House Of The Dragon Season 2's Blood & Cheese Book Vs. Show: Author GRRM Picks Which Version Is The Best

George R.R. Martin reveals whether he prefers the depiction of Blood and Cheese inFire & Bloodor inHouse of the Dragon. There was a great deal of anticipation leading up to the tragedy being shown in season 2, with some likening it to beingHouse of the Dragon’s equivalent of the Red Wedding. The execution of the horrifying scene received mixed responses, particularly from those familiar with the source material, along with raising questions about how the changes will affectHouse of the Dragonseason 3.

In hisNot A Blog,Martin explained that he prefersFire & Blood’s version of Blood and Cheese. Despite the changes made to his writing, Martin acknowledged the merits of how the scene was adapted forHouse of the Dragon and that the scene still featured much of its intended impact, especially for viewers who had not readFire & Blood. He also explains some of the logistical factors that led to showrunner Ryan Condal making these changes. Check out Martin’s explanation below:

A close-up of Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) wearing a black veil during the funeral procession of her son in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2

Those were terrific episodes: well written, well directed, powerfully acted. A great way to kick off the new season. Fans and critics alike seemed to agree. There was only one aspect of the episodes that drew significant criticism: the handling of Blood and Cheese, and the death of Prince Jaehaerys. From the commentary I saw online, opinion was split there. The readers of FIRE & BLOOD found the sequence underwhelming, a disappointment, watered down from what they were expecting. Viewers who had not read the book had no such problems. Most of them found the sequence a real gut-punch, tragic, horrifying, nightmarish, etc. Some reported being reduced to tears.

I found myself agreeing with both sides.

In my book, Aegon and Helaena have three children, not two. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, are six years old. They have a younger brother, Maelor, who is two. When Blood and Cheese break in on Helaena and the kids, they tell her they are debt collectors come to exact revenge for the death of Prince Lucerys: a son for a son. As Helaena has two sons, however, they demand that she choose which one should die. She resists and offers her own life instead, but the killers insist it has to be a son. If she does not name one, they will kill all three of the children. To save the life of the twins, Helaena names Maelor. But Blood kills the older boy, Jaehaerys, instead, while Cheese tells little Maelor that his mother wanted him dead. (Whether the boy is old enough to understand that is not at all certain).

That’s not how it happens on the show. There is no Maelor in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, only the twins (both of whom look younger than six, but I am no sure judge of children’s ages, so I can’t be sure how old they are supposed to be). Blood can’t seem to tell the twins apart, so Helaena is asked to reveal which one is the boy. (You would think a glance up his PJs would reveal that, without involving the mother). Instead of offering her own life to save the kids, Helaena offers them a necklace. Blood and Cheese are not tempted. Blood saws Prince Jaehaerys’s head off. We are spared the sight of that; a sound effect suffices. (In the book, he lops the head off with a sword).

It is a bloody, brutal scene, no doubt. How not? An innocent child is being butchered in front of his mother.

I still believe the scene in the book is stronger. The readers have the right of that. The two killers are crueler in the book. I thought the actors who played the killers on the show were excellent… but the characters are crueler, harder, and more frightening in FIRE & BLOOD. In the show, Blood is a gold cloak. In the book, he is aformergold cloak, stripped of his office for beating a woman to death. Book Blood is the sort of man who might think making a woman choose which of her sons should die is amusing, especially when they double down on the wanton cruelty by murdering the boy she tries to save. Book Cheese is worse too; he does not kick a dog, true, but he does nothavea dog, and he’s the one who tells Maelor that his mom wants his head. I would also suggest that Helaena shows more courage, more strength in the book, by offering her own life to save her son. Offering a piece of jewelry is just not the same.

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. And judging from the comments online, most of the fans seemed to agree.

When Ryan Condal first told me what he meant to do, ages ago (back in 2022, might be) I argued against it, for all these reasons. I did not argue long, or with much heat, however. The change weakened the sequence, I felt, but only a bit. And Ryan had what seemed to be practical reasons for it; they did not want to deal with casting another child, especially a two-year-old toddler. Kids that young will inevitably slow down production, and there would be budget implications. Budget was already an issue on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, it made sense to save money wherever we could. Moreover, Ryan assured me that we were not losing Prince Maelor, simply postponing him. Queen Helaena could still give birth to him in season three, presumably after getting with child late in season two. That made sense to me, so I withdrew my objections and acquiesced to the change.

I still love the episode, and the Blood and Cheese sequence overall. Losing the “Helaena’s Choice” beat did weaken the scene, but not to any great degree. Only the book readers would even notice its absence; viewers who had never read FIRE & BLOOD would still find the scenes heart-rending. Maelor did not actually DO anything in the scene, after all. How could he? He was only two years old.

Why House Of The Dragon’s Blood And Cheese Did Not Live Up To The Hype

It Goes Beyond Changes To The Source Material

With comparisons made to the Red Wedding,Blood and Cheesewas expected to rivalGame of Thrones' most shocking and brutal development. Part of the reason it failed to live up to the Red Wedding is thatHouse of the Dragonspent far less time with Helaena Targaryen and her childrenthan it did withGame of Thrones' Robb and Catelyn Stark. Robb and Catelyn were beloved characters who had been at the forefront of the series since the beginning and were thoroughly developed throughout three seasons.

Blood and Cheese’s aftermath was handled better than the initial incident in season 2, asthe ensuing episodes better developed Helaena as she was consumed by grief, her visions, and the destructive choices made by her brothers Aegon and Aemond.

Helaena’s character was not born until season 1, episode 4, “King of the Narrow Sea.” Due to the time jumps,Phia Saban did not play theHouse of the Dragoncharacteruntil season 1, episode 8, “The Lord of the Tides,“and did not receive as prominent of a focus or development in these episodes as most of the other Targaryens. By the time of season 2, episode 1, “A Son for a Son,” Helaena’s story could not possibly carry the same tragic weight as the stories of Robb and Catelyn did at the Red Wedding.

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As Martin emphasized, the scene was further weakened by taking away the “Helaena’s Choice” aspect, which made it more devastating in the source material. Blood and Cheese’s aftermath was handled better than the initial incident in season 2, asthe ensuing episodes better developed Helaena as she was consumed by grief, her visions, and the destructive choices made by her brothers Aegon and Aemond.House of the Dragonseason 3 will hopefully continue to handle Helaena’s story well in the aftermath of Blood and Cheese.