Because the inventors of “Game Of Thrones” George RR Martin revealed that in his opinion the series should have started 40 years earlier. In an interview with his book publisher Penguin Random House, he says there have been very lively discussions about the perfect starting point for the story in “House Of The Dragon”. A wide range of ideas were discussed.
For example, there was the idea of starting the series only with the death of a certain character (which now only happens in the eighth episode in the final run; fans know who we are talking about). On the other hand, he had a much earlier start in mind…
George RR Martin wanted to start with Aemon and Baelon
It was his idea to start some 40 years earlier. The first episode would have been titled “The Heir And The Spare” and would have focused on the two sons of the ancient King Jaehaerys who still lived here: Aemon and Baelon, known for his part as the father of the future King Viserys. I (Paddy Considine).
In his own words, Martin wanted this beginning to show the friendship between these two brothers, but also the rivalry between the two sides of House Targaryen. That would of course have caused a problem: “You’d have 40 more years to tell, you’d have more time jumps and more realignments. Yes, I was the only one who was really excited about it.”
Rather less than more new appointments and jumps in time
The writing team led by lead writer Ryan J. Condal may have made the right decision by rejecting Martin’s proposal. The jumps in time and the new cast that came with them were met with quite controversial reception from fans. Some found it confusing, some complained that they had to get used to new lineups. All of these issues would have happened more often and more action time should have been squeezed into the first season.
For the second season of “House Of The Dragon,” showrunner Ryan J. Condal has already promised that the massive time jumps and cast changes will now be over.
If you want to see George RR Martin’s in-depth thoughts on House Of The Dragon, you can find the video on YouTube. Our analysis of the fantasy hit series’ season finale can be found here: