Game Of Thrones’ Daenerys’ Biggest Scene Would Have Made Jon Snow’s Targaryen Parenthood Better

Game of Thrones‘ changes to Daenerys Targaryen’s history ended up having a negative impact on Jon Snow years later. Game of Thrones made several changes to the books with Daenerys’ character and history, from her appearance – in the novels she and other Valyrians have violet eyes – to supporting players and plots being discarded to simplify and speed up the narrative.

Many of the changes had their own butterfly effect, removing important parts of Dany’s arc, which ultimately meant she Game of Thrones‘ The ending felt rushed (and extremely controversial). A crucial scene in her story is when she has visions in the House of the Immortals, which happens in A clash with kings and later the 2nd season of the show. With links to the prophecy of the Prince That Was Promised, his dragons and his destiny, the changes didn’t just harm Dany’s arc, but Jon’s as well.

What Game Of Thrones Cut From The House Of Daenerys Targaryen’s Dying Visions

There was a lot more to A Song of Ice and Fire than that.

Daenerys’ visions in the House of the Undying take place in Game of Thrones‘season 2 finale, ‘Valar Morghulis’. There, she sees a throne room ostensibly covered in snow, although it was gray when the vision was realized in Game of Thrones season 8. She also passes through the Wall and reunites with Khal Drogo and his son, Rhaego. It’s not a bad sequence on its own terms, but it stands in stark contrast to the books, where Dany experiences more than a dozen different visions and warnings.

Everything Daenerys sees in her House of Undying Visions in A Clash of Kings

1. “a beautiful woman sprawled naked on the floor while four little men crawled over her.”

2. A scene depicting what appears to be the deaths at the Red Wedding, with dead people on a table and a man with a wolf’s head sitting on a throne (indicating the death of Robb Stark).

3. A house with a red door and a lemon tree in the backyard. This comes from Daenerys’ childhood, and she thinks about it a lot in the books; She believes it to be in Braavos, but it’s a bit of a mystery, as the climate there doesn’t support the cultivation of trees like that.

4. An old man, apparently the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, sits on the Iron Throne, in a room surrounded by skulls of dead dragons, showing the end of the Targaryen dynasty.

5. Rhaegar Targaryen, speaking to a woman holding a newborn baby named Aegon, with Rhaegar saying “he is the prince that was promised.” This could be his first son, believed dead by the Mountain, or it could be Jon Snow.

6. Sorcerers, said to be the Immortals of Qarth, in a large hall, who give him various vague and prophetic messages. These include “the dragon has three heads”; and “three fires you must light… one for life and one for death and one for love… three mounts you must ride… one for bed and one for fear and one for love… three betrayals you you will know. .. once for blood and once for gold and once for love…”

7. The death of Viserys Targaryen with his golden crown, as seen in Game of Thrones season 1, episode 6.

8. A vision of “A tall gentleman with copper skin and silver and gold hair stood under the banner of a fiery stallion.” This appears to be the future of his son, Rhaego, considered the “stallion that rides the world”, if he had survived.

9. Rubies flying from a prince’s chest, likely Robert Baratheon defeating Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident, as the rubies from his chest plate – crushed by Robert’s warhammer – were a key part of that story.

10. A red sword in the hand of a “blue-eyed king” Who “do not cast shadow”, maybe Stannis Baratheon.

11. A cloth dragon on poles.

12. A large stone beast flying and spitting dark fire.

13. A corpse on a ship, “bright eyes in his dead face, gray lips smiling sadly.”

14. A blue flower growing in a crack in a wall made of ice. Lyanna Stark received a blue flower from Rhaegar at the time of what is believed to be their first meeting, and this combined with the Wall means this symbolizes Jon Snow’s parentage.

15. It alludes to Mirri Maz Duur’s ritual that was done to save Khal Drogo, with shadows dancing in a tent, as seen in this sequence.

16. The red door again, with a little girl running towards it – it’s probably Daenerys.

17. Mirri Maz Duur in the flames, “a dragon coming out of his forehead.”

18. A bloody corpse being dragged by a silver horse.

19. A white lion running through the tall grass.

20. Naked old women coming out of a lake, bowing their heads at her.

21. Daenerys on her horse, passing thousands and thousands of screaming slaves “mother.”

Talking to Dartmouth Alumni Magazine In 2017, co-showrunner David Benioff explained the thinking behind some changes to the show’s book in general (not specific to the House of the Undying), saying:

“It’s something we told George a long time ago: for this to work, we have to make choices that sometimes deviate from your intentions. screen, and part of that is just the nature of the beast. In George’s books, much of the story takes place in the characters’ minds. That’s one of television’s weaknesses compared to fiction – what people are thinking can’t be conveyed as easily. , in addition to having long narration monologues, which are boring.”

On the one hand, it’s easy to see why Game of Thrones reduce the sequence. There’s a lot there, and the meanings of various parts remain debated and theorized to this day by diehards. A Song of Ice and Fire fans. For the general TV audience, then, it might have been very confusing to include everything, especially if the writers already knew there would be some deviations (e.g. the “cloth dragon” is likely a reference to Young Griff, also known as Aegon Targaryen, a character cut from the series).

On the other hand, there is a lot there that could have been kept. Things like the foreshadowing of the Red Wedding, the appearance of (and nods to) Rhaegar, and the blue flower growing on the Wall are not just vague, indecipherable visions, but apply clearly and directly to the events of the story and its most important characters. . More, This adds a lot to the fantasy and magic of the seriesthe powerful notions of prophecy and destiny, and plants the seeds of betrayal in Dany’s mind, all of which are central to her arc.

Daenerys’ House of Undying Visions Could Have Made Jon a Better Targaryen

It would also have made his real name less confusing

For Jon Snow specifically, including more views of Daenerys’ House of the Undying would have improved the show’s eventual confirmation that R+L=Jand he is in fact the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Even on a fairly basic level, it would have at least added more weight to the idea of ​​the show itself and provided more clues in that canon: the theory was always likely, but much more of it was driven by what’s in the books than what we saw on screen in the first few years.

It would also have added to the idea of ​​Jon potentially being the Prince That Was Promised, helping to solidify the notion that there was between him and Daenerys and therefore that he had to be a Targaryen (something supported by Aegon the Conqueror’s song of ice). and dream of fire in Dragon House). This alone could have added more meaning to his ancestry, since Jon being a Targaryen didn’t matter much in the enda common point of criticism when it comes to season 8.

This would also have benefited his relationship with Daenerys, and how it worsened after learning he was a Targaryen. This would have made more sense and carried greater weight if she had had some of these visions before, being told of Rhaegar’s son as the Prince That Was Promised, potential betrayals, and a cloth dragon, along with images directly related to Jon himself. . It could be connected to that moment, making her reaction more understandable.

The fact that Jon killed Daenerys could also be more poignant. Daenerys learns that a betrayal will be for love; This could be related in vision to Jon and Tyrion’s conversation about how love is the death of duty, and sometimes duty is the death of love. Jon killing Daenerys is killing to love – to protect her family, and perhaps, in her mind, to save Dany from herself and becoming something even worse – but also death of love.

It could also, simply, have improved upon Jon Snow’s Targaryen name. In the series, there is no real explanation as to why he was named Aegon when Rhaegar already had a son by that name. But using the House of the Undying’s view, there is a logical reason: that Rhaegar believed the Prince Who Was Promised should be called Aegon. It’s just a small detail, but it’s these details that help make A Song of Ice and Fire great, and would have improved Game of Thrones also.