Book changes in episode 205

Episode 5 of the second season of House of the Dragon is not a worthy successor to episode 4, the best of the season so far. Episode 5 falters and barely advances the plot, providing context that would work well in a 20-episode season, but not in one with only eight chapters.

The plot we see in episode 5 is largely written ad hoc for the show and is very different from what is told in the source material, the book Fire & Blood by George RR Martin. Let’s take a look at these differences.

Immediately after Princess Rhaenys’ death at Rook’s Rest, the book tells us of a spiteful confrontation between Lord Corlys and Rhaenyra, with the sea serpent concealing his wife’s death in battle against the queen. The series shows Corlys harboring similar feelings, but we only see a grieving husband haunting his hall and the streets of Spicetown, considering abandoning Rhaenyra’s cause. He shares these thoughts with his granddaughter Baela, who defends Rhaenyra, understanding that Rhaenys gladly chose and accepted her glorious end, as Laena had done and as Baela hopes.

Needing the loyalty of her strongest ally, Rhaenyra asks Baela to offer Corlys the title of Hand of the Queen. In the book, it is Jace who makes his grandfather the Hand of the Queen. At this point in the story Fire & Blood Rhaenyra is caught up in grief and Jace is the focus, so he’s the one who makes Corlys a hand. I like that Rhaenyra is more present in the show, and I liked how there’s a conversation between her and Jace at the end of the episode that leads to the idea of ​​finding other Targaryen blood people to claim the riderless dragons. They’re not quite comfortable with the concept of dragon seeds yet, but they’ll get there soon.

In King’s Landing, the Green Council almost unanimously declares Aemond Prince Regent—almost, because Dowager Queen Alicent puts herself forward as a candidate. She is suspicious of her son Aemond and genuinely fearful of what he might do if he sits unmolested on the Iron Throne. While her concern for the Seven Kingdoms is appreciated, the idea that the Council, which rejected Rhaenyra as Queen because of her gender, could accept Alicent as Regent is just ridiculous. I don’t blame Alicent as a character, but rather whoever wrote her this season. Her presence could be completely erased from the story and nothing would change. I wish those award-winning writers had put enough effort into finding a worthy storyline for a character they chose as one of the show’s two main characters.

Back to the story, it was sad to see Alicent hoping to find support in Larys and Criston, only to realise that the two men would rather be in Aemond’s favour than keep their trust; after all, it is clear to everyone on the council that Alicent’s vote carries little weight. In the book, Aemond is also named Prince Regent by Criston Cole, and Alicent is not mentioned as a candidate, although it is important to point out that in the book, Aemond is not Aegon’s heir, as the king’s other son, Maelor, exists there.

Daemon’s storyline, if you can even call it that, is completely fictional and differs from the book in every way. He is still plagued by absurd nightmares and visions sent to him by Alys Rivers, and again I wonder: does Daemon think he has to endure them because they might tell him more about his future? In any case, even for House of the Dragonand I see little point in it.

Does Alys Rivers think she’s unravelling all of Daemon’s issues in some weird Westeros version of prototherapy? So far, she’s made him confront his own mortality, his guilt in the form of young Rhaenyra blaming him for his mistakes and later dying at his hand, the late Laena asking him if he cared for her daughters, and now his supposed mother issues? If Daemon is still consuming the concoction Alys is making, I’d urge him to stop. Whatever the reason for this ongoing torture (of us viewers and of Daemon), Fire & Blood states that Daemon was untouched by Alys’ magic.

In one scene, Ser Simon Strong addresses Harrenhal’s lack of money, saying that Larys Strong took the gold of House Strong. Daemon’s refusal to ask Rhaenyra for money reminded me of last season, when he categorically refused to ask his brother Viserys for help with the Stepstones out of excessive pride. In any case, this topic is not addressed in the book either, where it is clearly stated: “In addition to the castle, Prince Daemon had seized the not inconsiderable wealth of House Strong in one fell swoop.”

This episode also twists the order of events to make Daemon’s situation worse: here, Daemon suggests that the Blackwoods wage a guerrilla war to turn the Brackens black, while in the book, Ser Willem does this on his own accord before the Battle of the Burning Mill, which took place in Episode 3, long before Daemon spoke to Ser Willem:

“In the Riverlands, raiders from Raventree under Rhaenyra’s banner invaded the lands of House Bracken, burning crops, driving away sheep and cattle, pillaging villages, and devastating every sept they reached (the Blackwoods were one of the last houses south of the Neck still following the old gods).”

A little later in the book, it is Aemond and Vhagar who burn fields and kill farmers in the Riverlands, but never Daemon:

“Vhagar descended again and again from the autumn sky to lay waste to the lands, villages, and castles of the riverlords. House Darry was the first to feel the prince’s wrath. The men who brought in the harvest burned or fled as the crops went up in flames, and Castle Darry was consumed by a firestorm. Lady Darry and her younger children survived by taking shelter in vaults beneath the keep, but her husband and his heir perished on their battlements, along with sixty of his sworn swordsmen and archers. Three days later, it was Lord Harroway’s town that went up in smoke. Lord’s Mill, Blackbuckle, Buckle, Claypool, Swynford, Spiderwood… Vhagar’s wrath fell on them all, one by one, until half the riverlands seemed ablaze.”

I understand that the original story has many parallels between Daemon and Aemond, but I don’t see why Daemon should also be responsible for the ruthless destruction of the Riverlands if he didn’t order it. After all, Aemond is a Daemon wannabe, and I liked the inclusion of the younger Targaryen looking at the Iron Throne in a similar way to Daemon – so close, yet so far.

The scene in which a dozen vassal lords and ladies show up at Harrenhal in the middle of the night and demand an audience with Daemon to accuse him of atrocities and declare resistance is not compatible with the canon of the book, but also not integrated into the series. Is no one afraid of the rogue prince or his dragon Caraxes anymore, so much so that they feel justified in committing acts that should result in their deaths? Fire & Blood tells a very different story in which the Riverlands (with the exception of House Bracken) vehemently follow Daemon’s call:

“When Prince Daemon gave his call to arms, all rose along the rivers, knights and soldiers and simple peasants who still remembered the joy of the realm that their father loved so much, and the way it smiled and charmed them as she roamed the Riverlands in her youth. Hundreds and then thousands strapped on their swordbelts and donned their armor, or grabbed a pitchfork or a hoe and a rough wooden shield, and set off for Harrenhal to fight for Viserys’ little girl.”

Is the show writing a whole new story for Daemon where he can’t make a single right move? This narrative, where he wants to crown himself king without openly renouncing Rhaenyra, is inappropriate and doesn’t fit his character. If Daemon really wanted the crown, he would have had a million opportunities before and after his marriage to Rhaenyra.

The fact that the “marital dispute” between Rhaenyra and Daemon has become common knowledge both at Dragonstone and at Harrenhal, and is openly and frequently mentioned by everyone, is soap opera material. Whoever is writing these characters this season doesn’t have much use for them, because this drawn-out plot really lacks purpose and wastes too much time, a luxury this season, with only three episodes left, can’t afford.

Everything else that happens in this episode is either canon or has no basis in the book whatsoever. Regardless of whether you follow the original or not – we all know that sometimes change can bring great rewards – I hope the next episodes have more focus and characterization.

We finally meet Lady Jeyne Arryn – who we sorely missed in Episode 1 – and she’s an impressive metaphorical sparring partner. Rhaena, or maybe something else? I think they could find common ground in their precarious situation of apparent powerlessness.

This is NOT how I wanted to see Princess Alyssa Targaryen.

The true MVP of King’s Landing, Cheese’s dog, makes an appearance in this episode and I’m sure all of our hearts leapt at the sight of him. As George RR Martin himself said, the addition of the dog as a character brought an unexpected humanity to the whole Blood and Cheese thing.

The Gold Cloak hears Mysaria’s name and doesn’t ask any questions, just leaves Melinda in King’s Landing… the power Mysaria has over the city is incredible. She and Daemon really rule the city, and I hope we see the iconic line “Daemon gave us these cloaks,” he said, “and they’re gold no matter how you twist and turn them” from Fire & Blood soon.

Rhaenyra relying on the advice of Baela and Mysaria is perhaps the best thing she has done this season, and I really hope she continues in this way.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Corlys and Baela. She truly embodies the best qualities of her parents and grandparents, and Corlys sees that fully. “Granddaughter, I wish to make you my heir.” “I am blood and fire. Driftmark must turn to salt and sea.” No one can say that Corlys didn’t try to honor Rhaenys’ legacy when naming his next heir; he offered it to Baela, and she declined. He probably won’t ask Rhaena (unfortunately), but Rhaenys has made her stance clear: deserving bastards should be rewarded, not hidden.

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