House of the Dragon has made no shortage of changes in its adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, much to the consternation of the book’s biggest fans (and Martin himself).
One of the changes that earned the most gripes was House of the Dragon‘s decision to cut Fire and Blood‘s character of Nettles, a key dragonrider, and gift her storyline to Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell). At first, I’ll admit, I was skeptical of the move as well. Why cut such a fascinating figure? But the first half of Season 3 has proven that merging Rhaena with Nettles wasn’t just a matter of trimming Fire and Blood‘s considerable cast. It’s also a way to further complicate the Targaryen family’s thorny dynamics and Rhaenyra’s growing paranoia.
Who is Nettles in Fire and Blood, and why is she so important?
In the book, Nettles is a lowborn girl from Driftmark who manages to claim Sheepstealer by feeding him sheep, just like Rhaena does in the show. Fearless and clever, she joins the dragonseed crew and fights at the Battle of the Gullet. Later, she and Daemon (Matt Smith) develop a close relationship as they seek out Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar, but Fire and Blood‘s historical “sources” differ on the true nature of their bond. Mushroom, a court fool, claims the pair are lovers. (For the record, she’s 17 and he’s 49.) Maester Norren of Maidenpool, where the pair spends considerable time, characterizes Daemon’s behavior towards Nettles as more paternal. Like many of its historical events, Fire and Blood leaves the truth of Daemon and Nettles’ relationship ambiguous, although it does give the lover theory much more airtime.
Whichever account you choose to believe, the important thing to know is that Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) winds up hating Nettles, believing her to be a traitor. This puts a wedge between her and Daemon, who eventually helps Nettles escape after Rhaenyra demands her head.
Combining Rhaena and Nettles in Fire and Blood deepens the Targaryen tragedy.
House of the Dragon remixes the Nettles storyline significantly by replacing her with Rhaena, starting with the Battle of the Gullet. Instead of fighting alongside her fellow dragonriders, Rhaena loses control of her wild dragon and burns several Velaryon ships. Worse, the chaos of her and Sheepstealer’s presence inadvertently leads to Jacaerys’ (Harry Collett) death. That right there gives Rhaenyra more than enough cause to hate Sheepstealer’s rider the way she hates Nettles, even if she doesn’t know it’s Rhaena quite yet.
Sheepstealer’s rebellion also adds new dimensions to Rhaena. Up through Season 2, Rhaena has mostly been relegated to the background as the Targaryen without a dragon. While that reflects her own family’s treatment of her, it doesn’t make for the most compelling TV character. Now, though, she’s faced with a horrifying reality: She’s gotten the dragon she always wanted, but she can never join her fellow Targaryen dragonriders. Worse, she can never return home, knowing that Rhaenyra will blame her for Jace’s death.
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In Season 3, episode 4, House of the Dragon continues to build on this family tragedy when Daemon discovers Rhaena hiding out in the Vale. He realizes the horrible bind he now finds himself in. Should he go after his daughter to bring closure to Rhaenyra, knowing full well the truth would devastate Rhaenyra further and leave Rhaena’s life forfeit? Or should he lie to Rhaenyra?
He chooses the latter option, burning an unknown body and claiming its unrecognizable head is that of Sheepstealer’s rider. The lie showcases Daemon’s protective paternal side, a rare sight to see in House of the Dragon, but it also reveals that there are limits to his loyalty to Rhaenyra. His daughters’ safety is that limit.
Rhaenyra has feared betrayal from her own camp ever since Jace and her Queensguard locked her up before the Battle of the Gullet. But her pain and rage from that incident would pale in comparison to the double whammy that Rhaena rides Sheepstealer and that Daemon lied to her about it. Plus, what happens if Baela (Bethany Antonia) learns of Rhaena’s whereabouts before Rhaenyra? You know that she would absolutely stand by her twin sister, meaning Rhaenyra would believe she’s being betrayed by three of her remaining family members.
By making Rhaena Sheepstealer’s rider and having her involved in Jace’s death, House of the Dragon has woven an intricate web of tragic misunderstandings. With every episode, the threads on this web pull tighter and tighter, promising a painful, likely explosive conclusion once Rhaenyra inevitably learns the truth.
You simply don’t get this same level of tragedy in Fire and Blood. Nettles and Daemon spend much of their time together sequestered in Maidenpool, removed from the rest of Team Black. (Them potentially being lovers adds an extra ick factor, especially since House of the Dragon has already seen enough child brides for a lifetime.) House of the Dragon‘s tweaks bring this storyline right to the heart of the Targaryen family, roping Rhaena, likely Baela, and even the late Jace into Rhaenyra and Daemon’s conflict. It’s an adaptation change that bolsters a good chunk of the show’s existing ensemble, without adding new figures and spreading the rest of the cast thin.
So, while you can be sad to miss Nettles in House of the Dragon, don’t simply dismiss House of the Dragon‘s changes to her storyline as needless alterations. Four episodes into Season 3, and they’ve made the show richer and more heartbreaking, proving that House of the Dragon knows exactly what it’s doing when it comes to adaptation.
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