House of the Dragon showrunner slammed for defending scene that wasn’t in the book

House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has defended one of the TV show’s inventions, but fans think it symbolizes a wider problem in adaptations.

When it comes to most adaptations, fans know they can’t be too protective over the source material. But Game of Thrones fans are some of the most particular about how creatives handle the work, especially when it comes to adding new storylines.

Famously, fans of the fantasy TV show criticized the original series for its invented narratives after the show outlasted George R.R. Martin’s books. House of the Dragon doesn’t have that same problem, and yet those in power have still added their own moments throughout the series.

In House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3, Rhaenyra sneaks into King’s Landing to talk with Alicent in the Sept. This moment was the subject of much debate when the episode aired, since it’s a conversation not depicted in the books. Condal, however, has revealed why he thinks it’s justified.

“This is television, and television runs on putting your finest actors and your central characters into dramatic situations together,” Condal said on the House of the Dragon podcast. “That’s not to say we do it likely or we think we can do this willy-nilly because everybody wants to see a scene between Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy.

“Everybody does. But we had to figure out a way to get them together on screen. Yes, this was not in the book, but all I would say is, like, it’s not in the book because that would never be on the historical record. It would never ever be.”

The idea that the event wouldn’t be in the books (as the books are based on fictional historical accounts) makes sense. But the wider implication of adding new scenes has riled up fans, who’d rather the source material was simply left alone.

As one Reddit user wrote: “It is exactly the type of mentality that ruined Game of Thrones. The reason Martin’s writing is engaging is because he does the opposite, which gives the story a tragic structure and makes it engaging. If you keep giving people what they want to see, it just becomes ‘and then X happened’.”

“Sure. I wanted to see them reunite… When Rhaenyra sacks King’s Landing like she does in the book,” noted another. “The writers have a natural moment coming up in Season 3, where these two can hash things out.

“Instead, the writers thought that audiences couldn’t manage a whole season without these two together and came up with the most hare-brained reason for them to see each other one more time.”

Another commented that the situation just didn’t make sense, writing: “They were never friends in a first place in the book. It’s simply impossible for something so stupid to happen in world of asoiaf, people sneaking in and out of enemies castles and getting out unharmed.”

For more, find out when the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale is out. You can also make sure you’re up to date with our Episode 7 recap, and learn more about the Prince That Was Promised prophecy.