Why Are Fire & Blood Fans Unhappy? 5 Book-To-Screen Changes In THAT HotD Scene
Was the show scene as powerful as the book one?
The premiere of House of the Dragon Season 2 was marked by heated fan discussion. The reason for this is the divisive scene at the end of the episode in which Daemon's assassins, known as Blood and Cheese, kill and behead Jaehaerys, the six-year-old son of the newly crowned King Aegon.
Much of the show's audience took to social media to express how horrifying the child-murder moment felt, Ned Stark's execution level of horrifying. But fans of Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin's book that House of the Dragon is based on, say the on-screen scene was not half as soul-stirring as in the novel. They were expecting a lot more of it.
If you haven't read Fire & Blood, we're here to explain exactly what was toned down in the adaptation of the brutal scene. Get ready for some disturbing details.
More Blood
In the series, it is clear that the castle is full of people, but somehow no one is guarding Helena's room. This is partly explained by Ser Criston Cole being busy with Alicent, but still, many fans thought that Blood and Cheese's journey inside the Red Keep was too smooth. In the book, they kill two people to get to the prince. First, Alicent's maid, and then Helaena's guardsman.
Queen Alicent's Presence
In Fire & Blood, the scene is much longer and starts with Blood and Cheese entering Alicent's quarters. They know that her daughter and grandchildren always visit the Dowager Queen before going to bed.
Alicent is forced to wait and then watch, unable to do anything, which makes the moment particularly cruel and important for her development. The show creators opted for putting Alicent in bed with Ser Criston during this terrifying moment.
Number of Children
In the novel, Aegon and Helaena have three children, six-year-old twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and two-year-old Maelor. In the show, there are only the twins, and they are asleep when Blood and Cheese come into their room. Martin wasn't so magnanimous. The fact that the children are wide awake, present and expressing their fear certainly adds to the terror of the scene.
First Offer
The book murderers declare that they have come for revenge, and Helaena immediately offers her own life. But a wife is not a son, and her offer is rejected. In the show, Helaena tries to trade her necklace for the lives of her children, which, let's face it, is not as striking.
Impossible Choice
Finally, what made this scene in the book so heart-piercing was the choice Helaena had to make. Blood and Cheese threatened to abuse Jaehaera if Helaena didn't name the son to kill. So she picked her youngest. She probably hoped the boy wouldn't realize what was happening or didn't want the king's heir to be harmed. But the assassins killed Prince Jaehaerys instead, after whispering in Maelor's ear, 'You hear that, little boy? Your momma wants you dead.'
That's some messed-up stuff. Of course, in the show, Helena is also forced to point at the boy, which hits hard. But imagine if she pointed at the daughter instead, and the killers let the girl know that before they slaughtered her brother.
House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 is scheduled to air on HBO and Max on June 23rd.