guard who also carried only one knife, she entered enemy territory knowing that she would be killed if discovered, all on the chance to speak with Alicent.
Unaware of the risk she was taking, Rhaenyra’s hopes for this conversation were completely unrealistic. Although Alicent was accommodating, she was no longer the acting queen. Aegon was furious at the loss of his children, whom Rhanenyra could never convince him had no part in the order, and Otto’s machinations would never have made peace with her. In short, not only did his plan to contact Alicent represent a major risk, but obviously it was for nothing.
1 Alicent’s visit to Rhaenyra on Dragonstone makes no sense
Season 2, Episode 8: “The Queen That Always Was”
The second season of Dragon House couldn’t have ended without one last conversation between Alicent and Rhaenyra. To repay the unexpected visit from her former friend, Alicent sneaked out of King’s Landing to visit Rhaenyra. It was supposed to offer Rhaenyra a way to claim King’s Landing with as little bloodshed as possible, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s another huge risk. Alicent had reason to suspect that Rhaenyra would not want to be harmed after their last conversation, but things had changed since then.
Rhaenyra had more dragons, in response to the death of Princess Rhaenys, and many of her followers were out for blood. Alicent didn’t even bother dressing up. She entered and exited the front doors. If her family had ever known about it, they would have been ruined in their eyes, and Rhaenyra’s own followers would not have trusted her if they had known that she had been conversing in secret with the enemy. So while the conversation gave a potential idea of what season 3 would look like, it was ultimately another poorly thought-out plan with huge consequences if it failed.