The second season of House of The Dragon premiered earlier today and has sparked many conversations due to the tragic death in the very first episode. The much-anticipated show returned after two years and takes off from the horrifying season one finale which saw the death of Lucerys, the son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Though the second season has received rave reviews from critics, hardcore fans seemed to be frustrated as the episode made a major change to the death of Jaehaerys from the book. The show is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, which chronicles the history of the Targaryens. However, co-creator Ryan Condal explained why they decided to make the change.
House of the Dragon’s Pivotal Scene Differed From The Source Material
Based partly on the book Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin, the HBO show House of the Dragon explores the war of succession between Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower. The civil war between the two factions of House Targaryen reached a painful high at the end of season one, with the death of Lucerys.
The second season continued where it left off, with a grief-stricken Rhaenyra ordering two assassins to avenge the death of Lucerys by killing Aemond Targaryen, Alicent’s son, who was responsible for Lucerys’ death. However, the heist goes wrong and the assassins, Blood and Cheese, end up killing Alicent’s six-year-old grandson Jaehaerys.
While the end result is the same as the books, the series of events in the show were changed. In the books, Blood and Cheese are reportedly only ordered to kill a ‘son for a son’ and they actually ask Queen Helaena to choose between her sons. When Helaena chooses her youngest Maelor, the assassins kill the heir Jaehaerys instead.
Actress Phia Saban spoke about the character instantly choosing Jaehaerys in the show instead of trying to save him. She said to Variety,
I also think she really felt that she had no option because I think that the stakes are that high — it’s the highest stakes in her existence — and so when he says to her, ‘You tell me the right one, or I’m gonna do terrible things to your children,’ she believes him. She’s like, ‘I can’t mess this up, I need to be completely honest.’ And I think it’s actually more heartbreaking that she’s honest.
Creator and showrunner Ryan Condal mentioned that the writers chose to show the killing from Haelena’s point-of-view as they felt it would be too gratuitous to show the murder.
House of The Dragon’s Key Change Also Affects Olivia Cooke’s Character
While House of the Dragon changed the tragic choice of Phia Saban’s Helaena from the books, the writers also changed the general setting of the murder. In the books, Alicent Hightower is almost a witness to the murder as she is tied up on her bed by Blood and Cheese before they head out to kill Prince Jaehaerys.
However, in the show, Olivia Cooke’s Alicent is seen in bed with the Kingsguard Criston Cole when Helaena comes to her after the death of her child. While a significant change, actress Cooke mentioned that it added another layer of emotional stakes for the character,
It adds a level of shame and guilt that is different to anything that Alicent has ever experienced before, by being indisposed with the head of the Kingsguard who should have been on duty to make sure that the castle was on lock.
That’s a theme that plays throughout the season: If they hadn’t embarked on this affair, would this have happened? They hold themselves accountable completely.
The season premiere and the tragic death is only the beginning of the bloody war that is on the horizon. Known as the ‘Dance of the Dragons’, the stakes in the war are set to get much higher, and more shocking instances may be in store.
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max.
