Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik explain the changes in episode 6
Adapting George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood was a tricky subject. The story takes over 150 years and details the rise and fall of various Targaryen monarchs. It even covered the Targaryen civil war. House of the Dragon, the start of the Targaryen story begins with the death of King Viserys (Paddy Considine). Instead of moving forward and missing decades of events, showrunner Ryan Condal suggested something different.
House of the Dragon Current Events
The move to give a time skip and cast change was risky enough, but it has happened in shows like The Crown. However, House of the Dragon will be doing it after just five episodes, and that too, in the debut season. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Condal said it was very complex since it takes a long time for children to grow up, get married, have their own children, and repeat the cycle since the war happens over many generations. But showrunner Miguel Sapochnik was given creative control by HBO to tell the difficult story with patience, and really flesh out the characters. After all, it will end up being one of the most famous and violent conflicts in the history of Westeros.
When asked if they were concerned about fans or the network getting tired of the “slow burn” of House of the Dragon, they said that nobody has asked them yet. Yes, the show is a slow burn, but it is worthwhile because it will carry enough weight when the big events are about to happen.
House of the Dragon Cast Changes
The time jump meant a change in cast. Emma D’Arcy takes up the role of Rhaenyra from Milly Alcock, while Olivia Cooke took over Alicent from Emily Carey. But this won’t be the last big time jump we will be seeing. In fact, Alicent’s son Aegon was older than her in the first episode. But it will slow down once the war, titled The Dance of the Dragons start.
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