HBO’s House of the Dragon, inspired by author George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, debuted with a stellar first season, but drew criticism for a sluggish narrative and a noticeable lack of action in the second. Several characters and arcs suffered to the point that they are no longer recognizable from their book counterparts. While it can be beneficial to put a new spin on characters, having them behave inconsistently and in ways that go against their core traits and behaviors is an entirely different matter.
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Inconsistent writing, poor character development, and weak pacing ultimately compromised House of the Dragon's story, resulting in a lackluster Season 2. HotD is not only guilty of mishandling high-stakes characters such as Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen, but also shortchanged several minor players in the Westerosi political landscape. With House of the Dragon Season 3 on the way, the show is running out of time to fix most of its major players.
10 Ser Harrold Westerling Effectively Disappears With No Payoff
Ser Harrold Westerling was built as a dutiful and morally sound figure, in stark contrast to many at the Red Keep. After succeeding Ser Ryam as Lord Commander, he pressed the King and his Council to swiftly find a replacement in the Kingsguard, emphasizing his active involvement and command. He refined the workings of the Kingsguard and even invited suitable candidates to court, one of whom was Ser Criston Cole.
However, Westerling lost control of the Kingsguard by the time of the Greens' coup in King’s Landing. He stood by in visible shock when Otto Hightower demanded that he kill Rhaenyra. Westerling responded by dramatically walking away, marking an unsatisfying end to his arc. This depiction stands in sharp contrast to the books, where Cole simply succeeded him after his death. House of the Dragon gave him a lot of buildup by keeping him alive far longer, but ultimately wrote him out with no meaningful payoff.
9 Ser Steffon Darklyn Is A Watered Down Version Of His Book Counterpart
In the books, it's Ser Steffon Darklyn, not Ser Erryk Cargyll who brings Rhaenyra her father’s two-toned crown. Darklyn is a passionate and loyal knight who risks his life during the Greens’ coup to travel to Dragonstone to serve his Queen. While Darklyn is loyal in both iterations, his presence in House of the Dragon is mechanical and devoid of the passionate loyalty seen in the books.
In the show, Darklyn is relegated to a background character whose actions only serve the plot. He rushes to stake a claim to Seasmoke, but is quickly killed by dragonfire, ending his stint as a narrative device rather than a fully realized character.
8 Hugh Hammer Lacks The Sharp Depth Of His Book Counterpart
Hugh’s polished portrayal in the show diverges sharply from Fire & Blood, and this change will have a butterfly effect across the story, especially on the Two Betrayers plotline, where him and Ulf defect to the Greens during the First Battle of Tumbleton. In the show, Hugh is Saera Targaryen’s bastard, who claims his grandfather, King Jaehaerys Targaryen’s dragon, Vermithor, to fight for Rhaenyra’s faction. He is a bereaved father with clearly established ties to Viserys and Daemon Targaryen.
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The source material presents Hugh as a rough-edged blacksmith’s bastard from Dragonstone, making his eventual betrayal all the more justified. By contrast, Hugh is transformed into a more composed person with a sense of purpose in House of the Dragon, resulting in a character who lacks the depth and crudeness of the original.
7 Helaena Targaryen Is A Mere Narrative Ornament
Helaena Targaryen of the Greens is quite different from her family members in both the show and the books. A dreamer, she experiences prophetic visions and says them aloud in cryptic words. The sister-wife of King Aegon II, and mother to his twins, she suffers the tragic loss of her son Jaehaerys at the hands of Blood and Cheese.
Despite her potential, Helaena remains severely underutilized in House of the Dragon, serving merely as a narrative ornament on occasion. Her prophetic visions and key moments have failed to cohere into a compelling character, as she largely exists to provide a contrast between the evil Greens and herself.
6 Lady Jeyne Arryn Offers Little Support To Her Faction
Queen Rhaenyra’s cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn, is a far more compelling character in the books than in House of the Dragon. A fierce ruler, she ardently supported Rhaenyra’s cause, even sending her troops to her cousin’s aid. She played a proactive role in the books and fulfilled the role of an ally to the best of her abilities.
In House of the Dragon, Lady Arryn is a reluctant Black ally who’d much rather keep the Vale safe than take part in Rhaenyra’s War. She frets too much, even though the war is far from her region, reducing a dynamic book character to a worrisome figure.
5 Alys Rivers' Ambiguity Is Taken Too Far
The writers overdeveloped Alys Rivers and forced complexity into her characterization. In the books, she is a mysterious wet nurse at Harrenhal who becomes Aemond Targaryen’s lover during the Dance of the Dragons. In the show, she strikes up an odd relationship with Daemon Targaryen, acting as his psychological foil.
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House of the Dragon reshaped Alys Rivers into a more enigmatic figure than her book counterpart. Her actions worsened an already meandering Harrenhal subplot. The writers used her to inject forcible mysticism into the show, leading to narrative stagnation.
4 Otto Hightower Turned One Of Season 1's Best Characters Into A Reactive Patriarch
Alicent’s cunning father, Otto, is the architect of much of the plotting at the Red Keep. He arranges his daughter’s marriage to King Viserys Targaryen, and his characterization is marked by ruthlessness and cold-blooded logic. In the books, Otto is a shrewd statesman and the true brains behind the Greens.
House of the Dragon undercuts Otto’s intelligence and turns him into a reactive scold for much of Season 2. His actions are often inconsistent, written to elevate others, such as Aegon II and Alicent. Moreover, his kidnapping is a pointless detour from the source material, adding very little to his arc.
3 Aegon II Targaryen Is Overshadowed By His Brother Aemond Targaryen
Despite being the face of the Greens, King Aegon II flies to Rook’s Rest on a whim, only to fall prey to his brother’s scheming. This and numerous other scenes are written to make him look incompetent in contrast to his younger brother. In Fire & Blood, Aegon schemes alongside Aemond to fight at Rook’s Rest, and is caught in dragonfire.
House of the Dragon depicts Aegon II as deliberately burned by Aemond, once again outwitted to make him appear stupid. Yes, Aegon II is undeserving of the throne, but the show compounds this by repeatedly making him look like a pompous fool whose own brother is more than happy to get rid of.
2 Rhaenyra Targaryen Suffers From Uneven Characterization
Rhaenyra Targaryen isn’t nearly as ruthless in House of the Dragon as she is in the books. She repeatedly mulls over the prospect of war, to the point of sneaking into King’s Landing in a misguided move to negotiate peace with Alicent. The effects of Rhaenyra’s conflicting arc, baffling character writing, and lack of decisiveness can be felt throughout Season 2.
By contrast, Rhaenyra in Fire & Blood does not agonize over the prospect of war, but instead stays one step ahead of the curve. She does not cede her agency to anyone, including Princess Rhaenys or the older male members of her council, and her decisiveness makes her a formidable character.
1 Alicent Hightower' Character Is Plagued By Inconsistent Writing
Alicent, much like Rhaenyra, suffers from uneven characterization. She dithers over the prospect of war, eventually escaping into the woods, leaving behind the war she helped ignite. After spending much of the series instilling fear and hatred into her children, HotD suddenly turns her into a desperate peacemaker by the end of Season 2.
Alicent’s character is neither here nor there. House of the Dragon treats her poorly, failing to explain the extreme change in her motives adequately. While yes, she is sidelined by the predominantly male council, Alicent has experienced and done far too much to abandon the war like a quitter.
House of the Dragon
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- August 21, 2022
