Why Nettles was Cut From House of the Dragon

[@revanius2213]

Nettles taming of Sheepstealer would have been so much more interesting than Rhaena just finding a dragon in the Vale

[@realBatman-89]

True. I think theyre trying to avoid a John Boyega situation.

[@kirbeybalan6019]

I think the taming will happen in Season 3

[@ianvera4299]

@@kirbeybalan6019 Nah it will be offscreen since S3 needs to start with the fall of KL and the Battle of the gullet after the filler S2 of nothing.

[@blursithflow9442]

@@realBatman-89what you mean I don’t keep up with him or Star Wars?

[@catherineeldred5916]

Maybe Rhaena will run into Nettles while trying to get close to Sheepstealer? Just a thought

[@kylemallett1606]

In short they need a new conflict between Daemon and Rhaynera, but didn’t want to go down the affair route. So the new conflict will be Rhaynera’s hatred of Rhaena for abandoning her two children to go chase dragons and Daemon trying to protect his daughter.

[@Richvwolfie8]

I agree.

[@alocii]

Which is a cool story, but its not the fire and blood one. I am ok with basically all the changes to the main story but this one annoys me to no end haha

[@kylemallett1606]

@@alocii agreed especially since it’s hypocritical of Rhaenyra to hate her, when she was also quick to abandon duty for her own desires.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Another way the writers tone down the Blacks and sanitize characters that are meant to have dark traits.

[@alocii]

@@kylemallett1606 yeah, definitely. I also feel like they just havent given her any personality so far. They might give her the "feeds sheepstealer sheep until he gives in" storyline, but its just not meaningful when we know she has the blood to claim a dragon. I dont remember who it was but someone joked that they should just have sheepstealer burn her first thing next season and have nettles pop out from a bush "och no sheepstealer i know i was late today but you cant just eat people when you are hungry" haha Yes haha, hate to hate on the show cause I really like 80% of what they are doing, and they are miles ahead of s7/s8 but these things add up and have consequences later on. Read a blog post about that from some random writer giving his thoughts on HotDs2.....

[@randomgirl2282]

The biggest problem is that rather than changing Nettles’ stories to fit the story they have, they cut her out and didn’t bother to replace her with anything worthwhile, with a crappy storyline for Rhaena where she runs around the Vale until she finds a random dragon.

[@randomgirl2282]

If the writers know what’s good for them, they’ll include Nettles.

[@mymaynee5963]

@@randomgirl2282its to late. rhaena already has sheepstealer

[@miguelmaestas839]

That's what GoT did a few times and we all saw how that went.

[@dhruv9744]

Lmao the writers wanna avoid the fact that in the books Rhaenyra is horribly racist and calls nettles derogatory comments based on her skin color when she finds out she’s with Daemon.

[@janellejulianajoy]

Well, she'd fit right in with this fandom then. They wouldn't turn on Rhaenyra due to her racist tendencies...she'd be loved more.

[@dhruv9744]

@@janellejulianajoy honestly after the vitriol I saw for the Velaryon casting, I think ur kinda right.

[@Xenomorphasized]

@@janellejulianajoy But the Valyrians were all racial supremacists, which is why the enslaved most of the world and would marry their siblings. They were that convinced they were above the rest of humanity. So shouldn't there be an explanation for why the only other "Pure Valyrian" house is clearly part of a different race? The casting choice in terms of acting is amazing but we deserve an explanation for the plot hole in the lore. Because some people do need lore consistency to be able to enjoy fiction. Also Rhaenyra didn't have racist "tendencies". She was a full blown racist just like most characters in the books, because that's how most of our ancestors were unfortunately.

[@Bsdacres]

@@Xenomorphasizedit’s not racism as much as it’s xenophobia which would make sense within a medieval setting. The issue people took up with the velaryon’s being black is that they frequently intermarried with the Targaryens, were considered physically indistinguishable, and often looked down upon the common looking Celtigars - another valyrian house. Retconning them to look different for the sake of diversity does kind seem counterintuitive when there were many opportunities to give POCs a chance such as with the dragon seeds, celtigars, etc.

[@myaalexander354]

@@Bsdacres GRRM has said he’d always toyed with the idea of black Velaryons, particularly Corlys having Summer Islander ancestry on his mother and grandmother’s side. This would not only have made sense for previous Velaryon canon staying intact, but would also explain his superior skills at sea coming from both sides of his ancestry.

[@Gotti89]

I don’t think Daemon actually had an affair with Nettles. I think Rhaenyra’s jealousy and the whispering witch’s lies led to Nettles’ being betrayed.

[@WompWompBlaze]

They're trying too hard to make Rhaena and Baela important. Show would be much better if they cut time with them and gave it to legitimate players, like Cregan "i got two minutes at the start at the season" Stark.

[@zardsire2012]

In the grand scheme of things Baela and Rhaena are very important since, Spoilers: They survive the dance and become influential with the kingdom’s rebuilding and with their brother Aegon. Also Cregan Stark will likely have a huge role in the end of the show with the hour of the wolf, so cutting his time now is fine.

[@Argos-xb8ek]

To me they don't even do that because they limit their screen time so much to prop up Rhaenyra and Alicent way too much killing some good screen time.

[@keitht24]

They barely gave them any screen time.

[@janellejulianajoy]

Baela, to an extent, IS important. They've done the same with Helaena. How important was she? She could've been treated the half assed way they treated Laena, as a character who died to move the plot along. Who complains about the most filler character getting screen time? No one. Rhaena is in the Vale, therefore her screen time would've been limited. Baela is there on Dragonstone, betrothed to Jace and itching to fight. Baela is Jace's future wife and that would have made her Queen. Baela actively participating for her future husband and country makes sense. She also becomes Jace's form of support, something he needs and unless you are from that family, fully understand. Cregan wasn't going to help Jace understand this more and neither would Sara Snow. Baela actually makes sense. Jace being in Winterfell, knowing the seasons are accelerated, adds what? Outside of loyalty, YOU ALL made that pact more important than it was. Baela and Rhaena got the least amount of screen time than any other Targaryen family member. I love how they are always singled out, when they virtually get nothing!

[@janellejulianajoy]

@@Argos-xb8ek People hate these girls for breathing. They are only mad that we didn't see Jace banging Cregan or Sara. If we got more scenes of Jace in the North and Baela still had her own moments, we wouldn't hear shit. It's the fact that the show chose not to have Baela tossed aside for a bastard or her brother. This fandom is racist as fuck but they hide it under the guise of being "faithful to the book" but say NOTHING about Helaena, which we all know was a step above wallpaper paste in terms of characterization in F&B.

[@airconditionedrelco7099]

They changed a whole bloodline for diversity but refuse to add a character thats already black in the original novel

[@kauswekazilimani3736]

It wasn't for diversity. It was to make one side of the conflict look better.

[@janellejulianajoy]

And treated that diverse family as if they are inconsequential when they are anything but. House Velaryon jump ship? Then Rhaenyra is done before the war could begin.

[@YogaPratama-gt7bd]

They did the same thing in the main series.. cut off black character from original novel (Jalanbhar Xho) and black washing Areo Hotah

[@reddest-x]

It's almost like they think black girl characters are interchangeable... 🤔

[@swayback7375]

I thought part of the rationale was that it’s already confusing with so many characters and so little time… it’s hard to keep straight who’s who and what side they’re on… maybe that was just sone KZbinr yapping

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

I feel disappointed a lowborn characters was cut, as lower classes were kind've treated as subhuman throughout the series in favor of the wealthy. In an interview, one of the writers said "civilians don't count" when asked about all the innocent civilians Rhaenys killed in the dragonpit. Nettles was replaced with Rhaena, a highborn girl. Towards the end of S2, writers started pushing the marriage between Rhaenyra and Daemon as a fairytale romance when in fact, its a very dysfunctional relationship between a man who groomed his niece and strangled her, tried to ruin her reputation, and used her as a puppet for his own power while being repeatedly unfaithful. AND THAT'S OKAY. It's an intriguing story. I hate how the darkness of their souls is sanitized, and how they rob Rhaenyra's character of any depth by being afraid to give her flaws. I hate how they robbed Daemon of his core "terror of his age" character traits by giving him a redemption arc, instead of letting him be the dark soul he is supposed to be. Omitting Nettles is another way the writers sanitized this relationship and the two characters. The writers are definitely forgetting that the plots/tone/philosophy of ASOIAF are dark, gritty, and horrifying. It's not a conventional narrative where the characters are heroic figures who get what they desire and prance into the sunset. Its an unfair, unjust, and harshly complex world in GRRM.

[@singstreetcar5881]

The show runners are trying too damn hard to make rhaenyra into this kind just woman, and this is gonna mess the show up in future

[@johnnyparkinsons]

@@singstreetcar5881 The message of the show should’ve been that ultimately neither claimant deserved the throne and the whole war was pointless. Stupid thing is if they just followed the content of the books they’d still get all their political messages in and people wouldn’t hate them for it.

[@brandcamacho2899]

They could still make nettles happens now that rhaena found sheepstealer in the vale which is odd she could later discover that he was already claim off camera by nettles and flew with her to the vale and then rhaena could convince nettles to join the war but i dont think they would do that sadly

[@apacalypsagon3758]

I think ryan condel has it in his head that daemon and rhaenyra are this power couple. When in reality there marriage was a rather open one.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Why are the showrunners, supposed feminists who want a pro-social-justice show, romanticizing a relationship where an uncle groomed his young niece, tried to destroy her reputation, and strangled her? Or where the man in question murdered his first wife? Why do they gloss over serious male violence, just because it makes Rhaenyra look good? These showrunners actually don't understand the ideas and values they are trying to depict.

[@Loki-g3k]

​@@lordfreerealestate8302 True. Now they can't condemn other male characters for being violent when their ideal man is just the same. They sidelined daemon's only healthy marriage to make Daemyra more appealing.

[@margarethmichelina5146]

Ryan Condel and Sarah Hess are over their heads thinking they are superiors than George R.R Martin to create their own fan fictions. Was the fight of Tyland and the discount Second Son with the leader as discount Daario Naharis really necessary in the last episode? Was Rhaenyra and Alicent had a secret meeting and deal even necesarry? Absolutely not.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

This is the only reason she's written out! Can't mess up one of the most toxic relationships on the show, can they? For me, nothing is believable about Daemon/Rhaenyra. I never felt it in F&B either.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

@@Loki-g3k And it failed. Who looks at that clusterfuck of a marriage and thinks "ooohhh, relationship goals!". And they over vilified Daemon. It's clear that they don't like this character. It's the same with Aegon. They are doing way too much. Yer, they hold back on Aemond who is a sociopath as well as his annoying ass mama.

[@bellablack6937]

Damn, I was really hoping that Nettles would be cast in season 3.

[@gcinamadonsela6193]

I thought so too and I still think they will, Sheepstealer can't just be in Vale for prolonged periods for nothong

[@TOKYO9AIN]

@@gcinamadonsela6193you understand this is just someone makin a KZbin video . I’m pretty sure he has no idea what will happen in S3 so she may be in the series lol

[@gcinamadonsela6193]

@@TOKYO9AIN Of course I do. I am just sharing my 'opinion' on what I think may happen just like whycreate is doing

[@aengusog3415]

It’s too late

[@gcinamadonsela6193]

@aengusog3415 It was too late for Daeron but we are still getting him 🤷🏽‍♂️ Honestly I think they are gonna show Rhaena being rejected again by Sheepstealer , only too find she already has a rider or at least someone he favours more in the form of Nettles who has been consistently feeding him, explaining why he spends so much time in the Vale. Or something along those lines , the HoTD writers are clearly better at writing things than me I am sure that they will come up with something clever, Nettles is too important to what comes later and Rhaena has her own thing going with a dragon later, they can't reject this storyline

[@karimw.9954]

It was never confirmed that Daemon and Nettles had a romantic affair. It was hinted to be more of a father/daughter relationship

[@evileyez504]

Yea everyone takes b@ths with their dad!

[@karimw.9954]

@evileyez504 which character provided that testimony?

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

No. Bathing together? Knights worried about what Daemon would do if they attempted to kill Nettles. In the middle of the night. They were afraid that he would kill them all before they could get to her. Daemon was that swift? He'd be able to hear assassins sneaking into Nettles room and still have enough time to kill these people before they managed to kill Nettles? Um no. The only way Daemon has this edge is if Daemon is in the same room and bed as Nettles.

[@karimw.9954]

@@Virgohorrorqueen1980 by whose account? Who did that information come from?

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

That's in F&B. Rhaenyra wanted Nettles dead and while they were in Maidenpoole there were men there considering taking the initiative to kill Nettles, but Daemon deterred them..With or without Caraxes, Daemon is feared. They were considering striking in the middle ill f the night but feared Daemon would intervene and kill them all. How could he do that unless he's in the room with Nettles.

[@IndieGamerChick]

In theory, she's not OUT of the show yet. Technically, we never saw Rhaena claim Sheepstealer. We just saw her stare at it. The chucklef*ck writers have time to process the blowback and write Season 3 with a reveal that Nettles long before claimed the dragon and was using it to protect herself from the Mountain Clans, giving Doe Eyes the Dull a storyline in Season 3 of trying to convince her to join the fray on the Blacks side, while Nettles is like "blacks or green, they don't need my help destroying the country."

[@johnnyparkinsons]

@@IndieGamerChick “Doe eyes the dull” 😂😂😂

[@amorojaz27]

Rhaena is Nettles.

[@s4m1r_65]

It's weird how they racially swapped characters to then erase actual black characters from the books

[@Lalvon_Zelpharr]

They couldn't have the show too white apparently, it's Stupid, it's literally a european themed fantasy world

[@ElzariusUnity]

HBO: We need representation. Also HBO: Let's remove the only canon POC character

[@penileshenanigans2613]

There are more, the original GoT cut one too.

[@ianvera4299]

@@penileshenanigans2613 Yet HOTD is more egregious since the Velaryons are trusting Rhaenyra blindly which makes no sense

[@AniSwiftTVRecaps]

daemon had an affair with way more than nettles bro slept around so much that Rhaenyra didnt see him for most of there marriage

[@tonysled6796]

they are downplaying that component as well. that conflict and tension between Daemon and Rhaenyra due to his infidelity had consequences for the conflict for sure. instead they showed Rhaenyra being unfaithful to a gay dude......

[@keitht24]

​@@tonysled6796That's because they want to push the queer angle on Rhaenyra. On top of making Daemon impotent.

[@tonysled6796]

@@keitht24 also makes the Targs more passive and friendly seeming. accepting rather than vicious and dragon like. really ruins Daemons transformation and growth. because they tried to say Daemon loved his brother and loved his niece fully (ew). Daemon meeting Nettles is the expression of that Targ tension being released a bit because she makes him better and clearly he shows her Targ secrets. It also reinforces a romance of feudalism and nobility in general. Nettles was no one literally. and the wild dragons were ignored as well in the show.

[@tonysled6796]

@@keitht24 i think its more layered than that. they want to push the romantic view of nobility and aristocracy imo. Daemon broke the cycle in the book seeking a self sacrifice for whatever honour he had left as a human being. him teaching Nettles was also a part of that. he passed on sacred secrets to a commoner. he may have freed his House and the dragons in the process from that bond

[@keitht24]

@@tonysled6796 Every other character suffered for the sake of Rhaenyra & Alicent Scooby Doo adventures. A war resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands is being reduced to these two women regret over their lost friendship.

[@hiderutrow6239]

I'm pretty sure there's some hope for Nettles. I remember seeing an interview where Nettles was brought up, and asked about. The creator said he didn't wanna comment too much, but he basically kept pushing the idea she'd be coming.

[@fearless3405]

its too obvious that they cut nettles in order to improve the claimant and make her look better .. and of course they failed and they also cut the beloved maelor because the claimant ordered to bring him to her after the fall of king's landing and that led to his horribly death and all of that happened because he was king aegon's heir .. i mean even if she killed maelor . king aegon still had so many heirs but because maelor was his son

[@punkthatiscyber9091]

Very specific word choice to describe people.... And horrible sentence structure.... Clearly Team Green LOL

[@fearless3405]

@@punkthatiscyber9091 good . keep it to yourself then . it doesn't matter how i describe it . all of it are right you just want respond and am not alone on this opinion must of the fans are mad about the one sided writers ... and yes its too obvious with the greens . rather than the agenda faction

[@punkthatiscyber9091]

@@fearless3405 Yeah, our agenda for being able to write coherent sentences really makes us the bad guys lol

[@TheTrollingMaster-xr9el]

Rheanyra’s character could get back on track for her book development after Jace bites the dust. But will the writers do this? Maybe not.

[@KingKam93]

I personally think they will. They've been dropping tid bits of Nyra's darkside, that scene on Dragonstone where she watches all the people who came to claim a dragon get burnt was glorious. And when Jace dies, we will see her get worse. This I believe to be true. But we'll see.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

It's rumored that she will, however the hatred for Nettles will be transferred to Rhaena. Rhaena will be the permanent wedge between Rhaenyra and Daemon.

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

The burned man had to have been her clan.

[@singstreetcar5881]

It's good they made the valeryons blacks,. It makes the characters easier to differentiate. It the targeryns and valeryons were white with white hair,it will be confusing

[@apacalypsagon3758]

@@singstreetcar5881 that's why they compensate by focusing on their heralds and the clothes they wear be the colors of their house. Westerosi go out of their way to display their heraldry in everything so I think they could've made it work.

[@janellejulianajoy]

And these people still can't differentiate. Baela and Rhaena are frequently called Velaryon, though their biological father is Daemon. Laena and Laenor were happy to marry into the Targaryen family, though we see them with their own dragons and their mother is Rhaenys TARGARYEN.

[@swizzle_3]

they probably made the change so that the general audience can easily identify that the 'strong' bastards were in fact not laenor's, people tend to forget that rhaenys had black hair from her baratheon mother, so the ambiguity of the kids hair color could just be said to be inherited from their grandmother, but now that they changed laenor to be half it would be quite obvious that they werent his

[@3nnik]

it still makes like 0 sense because then jaehaerys should be half black and his children a quarter black. and aegon and his sisters are also half black aswell since they're all children of a velaryon

[@Lalvon_Zelpharr]

No, it's not, and it wouldn't be that hard to differentiate from them, Giving them different hairstyles and clothing and unique facial features would have been enough, making the Velaryon black literally makes no sense, It's just modern diversity pandering

[@punkthatiscyber9091]

I agree that Nettles is supposed to be the one almost impossible exception to needing Dragonlord blood to bond and tame a dragon. And not just because of the virtue of her character or her bonding tactics. But she also just happened to approach the one dragon at the time that is impressionable to someone's guile. One of those insanely serendipitous moments. She could have very well failed if she tried the exact same thing to literally any other dragon, even Silverwing. Martin does like to sprinkle those one-in-a-million / sheer stupid luck moments here and there throughout this lore. Like that scropion shot that killed Meraxes or only one noted duel between Valyrian Steel weapons.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤

[@jomeotrashgod1098]

Ig daemon having two black baddies was just something they couldn't handle

[@Ronfost89]

I don't mind her getting cut, honestly she doesn't do anything in the story other than exist and be a flimsy excuse for Raenerya to argue with Daemon.

[@OnlineSafetyQ]

But Rhaenyra fighting with daemon is supposed to be their in the story. He leaves kingslanding to go fight Aemond. He leaves her their alone cause he can’t take her craziness and racism 😂

[@Ronfost89]

@@OnlineSafetyQ yeah they can fight of a thousand reasons, adding a pointless love interest doesn't do anything to add really.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Internal conflict in Team Black would actually be compelling, IMO. Daemon and Rhaenyra shouldn't have this storybook marriage the writers seem to be gunning for.

[@janellejulianajoy]

@@Ronfost89 They made it worse. Take off the Nettles hating sunglasses and think about it. If Rhaena is given this storyline (without the romance), and Rhaenyra sends out an order for her to be arrested and executed...what would Daemon's next move be? Had he survived his fight with Aemond, he's gunning for her next, Queen or not. This isn't a fight....it's clear that unless she reconsiders her impulsiveness, you'd see Daenerys' ending all over again.

[@KingKam93]

They already had a necessary conflict and the conflict has been resolved. We don't need another marital spat. The biggest issue was Daemon coveting the throne and resenting Rhaenrya for being Queen. It's over now. What is necessary now is to show Nyra''s mental deterioration after the tragedy to come.

[@myaalexander354]

Making the Velaryons black does not ruin Nettles. I’m so over people whining about this. Just say you don’t like that they made them black and own it. If anything it made the “Strongs” plot line more hilariously obvious and added great layers to Corlys’s underlying drive for respect as a self made man that feels constantly slighted despite his accomplishments. People are also ignoring that the relationship between Daemon and Nettles is never clarified. Some suggest a romance, others suggest a more paternal father/daughter bond. Mysaria may have had her own motivations for turning Rhaenyra against them (“A queen’s words, a whore’s work).” If it was purely paternal, Rhaena could actually substitute clumsily for Nettles, giving her and Daemon a chance to finally bond in a way they never have prior to her becoming a dragon rider. Think back to season 1 where Rhaena tells her mother Laena how Daemon “ignores” her and is only interested in Bela because she has Moondancer. If Rhaena ends up abandoning Viserys and Aegon III to chase down Sheepstealer while they’re being shipped off to Pentos, that’s going to directly result in losing Aegon and Viserys in the Battle of the Gullet. Rhaenyra is not going to be happy about that when she specifically charged Rhaena with their care. This could be the beginning of the wedge between her and Daemon. Is it as neat as the books? Of course not. Am I hoping Nettles still shows up? Obviously! But Addam and Alyn are clearly Velaryons. Alyn has the silver hair, Addam wears the family locks, there are other markers besides skin tone that can signal family ties and still allow another actor of color to exist in the universe without “ruining” the Velaryons. Alicent had reddish brown hair. Can we suddenly not distinguish her from a Tully or a Tyrell? Especially since the Hightowers were supposedly pale blondes closer to the Targs according to Jorah? Are the Hightowers “ruined”? Right. I didn’t think so.

[@E_Stormborn]

Nettles would have been very interesting.. I'm disappointed the writers strayed so far in S2.. 😢 it's gonna throw off the storyline..

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

There is,absolutely no way this show is getting back on track. Ever. They would have to retcon much of Team Green's actions to pull that off. I'm Team Black but they have ruined the Greens beyond repair.

[@michaelredford5389]

I like the idea that the public of Westeros accepted the rumour that the rider of Sheepstealer was the lover of Daemon but in reality, it was his daughter who was looking for her father's approval and to mean something to her family. Besides that, I understand the frustration completely. Sheepstealer not being on Dragonstone was a bit silly in my eyes. Since they mentioned the wild dragons in season 1.

[@nantuckettorrance1664]

I disagree. I totally believe Nettles has Targaryen ancestry. Her “mother’s side” was probably from a stranded or runaway seafaring Summer Islander that ended up having to scratch out a living portside/dockside in the world’s oldest profession. Valyrian bloodlines mixed with Summer Islander bloodlines would definitely create offspring with brown skin and dark hair. Many “mulatto” and “griffe” mixes look like this. And to reiterate and double-down on this point-the lore says she has brown skin, not black skin.

[@KingKam93]

Indeed. I'm Jamaican with Irish ancestry and I don't have a lick of ginger in my immediate family but my ancestors were gingers. Genetics isn't a straight laced formula.

[@singstreetcar5881]

The writers are gonna write themselves into a corner What is gonna cause the conflict between demond and rhaenyra?

[@jkasdhn99]

TL;DW Because they're idiots

[@madambutterfly1997]

It’s like how in Game of Thrones they cut out Jenna Lannister, and the Lannister-Frey faction from the show.

[@pixylips]

I think Martin told the show runners that Nettles true origin as Daemons Daughter or he had a father’s love for Nettles which makes the swap of Rhaena and Nettles more seamless in a TV show/budget setting.

[@GertieHelme]

She is GRRMs way of showing us how how the Dragons were originally trained by Valarions

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Keep up the good work 🫡🫡🫡🫡🐉🐉🐉🐉

[@frozenandchosen]

Not only does it severely damage the story to remove Nettles and replace her with Rhaena but it ruins Rhaena’s arc as well! One of my favorite moments of the dance is when her dragon Morning hatches at the end to signify a new era, but now she can’t have that moment

[@Lalvon_Zelpharr]

Well actually, It's been speculated that Nettles, the rider of the dragon Sheepstealer and allegedly Daemon Targaryen's paramour during the Dance of the Dragons, was actually a secret bastard daughter of Daemon instead of his lover

[@lucaschapel7197]

I have to say, they've not confirmed that Nettles is 100% cut yet. If HBO are granted 10 episodes, we'll probably get Nettles in Season 3.

[@abominable.7800]

wait, how does the veleryons being black make way for plot holes?

[@thegreatpage5912]

One major thing with Nettle's claiming Sheepstealer in the books is her appearance. She has a summer islander look, which make you question if Valyrian blood was necessary to claim a dragon, or if it was propaganda all along. In the show, her appearance wouldn't exactly seem out of the ordinary now since the show canon Valyria had black Valyrians she could easily descend from.

[@mymaynee5963]

targs marry the velryons all the time. so why are the targs mainly white?

[@adnanfayyaz75]

In my view, show did the right thing in merging the 2 characters. An unpopular opinion, but you forgot to tell the other story from the book, that nettles was puportedly a daughter of daemon and he cherished every moment of fatherhood with her. We will see how the show transforms and make rhaenas character interesting

[@madambutterfly1997]

Why is Sheepstealer so laughably smaller in the show when he was closer in size to Silverwing and Vermithor

[@stivensremarais5878]

I feel unlike the other dragon seeds she’s the only one who survives so I don’t think they had enough time to fully develop her character

[@attiepollard7847]

Yes they did have enough time. They just been making stupid decisions for no reason

[@johansmallberries9874]

My theory is they over cast black actors to play Velaryons(an idea I didn’t hate at first, for tv they had to drive home how obvious it was the Strong boys were not Laenors) but failed to realize that by the end, most of the surviving black faction would actually be black.

[@lawrencereid2767]

Should have but we will see

[@stalwartteakettlepotato9879]

It's classic alchemy. To gain something, a thing of equal value must be given. This is how we got black Valerians.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Nettles was left out so the final conflict between Rhaenyra and Daemon could be cut.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

If Rhaena takes Nettles place there is still conflict. And if anything it'll be worse. Threatening bodily harm towards Daemon's biological daughter?

[@Joes_cooking123]

Agreed

[@notbill08]

I think the actress who plays Rhyna is excellent and honestly Nettles as a love interest for Daemon never made any sense. HOTD was always going to have to cut characters. Also I like the possibility that that the series finale may have a twist!

[@ghostlyjudge]

most likely to make rhaynera seem more sympathetic I doubt they will have her do half the crazy stuff she did in the books they will milk her being the ultimate good guy and anything bad she does will be justified somehow

[@johronok4067]

Oh, hey there.

[@lulamaklaas3233]

I don't think Nettles having brown eyes, brown hair and brown skin can be used as an argument for her not having any Valyrian ancestry when we know Princess Rhaenys ( daughter of Rhaegar and Elia) had similar features. To me the point of her story is to show that Valyrians' can look "common" and not that non-Valyrians can be dragon riders

[@msherif428]

We know Rhaenys had dark features because of her Dornish mother, but again, Nettles' description is very different from how Dornish people are described. Nettles is closer to the Black Pearls, descended from Aegon the Unworthy and a half-Braavosi half-Summer Islander princess. We know that Summer Islander genes are dominant to Valyrian genes, but a common girl besting the dragonseeds and taming a wild dragon is a much better story in my opinion, as it subverts the idea of Valyrian superiority.

[@lulamaklaas3233]

@@msherif428 I agree that the idea of her being common is a better story, I'm just not convinced that her appearance alone is enough for us to declare that she has no Valyrian ancestry.

[@TheRubenMar]

The idea of the dragons only being tamed by Targaryen because of dark magic tied to their blood is essential to me. If Dragons could be tamed by being nice to them and feeding them, maybe It would have happened on other occasions, people try to tame wild animals in the real world, Tigers and Bears. The reason other houses can't do it is that you can't just feed them and lure them, or get an egg, and raise them from the beginning, It won't work, dark magic is involved, and that's why I prefer to believe she has a drop of Targaryen blood however small.

[@noirerequiemii101]

it sucks that nettles was cut for no reason, but I disagree that the Velaryons being black was a problem at all for the story

[@msherif428]

Black Velaryons is good at face value, because it serves the story to clarify and reinforce the Strong boys' plotline, but it does have its own butterflies, that maybe George didn't foresee. It directly caused the removal of Nettles to avoid confusion with the Velaryons, and indirectly removed what would've been Daemon's plotline with her in Season 2, so they had to come up with the fustercluck that we saw at Harrenhal this season. It clarified something at the cost of ruining another.

[@TensaSangetsu1254]

The Velaryons and the Targs are inbreed, of course is important.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

I loved the actors who played Leanor, Corlys, and Vaemond. I love Corlys' dreads, too. I agree, it doesn't really matter if they use black actors, as long as the characters are well written.

[@swayback7375]

I only read the first few lines, but yea bro, we don’t count… Tge story of modern workers: work, phone, eat, sleep, wake, shit, work, repeat. I know grrm coukd make even that sound romantic but come on… this is fantasy… He does give us a few rags to riches story, but he’s a realist so it’s rare, and his tale are all about morality… those things are inherently in conflict.

[@swatsaw6]

because they are bad at making the show?

[@JR47846]

Because the quotas were full xD

[@7thmizukage]

Simple suggestion, give post game Wally a Jirachi 👀

[@a.s.2112]

"Diversity hiring was inevitable"?

[@dadshirt6681]

diversity hires? ew whatever opinion you hold goes out the window when you throw out garbage like that

[@Eff_It]

Rhaenyra will never forgive Rhaena for abandoning her children or Daemon for killing Jahaerys. Daemon will have to ride with Rhaena to protect her from Rhaenyra, just as the ghost of Leana said. That's why the story doesn't need Nettles. This is better.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

I agree with this. However, this is an enemy she doesn't want. Go after Rhaena? She's losing more than Daemon. She's losing Baela and House Velaryon, she can try it if she wants to.

[@Eff_It]

@Virgohorrorqueen1980 Either you agree or you don't. Clearly, you dont, and that's fine. Rheana committed treason. Baela and the Valaryons wouldn't side with Rhaena in committing treason. These people aren't guided by emotion alone. Corlys has already called Rhaena useless. Maybe if she has a dragon that will change, but he feels nothing for her anyway. Baela chose Rhaenyra over ruling Driftmark, so we are clear on her loyalties. Baela and the Valaryons are sworn to Rhaenyra, they aren't changing that for Rhaena. However, what I said was that Rhaena would need to ride with Daemon to be protected from Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra is the queen, she could have Rhaena executed. Being with Daemon wouldn't prevent Rhaenyra from attacking, but he could intervene on her behalf. She could stay with him and give her time and distance away from Rhaenyra and have be useful. Rhaenyra and Daemon could come to an agreement that Rhaena would be under his protection and that he would pay some penance for her crime. That's why Laena came to him in one of his hallucinations saying that he needed to protect her children. It was setup for Rhaena needing him. It also replaces Deamon riding with and protecting Nettles with doing so with someone who really matters to him and demonstrating true growth selflessness.

[@khfan4life365]

Because it would make Rhaenyra racist and classist, and Condal and Hess can’t allow their perfect Mary Sue to have flaws. Book Rhaenyra is far superior to the beige dishcloth version we have in the show.

[@acorpuscle896]

Nettles doesn’t have a drop of Targaryen blood? Tell that to Brown Ben Plumm.

[@nikkie1843]

You know I'm not mad. Fire and Blood is based on the accounts of several different people, complied by a Maester who was 150 ish years removed from the story. Nettles was supposedly a lover of Daemon but could anyone ever actually know that? Even in the story says that it was rumored that she wasDaemon's lover.

[@KingKam93]

Exactly and Nettles isn't even important. She's just a fan favourite. And when people lose their favourite things they get mad (Which in this case makes no sense cause you still have the books, the show doesn't affect what was written). The only person that is justified in being angry at changes is the creator himself because that's his baby. But it's the nature of fans to take ownership of whatever entertainment we consume. I do it. You do it. But we aren't being logical. Just emotional.

[@KingKam93]

Sorry for rant 😅

[@TOKYO9AIN]

I’ll never understand people who want a show to be EXACTLY like something they read . You want to go into a series already knowing exactly how it goes every step of the way ? Most of the people complaining are the book readers and I don’t understand. The show isn’t only for y’all lol as a casual to GOT lore all this stuff y’all nitpicking about if I didn’t watch for myself I would think the show is horrible . And before y’all attack me I’ve read every Harry Potter book and see every movie in its peak time . They didn’t not follow the books word for word . It’s just 2024and now everybody with a phone thinks there they’re full time IMB critics

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

I'm a book purist but they're acting like skin color made such a huge difference when it really doesn't. If House Velaryon were White the show would still.have horrible writing.

[@maesterdrew8606]

Having the race tension in Lord of the Tides was so much better than anything they could have ever done with Nettles. Much better to have did it they way they did. They could have still included Nettles as an extra character, but it would’ve been pretty inconsequential

[@Alvaro89Rus]

So they blackwashed entire valirain clan, but cutout one of the source black character

[@Eff_It]

You people need to get over your anger over casting black actors. It's racist and it makes you look stupid. The Valaryons are from Valyeria which we have learned was not an all white society. Any of the other dragon riding families could have looked like the Valaryons. It's shocking how stuck you all are on the Targaryens when they were known not to even be a great house there. And yes, cutting one black character to add several is only bad math to racists. Rhaena is fulfilling the role of Nettles only with a much closer relationship with Daemon than sexual. She betrayed Rhaenyra. Leana appeared in Daemons dreams telling him to protect her children. It was great set-up for what's coming, not bad writing at all.

[@SHARKVADERS]

W C !!!!!

[@huskaroar6869]

Had to accomodate them kfc folks because the actual story doesn't matter to them woke crowd lol

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Racist.

[@huskaroar6869]

@@lordfreerealestate8302 lol ! That hardly means anything now 😜 basketball people simply ignore their own history and culture and simply want what white people have . So pathetic and sad at the same time

[@huskaroar6869]

​@@lordfreerealestate8302 cry more lol

[@jarvisSpearman]

Was it Really Necessary For you To Be insulting and call People "Diversity Hires" So unneeded Game of thrones Literally had its only People of Color as Slaves and yet youre mad about This?

[@joeblow3145]

They made a bunch of white characters black and then left out the only black character in the book.

[@attiepollard7847]

This just proves the pathetic writing of the producers in these shows. And then when you question them on it they want to call you racist. S*** like this is the reason we have problems in the Western World when it comes to social issues. And by the way why are we having a Catherine the Great TV show with a black characters that don't even exist?

[@jomeotrashgod1098]

They shafted nettles bc she's the more impressive dragon lord compared to rhaenyra, same reason they shafted laena 🤷🏾🤷🏾

[@attiepollard7847]

I think they did the shift because they do not want Damian to have any love interest other than the queen. Simple as that. When they review the books they took out that one part because they thought that that did not make any sense.

[@jomeotrashgod1098]

@attiepollard7847 exactly they didn't want daemon to have any other love interest bc in both cases daemon is in a better romantic relationship compared to what he has with rhaenyra

[@taotaostrong]

Storm Reid would be an excellent addition as Nettles.

[@kelvinpryor4119]

Nettas being out the shoe makes not sway on how the story is told in my opinion.

[@ttendonsonga7587]

First

[@fatalshore5068]

The cadance of your voice is very hard to listen to.

[@gloameyedprince]

On the contrary I find it very pleasant to listen to.

[@realBatman-89]

​@@gloameyedprincehes no indeepgeek.

[@robot8290]

She’ll be in season 3, Trust me!

[@johnnyparkinsons]

Did you watch season 2? They’ve already replaced her with Rhaena.

[@robot8290]

@@johnnyparkinsonswe never saw Rhaena bond with sheepstealer 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@johnnyparkinsons]

@@robot8290 i’m pretty sure it’s a guarantee with her searching for and eventually finding sheepstealer that she claims it.

[@ianvera4299]

@@robot8290 Then why bother showing Rhaena with Sheepstealer at all? They cut Nettles to whitewash Rhaenyra. Period.

[@robertsmiley2207]

It's because they already had too many black characters

[@austinhedges9776]

If Nettles was white, nobody would care about her absence. The showrunners already blackwashed Laena's character, so Daemon doesn't need a 2nd black lover in the show.

[@suezcontours6653]

Black people aren't complaining, though. It's white KZbinrs making a fuss about Nettles. I haven't seen any black people (especially black women crying and complaining). Nettles isn't special, we see characters like that all the time. We dont see black Princesses a lot so we okay with giving the storyline to Rhaena

[@killnotic]

To be fair, if Nettles had been white in the book, her presence in the story wouldn't have stood out as much. It's her background and appearance that intrigued readers because, according to legends, what she did and how she did it had never been done before. Add how Nettles, a low-born, young black girl, affected Daemon's arc, which in turn influenced Rhaenerya's, and that's just too notable to discard without comment.

[@Virgohorrorqueen1980]

If Nettles were White she'd be salivated over. Stop lying.

[@VukoSrach]

One useless girl is changed by another one