The character of ‘House of the Dragon’ that is not in the book and George R.R. Martin considers brilliant

George R.R. Martin likes screenwriters to stick to the material they are adapting. ‘House of the Dragon’, HBO’s hit original series, is based on ‘Fire & Blood’, a prequel to ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ that tells the story of the Targaryens from the perspective of several characters. In the series, the creative team - including the author himself - chooses to unify the entire story into a single version of events. As might be expected, this adaptation has resulted in some changes from the novel. One of them is the addition of a new character, the little dog who appears in episode 2 of the second season. And what does Martin think? The Game of Thrones author is clear:

“I am… ahem… not usually a fan of screenwriters adding characters to the source material when adapting a story. Especially not when the source material is mine,” has shared on his blog. “But that dog was brilliant. I was prepared to hate Cheese, but I hated him even more when he kicked that dog. And later, when the dog say at his feet, gazing up… that damn near broke my heart. Such a little thing… such a little dog… but his presence, the few short moments he was on screen, gave the ratcatcher so much humanity. Human beings are such complex creatures. The silent presence of that dog reminded us that even the worst of men, the vile and the venal, can love and be loved.”

The dog’s name is Bobby, and he was found wandering around the island of Cyprus by the show’s creators, who incorporated him into the production. “I wish I’d thought of that dog. I didn’t, but someone else did. I am glad of that.”

The first four episodes of the second season ‘House of the Dragon’ are now available on Max, so it has already reached the halfway point of the season. The platform has already confirmed that the series will return for a third season.