'House of the Dragon' creator explains why Nettles was cut and her story given to Rhaena
Photo: HBO
House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has finally addressed one of the most controversial creative decisions in the HBO series: the absence of Nettles and the decision to fold parts of her story into Rhaena Targaryen's.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in The House of the Dragon: Season 2 Insider Guide, Condal explained that the change came down to the realities of adapting George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood for television. According to the showrunner, introducing Nettles late in the story would have required significant narrative space at a point when the series was already juggling a large ensemble.
“We made the decision after a lot of discussion and thought,” Condal said, adding that the creative team wanted to strengthen existing characters rather than introduce another major player deep into the Dance of the Dragons.
Instead, the series gave several elements associated with Nettles in the source material, including the relationship with the wild dragon Sheepstealer, to Rhaena Targaryen, played by Phoebe Campbell. Condal said the change allowed the show to further explore Rhaena's sense of purpose and her desire to prove herself within House Targaryen.
The absence of Nettles has been one of the biggest points of debate among readers of Fire & Blood, particularly because the character plays a significant role in the latter stages of the civil war and develops a unique bond with Daemon Targaryen. Some fans viewed the change as one of the most notable departures from George R.R. Martin's book.
Condal acknowledged that adaptations inevitably require difficult choices and noted that the television version aims to maintain the emotional core of the story, even when certain characters or plotlines are consolidated.
Season 2 ended with Rhaena finally encountering Sheepstealer, setting the stage for her expanded role in season 3. Meanwhile, actress Olivia Cooke recently teased that the balance of power between Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen will shift dramatically when the series returns.
House of the Dragon season 3 is currently in production and is expected to continue adapting the increasingly devastating events of the Dance of the Dragons, with Rhaena's new storyline poised to become an even larger part of the conflict.