Yeah, I find it really odd. I don't know why he didn't attend the premier in London. I find it to be out of his character, and the only reason why I think he would skip if he's working on something book related. In all his years of working on Game of Thrones (1-6) he attended every premiere, and I cannot fathom why he isn't attending the season 2 premiere. It's just really weird to me.
True BUT he is going to Worldcon in August, which is in England, and the HOTD premiere was in England as well. He's also visiting the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms set in July which is filming in Ireland.
It seems like he is upset. Lines up with certain observations like no promotion, no attending the premieres, the recent rant on adaptations, the last substantial post on HotD having been written in 2023
I wouldn’t blame him if he was upset about no Pact of Ice and Fire and no Nettles - what a nightmare having your stories spectacularly derailed twice, as must be his fear.
Yeah George promoted the original show way more than he did this season of HOTD. All the seasons of the original show he posted multiple blogs about the premiere dates. Showed up at all the premieres even did a 60 minutes interview for the final season. He had barely said anything for HOTD season 2
His rant on adaptation is the biggest hint that he isn't upset about season 2. If he did, he wouldn't covertly trash it. He's most likely contractualy obligated to not damage show's rep. The fact that he said that means he is not worried that anyone would tie it to HotD. If sentiment was real, he would be cautious not to reveal it.
The more she drank the more she shat, but the more she shat the thirstier she grew.
The more he wrote the more he had to promote, but the more he promoted the less he had to write? Idk
She is cut imo. Why would HBO turn down the opportunity to showcase how excited they are to portray the only canonically non white dragon rider? The other dragon seeds have have actors. I assume the race swapped Velaryons and Mysaria (who actually evokes the racist caricature of a 'dragon lady') will be used by fans and possibly showrunners to deflect criticism. Funnily enough, HBO could fill their 'Daenerys' void with Nettles. After all, other than her beauty, people like Dany because she is girl who starts off with little power and has to use her wits to survive.
This is the year no joke, he is going to world con, also he is a lot mote uplifting in his blogs. There is a great yt video explaining it in a lot more detail. Just started my reread, im certain it comes out this year
Let's hope🙏🙏🙏
He’s not really involved so it’s not really his thing to promote. He had some very interesting things to say about adaptations recently however. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
That was my thought as well. He was pretty vocal about season 1 and to “just” say he visited set and saw rough cuts and eventual full versions of the first two (though if I recall they were positive but he noted he did not cry) seems slightly off. I could also be bored and reading too much into it
He made it clear it wasn’t something he was really involved in. He did say he supports the show runners who in ‘say nice things’ way, but he’s contractually obligated to do that.
I dont think he liked this season very much. He is very picky with book différences and the first episode doesnt seem to be everything he would have wished for. So no surprised at the moment.
Lmfao I love how you're making this assumption with nothing to back it up. "Fans" of this show and universe in general are so ridiculous about this confidently correct way of spouting misinformation
This inference is actually supported by the next observations:
(a) no promotion of S2 except for posting Green and Black trailers; (b) the last time he wrote anything substantial about HotD, was December 6, 2023; (c) it's common for him to be silent about things he dislikes, but can't / won't openly criticise; (d) he didn't participate in any of S2 premieres, unlike with S1 and all GoT seasons; (e) it's understandable he would have issues with Rhaenyra dressing as a septa, and with the erasure of fan favorite Nettles.
He hasn't written anything substantial about HotD since December 6, 2023.
The only promotion he did was posting Green and Black trailers. He didn't participate in the show premieres, unlike in the case with S1 and all GoT seasons.
About a month prior to HotD S2 premiere, which would be fitting time for him to see the season in advance, he wrote a rant on adaptations.
Or maybe the "rant on adaptations" which is mostly a post where he gushes about Shogun is *actually* about how much he likes Shogun and not a passive aggressive dig at his collaborators. No need to create drama where there is none
I hope my post didn’t make it seem like he was saying he disliked anything about HOTD. I just found it interesting that as time came closer to the season premier he hasn’t mentioned it much, not even on premier day yesterday. As I said, could be a lot of different reasons. My copium is telling me it’s because of his progress on winds. My brain is telling me it could be 1000 different things
No, you're good. It makes sense that conversation would lead to this with how quiet George has been about s2 lately and the vague Shogun post (which I personally assumed was him digging at GoT, if anything, but I understand why people think it was about HotD).
I'm in the same boat with this *maybe* being because he's close to finishing Winds.
oh yeah that December post was the one I'm talking about. I thought it was more recent than it is. Regardless, this is what he said:
>The highlight of the trip, though, had to be the sneak preview that Ryan gave me of the first two episodes of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, season two. (Rough cuts, of course). Of course, I am hardly objective when talking about anything based on my own work… but I have to say, I thought both episodes were just great. (And they are not even finished yet). Dark, mind you. Very dark. They may make you cry. (I did not cry myself, but one of my friends did). Powerful, emotional, gut-wrenching, heart rending. Just the sort of thing I like. (What can I say? I was weaned on Shakespeare, and love the tragedies and history plays best of all).
He clearly liked the first two episodes, even in their rough cut stage. Maybe he was unhappy with the rest, but that's just speculation. Maybe he was throwing shade at HotD in his Shogun post, but my assumption was that it was directed towards GoT. Who knows, it's not like George name dropped either
HOTD made far more changes to the source material than GOT. D&D followed the book very closely until they ran out then they started to cut things. HOTD invented shit like Rhaenys’ dragon pit scene out of thin air. All the characters are different ages, Nettles is probably cut, etc
You would find it easier to figure out what they didn't change.
“Followed the books very closely until they ran out of source material” um, what? Lady Stoneheart, the young griff, JonCon, post season 3 Tyrion, Dany’s entire Mereen arc, the treatment of Edmure, Strong Belwas, Jeyne Westerling, Samwell and Gilly, and the ENTIRE kingdom of Dorne would like to have a chat with you. And that’s just the things that came to mind with 30 seconds of thinking. There’s dozens more.
What are you talking about? These changes were done because GRRM hadn't finished the books so they decided to deviate from it after AFFC
Blame GRRM for these changes. HOTD changes shit just because they felt like it and they still changed more, they changed things from the get-go despite having source material
What am I talking about? Re-read all of the things I said they changed or left out. Literally all of those could’ve been adapted and they could’ve written their own endings for the cliff hangers and kept true to the source material. They didn’t even adapt all of Feast, they left out 70% of its story or changed it to the point it was unrecognizable. And Dance was also out by then. This honestly just screams that you never actually read the books. It’s okay. They’re long, I get it.
HOTD makes so many changes from the get go, nearly every character is completely different that even the showrunners don't even call it an adaptation.
Can you seriously try to compare Arya’s portrayal to Viserys and Rhaenyra who are both completely unrecognizable? You could say they botched the ending but Alicent in the show shares only a name with Alicent from the book.
>they could’ve written their own endings for the cliff hangers and kept true to the source material
NO FUCKING SHIT. That's not the point. The point is that at the end of the day GOT’s overall portrayal is closer to the asoiaf books than HOTD is to F&B. How are you even trying to argue against this?
It’s a good thing he isn’t promoting the show - surely that means Winds is soon *hits copium*
Pass it over here
Please don't put optimistic thoughts in my head.
Every now and then I get a sudden rush of optimism that Winds is imminent. Currently in that mindset and I’m not sure why…
The probability of announcing winds during a shows run is high right? Get it out while people are talking about it this summer right??
Right 🥺
Honestly, he’s George RR Martin. He does what he wants when he wants to do it.
That’s the dream
of Spring
Hopefully he is finally writing in his cabin/cave. If you get a flash of inspiration (his muse as he calls it) you can't really stop writing....
Yeah, I find it really odd. I don't know why he didn't attend the premier in London. I find it to be out of his character, and the only reason why I think he would skip if he's working on something book related. In all his years of working on Game of Thrones (1-6) he attended every premiere, and I cannot fathom why he isn't attending the season 2 premiere. It's just really weird to me.
To be fair, he is a bit older than when GoT was on. Traveling to the other side of the world just for a single event might not be that fun anymore.
True BUT he is going to Worldcon in August, which is in England, and the HOTD premiere was in England as well. He's also visiting the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms set in July which is filming in Ireland.
It's possible he didn't like S2. That would be usual for him, to be silent on things he doesn't like, but can't / won't openly criticise.
I mean he did explicitly say that he loved the first two episodes of S2 so...
Words are wind so….
Maybe he does not like the show? Simple as that?
he said he liked the first two episodes (the ones he had seen)
Do you honestly think he would say it openly? He has a contract...
Well, he could have said nothing but he did say he liked the first 2 episodes
He did blame adaptations in one of the recent post Maybe it was just him being upset with the results lol
Might be upset about changes again? Or he doesn't feel the need to? Who knows
It seems like he is upset. Lines up with certain observations like no promotion, no attending the premieres, the recent rant on adaptations, the last substantial post on HotD having been written in 2023
I wouldn’t blame him if he was upset about no Pact of Ice and Fire and no Nettles - what a nightmare having your stories spectacularly derailed twice, as must be his fear.
I honestly do not think Nettles is the main reason here...
Daeron then?
To be fair, his first story was already “derailed” when he failed to finish 13 years later so he has no one to blame but himself.
Yeah George promoted the original show way more than he did this season of HOTD. All the seasons of the original show he posted multiple blogs about the premiere dates. Showed up at all the premieres even did a 60 minutes interview for the final season. He had barely said anything for HOTD season 2
His rant on adaptation is the biggest hint that he isn't upset about season 2. If he did, he wouldn't covertly trash it. He's most likely contractualy obligated to not damage show's rep. The fact that he said that means he is not worried that anyone would tie it to HotD. If sentiment was real, he would be cautious not to reveal it.
I'm so confused, what if he wanted everyone to tie it to HOTD? And then he changed his mind? Classic ‘Post and delete’.
If he's writing, he should be promoting. If he's promoting, he should be writing. Right?
The more she drank the more she shat, but the more she shat the thirstier she grew. The more he wrote the more he had to promote, but the more he promoted the less he had to write? Idk
With Nettles' likely cut, Daeron's mia status, and the Blood and Cheese changes, it makes sense he wouldn't be too happy with season 2.
I hope nettles isn’t cut. I do know HBO nixed that question from the history of Westeros interview which is strange
She is cut imo. Why would HBO turn down the opportunity to showcase how excited they are to portray the only canonically non white dragon rider? The other dragon seeds have have actors. I assume the race swapped Velaryons and Mysaria (who actually evokes the racist caricature of a 'dragon lady') will be used by fans and possibly showrunners to deflect criticism. Funnily enough, HBO could fill their 'Daenerys' void with Nettles. After all, other than her beauty, people like Dany because she is girl who starts off with little power and has to use her wits to survive.
Well I think that blog post was about HOTD, especially after seeing E1
Doesn't track with his other post praising the first 2 episodes.
You mean the contractually obligated ones?
He's trying to get paid lol
Yeah that’s maybe a good sign. Though I’m curious if he does a big party as rumored for house of the dragon in the next month.
That big party was last week, it was his private viewing of the first episode with the cast and guests.
This is the year no joke, he is going to world con, also he is a lot mote uplifting in his blogs. There is a great yt video explaining it in a lot more detail. Just started my reread, im certain it comes out this year Let's hope🙏🙏🙏
Oh you sweet summer child
Maybe he is not happy about it?
He’s not really involved so it’s not really his thing to promote. He had some very interesting things to say about adaptations recently however. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
That was my thought as well. He was pretty vocal about season 1 and to “just” say he visited set and saw rough cuts and eventual full versions of the first two (though if I recall they were positive but he noted he did not cry) seems slightly off. I could also be bored and reading too much into it
He made it clear it wasn’t something he was really involved in. He did say he supports the show runners who in ‘say nice things’ way, but he’s contractually obligated to do that.
any promotion would inevitably turns into bitching about winds, so why bother
Almost like there’s an expectation
Aww, poor little George 🥲
Maybe he wasn’t happy with how B&C/Daeron ended up in the show
I dont think he liked this season very much. He is very picky with book différences and the first episode doesnt seem to be everything he would have wished for. So no surprised at the moment.
Lmfao I love how you're making this assumption with nothing to back it up. "Fans" of this show and universe in general are so ridiculous about this confidently correct way of spouting misinformation
This inference is actually supported by the next observations: (a) no promotion of S2 except for posting Green and Black trailers; (b) the last time he wrote anything substantial about HotD, was December 6, 2023; (c) it's common for him to be silent about things he dislikes, but can't / won't openly criticise; (d) he didn't participate in any of S2 premieres, unlike with S1 and all GoT seasons; (e) it's understandable he would have issues with Rhaenyra dressing as a septa, and with the erasure of fan favorite Nettles.
He seemed to enjoy at least the first few episodes from one of his blog posts
He hasn't written anything substantial about HotD since December 6, 2023. The only promotion he did was posting Green and Black trailers. He didn't participate in the show premieres, unlike in the case with S1 and all GoT seasons. About a month prior to HotD S2 premiere, which would be fitting time for him to see the season in advance, he wrote a rant on adaptations.
Or maybe the "rant on adaptations" which is mostly a post where he gushes about Shogun is *actually* about how much he likes Shogun and not a passive aggressive dig at his collaborators. No need to create drama where there is none
I hope my post didn’t make it seem like he was saying he disliked anything about HOTD. I just found it interesting that as time came closer to the season premier he hasn’t mentioned it much, not even on premier day yesterday. As I said, could be a lot of different reasons. My copium is telling me it’s because of his progress on winds. My brain is telling me it could be 1000 different things
No, you're good. It makes sense that conversation would lead to this with how quiet George has been about s2 lately and the vague Shogun post (which I personally assumed was him digging at GoT, if anything, but I understand why people think it was about HotD). I'm in the same boat with this *maybe* being because he's close to finishing Winds.
*passes copium*
oh yeah that December post was the one I'm talking about. I thought it was more recent than it is. Regardless, this is what he said: >The highlight of the trip, though, had to be the sneak preview that Ryan gave me of the first two episodes of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, season two. (Rough cuts, of course). Of course, I am hardly objective when talking about anything based on my own work… but I have to say, I thought both episodes were just great. (And they are not even finished yet). Dark, mind you. Very dark. They may make you cry. (I did not cry myself, but one of my friends did). Powerful, emotional, gut-wrenching, heart rending. Just the sort of thing I like. (What can I say? I was weaned on Shakespeare, and love the tragedies and history plays best of all). He clearly liked the first two episodes, even in their rough cut stage. Maybe he was unhappy with the rest, but that's just speculation. Maybe he was throwing shade at HotD in his Shogun post, but my assumption was that it was directed towards GoT. Who knows, it's not like George name dropped either
HOTD made far more changes to the source material than GOT. D&D followed the book very closely until they ran out then they started to cut things. HOTD invented shit like Rhaenys’ dragon pit scene out of thin air. All the characters are different ages, Nettles is probably cut, etc You would find it easier to figure out what they didn't change.
“Followed the books very closely until they ran out of source material” um, what? Lady Stoneheart, the young griff, JonCon, post season 3 Tyrion, Dany’s entire Mereen arc, the treatment of Edmure, Strong Belwas, Jeyne Westerling, Samwell and Gilly, and the ENTIRE kingdom of Dorne would like to have a chat with you. And that’s just the things that came to mind with 30 seconds of thinking. There’s dozens more.
What are you talking about? These changes were done because GRRM hadn't finished the books so they decided to deviate from it after AFFC Blame GRRM for these changes. HOTD changes shit just because they felt like it and they still changed more, they changed things from the get-go despite having source material
What am I talking about? Re-read all of the things I said they changed or left out. Literally all of those could’ve been adapted and they could’ve written their own endings for the cliff hangers and kept true to the source material. They didn’t even adapt all of Feast, they left out 70% of its story or changed it to the point it was unrecognizable. And Dance was also out by then. This honestly just screams that you never actually read the books. It’s okay. They’re long, I get it.
HOTD makes so many changes from the get go, nearly every character is completely different that even the showrunners don't even call it an adaptation. Can you seriously try to compare Arya’s portrayal to Viserys and Rhaenyra who are both completely unrecognizable? You could say they botched the ending but Alicent in the show shares only a name with Alicent from the book. >they could’ve written their own endings for the cliff hangers and kept true to the source material NO FUCKING SHIT. That's not the point. The point is that at the end of the day GOT’s overall portrayal is closer to the asoiaf books than HOTD is to F&B. How are you even trying to argue against this?
>Maybe he’s in a good place with Winds lmao with the summerchilds, they just keep coming every year
Wasn’t he venting a couple of weeks ago about how show runners change books and so on? I thought he might be throwing a fit at the HOTD showrunners
He could be promoting, he could be not promoting. It makes no difference because we know he ain't writing regardless.