George R. R. Martin's Thoughts on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

George R. R. Martin discusses the finale of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, behind the scenes of the series, and what's coming in the future. Excerpted from a livestream event to celebrate the Targaryen Dynasty and the release of his book THE RISE OF THE DRAGON.
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#GeorgeRRMartin #HouseOfTheDragon

[@PenguinRandomHouse]

Watch the full event here! 🐉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4m9dpKBhtOUqpY

[@finchharper4647]

The time jumps were fine, I like the pace, not bogging down to a slow grind. Well paced in my opinion.

[@collaborativelearning1]

agreed, good pacing.

[@PresidentMarshallFay]

I think Viserys was the glue that kept the time jumps grounded for me. Visually, you could see how much time had passed by seeing his how much worse he looked episode by episode. Paddy did an amazing job with the character

[@janeathome6643]

Agree absolutely. His character was the heart and moral center of the season, the same way Ned's was for GoT.

[@moistypancake4076]

The time passing was actually really misleading because of Viserys's aging. He was actually only 50 when he died. He was just not aging well due to his disease. So that's why all the other characters look so much younger.

[@fightinglionenjoyer4503]

@@moistypancake4076 yeah, people didn’t realize he’s only 4 years older than daemon and it’s because of how bad his disease is, seems to be combo leprosy and degenerative

[@tutes0133]

Amazing is even an understatement. It is a performance so well done and so well cast that I'd have trouble quantifying how much I like it.

[@BANGBANG12712]

I enjoyed watching Paddy this whole season

[@iamthewalrus4998]

I could hear GRRM talk for hours about his world. It’s like you enter another dimension where all these events actually happened and he’s the only one who knows

[@darksistersdelight]

Fr the guy’s a genius.

[@nodiggity9472]

You really think he knows where ASoI&F is going?

[@b1bbscraz3y]

who's ready to work with me on making a story. I already got a good chunk made

[@higglybiggly1174]

@@nodiggity9472... Yes. It's literally his creation lmao. The reason it's taking so long is the final two books have to wrap up the massive web of plot lines he made. He's always known the ending, it's just weaving everything back together that is stumping him.

[@manoz6194]

Real history is much more fascinating but it is hard to find, on purpose

[@greengarnish1711]

Thank god they didn't skip over Viserys death otherwise we wouldn't have gotten one of the best characters in all of Game of Thrones!

[@20storiesunder]

I SHALL SIT THE THRONE TODAY

[@hieubuimanh9521]

@@20storiesunder Your Grace!

[@Darkstar_Dayne]

And one of the best moments in both shows

[@abstractnonsense3253]

Even if they were to mess up the rest of the story in the future we got to watch the story of King Viserys and it was extraordinary.

[@speedy744]

@@abstractnonsense3253 they didn't tho??

[@isaacm2374]

His explanations of time jumps are important. No matter what format the writers chose. It will be too fast for some or too slow for others. The whole point of season 1 is to setup and provide context for the bad blood and the royal feud that has built up over a generation. The important events, situations and decisions made that led to the dance of the dragons. It is really well done. It does feel like a long journey of many years in 10 episodes but it achieved the goal of helping viewers understand the whole context and multi-generational bad blood between the Blacks and the Greens.

[@Austin123.]

Agreed. Now moving forward we all will have a better understanding of all the players motives.

[@bernardescalona2558]

I think it is also because of milly as well. I've missed her when they recast them

[@akatsukimi]

For me they’re just on point. I loved that kind of storytelling.

[@jamesw7098]

Absolutely agreed. I think the time skips, time jumps, and any kind of thing like that could easily be mishandled and harm the story, but season 1 was a masterclass in how to execute correctly. Side note: I’d love to have a chat with GRRM. He’s such a student of history

[@theflashgordon193]

@@jamesw7098 lucky of you

[@ikariiprince]

You can tell he’s way happier talking about house of the dragon than he was working on GOT when that was airing. He seems way more open and motivated now

[@MissieK]

GoT was his first tv series too many new things and the popularity skyrocketed. Now he is more used to it and the book is completed. He doesn't have to add things or explain how he plans to progress the story. It is a done deal that only needs to be transferred in a good way. And wanna know what didn't change through the past decade? He still hasn't even submitted a rough draft for the next book, we are still waiting to see if Jon will come back from the dead

[@20storiesunder]

@@MissieK They also kep him out. Even early season they ignored his direction on how to do the Royal hunt.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

Yea I don't remember him having been so complimentary for GoT.

[@DonMadruga72]

I think he's happier now that more characters are being adapted, that there is more budget for things and he has a guy he trusts there to manage things and keep him close by. And as already said here, as it is a story already written, he doesn't need to be nervous about the ending as he was worried in GoT.

[@notquitekeanu]

@@MissieK GRRM worked in television writing before he even wrote A Game Of Thrones, let alone Game of Thrones the show. He’s been in the television game for a very long time.

[@Ozgipsy]

This guy toiled for years on an imaginary world that is now part of our lives. What an amazing time to live in.

[@Ozgipsy]

@@kmjkmjkmj not really the point I was making….

[@floofy5529]

@@kmjkmjkmj There's no such thing as absolute creativity. It's like trying to imagine a color you've never seen before. Everything is made by copying, and adding your own personality/experience/flare or mixing with other things you copied.

[@Rico-oz4ct]

@@kmjkmjkmj nah asoiaf is written so much better than wheel of time and he took none of these concepts from wot.

[@Skabanis]

@@kmjkmjkmj you are high…the eye of the world was a Tolkien rip off…book 4 was top 5 books I ever read but 9-12? Omg Jordan lost his mind and rambled so hard…read Erickson malazan for most epic shit ever

[@KurNorock]

Yeah. There were no other authors before this guy. What a time to be alive.

[@michaelt8680]

Martin has created a very complex and deep world. He has created all these noble houses and their ancestry. Its pretty amazing.

[@Shaboomquisa]

and he's not gonna finish the story unless he writes his remaining 3 books

[@vikramtalreja9]

Read mahabharat as well way more complex.

[@spectre9948]

Well he basically copied the wars of the roses

[@TheHunterOfDeath101]

he actualy a good student of J.R.R Tolkien , he did a amazing job following his steps making a fanatsy come to life :) .

[@jakefink680]

It just takes time and dedication. George R.R. Martin is freakishly similar too me and how I do things. I love telling stories that people get captivated by. I think they should do an entire different show as one season, maybe two, just going as hard as possible, covering only Ægons Conquest. I also think I know exactly the right person to portray Ægon the Conqueror! Have you ever seen Sons of Anarchy?? Charlie Hunnam who plays Jax Teller would be a phenomenal Ægon the Conqueror!!!

[@jackelinevalladares7118]

Hope that after the Dance of Dragons ends, the series continues as an anthology so I can enjoy Aegon's Conquest and the Blackfyre rebellions...it would be amazing!

[@Trazynn]

Yes. Like mini-series, 3 episodes each. I don't get why streaming services use that more often. Much easier to keep people subscribed month after month when you get to space out content like that.

[@niccolorichter1488]

Hate that idea

[@sakrowley]

I would love to see the Blackfyre Rebellions!! #ourwordisasgoodasgold

[@tanxilhanif]

9 voyages and 10,000 ships are cancelled so Aegon's conquest is the most possible one next .. and if they decide to go further in chronological order Blackfyre rebellions even though they haven't been pitched yet by anyone.. Aegon's conquest or Dunk egg seem most likely

[@tanxilhanif]

Roberts Rebellion is the one I want the most but I don't know why George is so against it maybe it'll spoil his books

[@Hero_Of_Old]

George has a way of talking that just draws you in, I guess thats why he's such a great writer.

[@LPSD4829]

When speaking, it feels like he has already have the answer prepared, he's quite a erudite

[@hellpyro2385]

​@@LPSD4829 he may even have a 11 years old book prepared!

[@_justinblizzle]

@@LPSD4829 erudite yes but he also does (and has done) so many interviews, cons & other events and has been answering the same questions for years lol one time I watched like 2 or 3 vids of George talking about the very same thing in each and I was still riveted

[@seancrossey466]

He’s such a nice guy too, radiates warmth

[@sumanbaral8457]

Yes he has nice way of talking but GRRM should focus on writing unfinished series of the son of ice and fire …. He is our only hope . If the final two books are not completed by him then we have got whole GOT season 8 stuck in our lives forever !! 😂

[@Suiram82]

What GRRM has created is a great outline for good drama, and that is why his stories are better suited for TV than other fantasy stories.

[@alexg.6966]

I agree. Even if Fire & Blood is sometimes a dry read, the bones of a rich, dramatic conflict are there. GRRM still has his eye for drama

[@kingrobert7246]

Why does a great outline mean it should be better suited for TV

[@DonMadruga72]

@@kingrobert7246 Some products cannot be adapted for movies because of this size. For example, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy has 9 to 10 hours of content. This is equivalent to the first season of GoT. It would have to have a lot more changes than LOTR did.

[@AllTheArtsy]

George was a tv producer. He knows how to make stories that translate well to being filmed.

[@jazzyb3424]

@@DonMadruga72 To be fair in that point LOTR are also much much smaller books so that kinda makes more sense for that series to be movies, Anything George writes has to be a series haha.

[@aegonbreakspear9102]

I truly am extremely delighted for GRRM, after the horror show of S8, he deserves this masterpiece that is HOTD. None of it is possible with this mad genius of a author, thank you GRRM. I hope you are proud to see you utterly beautiful Fire and Blood looks on TV.

[@collaborativelearning1]

thank god season 1 was good. Happy to see the universe back on track again.

[@SleepyFen]

I honestly didn't feel the time jumps being jarring or problematic at all, mostly because we spent long enough with the characters between each jump to care about them and understand where they were at in life. Their progression felt natural. And anyone who was shocked by Daemon choking Rhaenyra obviously didn't pay attention to what kind of character he was. My guess is they were too busy fantasizing about Matt Smith to notice how Daemon isn't exactly a nice guy.

[@Shalalacls]

I wasn't either, my main issue was the recasting, mostly because I personally felt that, after all the powerful character milestones and building moments, I had to learn to like the same characters all over again. Especially in the first couple episodes after the change, there were moments I really missed Milly Alcock. Of course with hindsight I understand that is was the best choice.

[@derekt9095]

The love so many women had for daemon the first half of the season was shocking honestly. I'm just like yea, women like bad boys that aren't good for them then act surprised when the guy is a jerk

[@thedirty530]

It was more of my love of milly as Rhaenyra that was most shocking, as i didn't even know there would be one. So i can understand the casual viewer's shock as well. After hearing how hard the explosion of publicity was for her...I almost think it worked out because it will undoubtedly garner much more in the coming year as anticipation builds. Just thought Milly fit soo well as a fiery heir to the throne in a world with prejudice towards being ruled by a queen.

[@Spongebrain97]

@@Shalalacls my main issue was essentially fast forwarding through some of the relationships. Like Harwin and Laena come and go before we spend any time with them

[@thatoneblackdude3333]

I think it's vary disengenuous to mark it down to people fan girling over Matt it comes down to the fact that daemons established redeeming quality yes he's violent and unhinged but he never takes that out on his family which they feel that scene contradicts

[@MicahDarkFantasy]

I would gladly watch this show a second time. Thank you George for making such amazing characters and an excellent world like Westeros! ❤️

[@AFR0MAMBA]

Gonna watch GoT seasons 1-4 again and then back to HotD season 1

[@ajiteshmishra2611]

@@AFR0MAMBA okay people say GOT had its peak till season 4. Now idk and i havent read the books and dont take this in an argumentative way but i think it was really well written and well made till season 6. I say this because episodes like battle of bastards hardhome and light of the seven are my favourite episodes after red wedding and all of these were in season 5 and season 6. What do you think about this?

[@jeffboyardee.3758]

@@ajiteshmishra2611 5 and 6 have some excellent moments but also really stinky ones like the Dorne plot and Berristan Selmy's death. 1-4 was when the show was 10/10 5 and 6 are like 7.5/10

[@ageekhasnoname8860]

I would gladly watch the season a 5th time 😆. Just kidding, although I have watched some chapters 3 times already, first one 4 times, some others just once

[@b1bbscraz3y]

@@jeffboyardee.3758 you want a good girl bud you need bad poosey

[@hellodigitalworld8224]

I want a prequel of this prequel

[@DurvalLacerda]

People forget that Season 1 is how and why the Dance of the Dragon civil war started. Season 1 is pure contextualization and preparation. The REAL show, The Dance Of Dragons, is going to begin now. Sh*t is going to get real.

[@henrikandreason7261]

Essentially a very fleshed out prologue.

[@m_zero3009]

Just like the war of the five kings which didnt begin until late season 1

[@gerrya2133]

Youre right about the purpose of the season, but people can't forget what they never knew.

[@AmberAkArt]

I love that if GRRM made all the decisions, we would have way more seasons of material, and it would just go on and on, backwards and deeper into his history. And I would watch and read all of it!

[@cancerino666]

When he said "much earlier", I was like "Aegon's Conquest?"

[@pokemonfan2630]

@@cancerino666 i mean thats obviously the most exciting event in hes ever written about, i can understand why we havent seen the war of wrath from tolkiens lore in a movie but they could easily put aegons conquest on screen, fingers crossed we get that with a great actor playing aegon

[@khalxd1991]

Yeah it would never provide an ending , you weirdos like that

[@McLovinTRoyce]

@@cancerino666 hoping the conquest gets its own show

[@floofy5529]

Actors would age or die of old age if GRRM was in charge. It's not like writing books.

[@basroca2533]

Dude living nice and peaceful. He's enjoying watching his passion come to life. We work, he did what he loved his whole life and gets to see it on a unexplained level. Congrats R.R

[@WalderFrey]

The man is a straight up genius, easily the best fantasy writer of our age. So sad to witness what lesser writers did to Game of Thrones. You see the same (but somehow worse) happening in the horrific Rings of Power. Hopefully those mistakes won't be repeated in House of the Dragon.

[@DonMadruga72]

Fortunately, HBO is aware of the disaster that was the end of GoT and will want at all costs that this does not happen again. Having an ending now also helps. I haven't watched Power Rings yet, but seeing all these reviews... I feel sorry for Tolkien. His descendants were right to be resistant to adaptation. Not every producer is a Peter Jackson.

[@JohnyAngelo]

Hear hear, the state of Rings of power saddens me.

[@khalxd1991]

No he’s not he can’t even finish his books he’s a joke

[@DonMadruga72]

@@khalxd1991 I believe you have the complete ability to create 5 books, all with 500 or 1000 pages, with a story filled with different cores, a bunch of characters, an immense amount of details and on top of that several spin-offs of this universe to be able to say such a thing.

[@lausdeo4944]

@@DonMadruga72 But authors can do much better: compare him to Steven Erickson and the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Much longer series, arguably better writing, written consistently over a similar time-period as A Game of Thrones, and with symbolism and mystery just as deep as anything in ASIOAF. *Oh, and it's finished.* To call Martin the best fantasy writer of our age is truly a massive joke.

[@dennisellis3605]

The biggest challenge with the time jumps was losing great actresses in milly alcock & Emily Carey. I love Emma Darcy & Olivia Cooke as well though. It's tough & I think they pulled it off. I think all these actors will have a grand future

[@chrisrose_krii_lun_aus]

That's a tough book to make it through. The show has been good so far and it follows the book pretty close. I'm glad he's kept his hands in the show. Live a 1000 years George.

[@abelincoln8885]

GRRM just confirmed he ended GoT in 7 seasons ... which was extended to 8. He said "we knew" by 2016 that GoT will end in 7 seasons. Season 7 was released in 2016 ... so he knew long before 2016 that it would be a 7 season show ... when HBO had expected 10 seasons from GRRM. He had planned a season for each book .. and knew HBO was expecting 10 seasons. GRRM decide ADOS with the 7th and last book of ASOIAF ,... and by the end of Season 6, the show had caught up to TWOW and had including some spoilers from the book. GRRM did have final say .. and he told D&D to write different endings for Seasons 7 & 8 and to not spoil the TWOW or ADOS. D&D made the last two seasons so ludicrous & making no sense at all after six seasons ... that you can only conclude that nothing in them will be in the books ... and ... they are hiding book spoilers. Any truly ridiculous plot device & plot armor ... in Season 7 ... means it's not in the books and that person will die at the same point in time in the books. Proof GRRM told D&D to change the ending .... is the Season 2 House of Undying visions which GRRM approved. Daeny will take the throne in winter where there city has been destroyed ... then ... Daeny will die NORTH of the Wall that is still standing. Again. TWOW is book 6. GRRM was planning a season for each book ... and had decided that GOT will end after 7/8 seasons. ADOS is the 7th and final book of ASOIAF. GRRM didn't want TWOW to be spoiled by Season 7 & 8. Spoiler Alert: Jon Tagaryen married Sansa Stark to remain King of the North. Jon Stark tells Daeny that he is her Nephew and "I don't want the throne" ... & ... "You are my Queen(Iron Throne)." Tyrion figures out he was not killed by the Dragons because he is Daeny's bastard brother after seeing Jon "Targaryen" being smelled by the Dragons and not killed. Daeny & Tyrion land at Sunspeare to join forces with the Martells and sweeps norths taking the Stormlands, Westlland, Riverlands, Crownlands and surrounds ... Cersei who actually goes Mad Queen and burns them all ... before being killed by Jaime(Arya). Daney & Tyrion move to Dragonstone and this is when Jon Stark seeks their help. Jon likely will bond with Rhaegals as proof he has Targaryen blood ... and .. the same blood as Daeny. Bran sends Jon North of the wall to find surviving Chidlren of the Forest but it is a trap by the Night King. Bran then sends Daeny to save her nephew ... and she is falling from Drogon who was killed in flight by the Night King. Jon kills whight Daeny then escapes to join his Uncle(Tyrion) at Drgonstone with their dragons Viserion & Rhaegal. End of season 7. Again. GRRM approved the Season 2 House of Undying visions which were clearly all about Season 7 and is the biggest spoiler of TWOW.

[@n0ah4177]

@@abelincoln8885 wait what tyrion is jons uncle?

[@abelincoln8885]

@@n0ah4177 Yup. It's now canon that dragons can SMELL what blood you have ... & ... Daeny's dragons know the smell of her blood, and anybody closely related to her & will not kill them ( eg nephew or bastard brother). Tyrions visiting the Dragons in Season 6 ... was the Shows version of Quentyn Martell visit of the same two angry chained up dragons. Quentyn stupidly believed he would not be killed because he had Targaryen blood. Tyrion stupidly believed he woudl not be killed because Dragons are intelligent & know he's a friend. lol. Watch the scene carefully. Viserion is about to BURN Tyrion ... but hen stops ... and then SMELLS him. Season 6 finally reveals GRRM's main story ... and that he is repeating the conquest (salvation) of Westeros by Aegon(Jon), Rhaenys(Daeny) & Visenya(Tyrion). Season 2 House of Undying visions approved by GRRM tells us Daeny will take the Throne in winter & then die North of the Wall. At the end of Season 6, it was winter in Westeros & Daeny was sailing to DORNE with her huge army to join forces with the Martells & Tyrells. All of Season 7 was to stop Daeny taking the throne in winter from cersei ... & ... then die north of the wall. Daeny is the first ... of three ... dragonriders who take the throne & then die ... but together the three heads of the dragon save the living from the dead. Again. It's now canon. Drogon smelled Jon & did not kill him ... in Season 7 & 8. Dragon's are not intelligent .. which is why Drogon had to smell Jon again before letting him pass to kill Daeny ... and which would explain why Drogon did not kill Jon. All he saw was Daeny is dead. Tyrion was not killed because he is Daeny's bastard brother ... and Jon's uncle. And Viserion is the smallest dragon that is creamy gold color. Rhaegal is a green dragon And Drgon is a red & black colored dragon .. obvious for the full blood Targaryen rider.

[@StannisBaratheonOTK]

I like how he's just a walking encyclopedia of his work. I have to look up how Jaehaery's son Aemon died to refresh myself. George is all "oh, he died from a Myrish crossbow not intended for him on Tarth".

[@LeornianCyng]

Tolkien and Martin are different in many ways but you can also see how similar they are. I love Martin’s passion for history, psychology and delving deeper into understanding the why. Really fascinating to listen too.

[@KailinaerO1]

This might be my favorite GRRM interview. Having an author and author discussion was far more interesting than I see from the usual media or marketing interviews.

[@Michaelonyoutub]

If you havent seen it, he did one with Steven King many years ago as well that was really good.

[@TheThirdManu]

who is the other guy?

[@Trazynn]

House of the Dragon is what I imagined Game of Thrones would be like when someone described it to me when it was about to air back then.

[@Didi_Meow_AND_theMEWS]

When Game of Thrones first came out I thought it was funny how the casual tv viewers were like _There are sooo many characters who are all these people??_ I'd just think "you should see how many characters, and nobles houses cut from the book" >_< then HotD comes out did not read it....... _All these damn names rhyme who are all these people????_

[@tanxilhanif]

There was no problem with GoT until season 4 .. it was perfect.. season 5 was a bit off but then season 6 was awesome once again.. season 7 was so so .. season 8 was horrible

[@jona.scholt4362]

Season 2 was awful too. Dany in Qarth was a total disaster and the Jon/Qhorin storyline was butchered. GoT was pretty good in season 1 and mediocre to bad the rest of the seasons.

[@KCAssassin98]

​@@jona.scholt4362 only if your only measurement is how accurate to the books it is

[@b1bbscraz3y]

@@jona.scholt4362 it was fine for television calm down

[@jlworrad]

The interviewer is David Anthony Durham. Incredible fantasy author in his own right.

[@forsaken841]

Time jumps and casting were fine. Show is masterfully crafted and extremely well written. From someone who had no interest in anything game of thrones after season 8, HotD has won me back and then some.

[@rpgadventurer32]

The time jumps were fine and were well done but the pacing could've been a bit better earlier in the season. The casting is mostly very good, but the casting of the Velaryons wasn't made for creative reasons and it looked at odds with the accuracy and attention to details done with the other characters and houses, even from a geographical point of view especially in Westeros. Thankfully, it didn't hurt the overall quality of the show and it's possible to find an in - world justification for the changes specifically with the Velaryons. However, imo, George's world had Essos and the Summer isles which they could've used in a more believable and accurate manner for other characters without changing the Targaryens, which also created a change in the story for the show related to the contentious lineage issue as compared to what was established in the books.

[@forsaken841]

@@rpgadventurer32 I think making the Velaryons black works because it underscores the arrogance that they had to expect everyone to ignore the obvious illegitmacy of her children. And there are real consequences for it. So in my opinion its one of those diversity decisions thats done well and serves the story enough to work.

[@thelambsauce7223]

@@rpgadventurer32 ok racist

[@abelincoln8885]

Then you are a fool because Seasons 1 - 6 will never be beaten by HoTD. GRRM just confirmed he wanted to end GoT in 7/8 seasons. Season 6 had begun to spoil TWOW and the show was was to wrap up 7/8. Something major was to happen in Season 7 .... that would completely spoil TWOW. GRRM approved the Season 2 House of Undying visions which show ... Daeny will take the throne in winter where the city will be destroyed by someone ... & ... Daeny will DIE North of the Wall that still standing. Again something major was to happen in Season 7 where it is WINTER in Westoros, Cersei had just gone Mad Queen, the wall is still standing ... and Daeny is sailing to ... DORNE to join with her new allies with a huge army and three dragons. GRRM told D&D to change the ending of Season 7 & 8 and not to spoil the books. D&D made the last two seasons ... so ridiculous & illogical with no sense whatsoever ... that you can only conclude that none of it would be in the books ... and ... they are hiding book spoilers. Any ludicrous plot armor in season 7 ... means that person was actually suppose to die and will in the books at this time in the story. The Night King watched Daeny land in front of him on Drogon to resuce Jon and the others that they had been watching for days. OMG. the Night King is grabbing his spears ... and taking careful aim ... to kill .... the smallest dragon flying high in the sky ... not the largest dragon in front his him on the ground with the only dragon rider saving Jon & the others. lol. Jaime, Cersei, Daeny & Drogon ... were all suppose to die in Season 7 .. but GRRM told D&D to change the ending and to not spoil the books. Daeny is the first dragonrider of Three (Heads of the Dragon) who takes the throne and then dies. Jon is the Last Hero ... of .. Three. Tyrion takes the Throne after Daeny dies with his Dragon Viserion and he dies in Season. Jon finally takes the Throne, kills the Night King but he too dies ... leaving his wife Sansa ... with child ruling the new Westeros. And hopefully a dragon's egg because Viserion is a female dragon who laid some eggs before being killed with Tyrion. Seaosn 7 & 8 were so bad .. are so bad that none of it is in the books. It makes complete sense that Jon Targaryen marries Sansa Stark to remain the King of the North. Tyrion was not killed by the dragons because they can smell his blood which is the same as Daeny's. The Azor Ahai ... is not one person ... but the Three Heads of the Dragon. Aegon, Rhaenys & Visenya conquered Westoros. Jon, Daeny, Tyrion saved Westeros. The Three Heads of the Dragon.

[@thelambsauce7223]

@@abelincoln8885 all this typing only for you to be wrong.

[@FabianCid90]

GRRM: 'Coughs' Me: 'Panically sweating'

[@kevinmalone6436]

LMAO

[@ashara_rhaenys]

It's so comforting to hear George say we may not have to wait 2 full years for season 2, hopefully everything goes well and we'll only have to wait a year and a half until april/may 2024. 🙏

[@Ahmett2000]

we're all going to be old by the time this show is over

[@ecstasyecs]

If he says 2 years it’ll be 4 atleast lol

[@CJ-du3wm]

George should REEEEEALLY consider making HotD an Anthology series, HotD: Conquest(Aegon’s Conquest) HotD: Blackfyre(First BF Rebelion) HotD: The Dance of the Dragons (series now) HotD: Ruin(focuses on Aerys and his descent into madness. starting from War of 9 Penny kings to Roberts Rebellion) Throw in some dunk & egg movies in there for good measure 👀

[@AmVezix]

I don’t think the conquest should be made into a show but those other ideas sound good

[@samer.4660]

Since he's favorite character in the book daemon Targaryen I wish he can asked him what he thinks of Matt Smith daemon Targaryen in the show I really wanted to hear he's opinion especially the last scene when daemon chokes rhaenyra Because of the book's readers, they have different perspectives. Some say this is exactly the character of daemon, and others say the most beautiful aspect of Damon is that he loves his family, and no matter how harsh he was with others, he was nostalgic and respectful with rhaenyra.

[@grayscales1864]

He can be both! People can love their family and still act out and transfer their emotions onto them when they don’t have healthy coping skills, and Daemon doesn’t strike me as a character with healthy coping skills, so to me it’s brilliant character writing showing how people can be both loving and harmful when their emotions are in turmoil and they don’t know how to handle their grief. Transference is super common and it’s doesn’t make people evil. All humans are capable of both doing good and causing harm

[@samer.4660]

@@grayscales1864 that's a correct answer

[@reginawibert5650]

He is so intriguing! I can listen to him talk all day about the books and the show 😊 ❤❤❤

[@alexwatts1356]

One of my favorite things about George is that he is a fan. He loves reading others work and admires so much what they do and add to the art that it allows him to channel and execute all the passion he has as a fan and truly come out with something spectacular when he releases. Thanks George, much love.

[@DecSteele]

When this show was announced I was so sceptical because how GOT ended, but Jesus has HOTD exceeded in every senses, the cast, writing are fucking stellar 👌🏻 Matt as the rouge prince, Rhys as Otto. Can’t wait for S2 !!! Let the dance begin 🐉

[@Oxtocoatl13]

I didn't mind the time jumps, but they did have the side effect of us not getting to spend much time with some characters, because the break-neck pace kills them off immediately after introducing them. I especially wished for Harwin Strong to have gotten more screen time. Perhaps they should have done 15 episodes instead of 10 to let the audience breathe between the time jumps.

[@TheFireStarter1215]

Absolutely, maybe even 12 episodes!

[@Filip1613]

@@TheFireStarter1215 I was thinking maybe the writer who wanted to open with Aemmas death was on to something. All of a sudden you get about 50 more minutes of screen time for the characters we have spread out across 10 episodes. So characters like Harwin Strong wouldn't have been more or less sidestepped.

[@luism8612]

There are people dying in Ukraine……

[@Filip1613]

@@luism8612 There are people dying literally everywhere genius

[@blonded.6668]

@@luism8612 wdgaf!!

[@itsbreezy2521]

Wish this was longer and the interviewer could have steered the interview a bit better instead of getting hung up on the cuts/timeline so George could have went into detail on his opinion on the character adaptions.. would have loved to hear him talk about Viserys/Daemon/Rhaenyra/Alicent and the writing around them/cast performances.

[@_justinblizzle]

Is the interviewer at all a book reader? I feel like asking about cuts/timeline, as you mention, is such a base topic… like you’ve got the actual author in front of you and you want to focus on the shows time jumps & casting changes?? Lol and yes he could’ve steered it a bit better but that’s just George- I’ve seen many interviews w him and he will literally talk forever if you let him. But everything he says is so good you don’t want to interrupt him.

[@hihihi1q23]

@@_justinblizzle The interviewer is another author.

[@jimbo9313]

George brought it up not him.

[@itsbreezy2521]

@@jimbo9313 At times, but thats what I was referencing by steering the conversation which good interviewers can do.. perhaps all these things are covered in the long form version of this interview so he wasn't in a rush - which is cool, but if its the case I would love to see the whole thing as I feel this interview just scratched the surface on what most fans want to hear about GRRM's thoughts on the show adaption.

[@ROYAL_REBEL]

He gets to see his work come to life, in all its wonder and glory (unlike Tolkien) with today's technology. How amazing is that?

[@napoleonofdorset]

His involvement was a big strength of the show. He’s getting into the TV side, which combined with his storytelling makes things interesting

[@nyztan0]

Fantastic interview, and great to listen to him talk about writing, filmmaking, decision making and all the details, could listen to this for hours

[@maxnebula3210]

The show is incredible! One of the best season ones of a show I’ve ever seen. Top 3 for me

[@jaadmaan8156]

That’s because it’s almost not a first season. We are already invested in the world and lore. The show isn’t trying to convince us it’s a good show, we’re all already going to like it

[@gstone5616]

@@jaadmaan8156 not after the season 8 fuck up for me they had a lot to make up for n they sure done it!

[@kingrobert7246]

It was terrible. And I’ve read fire and blood

[@thetruedarkener]

@@kingrobert7246 You haven't read *any* book ever.

[@maxnebula3210]

@@kingrobert7246 you sound like a hater man. Must be tiring being mad all the time and not ever enjoying anything. What widely-loved art have you made again?

[@Divine_Chareka]

I would've loved George's idea too, starting the show earlier in the timeline. It would've been cool to see Aemom & Baelon the doppest bros in the Seven Kingdoms 😤💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tanxilhanif]

But wouldn't it have taken way too long to get to the main story the Dance like at least a season more if not two

[@b1bbscraz3y]

@@tanxilhanif but then the biggest time jump to Rhaenyra being an adult would have felt more authentic coming between seasons instead of mid-season. they should have given us more of Jaehaerys and show Rhaenys getting passed over

[@redtech4798]

@@tanxilhanif No it would start the rivalry and tell an epic story of generations to finally see the peak and fall of the House of The Dragon

[@elzrobinson3307]

@@b1bbscraz3y nah.

[@Divine_Chareka]

@@tanxilhanif the show would still be interesting if it's well written. Season 1 of House of the Dragon is literally NOT the Dance of the Dragons with the exception of episode 10. But look how good it is. But nah people just want to rush to the Dance & be done with the show 🤣

[@Sulejmani123]

I always saw the first 5 eps as an important prologue. I’m glad we got them

[@elzrobinson3307]

The time jumps were easy to deal with because the writing is so good.

[@olorin4317]

I'm happy that he gets to see his creations bloom in multiple medias. Great work George.

[@RadicalValkyrie]

Its definitely a show for a rewatch through. Would be cool to have flashbacks a little to what we might have missed out on in the time jumps, but I didn't dislike it or need it. It worked well. It proves the show is good if we want more of those we didn't see "enough" of. I like that George asked for your opinion and thoughts.

[@cookiekirkland8689]

Thank u George for allowing my mind to expand visually without one of those vr headsets. I was living and very involved in every episode!! Yes I read ur book way back when, this was a triumph. Loved the costumes and how well the story unfolded. When Khal Drago gave Viscerys a golden crown, Daenerys said" He was no dragon" dragons don't burn!! just echoed in my ears. I love,love, this show. Thank you 4 bringing ur inspiration to film. Love u dearly Cookie K 🤗

[@Glurfl]

I could listen to this man talk about his creation forever. Hearing someone being so passionate about their work is fantastic!

[@willh5847]

Love when an author is as in love with the world they've created as Martin is. He's just great in interviews overall because he's just so straight forward about things. Him talking about waiting till 2024 for season 2 just kind of puts it out there in a straight forward way. Yeah, this is a huge show that takes longer to make episodes for. Fair enough.

[@Trowa71]

Although a great author, I've got to give it to the guy, he's proven himself as a legendary show runner, a titan of television, and for me that's where he truly shines.

[@20storiesunder]

His writting is stellar however. The books are genuinely great.

[@Trowa71]

@@20storiesunder For whatever reason I don't gravitate toward the books, I can't explain it, but I do not doubt you at all.

[@DonMadruga72]

@@Trowa71 I've read the books after GoT, and you're really blown away by the amount of detail, plus the parts that were cut or changed in the series. Seeing the Show again, it looks like he's much smaller. It's not a criticism but an example of how Martin's world is dense. But there are things that only the Show has. Ramin Djawadi and his music, Charles Dance and other actors with their fantastic performances, the perspective of some characters that are not seen in the books... It's really hard for you not to want to mix the two up in your mind after you've seen both.

[@samrainnie2104]

He’s not a show runner

[@Rico-oz4ct]

@@Trowa71 When I found the asoiaf books before the show came out I literally never read any other fantasy book after that because they are so much better than anything else.

[@eg4325]

Finale and season as a whole was brilliant. Good job under immense pressure

[@thegeminidk]

I genuinely believe that having more than ten episodes in HotD would have done wonders, as it would have done for Got (especially in later seasons). Just having more time to cover all of the massive cast of characters could have added so much more to the show. Having said that, HotD season 1 is amazing as is. Additional episodes would have only improved it.

[@quantummidget]

I agree with what what said about the time jumps. I'm sad that we didn't get to see these characters and relationships grow, but I also realise that the actual story is the dance itself, so it would be a bit rough to take four seasons just to reach that point.

[@amandab2858]

George seriously is an absolute gem and I am so thankful for the amazing world he has given us.

[@Web497]

*sexist* you mean

[@Web497]

*Sadist* you mean

[@Web497]

any of those two works

[@TheDreamWyrm]

One of my hopes for this series is that it continues. I really want to see the reign of Alysanne and Jaehaerys as even a somewhat calmer series, like the crown but with dragons, and occasionally Jaehaerys will take Vermithor to Dorne to kill the Vulture King or something. I think the friendship between Baelon and Aemon would be amazing to see and while starting HotD all the way back then probably would have delayed things too much I think that showing these two brothers and the love they have for each other and the fact that all the turmoil of the dance stems from their lines AND the fact that they ride Vhagar and a young Caraxes alongside one another would only serve to deepen the tragedy.

[@konrad1428]

I just wanna hug George and tell him how much I love his stories.

[@lyconxero457]

It’s so fascinating hearing about all the different possibilities for how the show could have been paced. I personally think the flashback start and then jump into the tournament was perfect because we got to see the characters early enough to develop feelings towards them. The only thing that I think could’ve been better is if they had a few more episodes per season and could have shown more of what took place in the BIG time jumps. That being said, it’s clear that they were able to focus in on the main characters doing it this way and I’ll expect we’ll get more from other characters next season as they will have more to do.

[@Dulakx]

The underlying reason for most of the critics regarding the time jumps is the pure wish to see more because its so good.

[@AceGunnerManEIR]

Rhaenyra was the hardest recasting to take for me. I love both the actresses now but you got to spend so much time with Miley that it's hard see anyone else as Rhaenyra.Glad they didn't do this with that many characters though. Some of the recasting was brilliant though like Aemond

[@pimpstick9988]

Older rheynrea is a lot better to me imo I enjoyed her even more than Dany she has definition of power rather than owning 3 dragon and having a step above everyone.

[@Sambubdo]

@@pimpstick9988 totally agree. The casting change and acting choices evolve as naturally as the character herself. She’s an entirely different person after having her children, etc etc

[@-hackzzz-7282]

Man I’m so glad HOTD came out I’m 18 and when GOT tv show was out and popular I was just to young to be into anything like that and it was something my parents watched so it was like never something I was interested in since this show coming out I’ve finished all 8 seasons of GOT and downloaded all GOT audiobooks and the AWOIAF audiobook love this universe

[@pimpstick9988]

We all love GRRM thank you so much for everything you have done to set a beautiful series like GoT & HOD! Truly feels like he is on the level of Stan Lee on how he can provide great view on an amazing lure on multiple timelines!

[@rageintothelight]

I loved everything about the show and do not think they should change a thing!

[@ashara_rhaenys]

Yes Please!! We need the special edition for season 1 with all the deleted scenes and bloopers!!

[@7ropz]

loved the scenario for this interview. very clean!

[@wihdinheim0]

George is looking healthy! I've always loved the small details and hints he hides, and how they carry significant meaning. Hammer of the Waters as an example.

[@paulobernardo8593]

Grrm was a genius, on par with the great classics writers of old. His fire and blood was enjoyable to read much like edith hamilton's great classic - mythology and druon's accursed kings series. Epic!

[@rockbwoyindabuilding5397]

Is* hes not dead yet

[@zezella03zezzie57]

I love where the show started it really tied everything together beautifully

[@RegalHankHill]

LOVE the show!! As for Martin's question about the time jumps, I hated them at first until I saw the story arc fully developing and the ending taking shape. Then not only did I understand the need for the time jumps, but I enjoyed the way they were presented!! =)

[@johneckleston9826]

Very interesting, it is indeed quite the challenge deciding where to start the show, the timeskips make things difficult

[@KillVill75]

2 years is a while but itll be here before we know it, and I completely trust itll be worth the wait!

[@yok0hama447]

Thanks for the great series George, it’s absolutely amazing!

[@blackjesus804]

At whichever point they started the key is presenting how the characters and problems developed and how the sides split. Flashbacks, time jumps, discussions it was well done. You know how friendships became rivalries and how family soured on each other and made up or didn't.

[@machinagirl]

I can’t wait for more!!!!🐉🐉

[@arohyadav33]

Great council was the perfect way to start.

[@mireadur]

Congratulations on a job well done, amazingly well done. A work of art indeed this turned out to be.

[@kirstin1147]

1 mega fan from Scotland, just LOVED seeing Fire and Blood put to screen . I am a history buff myself and I recognise a lot of the Plantagenet & Tudor history from George's work, a lot of the mediaeval way of living is also there in Game of Thrones and house of the dragon. But if you are like me and you love your history you will find a lot of comparisons between George's work and history which intigues and excites history buffs like myself.

[@melaniereine3378]

Completely agree! As a fellow history buff, I think that's also why I love the GoT world so much. GRRM put so much thought into it that it almost feels like actual history, of which you can just look up the details and whatnot

[@Chu9947]

Best show on tv this year.

[@ArgentiumTea]

Amazing show, I love it.

[@cflpinebox]

Love George. He’s so wholesome on camera. I like to imagine this is what my grandpa would have been like.

[@blackgoblin1004]

The time jumps were done flawlessly. I was very worried about them, but the actresses and actors were able to pick up where the last one left off without skipping a beat

[@drewdoolan7946]

I think like most I was drawn to Daemon originally, but by the time of Viserys death I'd realised that I'd lost my favourite character. I'm really glad they started where they did because he was an amazingly layered character and in my opinion possibly the best in all of the series' and shows combined.

[@moradiehot]

if there needs to be timejumps, i think they did it as good as it could have been. its just that this series needed it, because not much happend between those years. the alterative would have been that season 1 started were season 1 original ended, with Aaemond killing his nephew. So im very impressed by how they handled the timejumps with how hard they are to do good when changing actors all the time. Perfect casting all the way.

[@Shayed07121997]

i pray to whatever is out there that this man stays with us for a long long long time.

[@adbylsh2756]

The show is amazing

[@myong2206]

would love to hear his thoughts on the narrative choices the show has made in regards to the change in characterizations of alicent.

[@Sambubdo]

I think I was most surprised by Alicent’s natural character evolution. She felt so real and human compared to most of the other characters.

[@BreathingAir]

Kudos to the interviewer for listening to George speak and not interrupting.

[@AdaptiveApeHybrid]

So nice to see him up and at it, animated, passionate. Maybe he's really gonna finish 🥺

[@Cubbieblue26]

I just love watching George talk about his work. It’s beyond fascinating. Now I just want a Aegon the Conquer series so I can see Aegon and Balryon the Dred

[@brando666]

Could listen to these guys talk for hours

[@JoshBonesJones]

Ik a lot of the Fandom gives this man a lot of criticism about not finishing his books, rightfully so. However, we need to remember without this man GoT wouldnt be what it is today. Thank you George

[@Caz8984]

I enjoyed the character jumps it was like reading a book When you watch these types of stories on a show people tend to cling to an actor, not the character so with all the jumps you were not able to do that, which I loved it made you think more about the character you most identified with and not just like a character because you like the actor it made the storytelling a lot more real

[@grichard1585]

They should have started with Aegon’s conquest.

[@DoubleO88]

Agreed, could've been like The Crown.

[@BudravenOG]

I agree, but seems like HBO was trying to redeem themselves and went for the most action packed part of Fire & Blood.

[@raxelleon8189]

I don't know why HBO didn't like the idea of a Dunk and Egg Series at first, but I'm glad they're still going forward with it.

[@Supercoolfast]

they are my favourite short stories.

[@BudravenOG]

It is an unfinished series. George said he still needs to write more of them when asked about spinoffs.

[@joshuataylor3550]

I thought he said dunking egg. Like a show about breakfast.

[@JonLee123]

@@joshuataylor3550 xD

[@Oxtocoatl13]

I mean there are currently only 3 of the stories, all of them rather brief. It could be a fantastic miniseries but there just isn't enough material to make an epic main line show, which is clearly what HBO wanted at the time.

[@sirboxalot6654]

Love it that he has more control

[@E-A-Z-Y]

I so want Aegon’s conquest.

[@ilovecapitalism1776]

and Roberts Rebellion

[@quaronncz464]

We may very well get a series about that if the whole House of the Dragon series is successful to the very end.

[@deathrangerrk9359]

I’d love Aegons conquest and the Blackfyre rebellion. I know very little about the Rebellion but what I do know sounds super interesting so i really want to watch. Also curious who you think shoukd play the Aegon the 1st

[@spearshake4771]

@@quaronncz464 I just hope the subsequent series don't have a decline and drop in quality you usually see once an IP starts getting multiple spinoff shows like with Star Wars and Disney or even Marvel and Disney.

[@quaronncz464]

@@spearshake4771 That I fear as well. I don't like the ideas of having a spinoff series about every war that's ever happened in westeros, but I would love to see more from this world GRRM wrote. But one thing really annoys me more than anything. The season 8 of Game of Thrones. The whole prophetised song of ice and fire ruined by two idiots.

[@Enigmatized13]

This man is a genius writer

[@kwertak5399]

💯🙌

[@rpgadventurer32]

The conversation is very good and interesting.

[@Dornaden]

Hearing him say he pitched Dunk and egg! I really hope in the future they reconsider. Such good stories, especially the first

[@captironsight]

Do you think we could see the Blackfyre Rebellions? I would like to see bloodraven as a nod towards GOT.

[@Major98]

Wish this was an hour long at least

[@csharp57]

This interview provided the answer to a question I had. I always wondered why didn’t they start with aegon the conqueror l. Hearing now that was discussed let’s me know they made the better choice with the direction they chose