House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has expressed disappointment over Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin’s criticisms of the series’ second season. Martin had previously promised to delve into "everything that’s gone wrong with House of the Dragon" in August 2024, a promise he fulfilled by critiquing plot elements related to Aegon and Helaena’s children and expressing concerns about future seasons. Although Martin's post was later removed from his website without explanation, it had already garnered significant attention from fans and HBO.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal shared his thoughts on Martin's criticisms, highlighting the strain it has put on their relationship. "It was disappointing," he stated, emphasizing his long-standing admiration for Martin and the honor of working on the show. Condal acknowledged the challenges of adapting Fire & Blood for television, noting that the process involves connecting historical dots and inventing new elements. He stressed his efforts to involve Martin in the adaptation process over the years, describing their collaboration as fruitful until disagreements arose over practical production issues.

Condal elaborated on the complexities of balancing his roles as a creative writer and a practical producer, stating, "At the end of the day, I just have to keep marching not only the writing process forward, but also the practical parts of the process forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job." He expressed hope that he and Martin could find harmony again in the future.

The showrunner also highlighted the lengthy decision-making process in television, noting that every creative choice takes "many months, if not years" to finalize and passes through him before reaching the audience. His goal is to create a show that appeals not only to Game of Thrones readers but also to a broader television audience.

Despite recent tensions, HBO and Martin have several projects in development, including A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which Martin has praised as a "faithful adaptation," and potentially another Targaryen-centered spinoff. Meanwhile, House of the Dragon has already started production on Season 3 following a successful second season, which received a 7/10 in our review.