House of the Dragon Season 2 has flown back onto our screens, bringing with it plenty of dragons, Targaryen family drama, and changes from its source material, George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood.
Several of these changes build on those in Season 1. Largest among them is the simple fact that House of the Dragon is a narrative TV show, while Fire & Blood is presented as a historical account. The difference in form means that Fire & Blood operates on a larger timescale, spanning centuries, while House of the Dragon can dive deeper into certain scenes and character moments or flesh out "historical" ambiguities.
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An example of that fleshing out is the relationship between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), whose fraught dynamic in the show benefits from the extra layers of seeing them grow up together before becoming bitter enemies. That strong adaptation choice is one of many that carries into Season 2, but there are plenty new deviations from Fire & Blood on the way. Which ones work and add depth to the story of the Dance of the Dragons? Which ones are less successful? Let's break it down.
Here are all the biggest differences between House of the Dragon Season 2 and Fire & Blood.
Episode 1: We're back at the Wall!
House of the Dragon Season 2 opens with shots of snowy forests and the familiar sounds of Ramin Djawadi's Winterfell theme, which can only mean one thing for House Stark fans: We're so back.
After spending the first season mostly in and around Dragonstone and King's Landing, it's a delight to revisit the northernmost reaches of Westeros. Rhaenyra's eldest son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) flew up there in the Season 1 finale to treat with Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell (Tom Taylor), and by the time we catch up with them at the beginning of Season 2, it seems like they've become good pals. They're taking a field trip up the Wall, bantering about the time Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror, and discussing how the North can aid Rhaenyra in her war efforts.
House of the Dragon skips over quite a bit of material to get to Jace and Cregan's allyship. In classic Fire & Blood fashion, there are several conflicting accounts of Jace's time in Winterfell in Martin's work. Of his many historical "sources," Grand Maester Munkun writes in his True Telling that the two became inseparable and swore a blood oath of brotherhood, while Septon Eustace claims that Jace badgered Cregan about converting to the Faith of the Seven. The most scandalous of all the accounts belongs, naturally, to court jester Mushroom, who says Jace fell in love with and married a bastard named Sara Snow, even though he was betrothed to his cousin Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell).
With only eight episodes in this season, House of the Dragon likely didn't have the time to get into all this potential Northern drama. We've got the Dance of the Dragons to kick off, people! Still, you can bet we haven't seen the last of Cregan Stark.
Episode 1: Alicent Hightower and Criston Cole's torrid affair.
In a move I didn't see coming (and that certainly isn't in Fire & Blood), Dowager Queen Alicent and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) are getting it on. Based on Alicent's assertion that they shouldn't hook up again (as if that's going to work), we can assume this affair has been going on for a while. So, when did this tryst begin? When did Cole come back around on the whole "breaking his Kingsguard oath of chastity" thing? When did Alicent decide, "Eh, screw it," and start doing exactly what she hated Rhaenyra for doing?
Alicent and Criston's hypocrisy here doesn't bother me, as it's totally in keeping with their overly righteous characters. And it just makes sense that something would happen between these two. They're basically joined at the hip, and their joint animosity towards Rhaenyra adds a sweet psychosexual twist. Plus, as Alicent reckons with the increasingly unpredictable men in her circle, like her sons Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), it also makes sense that she'd try to reclaim her power elsewhere.
What does bother me about this change is that Criston is having sex at all. He doesn't deserve it. No nice things for Criston, please!
Episode 1: Let's talk about Blood and Cheese.
In what is undoubtedly one of the darkest scenes ever featured in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, two assassins — known simply as Blood (Sam C. Wilson) and Cheese (Mark Stobbart) — sneak into the Red Keep and murder Aegon and Helaena's (Phia Saban) infant son Jaehaerys. The monstrous act comes at the behest of Daemon (Matt Smith), who seeks "a son for a son" in retribution for the death of Lucerys (Elliot Grihault).
In the book, Blood and Cheese force Helaena to choose which of her sons she wants them to kill. When volunteering herself doesn't work, she chooses her youngest, Maelor, as Jaehaerys is heir to the Iron Throne. In a nasty twist, Blood and Cheese kill Jaehaerys instead — and tell Maelor that his mother wants him dead.
Things play out a little differently in House of the Dragon, although the final outcome is the same: Jaehaerys dies, and Helaena is traumatized for life. First off, Blood and Cheese's original target in the show is Aemond. That change already complicates the blame of Jaehaerys's death. It lets Daemon off the hook a little for bankrolling child murder, just as Vhagar's unauthorized chomping in the Season 1 finale means Aemond technically didn't murder Lucerys. But technicalities don't matter when children are dead.
Instead of finding Aemond, Blood and Cheese stumble upon Helaena and the twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. (Maelor is cut from the show entirely.) They make a snap judgment that one Targaryen son is as good as another and make Helaena tell them which of her children is Jaehaerys. She points him out, but there's a brief moment in which Blood thinks she's trying to double-cross them. After all, why would she give up the heir to the throne so easily? Surely she's actually pointing to Jaehaera. Cheese calls her bluff though and correctly surmises that she's actually singled out her son. With that, Jaehaerys becomes another victim in the Dance of the Dragons.
This version of the Blood and Cheese scene nods a bit to the book version, with Helaena still having to make an impossible choice and there being trickery involved. However, there's an extra layer of tragedy here. Based on a rat-centric statement towards the beginning of the episode, Helaena likely foresaw the arrival of Blood and Cheese in a prophetic dream. That means she's had quite a bit of time to think about this moment, and maybe even prepare for it. Her attempt to throw Blood and Cheese off of Jaehaerys's scent was her last-ditch effort to stop the inevitable. In failing, her action turns a horrifying scene into something even sadder.
Episode 2: The aftermath of Jaehaerys's death.
Understandably, much of House of the Dragon Season 2's second episode deals with the fallout from Jaehaerys's murder at the hands of Blood and Cheese. Some elements from Fire & Blood remain the same, such as Aegon's decision to murder all the ratcatchers. Other details are omitted. For example, the show's version of Alicent doesn't try to learn Blood's true name in order to "bathe in the blood of his wife and children." (Probably for the best.) Instead, her reaction is one of grief for Jaehaerys and especially Helaena.
Elsewhere, Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) views Jaehaerys's death as an opportunity to spread some good old-fashioned propaganda. He throws a funeral procession for Jaehaerys, with Helaena and Alicent riding with the young prince's corpse. Accompanying them is a crier telling onlookers to "behold the work of Rhaenyra the Cruel," weaponizing Jaehaerys's death against Rhaenyra. The scene is a show-only invention, yet one that's entirely in keeping with Otto's scheming persona. Plus, even though Alicent decries the procession as ghoulish, it seems like Otto's scheme actually works and wins sympathy points from the smallfolk. (At least, until Aegon hangs every ratcatcher in the vicinity.)
Episode 2: Rhaenyra and Daemon duke it out.
When Rhaenyra learns of Daemon's involvement in Jaehaerys's death, House of the Dragon treats us to a massive argument between the married couple (and uncle-niece pair). Rhaenyra worries that she can't trust Daemon, while Daemon claims Rhaenyra is as weak as her father. It's a brutal but deeply necessary fight, dredging up both characters' insecurities about their relationship, proximity to power, and different approaches to the brewing conflict with Aegon. And none of it is in Fire & Blood.
By this point in Fire & Blood, Daemon has already taken control of Harrenhal. He orchestrates the Blood and Cheese plot from afar, and we don't get enough of Rhaenyra's reaction to the murder to suggest that the two fall out over Daemon's actions. Instead, House of the Dragon fills in one of the emotional gaps of Martin's fictional history. The resulting scene gets at the heart of Rhaenyra and Daemon's fraught relationship, and puts the two in very different headspaces as we move into the next section of the season.
Episode 2: Arryk versus Erryk.
Like much of Fire & Blood, the duel between the Cargyll twins Arryk and Erryk (Luke and Elliott Tittensor) is the subject of differing historical accounts. Munkun says their battle was epic, lasting for almost an hour and ending with the brothers dying in each other's arms. Mushroom, on the other hand, claims the fight was short-lived. Erryk (who fights for Rhaenyra) dealt Arryk (who fights for Aegon) a mortal blow fairly early on. He sustained a gut wound in the process, and succumbed to it after four painful days. Frankly, the latter seems more plausible, so we've got to give this round to Mushroom.
Also left ambiguous is the true goal of Arryk's mission to Dragonstone. Was he sent to kill Rhaenyra, or to murder her sons Jacaerys and Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi)? House of the Dragon decides on the latter. It also moves the battle from "deep in the heart of Dragonstone" to Rhaenyra's chambers, putting her in more danger than in Fire & Blood. Here, she witnesses firsthand the kinslaying that will continue to take place should she and Aegon go to war outright. Will this prompt her to take swifter action, or will she stay her cautious course?
Perhaps the most interesting development in the Cargyll fight is the involvement of Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), who alerts Dragonstone to Arryk's presence. By this point in Fire & Blood, Mysaria and Rhaenyra haven't interacted much, although Mysaria does become Rhaenyra's unofficial mistress of whispers later on. However, Rhaenyra now owes Mysaria her life. Could this signal a greater (and earlier) partnership between the two, especially now that Daemon is gone?
Episode 3: The Battle of the Burning Mill and the Taking of Stone Hedge.
The first major battle of the Dance of the Dragons comes at the start of Season 2's third episode, when the long-feuding Blackwoods and Brackens take up arms against each other. The result is a slaughter, and while House of the Dragon doesn't show us the actual bloodshed, the field of corpses stretching as far as the eye can see is more than enough to get the job done. In Fire & Blood, the clash between the Blackwoods and Brackens becomes known as the Battle of the Burning Mill. The episode's opening shot of a turning mill (later seen burned to a crisp) is a solid nod to that.
However, House of the Dragon cuts the follow-up to the Battle of the Burning Mill. Martin's work sees what's left of the Bracken forces return to their seat at Stone Hedge, only to discover that Daemon, Caraxes, and several armies have taken it over in their absence. Getting rid of the Taking of Stone Hedge in the show isn't the greatest loss: Daemon has only just arrived in Harrenhal, meaning he hasn't had much time to assemble a host for Rhaenyra. Plus, the show appears to be saving up the first major dragon attack for a larger turning point, as Rhaenyra and Rhaenys (Eve Best) would rather opt for caution than unleashing a bloody war between dragons.
Episode 3: Daemon gets spooky visions at Harrenhal.
Speaking of Daemon at Harrenhal, let's talk about the vision he gets of young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) on his first night there. These visions are show-only additions, but they're rooted in book-specific lore. Harrenhal is basically Westeros' biggest haunted house, widely believed to be cursed since every House that runs it goes extinct. So how better to play up that cursed nature than with a series of strange nightmares that will force Daemon to confront his greatest mistakes and fears?
Episode 3: Rhaena oversees the dragon eggs.
Following the attempt on her life in episode 2, Rhaenyra makes the painful decision to send her youngest children away to the Vale (and hopefully later to Pentos). Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) will accompany them, their hatchling dragons, and four unhatched dragon eggs. In Fire & Blood, it's Jacaerys who makes this call, as Rhaenyra is still grieving Lucerys. House of the Dragon brings Rhaenyra back into action much sooner, giving her the space to rule and make these decisions herself.
The most interesting change here involves the dragon eggs, three of which will look very familiar to Game of Thrones fans. Episode director Geeta Vasant Patel confirmed to Mashable that the red, gold, and green eggs are the ones that will eventually find their way to Daenerys Targaryen. This confirmation marks a minor deviation from Fire & Blood, which heavily implies that Daenerys's eggs were stolen by a character named Elissa Farman during the reign of Jaehaerys I. Overall, though, the origin of Daenerys's eggs is left somewhat ambiguous, so their inclusion here is more of a fun (and literal) Easter egg. Plus, there's a sweetness to the fact that these eggs are the Targaryens' "hope for the future." From an audience standpoint, we know that they do find their way to the last Targaryen, centuries down the line.
Episode 3: Rhaenyra and Alicent reunite.
In the biggest book-to-show change this season so far, Rhaenyra travels to King's Landing to speak directly to Alicent. The two don't interact until much later in the Dance in Fire & Blood, but given how much House of the Dragon has centered their relationship, their meeting here is necessary — and electric.
On one level, this is Rhaenyra's last-ditch attempt to stop war from escalating. But on a deeper level, it's two friends trying to get through to one another, with Rhaenyra in particular trying to understand whether her father really changed his mind about having her as his successor. Alicent details how Viserys named Aegon as the Prince That Was Promised in his dying breath. Alarm bells immediately sound in Rhaenyra's head: This has all been a big misunderstanding about Aegon's dream of the Song of Ice and Fire! Viserys never doubted Rhaenyra.
Back in Season 1, I found myself frustrated by the first mention of the Song of Ice and Fire, seeing it as cheap fan service for Game of Thrones fans. But with Viserys's last words, and with Rhaenyra's realization in her conversation with Alicent, House of the Dragon truly justifies its use of Aegon's dream. It's not just an attempt to connect to a series that came before. It's the point around which so much of this war revolves. (Also, just a cautionary tale about naming everyone in the family the same thing.)
Following Rhaenyra's revelation, a new question arises: How will Alicent act going forward, now that she knows she's made a grave error?
Episode 4: Alicent's abortion and her possible change of heart.
Season 2's fourth episode, "The Red Dragon and the Gold," sees Alicent undertaking two difficult tasks. First, she aborts a pregnancy from her affair with Criston using a specially brewed tea. Then, she scours historical texts looking for any sign of Aegon's dream. Since both her relationship with Criston and her episode 3 discussion with Rhaenyra are show-only additions, Alicent's story in "The Red Dragon and the Gold" is totally new.
Here, Alicent's research has the potential to set her on a new path from Fire & Blood entirely. Now that she doubts Aegon II's claim and realizes how horribly she messed up, will she work to undermine the ruler she helped put on the Iron Throne? Based on her discussion with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), that seems unlikely, as she's resigned to the fact that war is coming no matter what. However, since Larys knows about Alicent's doubts as well as her secret abortion, he's got some extra leverage against her should she choose to act against his interests.
Episode 4: Aegon and Aemond at Rook's Rest.
"The Red Dragon and the Gold" culminates in this season's first dragon battle: a massive set piece fought over the castle of Rook's Rest. The outcome here is the same as in the book — Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Meleys dead, and Aegon and Sunfyre fallen, all at the hands (or claws) of Vhagar. But as in much of House of the Dragon, the route the show takes to get there is a little different from how it plays out in Fire & Blood.
In the book, Aegon and Aemond attack Rhaenys together. But in the show, Aegon's arrival interferes with Criston and Aemond's original plan. It's a perfect illustration of his recklessness — and the perfect opportunity for Aemond to try to get rid of him, a development that is new to the show.
House of the Dragon has been building the hostility between Aemond and Aegon for a while now. In Season 1, we saw Aegon tormenting Aemond as a child for not having a dragon of his own. And in episode 3, Aegon teased Aemond mercilessly when he found him at the brothel. A lot may have changed in the realm between those points, but the bullying has certainly never stopped. Aegon may think his brother is loyal as a hound, but when Aemond opens fire on him and Rhaenys at Rook's Rest, there's no doubt about it: This is retribution.
Episode 5: Alicent pitches herself to rule.
Following the game-changing events at Rook's Rest, we learn that Aegon did not die. Instead, he's horribly injured, covered in burns, with some of his armor nearly fused to his body. He's in no state to rule, so while he recovers — if he even can! — his Small Council must choose a regent to rule in his stead.
In Fire & Blood, Criston simply chooses Aemond to be Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm. (This results in a delightfully catty moment where Aemond wears Aegon's crown and declares, "It looks better on me than it ever did on him.") House of the Dragon adds a wrinkle to the mix: Alicent puts herself forward as an option, having ruled while Viserys was ill. The men of the Small Council, including her usual allies Larys and Criston, opt for Aemond instead. For them, Alicent's caution is no match for her son's experience in battle, which will prove useful in the war ahead.
The decision sends Alicent into a contained spiral, with the remainder of the scene emphasizing her upset breathing over the Small Council's proceedings. This entire meeting is yet another example of Alicent being undermined by those around her and deprived of any meaningful say in the rule of Westeros. For example, in the book, it's Alicent who orders that the gates of King's Landing be barred to prevent anyone from coming and going. In the show, that command goes to Aemond.
Between this slight, Aemond's poorly hidden fratricide attempt, and her discussion with Rhaenyra about the Song of Ice and Fire, it seems like Alicent's belief in the Greens' cause is weakening from episode to episode. While that belief stood firm throughout Fire & Blood, could the show be hinting at a total change of heart for the Dowager Queen?
Episode 5: Daemon's in trouble in the Riverlands.
While the Brackens' fall at the Taking of Stone Hedge doesn't appear in episode 3 along with the Battle of the Burning Mill, it does happen offscreen in episode 5. There are still some notable changes, though: First, Daemon and Caraxes are not directly involved. Second, Daemon encourages a violent assault against the innocent residents of Bracken land here, instead of simply taking the castle. Third, the Blackwoods' resulting aggression at Stone Hedge has alienated Daemon from the rest of the river lords. This marks a significant divergence from Fire & Blood, where the Taking of Stone Hedge involves "a strong host made up of Darrys, Rootes, Pipers, and Freys."
By this point in the book, Daemon has already amassed a considerable army and is not facing infighting. He's basically the perfect general for Team Black. However, House of the Dragon turns Harrenhal into a testing ground for Daemon, where emotional turmoil and self-doubt about his relationships materializes in the form of haunting visions. He may call himself King and plan to take the Iron Throne solo — a show-only development in itself — but it only reads as bluster and delusion in the face of his nightmares.
Not only do Daemon's woes offer a fascinating dive into his character, they also allow Jace to take some initiative of his own to try to secure allies in the Riverlands. We see this when he flies to meet the Freys at the Twins, where we get to watch the kind of bargaining and diplomacy he must have used during his stint up North. Look at this little king-in-training go!
We'll be updating this article as House of the Dragon Season 2 continues airing, so check back weekly for more differences between the show and Fire & Blood.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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