When Game of Thrones ended in rather lackluster fashion, a lot of people questioned whether HBO would be able to make a spinoff, prequel, or another tale that could match the quality but not have the backlash at the finish. It took many years, but eventually, The House of the Dragon was released on the platform, and the response was immediate. Part of that response was due to the birthing scene that everyone is still talking about from the pilot episode. But the show’s quality was also there for all to see. Fast forward nine episodes and fans were pleased with how everything went. For now, at least. But if you were to ask the creator behind the universe, he would’ve started things a little differently.
To be clear, George R.R. Martin loved the show, and he was the one who handpicked the people who were going to showrun it. What’s more, HBO gave Martin a lot of creative control, something they didn’t give in the previous series, to ensure that he was happy with the content on the screen.
However, in an interview, he noted that had he gotten his vision fulfilled, the story would’ve started decades before it did:
“I would’ve begun it like 40 years earlier, with an episode I would’ve called ‘The Heir and the Spare,'” Martin revealed. “Jaehaerys’ two sons, Aemon and Baelon, are alive, and we see the friendship but also the rivalry between the two sides of the great house.”
Then, when one of them dies by accident, the king must decide if he would anoint his daughter as the next ruler or give it to his second son, who already had heirs. Finally, he noted that it could set up many things because of what would come later, including things that House of the Dragon touched on, but you’d have decades more lore to do.
Even with him not having this done, the series turned out well. Fans loved the characters, the twists, and, of course, the dragons.
The show has already been renewed for a second season, and other spinoffs in the series are coming. Martin recently commented on the upcoming sequel/spinoff series starring Kit Harrington as Jon Snow. He reaffirmed that Harrington’s team pitched the idea to him, and Martin had high praise for that team.
If nothing else, George R.R. Martin wants his universe to shine as brightly as he knows it can. Yes, the original series ended badly, but that doesn’t mean everything else will. When he did an interview about Elden Ring, the author admitted that he hadn’t played it because he wanted to focus on the next book in the universe that he’s been promising for years.
Hopefully, everything turns out as well as this new series did.
Source: YouTube
