After a controversial second season that left many viewers disappointed and frustrated, the one thing from House of the Dragon Season 2 that creator George R. R. Martin is most upset about is Maelor Targaryen being excluded from the events of Blood and Cheese. The youngest son of Aegon II and Helaena Targaryen, Maelor was an instrumental victim of Blood and Cheese in Fire & Blood. His survival also creates what Martin calls a butterfly effect for following disasters. But since he’s either erased completely or postponed in the show, how does the butterfly take flight in the Dance of the Dragons?
Martin expressed his disappointment with the handling of Blood and Cheese in a now deleted blog post that Twitter/X users have screencapped. The Song of Ice and Fire and Fire & Blood author argued against showrunner Ryan Condal’s reiteration of Blood and Cheese, which only includes the sleeping twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera Targaryen as Helaena offers a necklace in exchange for Jaehaerys’ life. Condal’s reasoning behind cutting out Maelor, according to Martin, was that casting a two-year-old toddler would’ve caused budget problems.
Rest assured, there’s a still chance Maelor could appear down the line if Helaena gives birth to him. Yet the problem isn’t that Maelor is being ignored altogether. It’s that his involuntary involvement in the murderous scandal is a ripple for both Helaena and Rhaenyra’s descent from stability.
Maelor’s Absence Removed the ‘Sophie’s Choice’ Element
Without Maelor, the Gravity of Helaena Targaryen’s Choice is Diminished
Before getting into the butterfly effect of Maelor, there’s contention over the treatment of Blood and Cheese in House of the Dragon. The scene received mixed reviews, mostly due to how book readers vs. show-only viewers responded to it. Book readers were dissatisfied because the event was toned down violently and emotionally in the show, but show-only viewers were sickened by the beheading of Jaehaerys. Two things can be true: House of the Dragon’s Blood and Cheese can still be a dire nightmare that tonally fits the show’s version of the story. But it can also be underwhelming for those who were gutted by the “Sophie’s Choice” element in the book.
As I saw it, the “Sophie’s Choice” aspect was the strongest part of the sequence, the darkest, the most visceral. I hated to lose that. — George R. R. Martin
During Blood and Cheese in the book, Helaena is forced to make an impossible decision by choosing which of her sons should die. Pushing the choice onto the young mother makes the assassins absolutely cruel. With what little knowledge is given about the choices leading up to the event, Daemon only hired them to kill one of her sons, still an unforgiving demand. Blood and Cheese tortured Helaena and the children for a selfish power complex. Martin goes into much more detail about why he believed House of the Dragon weakened the scene, such as removing Blood’s dishonorable history as a former Gold Cloak and Cheese telling Maelor his mother wanted him dead.
One notable agreeable take he makes is that Helaena is much more passive in the show. She offers a necklace to save Jaehaerys, whereas in the book she sacrifices herself for the lives of her boys. But in Condal’s defense, the show’s version of Helaena isn’t a strikingly courageous person. She loves her children, but she’s also quiet and non-confrontational. As actor Phia Saban explained, Helaena freezes because she’s never been put into a traumatic situation like this, and doesn’t process it quickly. Maybe it would be different if she was put in a position to choose between two sons, but that’s not the reality House of the Dragon went with.
Maelor Is a Defining Catalyst for Helaena’s Fate
Without Maelor, Helaena’s Final Fate Won’t Feel Organic
Martin spends the remaining chunk of his blog post discussing how Maelor’s absence essentially rewrites history. A visceral aspect to Martin’s works is that every character has an impact on history, whether big or small. The concept is called the butterfly effect, where even the tiniest of details can have a severe impact on the story or timeline. While he’s just a child who says and does nothing, Maelor is the trigger for two turning points in the Dance of the Dragons: Helaena taking her own life and the smallfolk turning against Rhaenyra.
After Blood and Cheese, Helaena falls into a deep depression and can’t bear to look at Maelor. She feels ashamed for choosing him to die, only for him to survive regardless. There’s no indication that the two-year-old Maelor is aware of what Helaena did, despite Cheese telling him. But Helaena is aware and has to live with that guilt. When word reaches her that Maelor was torn to pieces by a mob in Bitterbridge, she hits her lowest point. In Helaena’s mind, she willed Maelor’s death into existence by choosing him over Jaehaerys during Blood and Cheese. Consequently, she jumps off a tower in the Red Keep and dies.
The final butterfly effect has to do with Rhaenyra. At this point in the book, Rhaenyra is hated by the smallfolk for raising taxes and Helaena is beloved for being kind and gentle. Helaena’s death evolves into a conspiracy among the smallfolk that she was actually killed by one of Rhaenyra’s men. One thing leads to another, and a massive mob led by the Shepherd drives Rhaenyra out of the city when five dragons and Joffrey Velaryon are killed. These moments could, and most likely will, happen in the show, but perhaps inorganically. Helaena is far from the miserable state that grows darker as time passes.
It’s relatively fine because the show’s Helaena is not a person who outwardly expresses her emotions. But if Helaena is going to take her own life, there needs to be emotional weight behind it. If Maelor doesn’t exist, or if she’s not reminded of her false part in “willing his death,” why would she jump from the tower? What will be the defining moment that causes Helaena to end her life? The smallfolk growing to hate Rhaenyra could still unfold if she continues to perceive herself as a savior for the people below her. But can Rhaenyra’s eventual downfall be pulled off with such a punch if viewers are too distracted by Helaena’s death falling flat?
House of the Dragon Could Still Pull Off a Win, Even Without Maelor
Martin has every right to feel any way about House of the Dragon. These stories and characters are his creation and livelihood. But it’s also okay to disagree with him. He may be the brain behind the works, but art is still subjective. Martin himself alludes to this by pointing out the different reactions to Blood and Cheese. That being said, there’s one scene that Martin pushes for that wouldn’t hurt House of the Dragon by being cut out. One scene that Martin worries will be lost due to Maelor’s absence is Ser Rickard Thorne’s protection over Maelor in Bitterbridge. The town was held by the Blacks at this time, and when the civilians discovered Rickard and Maelor’s true identity, they attacked the fleeing duo.
Rickard’s persistence in protecting Maelor and bringing him to safety is a sign of true and honorable bravery that the Kingsguard stand for. Martin recognizes that Rickard is a tertiary character who will probably go unnoticed by viewers and readers. But he also likes the moment that truly shows what the Kingsguard truly represents, perhaps in comparison to someone as slimy as Criston Cole. Martin certainly wasn’t wrong about the moment’s message. However, given how many characters have already been sidelined in House of the Dragon, throwing in Rickard as one-off proof that not all members of the Kingsguard are bad would be an unnatural thrust in the face.
But if losing [Maelor] means we also lose Bitterbridge, Helaena’s suicide, and the riots, well… that’s a considerable loss.
— George R. R. Martin
There’s a giant elephant in the room when facing the disappointment Martin and many people had with House of the Dragon. Martin wrote Fire & Blood to be left up to interpretation as a fictional historical text. That type of story is a gold mine for a television adaptation, because it gives the developer a lot of creative freedom. Obviously, some things can’t be left up to interpretation, like the existence of Maelor. But it’s also worth exercising enough patience to see the show through until its fourth and final season, instead of jumping to conclusions. As of the Season 2 finale, Maelor’s exclusion from the story does have severe consequences that are felt for Helaena’s character. But who knows, maybe Condal and the rest of the House of the Dragon team will surprise everyone after taking into consideration Martin’s criticisms.
House of the Dragon Seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Max. A third season is in production.