House of the Dragon's Blood & Cheese Scene: What George R.R. Martin Thinks
George R.R. Martin, author of Fire & Blood, recently commented on the Blood and Cheese storyline in House Of The Dragon season 2 and the reaction it received from viewers.
Martin acknowledged that the adaptation of the Blood And Cheese sequence was divisive. He said it was likely a powerful scene for those who haven't read Fire & Blood, but he plans to address the matter in more detail in a future blog post.
Martin particularly praised the addition of a dog to the scene. He admitted that he doesn't usually like when screenwriters add characters to his source material, but said he found the dog's presence to be a powerful addition.
Martin noted that he was prepared to hate Cheese, but hated him even more after he kicked the dog. He went on to say that the dog's silent presence reminded him that even the worst of men can love and be loved.
Martin also commented on the ending of the Blood and Cheese storyline, which he described as a "gut punch" for those who hadn't read Fire & Blood.
While the scene in House Of The Dragon was disturbing, it was even more so in Fire & Blood. In the book, Blood and Cheese killed Helaena's maid and took the dowager queen hostage before Helaena arrived.
They forced Helaena to choose which of her three children she wished for them to kill. Helaena chose Maelor, her youngest, but Blood and Cheese then killed Jaehaerys instead. Before leaving with Jaehaerys' head, they made sure Maelor knew that his mother chose him to be killed.
The absence of Maelor in House of the Dragon meant that one element of psychological torture inflicted on the royal family was missing. While some viewers didn't like the changes made to the scene, Martin is planning to address these concerns in the future.
New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 air on Hbo on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
